Which Tinted Mosturizer Should You Buy?

The best do-it-all product for your face is a tinted moisturizer, which hydrates, protects, and blends easily to even out your skin tone and gives your face a shot of color in seconds.

Tinted moisturizers keep your face made up, hydrated, and protected from the sun in no time flat. Quite a few of the newest foundations provide coverage that’s so sheer, it is barely perceptible on skin.

For casual weekend makeup, sheer foundation or tinted moisturizers are excellent options for normal to dry or slightly oily skin that does not need significant coverage.

Pros:

Sheer foundations and tinted moisturizers are extremely easy to choose and use. The shades are so sheer (some bordering on transparent) that getting the color exactly right is not essential. These are a great way to add a touch of color to pale or sallow skin, and the sheerness prevents a slightly dark or tan-toned shade from looking wrong. For those with normal to slightly dry skin, a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen can serve as their sole morning skin-care product once the cleansing step is done.

Cons:

The coverage can be too sheer for those whose flaws are more apparent, including skin discolorations, broken capillaries, dark circles, or birthmarks. Although some sheer foundations have a matte finish, most of them (and most tinted moisturizers) are not for those with oily or breakout-prone skin. If you have a tricky skin tone to match, a sheer foundation or tinted moisturizer may still present problems, and there will be fewer shade options than with standard foundations.

The new formulations are so much better than they were a few years ago. The texture of the best tinted moisturizers is really amazing. They’re light, but give good coverage. They moisturize your skin without making it break out (if you use the right ones, of course). It’s such a great look for summer. Your complexion is evened out, you look dewy not greasy, and you look youthful and refreshed, even if you’ve been partying hard the night before.

Application:

� Apply a dot of tinted moisturizer on your forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin. Blend outward with your fingers.

BEST ALL-AROUND

Clarins Hydra-Care Tinted Moisturizer

Clarins consistently impresses. You’ll find these light, tinted moisturizers offer great coverage without feeling heavy. And there’s no better tanning product out there than Clarins. Here, you’ll get the moisturizer and the tan without the need for a heavy foundation.

BEST FOR NORMAL TO OILY SKIN

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20

With a feather-light feel, this product camouflages flaws without any of the blending time or telltale streaks of foundation. This is an ingenious product for casual wear – – or the foundation phobic. Original and oil-free versions are available in seven shades. Received the Allure and InStyle Best Award.
o To buy: www.lauramercier.com

BEST FOR DRY SKIN

Cosmedicine Honest Face Skin Tint & Treatment SPF 20

This lightweight, all-in-one face finisher and skin treatment provides even coverage and quenches parched skin with emu oil, a natural moisturizer that doesn’t clog pores. The formulation creates a natural, healthy-looking finish with no telltale lines. Also delivers broad-spectrum sunscreen protection and potent oxidants. Available in four shades.
o To buy: www.sephora.com

BEST VALUE

Pantina Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15, $7

This product, with soothing cucumber, antioxidant vitamins C and E, and green-tea extract, is easy on the skin and the wallet. My normally blotchy skin looks remarkably good with this formulation. Available in 3 shades.
o To buy: at drugstores

BEST FOR OUTDOOR WEAR

A tinted moisturizer with SPF will do the job for a day at the office, but if you’re venturing outdoors and still want a little glow, try a tinted sunscreen with a high SPF number and greater staying power.

Remede Translucent UV Coat SPF 30 provides UVA and UVB buffers in a liquid formula that contains light-diffusing powders for a dewy finish and a touch of color.
o To buy: www.remede.com

Dr. Brandt Daily UV Protection Light Bronze SPF 30 Face protects against UVA and UVB damage and gives you a temporary tan. As with any sunscreen, “to attain the SPF the product promises, it needs to be applied thickly and should be repeated later in the day,” says Beverly Hills dermatologist Christopher Dannaker.
o To buy: www.sephora.com

BEST SHEER CHOICE

Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15

Want even-looking skin, but aren’t willing to take the foundation plunge? Packed with sun protection and just enough color to even skin tone, sheer color doesn’t conceal. The light, hydrating formula is ideal for all skin types and comes in natural, see-through shades. Application is a cinch and the coverage is long lasting, leaving you with a perfect finish every time.