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Tinted moisturisers are the Goldilocks of the makeup world. The right one needs to tick several boxes: ideally, it covers and corrects where needed (and only where needed), looks perfectly natural, and addresses what lies beneath. And no, in this instance, it’s not Michelle Pfeiffer in a 2000s Richard Gere thriller—it’s your specific skin concern.
Dry? The right tinted moisturiser should leave you nourished and flake-free. Acne-prone or dealing with hyperpigmentation? Despite what people say, tinted moisturisers can absolutely pack a pigment punch—the best ones offer real coverage while remaining non-comedogenic.
My experience with this very popular category is two-fold. First, I’m a former makeup artist and have worked in Australia for years, where most clients favour a “your skin but better” look—ideally with a bit of SPF thrown in. (Just a reminder: tinted moisturisers aren’t a substitute for broad-spectrum sunscreen, though they do provide some additional protection.)
Second, over the last fifteen years, while my taste in how I want my skin to look (glowy, natural) has stayed the same, my actual skin has varied wildly. In my early twenties, my clear complexion became oily. I experienced deep hormonal acne after a birth control mix-up, and I needed my tinted moisturiser to work a whole lot harder in the coverage department without aggravating my suddenly wildly reactive skin.
Eventually, I needed a round of Accutane, which left me drier than the Sahara desert. While my skin was suddenly supernaturally clear, most foundations either flaked, pilled, or sapped it of its last dregs of moisture entirely. I needed balmy products that wouldn’t be cannibalised in seconds by my moisture-hungry skin.
These days—six years on—my skin is more balanced, though I’m prone to a bit of oiliness through the T-zone and hyper-conscious of keeping on top of my pigmentation (thank you, once again, birth control and the Australian sun).
ELLE Australia’s Edit Of The Best Tinted Moisturisers:
- Newcomer: Merit, The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen, $61
- High coverage: It Cosmetics, Colour Correcting Full Coverage CC+ Cream SPF 50+ $82
- Innovative: Milk Makeup, Hydro Grip Gel Tint $66
Ahead, find the formulas I’ve used and loved on myself and others and find myself recommending (and repurchasing) constantly.
Best Newcomer
Merit, The Uniform Tinted Mineral Sunscreen
This is a newer launch and currently my favourite. The good people at Merit are the minds behind one of my most-used complexion products, The Minimalist Complexion Perfecting Stick, and this hydrating skin tint is the perfect companion.
It contains mineral SPF 40 for broad-spectrum UVB/UVA protection and has a gel-cream texture that blends down to a light-as-air finish. The formula includes natural powders that blur fine lines and minimise the need for additional product, while zinc oxide offers added protection from blue light.
I also love it as a late-afternoon refresh. Come the end of the day, I dab a little Uniform over my skin—even over powder—and it brings the glow back without disturbing anything underneath.
Overview: Quick fix for dehydrated skin, uneven tone, lightweight, easily layers
Best high coverage
It Cosmetics, Colour Correcting Full Coverage CC+ Cream SPF 50+
Several members of the ELLE team swear by this for hormonal acne (which feels like a rite of passage in your twenties). With close to full coverage, it smooths the appearance of dark spots and scarring and softens the 3D texture that makes acne difficult to conceal.
The formula includes hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin E and SPF 50+—crucial if you’re dealing with acne-related pigmentation. Despite its high coverage, it’s non-comedogenic and has a natural satin finish that works across skin types.
If you’re very oily and prefer a matte finish, It Cosmetics also makes an oil-free version. I’ve gone through countless tubes and always come back to it.
Overview: High coverage, perfect for acne-prone or textured skin, SPF 50, satin finish
Best long-wearing with a dewy finish
Milk Makeup, Hydro Grip Gel Tint
Perfect for oily girls and guys who want long wear without compromising on dew. The consistency is like a thick, creamy balm that melts into the skin like a gel, leaving a sheer, glass-like finish.
Like the cult Hydro Grip Primer, this offers serious grip—12 hours’ wear—and won’t slide off halfway through the day. Despite the gloss, it’s not greasy, and the formula is hydrating enough to stay flexible on skin. It won’t sink into pores or fine lines, and I’ve found it to be one of the most comfortable tints for combination skin.
Overview: Oily or combination skin, longwear, natural glow
Best for makeup minimalists
Chantecaille, Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser
This is for the purists: if you want a real “your skin but better” effect—no excessive glow, no obvious makeup—Just Skin delivers. It’s infused with soothing botanicals and has a satin finish that feels like skincare.
Smoothed in with fingers, it creates a polished, real-skin effect.
