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Rant & Rave: Tinted Moisturizer
This Week’s Topic: TINTED MOISTURIZER!
Your Mission: Tell us what you love, hate, or are otherwise indifferent to about tinted moisturizer and all that those entail.
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As a person with lots of dark marks + other discolorations, I just don’t get the coverage I need from Tinted Moisturizers. I think they’re a waste of my money
What I hate about tinted moisturizer is that it never comes in a pale enough shade to match my skintone, so I can’t ever really wear it on its own.
Have you tried Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer in Porcelain? I’m really pale too (as in the lightest shade in every brand or the elusive MAC NW 10) and I also had a lot of trouble finding a TM that didn’t make me look orange or dirty because it was too dark.
I’m just as pale and tried the Laura Mercier one and I honestly still looked dirty. I have lately had success with the Mac Face and Body Foundation in the lightest shade since it goes on super sheer!
Bobbi Brown has very light shades, like Porcelain and Alabaster and they are pretty nice…in winter (when pale people look really pale, like me) you can mix some of the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 0 with any other foundation (this one is just white so obviously it makes any foundation very light) 🙂
You might want to check out Tarte Smooth Operator tinted moisturizer in Agent 00. I’m about NW10, and it works very well with my skin. It has a little more coverage than the average tinted moisturizer, and it feels good on. 🙂
I’ve tried many TM, and have yet to find one that doesn’t melt off my face or feel greasy on my combo skin, even with powder. I mean, it’s supposed to be for warmer weather, right?
LOVE! I swear by Paula’s choice and have been using it every day for two years now. I hate the feel of anything on my face foundation-wise, and this evens out my skin while letting it breathe. I do set with a sheer dusting of blot powder to make it last on my combo-skin.
I love tinted moisturizers. I don´t really have any problems with my skin, maybe it´s a bit dry, but not much that needs to be covered up. My favorite is Korres Watermelon lightweight tinted moisturizer. Laura Mercier:s Tinted moisturizer is also pretty good, but not as good as Korres (in my opinion). I also like Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted moisturizer. They all protect the skin from the sun (spf 15-30), looks natural on the skin and evens out the color of the skin.
Korres is my favorite! I also love their ginger foundation, which is more of a tm than true foundation.
Never really been one of my favorite things. I always just “made” my own by mixing a bit of liquid foundation with moisturizer. I still think it’s the better way to go… You end up getting more for your buck so it saves you money in the long run AND you can control how much coverage you get so it’s more versatile.
Great suggestion. Thank you Dusty! Can you give any recommendations? Or how you do yours? Thank you in advance!
Honestly I would say just use your favorite liquid foundation and mix it with your favorite moisturizer. I just mix them up in my hands and apply with my fingers if I’m applying it on myself – If I’m applying it on someone else I’ll mix them together on a palette and apply with a brush. The ratio of foundation to moisturizer just depends on how much coverage you need and what kind of foundation you’re using (ie: is the foundation full or light coverage? etc. that will go a long way in figuring out how much you need).
My personal ALL TIME favorite moisturizer is Aveda’s All Sensative moisturizer. But it’s discontinued. I LOVED it though (I still have some travel size bottles of it!) It went on creamy, kind of heavy, but once it hit your skin it turned more liquidy and became VERY light feeling. It’s a “barely there” moisturizer. Loved the stuff (worked well under foundation too – greaser moisturizers can cause foundation to slip and slide around on your face too much).
I haven’t found a replacement for that moisturizer yet! ERGH! lol!
Ah, I do that too. It’s the only way I can find a shade that matches my skin tone…tinted moisturizers tend to only do the light beige side of skin tones and rarely venture into the pink pales. It’s been awhile since I’ve looked though.
Also, I found that I tend to take to much product to get a good mixture going so I save my foundation + moisturizer mix in sample jars.
