Let’s face it: remembering to put on sunscreen (and reapply it) is hard. It’s even more difficult after you put on a full face of makeup, careful not to undo all your hard work. But, two essential products can exist at once. With the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture less than a month away, protecting your skin in the New Orleans sun means mastering an spf makeup routine.
For one, EADEM just launched Sunsuede, a broad-spectrum SPF 50+ that doubles as a primer. Then, there’s the Solange-loved ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint with SPF 40 for the Black women who like a natural look. And, of course, the easiest SPF product to apply: a lip balm, like Good Weather Skin’s sunscreen-rich lip gloss.
Ahead, all the best SPF makeup Black women should pack for this year’s ESSENCE Festival.
MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF15 24HR Matte Foundation
A remaster of MAC’s original matte foundation, the broad-spectrum SPF15 formula now has a soft-matte finish which complements the deepest shade, NW65, beautifully.
Good Weather Skin Daily Lip Sun Gloss (SPF 30)
Kaplan MD Perfect Pout Lipstick SPF 30
In an industry full of SPF lip balm but few lipsticks, leave it dermatologists to develop a 7-shade range complete with SPF 30.
Cay Skin Isle Lip Balm SPF 30
An SPF lip balm with sea moss and aloe stem cells, this balm is packed with UV protection and ingredients formulated for deep hydration.
ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40
A Solange-favorite (her shade is “Dominica ST14”), this skin tint is a lightwight serum enriched with SPF 40 with the deepest shade being the deep neutral “Lovina ST19”.
Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen
This tinted SPF is like sunshine in a bottle, minus the UV damage. It’s a lightweight formula with a dewy finish and “70 Venice” as the richest shade.
Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Primer SPF 50
This lightweight primer is rich with broad spectrum SPF 50 and hyaluronic acid to help keep your skin hydrated and protected under makeup.
Estée Lauder Futurist Skin Tint Serum Foundation SPF 20
This skin tint, with the deepest shade a rich neutral “9N1 Ebony”, is complete with SPF 20 which you can smooth over an SPF primer for full sun protection.
Supergoop! Protec(tint) Daily SPF Tint SPF 50
This SPF 50 tint’s deepest shade, the very deep warm 58W, blends in with a second-skin finish for broad spectrum protection that feels barely there.
Tower 28 Sunny Days Tinted SPF 30
This tinted SPF is like sunshine in a bottle, minus the UV damage. It’s a lightweight formula with a dewy finish and “70 Venice” as the richest shade.
