Since the beginning stages of tinted moisturizer, there has been a multitude of new iterations of the product. Spinoff beauty goodies like BB and CC creams have sprung up on the market, but sometimes, it’s best to reach for a classic to get the job done. Save a few steps in the morning and reap major benefits with this not-so-secret beauty hack that'll have your skin feeling moisturized and looking even and illuminated.
Tinted Moisturizers Versus Foundations, BB Creams, and CC Creams
We asked three of our favorite makeup artists — Nydia Figueroa, Bina Khan, and Suzy Gerstein — to explain the main differences between these common face products.
Tinted moisturizers offer the lightest coverage, allowing you to see your freckles. They also combine pigment, emollients, and oftentimes SPF. You can wear a tinted moisturizer without SPF during the evening if you prefer.
BB creams — aka beauty blams — provide a bit more coverage than tinted moisturizers, and can help camouflage redness. They also offer more skincare benefits than CC creams and tinted moisturizers, making them great for extremely dry, acne-prone, and mature skin.
CC creams — aka color correcting creams — are lightweight like BB creams, but offer less coverage than traditional foundations.
Foundations offer anywhere from a medium to full coverage, depending on the product's formula — powder, dewy, or liquid — and the tools you use to apply them.
Benefits and Limitations of Tinted Moisturizers
To help you figure out if tinted moisturizers are the right fit for your makeup needs, we put together a quick at-a-glance view of the reasons why tinted moisturizers are worth using.
Pros:
You'll finally achieve that elusive “your skin but better” finish, says Gerstein.
They minimize the number of face products you need to get ready.
Tinted moisturizers are typically hydrating, and leave a pretty, dewy effect on your skin, Khan adds.
They contain skincare-quality ingredients to provide anti-aging benefits and sun protection.
You don't need your exact color match when sporting a tinted moisturizer, according to Gerstein.“Since they are less pigmented than traditional foundations, you can get away with shades that are slightly deeper than your skin tone if you want to warm up your complexion,” she says. “Just remember to blend, and take a little bronzer down the sides of the neck and shoulders.”
Cons:
Tinted moisturizers are not ideal when you want full coverage.
They can become sticky throughout the day, cautions Khan. You can minimize this risk by using a setting powder and setting spray to help lock your face makeup into place.
Ready for radiant skin that is so gorgeous, you can skip the filter on your next selfie? Here are 11 of the best tinted moisturizers you need in your life.
Our recommendations include makeup artist-approved products, editor favorites, and well-researched options that are chock full of skin-enhancing ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and SPF.
This hydrating solution from bareMinerals applies like a cream, but it feels like a gel. We love this tinted moisturizer that's packed with olive-derived squalene and electrolytes to completely replenish your skin, while also providing sheer-to-medium coverage.
Staying true to the brand's mineral makeup roots, Complexion Rescue is also infused with mineral-based sun blockers to help protect your face from the sun's UVA and UVB rays.
Score the no-makeup makeup look with this product from Laura Mercier. This illuminating moisturizer features just the right amount of pigment — plus SPF 20 — so it's an easy swap for foundation to save you time in the morning.
This long-wearing tinted moisturizer is deeply hydrating, thanks to a combination of OG moisturizers — squalane and hyaluronic acid — paired with macadamia oil, kukui seed oil, and tamarind seed extract.
You're guaranteed to look dewy AF when you sport this tinted moisturizer, too. The secret lies in the silica treated pigment that promises to blur your imperfections, similar to a pore minimizer.
It's a great tinted moisturizer for anyone with dry, normal, or combination skin. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, however, you'll gain the most from a different option on our list.
Standout ingredients: Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and triple-B complex
You can expect great things from this pretty little tube from Tarte. Offering a lightweight formula, it provides flattering full coverage with the hydrating benefits of a traditional skincare treatment.
BB Tinted Treatment works well under makeup, but it can also be worn on its own. We also love that it's made with two mineral sunscreen protectors that are safe for anyone with sensitive skin.
The long-wearing tinted moisturizer is designed for all skin types, but given its matte finish, we think it's especially great for anyone with combination or oily skin.
OK fine, we’ll admit it: We love all things Rihanna! And we’re not the only ones. Her latest Fenty face product earned snaps from Khan, who notes that it has great coverage and is beautifully smooth. The product also earned more than 1,000 glowing reviews on Sephora — not too shabby!
