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Best tinted moisturisers for light coverage and glowing skin
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If the recent TikTok and runways trends have taught us anything, it’s that pared-down beauty is firmly on the agenda.
Natural beauty has been placed at the forefront in the last few years where ‘no-makeup makeup’ took centre stage over the bold, bright looks of time gone by.
One of the easiest ways to achieve this coveted look is by investing in a tinted moisturiser.
Tinted moisturiser is a double-duty product that is part skincare, part makeup. It works to even out your skin tone and discolouration, illuminate your complexion and blur minor imperfections, all while hydrating skin and leaving you with a fresh from holiday glow.
The formulas form a lightweight veil that does not feel cakey or heavy, so they’re ideal in the summer months or when heading abroad. Plus, as the multitasking product combines both moisturiser and colour, it takes up less space in your already jam-packed hand luggage allowance.
If you prefer fuller coverage, you may want to layer up with foundation and concealer where the priming moisturising base sits perfectly underneath, smoothing out skin, colour correcting and prepping it for the next layer.
A godsend for lazy beauty fans, it will help streamline your routine and can be tailored to your specific skincare concerns; whether that be anti-ageing, fighting free radical damage like pollution, or with or without the inclusion of SPF. But for the latter, it is worth noting that you should be applying around a teaspoon of sun protection each day so may still need an additional product.
Tinted moisturisers can be used on dry, oily and sensitive skin and have a variation in finishes; natural, sheer and illuminating depending on your preference. There are high-end as well as drugstore variations for all budgets, in which the affordable options are still quality products that have bang for their buck.
How to apply tinted moisturiser
Apply like your typical moisturiser by dabbing on each area – forehead, nose, cheeks and chin – and then spread around your face using your fingers or with a makeup brush.
Cherelle Lazarus, NARS Senior Artist, adds “Tinted moisturiser is a lightweight formula, best applied with fingers. sing your fingers not only warms up the product before you apply it, but the warmth from your fingers will allow the product to saturate the skin beautifully, creating a base that is even and natural looking”.
Can you tan through tinted moisturiser?
You can tan through tinted moisturiser but it mustn't be your only sun protection. It is recommended to apply 1/4 of a teaspoon of SPF to the face, which is likely more than the amount of tinted moisturiser you will use. Better safe than rosy.
Do you need to take off tinted moisturiser?
Much like all makeup, the answer is firmly yes. Lazarus confirms this, she recommends that “any complexion base applied, should be removed in the evening with a cleansing water or facial wash”.
We’ve gathered our favourite second-skin-like tinted moisturisers to help you find the one that suits you best.
Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser
SPF: Yes SPF30
Size: 50ml
Shades: 16
The Nars tinted moisturiser is considered a cult product and there is good reason for that. The lightweight formula is easily applied, blending in with your skin tone to form a silky veil. Apply with your fingers or a brush to give a hint of colour and a whole lot of glow. It sits on the skin without settling into fine lines, creasing or clogging pores.
While providing coverage to even out your complexion and cover blemishes, it also works to hydrate and moisturise skin. If you are looking for fuller coverage, use as a base under foundation or alone for a lighter alternative. It is available in 19 shades or you can mix them together to create a bespoke colour to suit your tone.
Chanel Les Beiges Eau de Teint
SPF: No
Size: 30ml
Shades: 6
This Eau de Teint from Chanel is more a tinted serum than a tinted moisturiser but we are completely obsessed. The formula is made up of a watery liquid with innovative microfluid technology in the form of pigments that melt into your skin. Pump the formula onto the back of your hand and use the brush included to combine the two parts together.
When applied on the skin, it feels like an instant hit of hydration, while the micro-droplets leave a sheer and glowy finish. The buildable product can be applied to all skin types, even sensitive skin for a pampering feeling that leaves skin looking dewy. There are six shades.
Dr.Jart+ BB Cream SPF50
SPF: Yes - SPF50
Size: 40ml
Shades: 4
When it comes to beauty, we tend to take our cues from the South Koreans. K-Beauty has taken off in a huge way in the UK with Dr Jart+ one of the biggest names leading the way. Typically specialising in skincare, this BB cream with added SPF dropped in early 2023 just ahead of summer - and it’s perfect for warm weather.
A multitasker, this cream hydrates the skin’s barrier, as well as conceals blemishes and protects against harmful rays and city pollution.
This is an excellent BB cream, lightweight, silky and with enough coverage to balance uneven complexions without feeling smothered. It glides easily across the skin - thanks to the niacinamide within, no doubt - and, in most cases, one pump is enough for an entire face.
Pivot to this balm in warmer weather when traditional foundations feel too heavy. The fact it has SPF50 built-in makes it even more appealing. Beauty and skincare rolled into one, it’s the full package.
Ultra Violette SPF50 Tinted Veil
SPF: Yes - SPF50
Size: 50ml
Shades: 15
Daily SPF application is not as arduous a task as it once was. Brands like Ultra Violette have been revolutionising the space, creating formulas that slip seamlessly into your bathroom cabinet - no thick, stubborn textures or white casts left behind.
The latest in the brand’s line-up is a tinted moisturiser but in true Ultra Violette style, it is also SPF50. The broad spectrum protection goes hand in hand with the buildable hue that is lightweight and almost serum-like in its texture.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Light Revealer Natural Skin Illuminator
SPF: Yes SPF20
Size: 50ml
Shades: 14
With one of the more impressive shade ranges on the market, the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser provides a natural-looking finish. For day-to-day wear when you are looking for something less heavy, it offers good coverage without excess oil. The lightweight product has a sheer finish and is long-wearing, covering blemishes and evening out your complexion for a polished look. 14 shades.
