Summer is rapidly approaching, which means it's almost time for long, sun-filled days and a lot of heat. If you're not someone who ditches makeup during the summer months, you probably already know that traditional foundations can feel too heavy to wear when it gets hot. Instead, consider trying a tinted moisturizer for a lightweight and subtle look that will allow you to embrace your natural beauty.
To help you achieve the "no-makeup" makeup look this summer, Shop TODAY spoke with a handful of makeup artists to get the scoop on the best tinted moisturizers on the market.
Whether you're looking for a tinted moisturizer with SPF protection, an anti-aging cream or a budget-friendly drugstore option, the experts shared plenty of picks for every skin type.
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Full-coverage tinted moisturizers
It Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50+
This CC cream from It Cosmetics has become a cult favorite over the years. It's made such an impression on professionals that over half of the makeup artists we chatted with recommended it! It's designed for use on all skin types, contains SPF 50 mineral sunscreen and comes in a dozen different shades.
Makeup artist Tobi Henney, who has been using this CC cream since it was released in 2013, can't say enough good things about this product.
"It covers my hormonal acne, breakouts and any redness with minimal use of the product," Henney said. "I always get compliments when I wear this because it looks like (my natural) skin but better. I highly recommend it to anyone with problematic skin looking for the best tinted moisturizer."
Makeup professional Charlotte Hayward also recommends the It Cosmetics CC Cream for Zoom meetings or photos.
Nars Cosmetics Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
The Nars Cosmetics Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer is another product that has been around for years and was mentioned by many makeup artists.
"It gives natural-to-buildable coverage," said New York-based makeup artist Jennifer Nam. "This tint has the ability to soften and even dark spots and pigmentation. It gives your skin an overall polished look that is radiant and comes in many shades."
This Nars product includes ingredients like Kopara from French Polynesia and mineral-rich seawater which helps to revive and remineralize skin for a softer, smoother and brighter natural glow.
Henney, who is also a fan, said "it feels beautiful on the skin and will have your complexion looking much brighter."
Light-coverage tinted moisturizers
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint
Nam is a fan of this lightweight skin tint from Ilia. It contains plant-based squalane to improve elasticity, non-nano zinc oxide (a clean mineral sunscreen) and hyaluronic acid, which she raved about for its hydrating properties.
"It’s a true all-in-one product that will give your skin plumpness and hydration with the hottest ingredient in the beauty industry, hyaluronic acid," she said.
Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint
The Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint is a great option for those looking to achieve a "no-makeup" look.
"This melts into your skin," Nam said. "It delivers the sheerest tint that will give your skin the right amount of hydration with a touch of color. It's a no-fuss product that comes in 12 shades with minimal blending."
This tint has over 2,100 reviews on the Glossier website and has earned an average rating over four stars. Reviewers rave about this product for many reasons, but the general consensus is that it gives a radiant glow and works well for all skin types.
Tinted moisturizers with SPF
Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47
For those who always forget to apply sunscreen before leaving the house, make your life a little easier by incorporating a tinted moisturizer with SPF into your routine.
Josie Maran's Argan Daily Moisturizer features a lightweight formula with SPF 47 for sun protection. Some key ingredients include vitamin E, argan oil and green tea, which provide soothing nourishment, while natural SPF delivers powerful UVA/UVB protection and anti-aging benefits.
"This is one of my favorites," makeup artist Megan Lanoux said. "I like it because it forces me to put SPF on even if I don’t feel like wearing makeup. It provides a healthy glow and can be worn alone or under makeup."
"It's the perfect product for a day outside in the sun to really ensure that your skin is protected," added Henney.
SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 Tinted Sunscreen
If you're looking for a heavy-duty face sunscreen that will give you a glow, look no further! The SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 50 not only provides broad-spectrum protection from aging sun rays, but it also offers a tint that enhances your skin tone and boosts radiance.
Los Angeles-based makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan recommends this tinted sunscreen for those who have sensitive skin. It's a mineral option that is free of parabens and fragrance, and is non-comedogenic and water-resistant for up to 40 minutes.