Riri's Eaze Drop is available in 25 shades, making it the most shade-inclusive product in our guide, but what we think you'll enjoy most is the lightweight feel and long-wearing sheer coverage it provides.
Notably, it's formulated with a hydrablend complex that will last against humidity and sweat. Plus, it's transfer-resistant.
Gerstein usually rotates between tinted moisturizers from Shiseido and Chantecaille, but currently, she's gravitating toward Saie’s clean option. “The texture is very light and luminous without feeling tacky or greasy, as some tinted moisturizers can,” she says.
This option is infused with a Hydrablend complex of hyaluronic acid and pansy flower to ensure your face is well-moisturized throughout the day. There's also pansy licorice root extract to brighten your skin.
Saie's tinted moisturizer also boasts the Clean + Planet Positive seal from Sephora, indicating it's made from natural ingredients that won't harm you or the planet.
Standout ingredients: Niacinamide and neurophraline
When senior editor Eunice Lucero-Lee wants to enhance her complexion, she opts for Trinny London's splurge-worthy tinted moisturizer.
“There’s just something about this sheer yet perfecting tinted serum, like it hasn’t seen the ravages of time or anxiety these past few years,” she says. “In fact, it’s literally in the ingredients list: Neurophraline helps balance the effects of stress on skin, and it works! I’m glowing, and my skin looks fresh and even.”
Rebalance is best suited for oily, combination, or acne-prone skin. If you have dry or normal skin, consider BFF De-Stress for a noticeable hydrating feel and lit-from-within glow.
Standout ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate and squalane
Thanks to its radiant finish, light coverage, hydrating formula, and clean ingredients, it's easy to see why this tinted moisturizer has become a favorite for Lucero-Lee.
“Plumped, glowing, and like I had a full 9 hours of sleep is what I get to look forward to every time I swipe this on,” she says. “It’s a sheer formula — you can literally see the tinted beads inside the clear serum — but with enough integrity to take you from ugh to wow in seconds. Want more proof? I used it when I had my DMV photo taken: That’s trust!”
Like Saie's offering, Rosie Huntington-Whitely's tinted moisturizer also earned the Clean + Planet Positive seal from Sephora.
IMAGE Skincare's Prevention+ is one of the best tinted moisturizers our former beauty editor has tried. “Its smooth formula allows you to wear it effortlessly under makeup if you choose to, but it’s also pigmented enough to wear alone for a lighter-coverage look,” says Katie McBroom.
It provides broad-spectrum sun protection to keep your skin healthy and protected from the sun's harmful rays and the blue light emitted from your digital screens.
This tinted moisturizer is only available in a single color, so if you're darker than a three on the Fitzpatrick Scale, you'll probably want to opt for a different tinted moisturizer in our guide.
If you’re looking for a barely-there tinted moisturizer, look no further than Glossier’s Perfecting Skin Tint.
Smooth on this sheer, breathable makeup to enhance your skin's natural, dewy glow with the brand’s not-so-secret ingredient — diamond powder. This luxe ingredient will also help brighten your skin and blur the appearance of your pores.
The cruelty-free tinted moisturizer is also infused with glycerin to help hydrate your face throughout the day.
Standout ingredients: Titanium dioxide, algae, pomegranate, and white tea leaf extract
Truly living up to its name, Jane Iredale's tinted moisturizer glides on like a dream, providing hydration, coverage, and sun protection. The oil-free tinted moisturizer also works to calm and soothe the skin, thanks to its formulation of weightless minerals.
As the only water-resistant tinted moisturizer in our guide, it's the perfect product for upcoming beach and pool days because you can camouflage imperfections without worrying about goopy makeup running down your face while swimming.
Standout ingredients: Vitamin C and French Polynesian kopara
You'll only need a few drops of this weightless product to spread across your face in order to help cover up dark spots and hyperpigmentation. This will smooth your skin instantly for a flattering, natural illumination that leaves your complexion ultra hydrated and protected from the sun.
Made with skin-brightening vitamin C and French Polynesian kopara, this tinted moisturizer is oil-free and works to leave your skin healthy and hydrated.
FAQ
Q: How should I apply tinted moisturizer?
Khan recommends applying tinted moisturizer with your fingers, and then buffing out any harsh lines with a soft, flat brush.
Nicole SaundersBeauty EditorNicole Saunders is the Beauty Editor at BestProducts.com, where she oversees coverage on all things beauty.
Katie McBroomBeauty EditorKatie McBroom is an award-winning content creator and beauty/grooming expert.
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