I am not a big foundation wearer (on a daily basis) so I LOVE tinted moisturizer! I feels weightless and I get semi sheer coverage. I don’t have a lot of colorations or uneven tones, but I the moisturizer gives me enough coverage. I top it off with a translucent powder (sometimes). I am currently using Smashbox Tinted Moisturizer.
I really don’t like TM since it’s always to dark or too warm for my very fair cool skin. I like the concept but I’ve never been able to find one that works for me.
I don’t really care for them since they’re all basically the same price as foundation or more expensive but less coverage. Just use a tiny fit of foundation if you don’t want that much coverage. I have given up on regular foundations and have gone to bb cream.
Christine, what are your fav TM’s? I need to get one!
I think I would love tinted moisturizer if I could find one that matches my skin tone. They seem like they would be so nice and light weight! For now, I’m sticking to my DIY version, consisting of liquid foundation blended with an equal part of light moisturizer. Good enough for me.
I feel like my skin isn’t even enough for tm…because I don’t know how well they cover you know? Since it’s only tinted I feel like many of the “major” imperfections will show through…but I’ve been trying to clear my skin up so that I might be able to voyage into those territories since it’s summer and I don’t want to do a whole face of foundation! Ah!! So frustrating >.<
I love tinted moisturizer! For me they provide just the right amount of coverage and serve to even out skin tone. My favorites are by Lorac, Tarte and Paula Dorf, Stila. Very nice, whippy textures. That said, I’m continually on the hunt for a better one. Next on my list to buy is Laura Mercier Illuminating TM. I got a sample from Sephora and love it.
I have been looking for HG for a few weeks now. Tried Lush colour supplements (can’t mix the right color, too orange, and clogs my pores), Boscia (too orange and melts off). So far my two favorites are Tarte smooth operator and Kiehl’s. Kiehl’s is my hands down favorite. Looks like my skin but better, doesn’t oxidize and turn orange, and stays on all day. Love it, and thanks for introducing me to it!!
When I first got interested in makeup, I was obsessed with tinted moisturizers, but it later seemed silly to pay $30-40 for the better TMs when you can pay the same price for a full-coverage foundation.
I love my Laura Mercier oil-free one. On days that I want a bit more coverage, I mix some of my foundation with my normal moisturizer.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a good drug store brand TM?
Neutrogena with the pump. I believe it’s about $10.
I’ve been using Pysician’s Formula Healthy wear. If feels great and so far hasn’t broken me out. On the plus side it contains SPF 50. On the minus the shades are limited.
I’ve tried 3 different types of TM’s: Kiehls, Laura Mercier, and Neutrogena Health Defense. Kiehls was great except that it made me break out REALLY bad. It’s been over 2 months since I stopped using that product and I still have some left-over scars from that bad breakout. Laura Mercier was (in my opinion) too thick to be considered a TM; it was almost like a cakey foundation. Last one I tried (and have been using for a while now) is the Neutrogena one. It’s not a “fantastic blow my mind” TM, but it does the job for every day at-work coverage. The only gripe I have with it is that my skin oils soaks it up by the end of the day. The formula is very thin and goes on easily, like a TM should do.
I’m stil searching for something better, though. Hopefuklly I’ll find something just as affordable. Any suggestions?
Still haven’t found a TM that feels comfortable. I’ve only tried the two from Stila (Oil Free TM and Illuminating TM) so it’s not saying much, but TMs generally feel too dewy for my combo-oily skin.
Clarins Hydra-Care Tinted Moisturizer is my HG. Since I discovered it, I don’t wear foundation anymore. I really love it, and I only need a little bit of concealer to have good skin without feeling makeup on. And it makes easy to blend my cream bronzer & blush. Then a little bit of HD powder and my skin is ready!
I would be all over tinted moisturizer if it only came in shades light enough to match my skin tone. I can’t seem to find any. All those I tried tend to make me look orange. :/
I’m pale too & found one also thats great for my oily skin from Avon. Its Ideal Match TM with spf 15
Thanks for the info. 🙂 Unfortunately, Avon is not available in my country.
my fave is guerlain’s newest terracotta tinted mousturizer, I have it in the color blondes, i highly recommend it to everyone, it doesn’t provide you good coverage but its very lightweight and mousturizing and the color is gorge!
