When you’re tired of wearing foundation but want to even out the look of your skin, finding a happy medium is key. The best tinted moisturizers offer lightweight coverage without making you feel like you’re wearing a full face of makeup (our top pick from Nars does just that). These multitaskers can also help with skin concerns like dryness or redness, diminish the look of fine lines or acne, and give a boost of hydration.
The best tinted moisturizers offer lightweight coverage and skincare benefits.
ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILERS
Dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick recommends looking for a formula that offers plenty of benefits for your skin, like moisturizing ingredients that hydrate and soothe while also helping to support the skin barrier. Added sun protection is also helpful. Ahead, we’ve compiled a list of the best tinted moisturizers for every skin type.
A Top Pick That Gives Just The Right Amount Of Coverage
Nars
Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer
Finish: Dewy | Best for: All skin types | Cruelty-free: No
What you’ll love:
Has SPF 30
Provides buildable coverage
Oil-free
Keep in mind:
May feel heavy on some skin types
This beloved Nars product gives just the right amount of coverage for a flawless no-makeup makeup look. It features nourishing ingredients like vitamin C to help improve skin tone, radiance and firmness. Plus, it’s buildable and won’t cake or crease through the course of the day.
Best Value Tinted Moisturizer
An Affordable Option That Has A Natural Finish
L'Oreal
L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream
Finish: Natural | Best for: All skin types | Cruelty-free: No
What you’ll love:
Feels lightweight on the skin
Blends easily
Natural finish
Keep in mind:
Can have a watery consistency (recommended to shake well before use)
This affordable tinted moisturizer performs as well as some higher end options. It provides natural, lightweight coverage that’s ideal for evening out skin tone and reducing the look of blemishes and spots. It’s a go-to for many makeup beginners.
Best Luxury Tinted Moisturizer
An Adaptable Tint That Diminishes Fine Lines
U Beauty
U Beauty The Super Tinted Hydrator
Finish: Dewy | Best for: Normal, dry | Cruelty-free: Yes
What you’ll love:
Inclusive shade range
Gives long-lasting hydration
Keep in mind:
Best for normal to dry skin types
This formula contains argan, avocado and grapeseed oils, so it aids in hydrating as well as smoothing the look of fine lines. It melts seamlessly into skin without feeling heavy, which means you’ll easily be able to use it year-round. The dewy finish is best suited for normal or drier skin types.
Best Tinted Moisturizer For Acne-Prone Skin
A Skin-Perfecting Formula
MOST POPULAR
Ulta Beauty
Honest Beauty CCC Clean Corrective
Finish: Dewy | Best for: All skin types | Cruelty-free: Yes
What you’ll love:
Has SPF 30
Covers imperfections
Keep in mind:
Available in nine shades
Not ideal for dry skin types
Honest Beauty’s tinted moisturizer is enriched with vitamin C, which is helpful for improving the appearance of acne scarring over time and preventing future hyperpigmentation. Plus, it contains allantoin, which soothes inflammation while moisturizing the skin.
Best Tinted Moisturizer For Dry Skin
A Wide Shade Range And Hydrating Formula
Laura Mercier
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
Finish: Dewy | Best for: Normal, dry, combination | Cruelty-free: No
What you’ll love:
Inclusive shade range
Gives long-lasting hydration
Has SPF 30
Keep in mind:
Has a dewy finish
There are several reasons this tinted moisturizer is a bestseller. It’s available in a range of 20 shades, so you’re likely to find a good match. Plus, it’s infused with macadamia and kukui seed oils and also has SPF 30, so you get light coverage, a full day’s worth of hydration and added sun protection. It also leaves a soft, glowy finish that suits a variety of skin types.
Best Tinted Moisturizer With SPF
Buildable Coverage And Added Sun Protection
Tower28
Tower 28 SunnyDays
Finish: Natural | Best for: All skin types | Cruelty-free: Yes
What you’ll love:
Has SPF 30
Provides buildable coverage
Keep in mind:
Has a slightly thicker consistency
Also a top pick in our best tinted moisturizers with SPF story, his hybrid skin tint from Tower 28 is especially gentle on sensitive skin, and it has SPF 30 for added sun protection. The versatile product has the consistency of a moisturizer with the buildable coverage of a foundation, depending on how you apply it. And the packaging is made from 60% post-consumer recycled plastic.
Best Tinted Moisturizer For Sensitive Skin
A Derm-Approved Product With Plumping Ingredients
DRMTLGY
Drmtlgy Universal Tinted Moisturizer
Finish: Matte | Best for: All skin types | Cruelty-free: Yes
What you’ll love:
Has SPF 46
Helps to plump skin
Includes hyaluronic acid and niacinamide
Keep in mind:
Limited shade range
Garshick recommends this tinted moisturizer for its broad spectrum protection the way it helps camouflage any redness or blemishes. The oil-free formula also features hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to help nourish sensitive skin.
