Give your skin a boost with the right formula for your skin type
On a daily basis, more and more of us are leaning towards a paired-down, natural look over layering up the best foundation for a flawless finish. Enter the best tinted moisturiser to add a little bit of sparkle to your complexion.
Bringing with them a whole host of skincare benefits, tinted moisturisers can offer UV and sun protection as well as coming in moisturising, mattifying and oil-free versions.
You won’t get a whole lot of coverage here: Instead think of it as your skin, but just that little bit better than usual. (If you do want a bit more coverage, look to the best BB creams and best CC creams.)
Intrigued? Read on for the formulas that pass the Marie Claire test in the best tinted moisturiser department.
Best drugstore tinted moisturiser
No7 City Light Tinted Moisturiser, £13, Boots
Available in three shades to complement the Match Made range (light, medium and medium-dark), this one is a great lightweight alternative to foundation. With UVA and UVB protection of SPF 15, your skin will be protected from the elements and some of the harsh effects of the enrivonment, like pollution.
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Best tinted moisturiser for oily skin
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Unifant, £16.50, Lookfantastic
For acne and blemish prone skins, there’s a tinted version of the famous Effaclar Duo+. It has all of the original’s skincare benefits – salicylic acid to break down blockages, niacinamide to calm blemishes – plus a slight tint to help reduce the visibility of breakouts. A great buy for excessively oily skin.
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Best tinted moisturiser for dry skin
Clarins HydraQuench Tinted Moisturiser, £32, John Lewis
Dry skin needs something that’s going to keep it soft and smooth for the long run. Crammed with hyaluronic acid, this tinted moisturiser packs a punch. Continuously moisturising your skin while you wear it and providing three layers of UV protection, this beautifying cream will do your complexion the world of good.
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Keep scrolling for more tinted moisturiser chart-toppers.
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturiser SPF 30, £28, Fabled
Complexion Rescue is one of our all time favourite things to put on our face. It's more than a tinted moisturiser but it doesn't fall within the realm of a BB or a CC either. With squalane, marine botanicals and humectants, it massively boosts hydration. It's available in an amazing 16-shades too so absolutely everybody can get in on the action.
Kosas Tinted Face Oil, £40
If you want a soft veil of colour that blurs pores, smooths wrinkles, hydrates parched skin and, importantly, lasts all day (a rarity amongst lightweight formulas) may we suggest this skin-loving tinted oil from Kosas. Featuring 16 shades, you can customise the coverage by using a couple of drops for a sheer 'n natural look, or 4-6 drops for a more, "I'm going out tonight" look.
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser SPF 30, £31, Fabled
Good coverage, long lasting and not too expensive, this really is the one for everyday wear. Team with a little bit of cream blush for the ultimate healthy look. It's available in 12 shades, so you're sure to find a match.
Bobbi Brown Extra SPF 25 Tinted Moisturising Balm, £40, Fabled
With a texture like soft butter, Bobbi Brown's tinted moisturiser gives the healthiest glow that looks like your skin on its best day ever. It's truly one of the best moisturisers with SPF, with a factor of 25. That sturdy pot will last you ages.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, £34, Fabled
Laura Mercier's tinted moisturiser is brilliant, which you'd expect considering she invented the stuff. With an SPF of 20 and coming in 15 shades to suit a broad range of skin tones, this formula is well worth a look. And as well as the iconic original formula, there are oil free and radiance versions, too.
Estée Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release Moisturiser SPF15, £43, Fabled
This is tinted, but only ever so slightly so perfect if you prefer lighter coverage. It has some UVA protection, but it's pretty low so you'll probably want to wear a higher one underneath. It does, however have free-radical damage protection.
La Mer The Reparative Skin Tint SPF30, £72, John Lewis
La Mer have classed this as sheer, but we definitely think that it gives good enough coverage to cover up blemishes and dark spots. It isn't the most moisturising, so if you have dry skin then we would recommend pairing with a hydrating moisturiser first. Oilier skin types though will love it.
Dr Hauschka Tinted Day Cream, £28.50, Fabled
Oh my goodness, do we LOVE this cream. If you want to look hydrated, plump and really, really healthy then this is the cream for you. Annoyingly it doesn't have any sun protection, but you'll forgive it when you see how gloriously well you look. It's comes out quite thick (making it really hydrating), but if you warm it in your hands first it makes it easier to work it into your skin.
Origins GinZing Tinted Moisturizer, £30, Fabled
The Origins GinZing range adds energy to lacklustre skin. (Their eye cream does wonders at camouflaging and dispelling dark circles.) This tinted moisturiser does just that - it gives your complexion a boost of moisture and energy - thanks to the caffeine and Panax ginseng inside that does the hard work - and leaves you with a perfect finish.
