When to Choose a Skin Tint Over a Tinted Moisturizer
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Iffoundationfeels too heavy for everyday use but you still want a makeup product to blur blemishes and even your skin tone, perhaps you’ve shopped for alternatives and encountered two very similar-seeming options:skin tintsandtinted moisturizers. Both offer a lighter texture, sheerer coverage, and a more natural finish than full-on foundations. But is there really a difference between the two, or are they ultimately just marketing terms?
Skin tints and tinted moisturizers aren’t actually the same
“I do think there’s a lot of crossover happening, which can be confusing,” says makeup artistMolly Fredenberg. But she does think of them as distinct products, one that is more skin-focused and one that is more makeup-focused.
Makeup artistTamara Boydgave me an even more detailed breakdown, explaining that the main differences between skin tints and tinted moisturizers come down to texture, hydration level, and finish. “A skin tint is a lightweight complexion product designed to give the skin a sheer wash of color while allowing natural skin texture to remain visible,” she says. “Typically, it has a thinner, more fluid consistency and is intended to subtly even out the complexion.” Meanwhile, a tinted moisturizer “combines light complexion coverage with added hydration, and it is usually creamier and more emollient than a skin tint,” Boyd says. Both products will generally provide sheer to light coverage, but tinted moisturizers are often slightly more comforting on dry skin because of their moisturizing base.
Tinted moisturizers are generally skin-care forward and will always contain some skin-care ingredients such as humectants or emollients. Skin tintscancontain skin-care ingredients, but they don’t always have them. That may be where the source of any confusion lies: “A lot more products have been coming out that are being called skin tints, but maybe seem more like tinted moisturizers because of the addition of skin-care ingredients,” says Fredenberg. Popular skin tints such as Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint and Summer Fridays’ Sheer Skin Tint tout the infusion of glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and squalane in their formulas, muddying the waters. As a rule, such ingredients are a bonus, but not necessarily a feature, of a skin tint.
No matter how a product is labeled, if you’re not sure whether a skin tint or tinted moisturizer leans closer to one product category or another, even after reading the ingredients list, makeup artistNatalie Dreshersuggests looking to the physical packaging for a clue: Because skin tints are runnier and more serumlike, they’re usually housed in a pump bottle or a dropper applicator, while tinted moisturizers are almost always in a squeeze tube.
Let your skin type be your guide
Whether you should buy a skin tint or a tinted moisturizer depends on several factors, including your skin type, preferred makeup look, and lifestyle.
Boyd recommends a skin tint for lightweight, breathable everyday wear, especially if you prefer a “your skin but better” result. “It’s a strong option for people who do not like the feel of a traditional foundation and want something quick and effortless,” she says. In particular, people withoilyorcombination skinmay want to opt for a skin tint, which tends to be a bit more blurring and pigmented than a tinted moisturizer.
Tinted moisturizers are especially well-suited fordry, dehydrated, or morematureskin types, which may benefit from the comfort, moisture, and glow of a tinted moisturizer, says Boyd. They can help hydrate the skin and give it a healthy, supple appearance.
Of course, you don’t have to pick just one. Dresher keeps both in her rotation for different occasions and says that if she were going to the beach for the day, she’d use a tinted moisturizer, but if she were going to work, she would use a skin tint.
The best application method for both products depends on your desired finish
Whether you’re using with a skin tint or a tinted moisturizer, start with well-prepped skin, advises Boyd. Then you can go in with “clean fingers, a brush, or a damp sponge, depending on the finish you want,” she says. Dresher is a fan of the clean-hands method because it allows the products to blend well and creates a very skinlike finish; Boyd adds that the warmth of your hands helps the product melt into the skin. A brush can offer a bit more polish and coverage, however, and a damp sponge will create the most seamless finish. Since both products are designed to be buildable, Boyd also recommends starting with a small amount and adding only where needed, rather than applying too much all at once.
Some of our favorite skin tints and tinted moisturizers
Skin tints
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One of our favorite skin tints, Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint is an undeniable heavyweight in the category. It’s been praised by multiplemakeup artistsand celebrities we’ve talked to over the years, includingHilary SwankandHeather Morris. Boyd is a fan as well. “I would recommend it for someone who wants a skin tint that leans heavily into skin-care benefits andsun protectionwith a dewy, light-coverage result,” she says.
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Strategist contributorMbiye Kasongacredits Glossier’s Skin Perfecting Tint for launching her obsession with skin tints. “It has a blurring, filterlike effect that evens out your skin tone without distorting what you actually look like or feeling heavy,” she writes. It has also been repurchased multiple times by Strategist beauty columnistRio Viera-Newton, who calls it one of her favorite everyday skin products “for when I want very light coverage but still need to take the edge off of any dark spots or circles.”
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Boyd also recommends Fenty Beauty’s Eaze drop blurring skin tint because “it offers a lightweight feel with a softly blurred finish and flexible shade options.” Even though it’s lighter than a foundation, you can rest assured it’ll stay put. “It’s humidity- and sweat-resistant, making it a great option for hot summer days,” says makeup artistJonet Williamson.
Tinted moisturizers
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Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer has long been our pick for theBest Overall tinted moisturizer; multiple makeup artists and Strategist staffers, including myself, have sung its praises for how it keeps the skin looking hydrated and natural without clinging to dry patches. Perhaps that’s no surprise as the product is a pioneer in the category — the brand was one of the first to introduce the concept of a tinted moisturizer back in the ’90s.
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Nars’s Radiant tinted moisturizer has been a go-to for makeup artistMollie Glossfor over a decade. “It’s really smoothing, really hydrating, and just looks gorgeous and easy on the skin,” she says. The formula is oil-free and contains Vitamin C to help with brightening and evening the skin tone.
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Middle-aged women are known fans ofJones Road’s no-makeup makeup, but the brand’s tinted moisturizer performs just as well on my late-20s skin. It’s smooth and creamy and feels like nothing once it’s on; it’s the complexion product I’ve been using on a daily basis lately. It’ll provide a nice hit of hydration for dry skin, but its noncomedogenic formula is safe for my oily, acne-prone skin too.
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