I think they’re a waste of money. You can get the same effect by mixing your moisturizer and foundation together. Also, that way you get something that you KNOW works for you.
Kiehl’s TM is my absolute holy grail product. The coverage is as good as any foundation I’ve ever tried, it’s half the price (and twice the amount of product as Laura Mercier), it’s got sunscreen and it lasts all day long. My only gripe: it’s only available in 3 shades (light, medium and dark). The Medium is great for me in the summer, but for my much-paler winter skin, I bought a bottle of Light and one of Medium and mixed the two together. This has worked out perfectly. I can’t recommend this product highly enough!
i use kiehl’s too and am happy with it. it seems to have pretty good coverage, thought it’s a little too pink for my skin.
I need a tinted moisturizer, I was thinking about macs but dont know if thats a good one or not!
I love TMs on days when I feel like I’m not broken out, I like to wear them. I like the mineral one by Physician’s Formula. Everyone hates the smell of it but it really does not bother me and is a very nice TM.
I’ve always wanted to try Laura Mercier’s, but it’s way too expensive. Luckily I found the Hard Candy one at Walmart for only 7 bucks, and it really works wonderfully for the summer. It basically evens out your skin tone and leaves it with this really soft silky finish. I love it!
I adore the Hard Candy Moisturizer! But I still find it pretty thick, so I mix it with my Clinique Dramaticly Different moisturizing gel to make it even more lightweight 🙂
I love Tinted Moisturizers! Since its summer I hate wearing a heavy foundation that will just melt off my face, but Im going to moisturize anyway so might as well get some color. Plus its easy, simple, clean looking face makeup. My problem is that most of them are just too pink for my face! Im NC30 but Im not THAT yellow, I don’t get it. I usually make my own using foundation and a regular moisturizer.
Yes I agree with the first commenter – I have lots of dark marks/hyperpigmentation and the one tinted moisturizer that seems to work the best like a light foundation is Dior’s tinted moisturizer that exclusive to Sephora. I’m still shocked on how well that covers my marks. I still use a concealor but sparingly.
I love tinted moisturizer. I am currently using Hard Candy Sheer Envy tinted moisturizer and I absolutiely love it. Its a bit thicker than some foundations I use but I love that about it.its thick without being heavy and lasts all day long and gives me the coverage I need. And for $8 you just can’t beat that
I agree, it’s such a steal!
I am soooo finicky with moisturizers and such, I usually just make my own, with my own foundation and a moisturizer i KNOW doesn’t break me out. Its fine, but it doesn’t wear well, and for the most part, I’d rather just keep my morning-night moisturizer ritual, since most of the time when I wear makeup, its only for short stretches in the middle of the day. Its REALLY easy to over-moisturize my face and cause breakouts, so if i put on moisturizer, adn then decide to use tinted moisturizer when I put on makeup, it can lead to some nasty reactions!
I am so not a fan of tinted moisturizer. I’ve yet to find one for dry skin that actually provides enough moisture and I generally find that the tint gives no coverage. Oh and I dislike the smell and texture – I gave up spending money and buying different types. So yeah, not a fan:)
I love tinted moisturizers, but hate the price of them. I’ve tried quite a few: Stila (regular, illuminating, and bronzing), Vichy, Smashbox Soft Focus, DuWop, the vaunted Laura Mercier. Currently, I’m liking the Dior Pro-Youth Skin Tint exclusive to Sephora. It’s got great coverage, SPF 20, and retails for about $15 less than Laura Mercier (at least in Canadian dollar prices).
i love korres TM! i like that you need only the tiniest bit for it to provide some good coverage. makes the tube last longer!