Overview: Naturally derived ingredients, good for sensitive or reactive skin, natural finish, everyday wear
Best for an eight-green juices a day glow
Charlotte Tilbury, Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick
When I interviewed Charlotte Tilbury earlier this year, she said Unreal Skin was made for the “Birkenstock-wearing yoga instructor who hates makeup.” Translation? It’s barely-there radiance that looks like you’ve just come from Pilates and a facial.
This stick formula melts into dry skin, corrects discolouration, brightens and nourishes—all while feeling completely weightless. I love sticks for touch-ups and travel: dab, blend, done. For more coverage, pair with a fuller coverage concealer.
Overview: Dry skin, glow lovers, stick formula fans
Best overall
NARS, Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser
A long-time makeup artist favourite, this buildable formula offers up to medium coverage with a satin finish. It’s oil-free, lightweight, and blends seamlessly—the kind of product that always makes you look like you have great skin, not great makeup. Effortlessly buildable, this tinted moisturiser offers enough coverage to be worn on a night out as well as during the day, and it photographs beautifully, making it suitable for weddings or impromptu Instagram photoshoots (or thirst traps! It’s your life, this is just the tinted moisturiser you should be wearing in it).
Created by makeup artist Francois Nars, Nars Cosmetics offers a shade range that is not only extensive but spot-on with regard to unique undertones. You’re likely to find a match when shopping these complexion products, which is one of the reasons this black tube can be spotted in so many makeup artists’ professional kits. It’s also easy to tweak depending on prep: prep with plenty of moisturiser or a glowy primer for luminous skin or a mattifying primer and a touch of powder for a silky satin or matte look.
Overview: Balanced to combo skin, buildable coverage, pro-level blending, excellent shade range
Best long-wear with a matte finish
Tarte, BB Blur Tinted Moisturiser
It’s hard to find a truly matte tinted moisturiser, but this one achieves its objective and does so without feeling flat. With a balm-like consistency and sheer coverage, Tarte suggests using the product solo, or even as a makeup-extending and coverage-boosting blurring primer under your usual foundation.
It’s perfect for oily skin days where you want to look perfectly airbrushed without looking like you’ve piled on makeup.
Overview: Oily skin friendly, matte finish, no-makeup makeup
Best classic
Laura Mercier, Tinted Moisturiser Natural Skin Perfector
Laura Mercier basically invented the tinted moisturiser category, and they’re still leading. This is the OG, updated with skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, macadamia oil and a probiotic complex.
It’s never greasy, never cakey—just an easy, blendable tint that works across skin types (although Laura Mercier has brought out a matte iteration for those who want to skip the glow). It’s long-wearing and will play beautifully with your other makeup products.
Overview: All skin types, natural finish, layering with other makeup
Best for mineral makeup wearers
BareMinerals, Complexion Rescue Skin Perfecting Tint
A go-to for post-3 pm office dryness. This gel cream tint has a high water content and is packed with electrolytes and squalane, giving your skin an actual drink.
It smooths, hydrates, and protects with mineral SPF 30, making it an excellent fallback if you’ve overdone it with actives or need your skin to calm down.
Overview: Best for dehydrated or sensitised skin, cooling hydration, SPF30
Best for mature and very dry skin
Westman Atelier, Vital Skincare Complexion Drops
These drops are a favourite among makeup artists for mature and very dry skin. It’s more than just makeup—the formula includes Tsubaki oil, ginseng and pomegranate extract, which help soften skin texture over time.
The liquid elixir glides on evenly and leaves even the dryest skin luminous and smooth, but never masked. Shake well, apply with fingers, and glow.
Overview: Best for very dry or mature skin, skincare-makeup hybrid, nourishing, a little goes a long way
Best for humidity
Bobbi Brown, Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint
Inspired by their cult Vitamin Enriched Face Base, this sheer tint shares some of the same skincare ingredients, namely shea butter and hyaluronic acid, but has a watery, breathable texture with a natural satin finish that holds up in humidity.
The fresh cucumber scent is subtle and calming, and it glides on, feeling like nothing at all, leaving in its wake an airbrushed finish. Skin looks smoother, pores are less obvious, and there’s no tell-tale makeup texture.
Overview: Combination skin, summer wear, no-makeup makeup
Best for dehydrated skin
Hourglass, Veil Hydrating Skin Tint
Overdid the retinol? Horribly hungover? This luxe gel-creme tinted moisturiser will solve your problems in an instant. The water-based formula boosts skin hydration by 52% on application and plumps, calms and leaves the skin looking fresh and naturally dewy. Coverage is sheer, so if you’re looking to mask major blemishes, touch up with a full coverage concealer and enjoy the lit-from-within glow peeping from underneath.
One to keep on standby.
Overview: A must for dehydrated or irritated skin, calming moisture, natural finish, angelic glow
The post An Ex-Makeup Artist’s 12 Top Picks For Tinted Moisturisers That Give Effortlessly Flawless Skin appeared first on ELLE.
