I like to trial and error things such as sunscreen because there may be one better suited to my skin type or that offers more protection for my skin. This came to my attention on trip to the warehouse where they had 25% off sunscreens, so of course I had to have this. First of all the pump bottle I love because it means I minimize wastage and I don't have to worry about a thick cream to rub in to my skin. I can take or leave the design on the bottle, it's rather bland and unimaginative. It doesn't jump out to me at all besides that it is the Banana Boat brand.
The consistency of the sunscreen is quite watery I find and seems to absorb far too quickly. When it comes to sunscreen prefer to have a white film still visible because it offers peace of mind that my skin is protected. I do prefer 50+SPF but I know that 30+SPF is just as suitable. The smell is quite pleasant while still maintaining that familiar sunscreen smell. I made sure that I reapplied every two hours when I was in the sun and every hour when I was in the water to prevent sunburn. I concentrate on areas like the face and my tattoos (mostly to prevent them fading).
Now for Banana Boat I expected a more quality performance. After four hours at the beach I can almost guarantee that I will be a red lobster despite reapplying as directed. To me this is more suited as a winter sunscreen than a summer one because the sun is far more intense when it's summer. I wear this under my foundation in the colder months just to use it up. I prefer other brands with higher SPF rating though to be safe. I am not a fan of this one at all.
I stocked up on this at the end of last summer when it was super cheap. The expiry wasn't until 2015 and with four children we go through a lot of sunscreen! Anyway this product doesn't smell too strong and what I really love is that it absorbs into your skin so it doesn't leave a greasy layer. My children don't get burnt with this at all. I apply a thick layer in the morning and leave it too soak in and it lasts them all day. I only reapply if they are spending all day outside and it is super hot otherwise I find the 1 application is enough to not get burnt. After using a few other brands, this is probably my fave since it does what you need it to do and it absorbs so easily and doesn't leave your face looking shiny and yuck.