When the sun is coming down, temperatures rise, and the humidity outside is at its worse, nobody wants their skin weighed down with heavy makeup, or have it melted away. That’s where makeup and skincare combine wonderfully, blessing us with the ultimate summer makeup bag addition: tinted moisturizers.
What are tinted moisturizers?
Tinted moisturizers combine the hydrating benefits of moisturizers with lightly pigmented coverage. These lightweight formulas hydrate the skin with nourishing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, aloe, ceramides, or glycerin, then even the skin’s tone to cover and conceal uneven coloration, dark spots, or imperfections. Some formulas even offer SPF protection, making them ideal for the summer sun.
Why use tinted moisturizers?
The best part about tinted moisturizers is that they are a great alternative to foundations or BB creams. While they typically have less pigmentation than traditional makeup, these moisturizers do give the face a healthy, dewy glow.
Because they’re so lightweight, a tinted moisturizer is perfect for time in the sun. They give hydration and even the complexion without feeling thick, heavy, or sticky on the skin.
We picked out some of our favorite formulas, just for you!
Overall Top Picks
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
This oil-free moisturizer not only softens and smooths the skin’s texture but also evens its tone with brightening ingredients like vitamin C. What’s even better is that this SPF 30 formula comes in a wide range of shades that work with your skincare’s sunscreen to better protect your face.
We love this skin-loving tinted moisturizer for everyday use when we want sheer, buildable coverage and an illuminating finish.
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow
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This hydrating formula can be used daily on its own, or with a foundation for even more coverage. On its own, this moisturizer gives buildable light to medium coverage that easily hides dark spots, redness, and discoloration without ever looking cakey.
We love how fresh this flawless formula looks on the skin. It finishes with a lovely luminous glow, and the hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and antioxidants work together to smooth fine lines without clogging the pores.
Hyper Hydrating
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector SPF 30
This classic tinted moisturizer gives the skin a sheer touch of coverage with a majorly dewy finish. Macadamia and kukui seed oils, tamarind seed extract, and glycerin hydrate the skin all day to minimize dry patches and fine lines. Broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen, vitamin C, and vitamin E also protect the skin from damage due to UV rays and environmental aggressors.
We love this luxurious formula for achieving that classic “no-makeup” makeup look. The skin-toned pigments are treated with silica to maintain a soft-focused skin effect that lasts for hours.
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream
This moisturizer builds from sheer to light coverage to even the skin tone and soften imperfections without looking or feeling heavy. As well as containing a mineral sunscreen, it also uses coconut alkanes, propanediol, squalene, glycerin, and sodium hyaluronate to intensely hydrate the face for a healthy and dewy complexion.
We love this lightweight, oil-free, and non-comedogenic formula for its nourishing and skin-loving properties. Not only does it immediately hydrate the face, but it also helps the skin hold moisture for hours. After a week, the skin’s texture is smoothed and improved with hydration that lasts.
Best SPF
EltaMD UV Clear Tinted SPF 46
While tinted moisturizers aren’t a replacement for sunscreen in a skincare routine, this zinc oxide-rich formula has the highest SPF protection to help keep the skin safe. As well as protecting from UV rays, this oil-free formula also calms acne and rosacea-prone skin with anti-inflammatory niacinamide.
We love this formula not only for its mineral-based sunscreen but also because of its use of hydrating sodium hyaluronate and antioxidant-rich vitamin E. It’s also extremely lightweight for pigment-evening coverage that feels good, looks good, and does good.
Sensitive Skin
PĂśR 4-In-1 Tinted Moisturizer
Not only does this tinted formula act as an extremely lightweight hydrator (with moisture-attracting sodium hyaluronate, chamomile, aloe vera, shea butter, and vitamin E), but it also uses a vegan and fragrance-free, paraben-free, and common preservative-free formula, making it perfect for sensitive skin. It also acts as a primer and foundation for fewer steps in the morning (and fewer potentially irritating products on the skin) and it gives the face a healthy, glowing, dewy finish.
We love this formula not only for its gentle and hydrating properties but also for its non-chemical zinc oxide SPF 20 sunscreen protection. It also uses PÜR’s Ceretin Complex, which combines retinol, lactic acid, shea butter, and ceramide to encourage healthy skin renewal and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
This tinted moisturizer soothes dry, flaky, and even eczema-prone skin with hydrating colloidal oatmeal, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E. It also protects the skin with SPF 30, making it ideal when used in combination with a face sunscreen during the summer.
As well as soothing irritated, sensitive skin, this formula also minimizes redness and builds in color without clogging the pores. We love how it hydrates the skin for up to 12 hours, making it perfect for summer and winter wear.
Anti-Aging
Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint
This tinted moisturizer uses a special complex of hyaluronic acid that not only hydrates the skin—plumping it with moisture that minimizes fine lines and wrinkles—but also makes it firmer and more elastic. This skin-tightening formula also protects the face with broad-spectrum SPF 15 sunscreen.
Along with its anti-aging, skin-smoothing benefits, we love this moisturizer for its buildable medium-to-full coverage. It has a creamy whipped texture that feels luxurious on the skin and leaves a radiant, glowing complexion with its pearlescent pigments.
Any Skin Type
Lancome Skin Feels Good Hydrating Skin Tint
This tinted moisturizer is lightweight on the skin for a silky-smooth finish that never feels cakey or clogs pores. It hydrates the skin with glycerin and hyaluronic acid while SPF 23 and moringa seed extract protect the face from environmental damage.
As well as its range of hues, we love this formula for its buildable “no makeup” look. Just a little goes a long way, and you’re left with a truly natural, dewy finish.
Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow Tinted Moisturizer
Get a glowing, sun-kissed summer look with this healthy and hydrating formula. It gives a soft-focus effect for a smooth, even, glowing complexion with an additional tanned tint from bronzing pigments.
This formula creates a natural, healthy complexion we can’t get enough of. It not only looks good on any gender or complexion but also hydrates the skin with moisture-retaining ingredients such as glycerin for a dewy finish. It transforms from white to a perfectly tanned tone as it’s blended into the skin, making it perfect for any skin color.
For more tinted moisturizers, check out all our brands and variations here.
For questions, concerns, or article ideas, feel free to reach out to our eCosmetics Beauty Editor directly at beauty@ecosmetics.com
