I don’t wear foundation. I never have, not even on my wedding day. Sure, during my life as a beauty editor I’ve had many opportunities to test foundations, most notably at the hundreds of makeup launches I’ve attended over the years. But I’ve always walked away with the same urge to wash my face after a foundation application — not just because it felt suffocating on my skin, but because it seemed to make my fine lines and wrinkles appear more pronounced and my skin more susceptible to breakouts.
But now that I’m over 50, I need something to even out my complexion as my tried-and-true pressed powder is no longer doing the job. So when I had the chance to review a tinted moisturizer, I was all in. It didn’t hurt that the product was created by Laura Mercier, an OG makeup artist I worked with during my early years at Vogue. In the mid-90s, Laura was one of the first makeup artists to come out with a namesake beauty line and two of her products — Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 (inspired after Laura started mixing foundation with a hydrating cream), and Translucent Loose Setting Powder — quickly garnered a cult-like following.
What is the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer?
The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is a tinted moisturizer that goes on like a light, liquid foundation. The new formula promises to add moisture to your skin, improve texture and blur imperfections while providing sun protection. In the end, I love that this tinted moisturizer improved my skin tone and gave my face a natural-looking glow.
Why I like the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
It provides natural-looking coverage
Long-lasting and lightweight, I think it’s a great choice for anyone new to makeup or someone like me who prefers the clean girl, no makeup look. I thought I’d only wear it on days I wanted to give my skin a boost, or when I have meetings or special events scheduled, but the truth is I plan on wearing it more often, especially as the weather warms up thanks to the built-in SPF.
More reasons I’ve become a fan of this tint: It’s non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic and dermatologist and ophthalmologist-tested — meaning it’s a good option for sensitive skin types and won’t cause breakouts. The company also gets points for removing parabens during the reformulation and for not giving the tint a noticeable scent. I may not have worn foundation on my own wedding day, but I will be wearing this tinted moisturizer at my daughter’s nuptials next month.
It’s easy to apply
With a creamy texture, this tint ensures a pretty much seamless application. I simply warm up a few small drops between my fingertips and swipe the liquid formula onto my cheeks, chin, forehead and under-eye area before blending with my fingers.
The formula is on the watery side so it glides easily onto the skin and a little goes a long way. “I love applying it with my fingers, something I learned from Laura, because this method allows the product to melt beautifully into the skin for the most natural finish,” says Laura Mercier’s Global Beauty Director, Tayaba Jafri.
Jafri suggests smoothing it onto the skin in long strokes rather than rubbing it in like you would a moisturizer. For bronzing or contouring, Jafri advises going one or two shades darker than your skin tone.
“Be sure to blend along the cheekbones, jawline and temples,” she says. For an ultra-dewy complexion, she likes to add a drop of facial oil or liquid illuminator with the tinted moisturizer.
Be sure to apply after your skin care products and/or primer and be careful because the tint can transfer right after application — I had some spotting on my white shirt the first time I used it.
You can use as little or as much as you’d like
The new formula promises “buildable coverage." According to Jafri, buildable coverage means you’re in control. “You can keep it super sheer for a natural, barely-there finish or layer it to achieve a dewy look with more coverage,” she says. I didn’t feel the need to layer (I found one coat good enough), but since buildability is one of the product’s key promises, I put it to the test, adding a little extra under my eyes each day. I didn’t notice a huge difference but I also found doing so didn’t affect the product’s sheerness or create a heavier feel.
Yes, it is a moisturizer with good-for-your-skin ingredients
The promise of a dewy complexion is so great, the company included the word in the product’s name. “Dewy skin signals health, vibrancy and youth. It also looks natural,” says Jafri.
Eighty-eight percent of the new formula consists of skin care ingredients, like hyaluronic acid and raspberry leaf extract, all known to improve moisture retention and strengthen the skin’s barrier.
It includes a sunscreen
Adding sunscreen can make a tint look chalky on the skin or change its color, something consumers complained about with the product’s initial relaunch. But it seems the company has corrected these earlier problems as I didn’t experience either of these issues.
I checked in with Alexa Young, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, to see if this tint contained the appropriate and recommended SPF ingredients.
“In total, this product provides powerful broad-spectrum coverage,” she says. “It contains chemical sunscreens (octisalate and octocrylene) to protect against UVB rays as well as physical sunscreens (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) to block UVA and UVB rays. Physical blockers are usually thicker and less elegant in feel than chemical sunscreens, which is why companies often use them in combination. The SPF 30 is spot-on as 30 should be the minimum protection.” Side note: Dr. Young shared there’s little difference in efficacy for anything higher than an SPF 30.
You’ll have your pick of shades
With the reformulation in 2019, the shade range was boosted from 15 to 20 tints. The colors are identified by skin tone and numerals: “C” for cool, “N” for neutral and “W” for warm, as well as numbers with 0 being the lightest and 6 being the deepest.
To find my correct shade, I turned to the Laura Mercier website, which offers a virtual component to help discover your correct shade. Called Match My Shade, I simply lined my face up to the oval circle on the screen and a color match appeared immediately (2N Maple). This was super helpful as I was not having an easy time figuring out which of the lighter shades on the box was my correct color. With this technology, you have the option to choose your coverage (I picked sheer) and finish (I chose natural).
My Skin Type
I have slightly dry skin—this product is geared towards dry to combination skin. For oily complexions, the company recommends their Tinted Moisturizer Blurred Matte Oil Free Broad Spectrum SPF 30.
What to consider
- This product blurs imperfections but doesn’t cover up flaws such as spots, wrinkles and acne scars. For example, it didn’t disguise an age spot on my lower cheek. For those issues, you’ll want to have a concealer handy. I liked (and used) this tip from Jafri, “Mix a tiny amount of tinted moisturizer with your concealer, to help the concealer blend more seamlessly onto your skin without looking dry.”
- Lightweight tinted moisturizers typically aren't long-lasting. They simply don’t have enough pigment to go the distance. But I found a single application of this tint lasted for 10 hours without compromise—the coverage and slight glow held up from morning to evening.
- At $50, this tinted moisturizer is pricy, costing almost 4x as much as other bestsellers on the market. Online, reviewers complain the product is a victim of shrinkflation — with the reformulation, the tube went from 1.7 oz to 1.5 oz without a price adjustment. Also, there are no seals on the box, cap, or over the discharge hole once you remove the cap.
More tinted SPF to shop
The brand says this 3-in-1 product is formulated with hyaluronic acid to keep your skin hydrated and protected — all with a dewy glow.
According to the brand, this tinted sunscreen is formulated for sensitive skin and provides buildable coverage.
"It provides strong sun protection while offering light, natural-looking coverage that evens out my skin tone," wrote one Amazon reviewer.
According to the brand, this tinted sunscreen has five uses. It will hydrate, moisturize, work as a primer for makeup, has SPF 30 protection and provides coverage — talk about versatile!
"I love this sunscreen. It has the perfect amount of tint to give the appearance of wearing a foundation. Moisturizing, lightweight, and feels nice on the skin," says one Amazon reviewer.
Meet the experts
- Alexa Young, MD is an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.
- Tayaba Jafri is Laura Mercier’s Global Beauty Director.
Why trust Shop TODAY?
Colleen Sullivan is a lifestyle writer and editor who specializes in beauty, home, fashion, food, travel, weddings and wellness. She’s a contributor at multiple digital publications, and served as a print editor at renowned magazines as well, prior to starting her freelance career. When Colleen isn’t working, she loves to fix up old beach houses at the Jersey Shore. Sullivan also serves as an adjunct professor at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. She graduated with a B.S. in economics from Susquehanna University.