Lumene Invisible Illumination Instant Glow Beauty Serum
SPF: No
Size: 30ml
Shades: 5
Use this tinted Lumene serum to enhance your complexion and bring a wave of hydration to dry skin thanks to the combination of pure arctic spring water and antioxidant-rich wild Arctic cloudberry seed extract that is contained within the formula.
Ideal for creating that ‘no makeup makeup’ look, it glides on right on, feeling silky on the skin and providing a natural, flawless finish. It can be used for dehydrated as well as combination and oily skin to put the colour back into your cheeks.
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturiser Hydrating Gel Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30
SPF: Yes - SPF30
Size: 35ml
Shades: 20
Makeup products with clean skincare-worthy formulas are the bareMinerals MO - as is expertly demonstrated by this tinted moisturiser. For ease in daily application and to simplify your routine, it ticks three boxes with just the one product.
While imparting a light and buildable coverage, you are boosting your skin’s hydration (by 215 per cent in one week according to the brand) and there’s SPF 30 too. Thrice the complexion enhancement, it is also made up of naturally derived ingredients with a glowy not greasy finish.
Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint
SPF: No
Size: 30ml
Shades: 12
That fresh-from-the-beach LA glow need not be difficult to achieve. Look to SUMMER FRIDAYS, the label bottling the radiance of the Sunshine State in this lightweight tinted moisturiser. Your skin, just clearer, more even and luminous, this product works to minimise the appearance of pores and counteract redness.
The sheer coverage makes it ideal for achieving that no-makeup makeup look and the 12-strong shade range is highly adaptable so it works for all skin tones as well as types.
Clinique Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator SPF 25
SPF: Yes SPF25
Size: 40ml
Shades: 5
Simplify your morning routine with Clinique’s one-step moisturise, perfect and protect tinted moisturiser. The lightweight product is formulated with hyaluronic acid and activated aloe water to offer a hit of hydration that refreshes skin without leaving an oily sheen.
It blends flawlessly with sheer coverage while also protecting against external aggressors with an SPF25. It does not feel heavy when applied or cling to dry skin but instead provides a soft cover-up that lasts all day. The Hydrator is also sweat and humidity-resistant.
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream Matte SPF 40
SPF: Yes - SPF40
Size: 32ml
Shades: 12
IT Cosmetics was born out of the desire to create skin-loving makeup that celebrates your natural complexion and won’t do more harm than good. The brand harnesses the expertise of plastic surgeons, skincare experts and dermatologists to offer long-lasting heroes in your makeup bag. Enter the CC cream.
Aptly named Your Skin But Better, it has a full coverage finish and so is designed for those looking for a product that places more emphasis on the tinted rather than the moisturiser. It has a matte effect and colour-correcting properties (that’s the CC), but is packed with powerhouse ingredients like collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and vitamins that you’ll find in many of your favourite skincare products.
Garnier BB Cream Original Light Tinted Moisturiser
SPF: Yes SPF15
Size: 50ml
Shades: 4
This drugstore tinted moisturiser is seriously good value for money. The five-in-one product not only provides an even coverage and leaves a radiant finish but compliments skin with vitamin C that helps reduce redness. The pigmented product has a creamy texture that spreads easily and evenly around the face without feeling cakey or heavy where more layers can be applied depending on the level of coverage that you are after.
Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum
SPF: No
Size: 30ml
Shades: 14
The brainchild of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Rose Inc defies the stereotype of the celebrity beauty brand with hard-working heroes that will enhance daily makeup application. This serum-tint hybrid is a treat to the complexion. As soon as it touches your skin, you can feel the immediate hydration that has a plumping and glow-giving effect. The coverage is sheer which gives an airbrushed look.
Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defence
SPF: Yes, SPF30
Size: 60ml
Shade: 1
From cult label Drunk Elephant, this is less a tinted moisturiser and more a bronzing moisturiser but still offers a glowing finish. The non-sticky and clean formula gives a subtle tint, while also packing a skincare-benefiting punch helping to minimise the appearance of fine lines while also protecting against free radical damage.
The formula is non-sticky and has a slight shimmer. It has impressive staying power and doesn’t leave a white cast behind like some sun creams. Ideal for a quick fix when you don’t have time for a full face, this multipurpose product absorbs quickly into the skin without irritation.
Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer
Best for: a dewy finish
SPF: Yes - SPF 35
Size: 40ml
Shades: 14
If you haven’t heard of the brand Saie, let this be your official introduction. This tinted moisturiser is unforgettable. It contains hyaluronic acid and SPF 35 as well as a dash of liquorice with impressive brightening benefits. This ingredient also helps to protect skin from discolouration and pigmentation after sun exposure and when combined with anti-inflammatory aloe vera, it moisturises and delivers antioxidants. Last but not least, pansy flower soothes irritation and argan oil will ensure that dryness never shows.
Verdict
Earning the top place on our list, Nars’ Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser has one of the most versatile shade ranges on the market and leaves you with a glowing, healthy complexion. Honourable mentions go to Chanel’s Eau de Teint for its luxe pampering feel and immediate hit of hydration as well as Garnier’s Original BB Cream at the lower end of the price spectrum, giving you real bang for your buck.