Best Tinted Moisturizer For Mature Skin
A Firming Skin Tint
bareMinerals
BareMinerals Complexion Rescue
Finish: Dewy | Best for: Normal, dry | Cruelty-free: Yes
What you’ll love:
Moisturizing
Dermatologist-tested
Has SPF 30
Keep in mind:
Gives a sheer tint
Can oxidize
This multitasking tint has a hydrating gel-cream texture that seamlessly blends into the skin. It includes hyaluronic acid and olive-derived squalane to moisturize and plump skin while protecting against moisture loss. The hydrating yet lightweight formula makes it especially great for mature skin.
Best Tinted Moisturizer For Oily Skin
A Vitamin C-Infused Formula
Typology
Typology Tinted Serum
Finish: Natural | Best for: All skin types | Cruelty-free: Yes
What you’ll love:
Buildable coverage
Contains aloe vera and vitamin C
Lightweight feel on skin
Keep in mind:
Silicone-free formula
This tinted serum from Parisian brand Typology consistently rates highly for its extremely lightweight feel and buildable coverage. Formulated with antibacterial aloe vera as well as vitamin C, reviewers love that it removes excess sebum from skin while brightening.
Best Tinted Moisturizer For Dark Skin Tones
A Sheer Pigment That Leaves You Glowing
Thirteen Lune
Ami Colé Skin Enhancing Tint
Finish: Natural | Best for: All skin types | Cruelty-free: Yes
What you’ll love:
Has a blurring effect on the skin
Hydrating formula
Keep in mind:
Available in limited shades
Provides sheer coverage
This nourishing option helps to blur imperfections and comes in a range of shades that cater to darker skin tones. It’s crafted with ingredients like hibiscus flower and pumpkin seed extracts to help soothe skin while balancing oil production.
At Forbes Vetted, our seasoned team of writers and editors has covered all facets of the beauty industry, from researching innovative formulas to seeking out expert insight.
Every iteration of this story has been edited by deputy editor Jane Sung, who oversees the beauty and grooming section.
Forbes Vetted staffers and contributors researched top ingredients and formulas to find the best tinted moisturizers.
We honed in on formulas and ingredients to evaluate the ones worth adding to a makeup routine.
In our selection process, many products were also tested firsthand by the Forbes Vetted beauty team.
We considered details like feel, coverage and formula in our evaluation. The experts we interviewed also provided their input on the best formulations and other tips for selecting the best tinted moisturizers.
What To Consider In A Tinted Moisturizer
It might seem like tinted moisturizers all provide the same benefits, but formulas can vary and are not always suitable for all skin types. Instead of landing on one that doesn’t meet your needs, it’s important to take a look at ingredients, coverage and benefits. Here’s what to consider when shopping for the right one.
Ingredients
No matter your skin type, Garshick recommends looking for hydrating ingredients like humectants, glycerin or hyaluronic acid. If you have sensitive, acne-prone or inflamed skin, consider skin-soothing ingredients like squalane, ceramides, niacinamide, green tea extract and aloe vera.
“While not all tinted moisturizers offer SPF benefits, it can help to look for those containing SPF 30 or higher that provides broad-spectrum coverage,” Garshick says. If you have sensitive skin, opt for coverage that has mineral blockers, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Shade
Much like foundations, skin tints are offered in different shade ranges that are less pigmented and more sheer. The lack of rich color gives them a more weightless feel and more natural finish. When it comes to finding your shade, makeup artist Neil Scibelli says it’s best to take time to match it properly against your jawline. “There are also self-adjusting formulas that adapt to your own skin’s tone and give a hint of color once they’re on without offering too much coverage,” he says.
Coverage
Tinted moisturizers only offer light to medium coverage, according to celebrity makeup artist Carola Gonzalez. “They are best to use when you want to achieve a more fresh, natural look,” she says. However, some do have buildable properties, which makes it easy to layer the tints with other products in your makeup stash.
Texture
Since there are many variations of the sheer coverage products that mimic serums and liquid foundations, Scibelli recommends considering your skin type and the finish you may be looking for before you settle on one. Decide if you need one that’s mattifying, hydrating, illuminating and so on.
Keep in mind that the formulas should be light on the skin—not like it’s going to clog your pores. Gonzalez says, “Look for tinted moisturizers in a liquid form, as they tend to blend better and provide a more even, seamless application.”
Which Tinted Moisturizer Is Best?
We deemed Nars’ Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 our best overall pick as it contains beneficial skincare ingredients and wears well throughout the day. U Beauty’s The Super Tinted Hydrator is a favorite of Sung’s and contains hydrating ingredients that Garshick recommends for drier skin types. The oil-free Typology Tinted Serum is a go-to for contributor Neha Tandon, who likes its extremely lightweight feel.
What Is The Best Tinted Moisturizer For Mature Skin?
Makeup artist Ashleigh Ciucci says the best tinted moisturizers for mature skin are ones that double as skincare. “Look for products that list moisturizing and skin-plumping ingredients like hyaluronic acid or niacinamide,” she says. “To avoid your tinted moisturizer from settling into fine lines, make sure that you have a good skincare routine to prep the skin.” Keep in mind that a tinted moisturizer doesn’t offer full coverage so it can be helpful to pair with a concealer for added coverage.