I like them for days when I don’t have time to do a whole face. Esp. in the south where I live, I don’t like putting on heavy foundation when it’s so hot outside it’ll melt my makeup off. I really really like Wet n Wild’s TM, it goes on thicker than most, and has sun protection as well. I am a bargain hunter and dont like to pay alot for makeup.
I’m actually looking for one! LOL
I’ve actually been on the look out for THE BEST tinted moisturizer out there. I’m afraid to try anything thick/heavy because I’m already suffering from breakouts but anything too light won’t really do anything for me either!
Never tried one, but from reading posts, it seems like u have to have pretty flawless skin to wear a TM. Which sucks, since im going thru this adult acne phase, and i refuse to put foundation on. I was thinking of using a TM. But whats the point if im going to look the same. Spotty-Dotty.
I haven’t tried any tinted moisturizers yet since I feel like the MUFE HD foundation is so lightweight anyway. On days that I want something quicker, I’ve been using the Missha BB cream. Like other people have been mentioning, I’m getting picky about my daytime moisturizers anyway and like to have a quick absorbing moisturizer so my face doesn’t feel greasy on my combo skin.
I hate that I’m too scared to try one because I have some funky dry very pale skin :/ also I know that the key word here is moisturizer, but I’m skeptical.
I have the same problem with dry skin.And yes it doesn’t look too good when your skin is dry.Here’s what I do for my dry skin, I use a moisturizing gel first because it doesn’t feel oily after applied but helps with the dry skin then when use the tinted moisturizer I spray my brush that I’m going to be applying the tinted moisturizer with fix + spray by mac.I found that really helps also. Your probably thinking why I go through all that trouble of double or triple moisturizing but I really like the light weight feel of a tinted moisturizer at the end of the day then heavy liquid foundation.
I love tinted moisturizers and face and body type foundations. My skin is pretty clear, now that I am in my thirties, so I rarely get acne. I have been using Mac’s Face and Body and I just bought Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer and I love it. I mix the two together to get the best color. The LM tinted moisturizer is great, I have it in Tan which is hair too light on me for the summer, so I mixed with the Face and Body in C6 and I look like I have perfect make-up free skin. Love the combo.
You are my makeup twin!!…LOL I have LM tinted moisturizer in Tan and MAC Face and Body in C6, never thought of mixing them. I will have to try that!
I love tinted moisturisers! i dont really wear anything on my face other than sunscreen because my skin doesnt really have any blemishes so if i wanted to look especially nice i would definitely opt for a tinted moisturiser as it evens my skin covers any redness but still looks natural and is light weight 🙂
I love tinted moisturizers.It feels much lighter on the skin then liquid foundation.What I like to do is conceal any imperfections first and then use the tinted moisturizer just to even out my skin tone. It just feels a lot better at the end of the day. To be honest I don’t even remember the last time I used liquid foundation 🙂
Laura Mercier… hands down… no doubt about it!
It’s part of my daily routine. It’s a must have year round!
I’m not a big fan because of the cost. I rather buy a good foundation and mix it in with moisturizer. That way I have an option of more coverage when I need it.
I tried Laura Mercier TM and was not impressed. It looked real nice once the make-up artist put it on but when I got home later that night my boyfriend noticed how oily my face was. I did purchase it when after my make-over but I returned it the next morning!! I haven’t had much luck with TM…most don’t provide enough coverage for me.
Never buy Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear tinted moisturisers if you’re very pale. And if you’re darker, buy a shade lighter than the one you’d expect to fit your skintone. I bought the lightest shade and it’s so dark it looks like a really orange bronzer on my porcelain skin. It also provides absolutely no coverage–it just makes me look orange.
I had the same problem with Physician’s Formula! That lightest one looked so orange on me… And I thought it smelled really funky.
i’ve got to many flaws to use a TM
I love my tinted moisturizer. It’s Kiehl’s tinted moisturizer with SPF 15. The SPF does give me a bit of a white cast when I initially put it on, but it absorbs nicely, and it makes me look I have really good skin rather than really good foundation. But I understand why some people don’t like TM. I think TM is fantastic for people who only need to even out their complexion (like me), and don’t want to slather foundation all over their face.
