The best tinted moisturisers and skin tints for a dewy glow

May 15 | 4 minute read

Best Tinted Moisturisers Skin Tints Hero 16x9

Words by Romy Erdos and Sherine Youssef

Whether you're looking for a low-key complexion perfector, don't want to go full-out on foundation or just don't have the time in the morning, your perfect tinted moisturiser or skin tint will quickly become your daily go-to.

‘Effortless glow in a bottle’ is how we describe tinted moisturisers and skin tints. These hybrid skincare-makeup products are your express ticket to an even complexion, a healthy dose of radiance and sheer, natural-looking coverage, making them the perfect accessory for anything from a relaxed weekend brunch to your next barre class.

They are incredibly easy to use: after moisturising, simply blend the product into skin using your fingertips for a second-skin finish, or use a sponge or foundation brush if you want to buff out the pigment. For a little extra coverage, you can also go over any specific areas with a concealer or foundation. That’s it! Layer anything else you want over the top – blush, bronzer, highlighter, powder, and you’re done.

Choosing the right tinted moisturiser or skin tint is a lot like finding the right skincare, so choose one suited to your skin type or concern – like one of these glow givers.

Best sheer coverage

MECCA MAX Off Duty BB Cream with SPF 15

The BB Cream that could put the FaceTune app out of business, this one by MECCA MAX creates a wide-awake, flawless finish with under-the-radar coverage that will take you from work to weekend, and from seaside to spin. It's lightweight enough that you'll forget you're wearing it and delivers the kind of natural-looking, dewy finish that will have people wondering what you've done to your skin. Wear it alone or layered with your favourite cream blushes, bronzers and highlighters!

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Best skin tint for oily skin

ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40

One of the next-gen tinted serums we're all mad about, this vegan-friendly tint has a lightweight texture that feels weightless, and a non-comedogenic formula that's loaded with active skincare ingredients including niacinamide which helps to balance excess sebum production and improve the appearance of pores (a must for oily and combination skin). It also features hyaluronic acid to keep the complexion feeling hydrated and plumped (hi, juicy skin), and squalane to add suppleness (yes, please, always). The coverage is sheer and the finish is glowy — no wonder it's achieved cult status the world over.

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Best skin tint for dry skin

Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum

See those tiny spheres inside the bottle? They’re microencapsulated pigment bubbles that burst when buffed into skin, and they’re suspended in a base of skincare hydrators (including sodium hyaluronate and squalane) to keep skin feeling nicely plumped, hydrated and nourished, plus a dose of peptides to help the skin protect itself against environmental damage. Along with sheer coverage and a luminous finish that's both long-wearing and transfer-resistant, this is your ‘put it on in the morning and forget about it for the rest of the day' kind of base.

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Best tinted moisturiser with SPF

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

A triple threat, this award-winning product checks all of the ‘good base’ boxes (makeup, skincare, SPF) and must be tried at least once in your beauty life. The water-infused and oil-free gel-cream formula goes on with a refreshing, ‘water burst’ sensation that feels so good on skin, and the blend of skincare ingredients (including hydrating squalane and balancing electrolytes), luminous and natural-looking coverage, and broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen make it a one-stop product for radiant skin.

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Best tinted moisturiser for dry skin

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector

An absolute icon – and still one of the best – this tinted moisturiser has been reformulated since it was launched (back in 1996!) to offer even more skincare benefits. It's now packed with macadamia and Kukui seed oils to flood skin with all-day nourishment, tamarind seed extract to help lock that hydration in and glycerin to assist in maintaining hydration levels. It’s like a checklist for dry skin maintenance! Together with silica-treated pigments for a soft-focus finish, you'll get sheer and luminous coverage that evens out your skin tone without masking it, leaving the complexion looking supple and healthy.

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Best tinted moisturiser for oily skin

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser

Shiny skin types will love the oil-free formula and the light-diffusing pigments that blur and soften the appearance of skin (what pores?). And for extra credit, skin is also treated with mineral-rich sea water to help soften and smooth, vitamin C to help even out the skin’s tone and French Polynesian kopara to help refine the appearance of skin’s texture. It's beautifully buildable, too, and you'll be left with a dewy complexion that’s dressed in a sheer wash of luminous colour.

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Best tinted primer

Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow

This product truly masters the art of multi-tasking. For those makeup free days when you just want a hint of tint, wear it on its own – the dewy finish gives serious glow thanks to the instant soft focus technology that diffuses light and leaves skin looking radiant. Or, make the most of this tint’s primer properties and use it as the perfect base for your foundation. Unlike many mattifying primers, Wonderglow won’t dry down your skin (it boasts hyaluronic acid and a blend of plant oils to keep things hydrated.) Hydration, coverage, and a primer? This is one product so clever we wouldn’t be surprised if it applied itself – but you can do that with your fingers if it won’t oblige.