"The water-resistance makes it a great product to wear for outdoor activities or everyday wear without worrying if sweat will break it out," Deenihan said. "The subtle tint evens tones while offering sun protection."
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Drugstore tinted moisturizers
L'Oréal Paris Visible Lift Luminous Serum Tint
Contrary to popular belief, you don't always have to spend a lot of money to find the perfect face makeup. This L'Oréal Paris Visible Lift Serum Tint comes highly rated by Lanoux, who says it "improves the tone and texture of your skin and gives a nice healthy glow."
"This won’t give much coverage, but it will provide hydration with a hint of color," she said. "I like this for casual beach days or hanging by the pool. It can also be worn alone or under your everyday foundation."
Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
If you don't have the patience to do a full face of makeup, you'll love Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream.
"It's a beauty balm that is skin care and makeup in one simple step," Nam said. "It's easy to use with your fingers or a sponge and has sheer-to-natural coverage."
This Maybelline product is also jam-packed with skin care benefits. It hydrates, protects your skin from the sun (thanks to the SPF 30 formula), brightens, blurs imperfections, smoothes, enhances and is oil-free.
Tinted moisturizers for oily skin
Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer
Oily skin can make finding the best face makeup quite the challenge, but multiple artists say this Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer is one of the best options on the market.
"I like this tinted moisturizer the most because it delivers great lightweight coverage, has SPF and is oil-free," Lanoux said. "A lot of people think that because they have oily skin they should use powder products or nothing at all. The truth is, the less you apply to your skin, the more oil your skin will produce. If you have oily skin, hydration is key, but using something that is oil-free is also key."
Deenihan often recommends this product to anyone with oily skin, as well.
"The oil-free formula assures you that you are not adding additional unwanted oils to your face," Deenihan said.
It's available in 20 different shades and has over 6,300 reviews on Sephora's website, so it seems like plenty more people are fans too!
It Cosmetics Oil-Free Matte CC+ Cream with SPF 40
The It Cosmetics Oil-Free Matte CC Cream is another great option for people with oily skin.
"I love using this tinted moisturizer in the summer because it reduces the shine from humidity and is great for anyone with oily skin," Henney said. "It still requires a touch of powder in the T-zone, however, the coverage along with shade range is next to none."
This tinted moisturizer also features a lot of beneficial ingredients. The collagen supports visible elasticity for a youthful, smooth complexion, while peptides help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It also includes charcoal, which minimizes the look of pores and cleans your skin by absorbing excess oils and surface impurities.
BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer
This BareMinerals Tinted Moisturizer is a clean, multitasking product that combines skin care benefits with buildable coverage.
"BareMinerals' Complexion Rescue is great for oily skin because it gives a flawless, light coverage but has oil-controlling ingredients which help to keep the shine at bay," said makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff-Kendricks.
Henney also likes this tinted moisturizer for all of the added benefits. "It's a brilliant tinted moisturizer as it packs in skin care, makeup and mineral SPF all into one product."
Tinted moisturizer for dry skin
Kosas Tinted Face Oil Foundation
If you love to experiment with skin care, then you'll probably want to buy this Kosas tinted face oil — and maybe a backup, too!
"This is a tinted oil, which is essentially a different texture of a tinted moisturizer," explained Deenihan. "The pigment mixed with the face oil leaves the skin feeling radiant and fresh."
Some key ingredients include avocado oil and meadowfoam oil, which moisturize and plump the skin, as well as red raspberry oil and jojoba oil, which soothe irritation. The camellia seed oil and rosehip seed oil will also help balance and brighten your complexion.
Tinted moisturizer for mature skin
Tom Ford Soleil Glow Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
This Tom Ford Soleil Glow Tinted Moisturizer is packed with anti-aging ingredients.
"This product evens out your skin tone and any signs of aging as its super hydrating and contains jojoba oils for nourishing hydration," Henney told us.
In addition to jojoba oils, this luxurious product is infused with hyaluronic acid to help hydrate the face and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
For more stories like this, check out:
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