My Laura Geller TM gives me the same white cast when it is first applied. It also gives a matte finish. I wish it was more moisturizing.
I love you rebel by benefit in the darker skin tone. matches me perfect… perfect for the summer! And it lasts me forever
I’ve tried a few and the only one I’ve liked is the one from CoverGirl. The Hard Candy one from Walmart was too much like foundation (very heavy) and even the lightest shade looked super yellow on me. Stila’s Illuminating one did nothing for me. And I’m still trying to decide on Laura Mercier’s Oil Free one.
I LOVE tinted moisturizer for everyday use. I have recently tried the LAURA MERCIER flawless face kit from sephora ( $65; great deal) which comes with a foundation primer,oil-free tinted moisturizer, 2 brushes and a creamy concealer/camouflage kit. The tinted moisturizer has a sheer coverage despite its’ thick, creamy texture ( I can definitely feel it on my face); but it gives me enough of a coverage to even out any redness on my skin. What I HATE is the fact that it sometimes irritates my skin when first applied ( the thinner area like around my cheeks), and I HAVE NO IDEA WHY. It stings for about 30 seconds then everything is fine. Overall, I think tinted moisturizer is a MUST HAVE, not just for summer, because really… noone should wear foundation every single day .
Sonia Kashuk’s Tinted Moisturizer is hands down the best one I’ve found and its cheap! I’ve used Laura Mercier, Cosmedicine, BB creams, and Tarte. The Tarte wasn’t too bad but the rest were too greasy for my oily/acne skin. I use MAC’s MSF on top to set it.
I’d rather use foundation because, like Subi, I have some dark spots and discolorations on my face and tinted moisturizer is not enough to cover them. In summer, when it’s really hot and I can’t be bothered by wearing too much makeup, I sometimes wear Benefit You Rebel Lite. I think it’s a bit greasy on my face so I’d rather wear a good sunblock and some light mineral powder!
I’ve recently discovered MAC Studio Moisture Tint and I LOVE it! I tried a few in the past but nothing else compares. The coverage is buildable without looking packed on or cakey and I like the fact that it has SPF 15.
Does anyone know if there’s one for oily skin and gives the most coverage or a tm?
I loooove tinted moisturizer! I recently bought my first “high-end” product and it was Clinique’s Almost Makeup. I love it! I feel good about it because it contains SPF 15 for my fair skin and it doesn’t stick to my dry spots like normal foundation. It smoothes and moisturizes those spots instead!
I’ve tried pretty much all of them except the Korres…curious about that one. I love TM that just gives me a slight glow. I have oily skin and almost everything melts off me in no time flat. My HG is Dermalogica TM with spf. It is so sheer, I can use a slightly darker tone for the perfect glow. It has a matte quality & stays put. The price is a bit steep but after all the $$$ I’ve wasted on TMs that don’t do the trick, I’m happy to have found one that’s perfect. A little goes a long way too 🙂
Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in Fawn IS my foundation – love it 🙂
I love that it’s very sheer and light and easy to apply, but I hate how I get so shiny. 🙁 It’s probably the main reason I use my BareMinerals Matte more than my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. I’ve found that if I use Smashbox Photofinish Light and the LM setting powder it cuts down on a lot of the shine, but it’s still not as good as the BM Matte.
in terms of tinted moisturizers i absolutely LOVE drugstore tinted moisturizers. i religiously used revlon skinlights and skintints until they became discontinued and i love neutrogena tinted moisturizers. personally it hurts my stomach to think of buying expensive department store tinted moisturizers when i feel that this is one area where drugstore items are just as good.
I use Dior’s tinted moisturizer and i really love it. It gives enough coverage for the marks on my face without leaving my face cakey. If i want more coverage i just apply diors compact foundation very lighlt. The finished product…. Flawless skin!!!!