These Are The Best Tinted Moisturisers For A Flattering Finish
It’s a funny time for the foundation category: as many of us turn away from full-coverage formulas and eschew faffy make-up routines in favour of real-life pragmatism, there isn’t a whole lot of space left in our kits for long-wear liquids, stippling brushes and those bacteria-harbouring sponges. But that’s not to say we’re all simply walking out the door with our fresh, God-given skin shining through: there is a happy medium, and it lies in the tinted moisturiser aisle.
Responding to our demand for make-up that looks and feels completely seamless, skin tints, pigmented creams and colour-correcting SPFs are booming, and there’s now a multitude of brilliant, innovative products on the shelves that’ll brighten, unify and hydrate in one fell swoop.
For those on a mission to recreate the hyper-dewy glass skin look, the new school of glossy creams is sure to impress, while anyone that simply wants to head out of the door with minimal faff will enjoy a tinted SPF moisturiser hybrid.
Not just ideal for creating a fresh-faced base, a tinted moisturiser is effortless to apply, too. Most work best when massaged on with fingers, with the warmth of your skin working to melt the product evenly over skin. Set the centre of your face with a powder for extra longevity (I like to dust a tiny amount under my eyes to detract from dark circles) or double down on the dewiness with a cream bronzer or blush (or both)!
So, from moisturisers with mega coverage to the glowiest tint in town, see the very best tinted moisturisers the ELLE UK team have tried here.
The Tinted Moisturisers We'll Be Wearing All Year Long
Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser SPF30
A classic for good reason, Nars’ tinted moisturiser is the one I personally reach for most mornings. It’s satiny yet luminous, and offers just the right amount of coverage to mask the melasma on my cheeks and redness around my nose. The finish isn’t so sheeny it’ll be all over your white collar by lunchtime, but it’s not drying on skin either: the perfect middle ground.
Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer
I've been impressed by everything I've tried from this New York-based brand, and while the Glowy Super Skin foundation is my personal favourite, this tinted moisturiser comes in at a close second.
It’s lighter than most high-factor formulas, and imparts just a hint of coverage that looks great alone, but can be beefed up with a strategic swipe of concealer if you’ve got blemishes you want to keep under wraps.
BFF SPF 30 Cream
This supremely practical base ticks all the boxes: it’ll be your moisturiser, sunscreen and foundation. The white cream contains broad-spectrum SPF 30 as well as encapsulated balls of pigment, which burst once you start massaging it in, releasing a translucent tint that covers blemishes without looking cakey.
Daydream Screen SPF50 Tinted Veil
Australia has the strictest sunscreen regulations in the world, which is why it’s the birthplace of so many brilliant SPF brands. A current fave, Ultra Violette offers a whole line-up of stellar sun-protection products. The tinted SPF, Daydream Screen, combines moderate coverage with major protection, and comes in plenty of shades to satisfy us all.
BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream
Kosas is known for its ultra-light and glowy approach to base products, so it should come as little surprise to hear this barely there BB cream is a winner. It's light on the coverage and works brilliantly on skin that simply needs a little boost in the radiance stakes. If you're oily or acne-prone, it'll be a hit.
Premium BB Beauty Balm SPF 50
Dr. Jart is no stranger to a cult complexion product (if you’re rosacea-prone, jump on the Cicapair Color Correcting Treatment immediately) and now there’s a new tube to get to know.
The brand’s BB Cream contains niacinamide to control excess oil production, and heaps of good old glycerin to ensure it grabs onto moisture and stays looking dewy all day. The shades are ideal for anyone with cool undertones, but if you’re very warm, I'd suggest trying the one above instead.
Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser
This one is priced to sit firmly in the luxury stable, but it's a cult classic for good reason. Worth every penny, Chantecaille's long-loved tinted moisturiser works like a dream on dry and dehydrated skin types, offering moisture that lasts alongside just enough colour to make you look put-together (not caked in make-up). Ignore the tokenistic SPF15 and get a good face SPF on underneath, and you're ready for the day.
Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF50
This one likely needs little introduction. The original CC cream (which is marketing jargon for ‘tinted moisturiser’), Your Skin But Better delivers coverage to rival your favourite foundation, with none of the dryness that often emerges after a few hours. It’s heavily hydrating, properly tone-unifying, and offers high SPF protection. An all-round delight.
Super Serum Skin Tint SPF30
This one is technically a tinted serum, rather than a moisturiser, but it hydrates so well even the driest of skins will be impressed. The oil-rich base is packed with pigment, yet stays looking dewy for as long as you're wearing it. There's good reason it's the number-one selling base product in Sephora stateside.
Iconic London Super Smoother Blurring Skin Tint
You might be familiar with Iconic London's illuminating hero products, but the brand's Skin Tint swaps the signature shimmer for a hydrating and blurring formula that gives a satin-matte, filter-like finish.
Extensive colour matching has been put into the range with 18 shades that cover fair, light, medium, tan, deep, and rich skin tones, so it's easy to find your perfect fit.
3 in 1 Anti-Redness Miracle Formula
Ok, so what this one lacks in sex appeal it more than makes up for in effectivity. Boring but absolutely brilliant, Rosalique's redness-balancing moisturiser is something everyone with rosacea needs to try.
It's tinted green (stay with me) but transforms into a skin-matching tint once applied to the skin, knocking back glowing redness and making your complexion look beautifully balanced. Apply less than you think you'll need (or the colour will look off) and massage it in with fingers for the best result.
Complexion Rescue
Sensitive types will likely already know (and love) Bareminerals: when it comes to gentle base products, the brand cannot be beaten. For something lighter than the original powder, consider this gel-like tinted moisturiser. It’s light enough to keep breakout-prone skin happy, but delivers a surprising level of pigment that’ll cover red patches with ease.
Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer
One of many viral hits from Selena Gomez’s make-up brand, Positive Light is one of the subtler tints we’ve tried. If you’re after a rich, comforting moisturiser, skip to the next option, but anyone with oily skin that wants a light, breathable base will love this.
Tinted Moisturiser Natural Skin Perfector
Another long-loved formula Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturiser ranks high in the coverage stakes, so it’s ideal for anyone nervous about relegating the foundation. It’s heavily moisturising too, so never turns cakey or highlights pores.
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