The 16 Best Tinted Moisturizers, Tested and Reviewed by Our Editors
These skin-enhancing tinted moisturizers don't compromise on skincare benefits.
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As our beauty editor, I've tested and reviewed my fair share of face makeup, which culminated in our inaugural New Beauty Awards. With seven years of beauty writing experience, I can confidently say one complexion product that doesn't get enough attention is tinted moisturizers. They're a classic beauty solution for ensuring the skin is hydrated, even-toned, and illuminated. Some are formulated with mattifying ingredients for oily and combination skin types, while others contain broad-spectrum SPF to guard the skin against ultraviolet A and B rays that cause signs of aging and burns.
Regardless of which tinted moisturizer you gift a loved one or treat yourself to, users can enjoy a lightweight feel and natural-looking coverage for an enhanced, filter-like complexion without the fuss. The best part? There's a tinted moisturizer out there for any skin type, including acne-prone, dry, and mature skin.
Those who are concerned about these products creasing into their fine lines and wrinkles don't have to worry, either. Tinted moisturized doesn't cake or crease like other thicker products might. Keep scrolling for my expert-curated guide to all things tinted moisturizer with recommendations and advice from some of my favorite makeup artists, including award-winning picks the four of us can't stop using.
Best Tinted Moisturizers
- Best Overall: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Soothing Serum Skin Tint Foundation
- Best Budget Buy: wet n wild Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator
- Best for Oily, Combination, and Normal Skin: bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer
- Best for People of Color: Ami Colé Skin-Enhancing Tinted Moisturizer
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen
TINTED MOISTURIZERS VERSUS FOUNDATIONS, BB CREAMS, AND CC CREAMS
I asked three of my 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.
PROS AND CONS OF TINTED MOISTURIZERS
To help you determine if tinted moisturizers fit your makeup needs, we put together a quick at-a-glance view of 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 might contain quality ingredients to provide sun protection and anti-aging benefits like more hydration, less creasing in fine lines, and can minimize the appearance of large pores.
- You can apply them with your fingers, foundation brush, or damp makeup sponge.
- 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.
How We Chose
Ready for gorgeous radiant skin that doesn't require a filter on your next selfie? Here are 17 of the best tinted moisturizers everyone needs in their life. My fellow editors and I tested many of these tinted moisturizers to ensure they live up to the hype IRL. We factored in their overall performance, application, shade variety, and feel. Major points were given to tinted moisturizers infused with science-backed ingredients, such as vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and broad-spectrum SPF. Other recommendations include makeup artist-approved products. I also spent hours carefully researching tinted moisturizers to bring you other options worthy of a spot in your cosmetics bag.
Nicole Saunders is the beauty editor at Best Products with over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing lifestyle content. She specializes in breaking down complicated topics, like high-frequency wands and microcurrent devices, into easy-to-understand guides. She takes great pride in heavily researching and testing