Best Skin Tints For a Natural Makeup Look

When it comes to complexion products, the range of choices is wider than ever. Your main deciding factor really comes down to coverage, or opacity, i.e. how much of your skin you can still see through. While full coverage foundations are on the high coverage/opaque end of things, you’ll find skin tints at the other, lightweight end of the spectrum.

Skin tints: the new term for tinted moisturizers, previously called CC creams, and BB creams before that! Essentially, they are all referring to the same thing, which is a category of sheer, more forgiving, lightweight coverage products.

How to Apply Skin Tints

These are more sheer products, not on the same level as a foundation, so I don’t apply them the same way. No brushes or sponges here.

I prefer to apply all skin tints/tinted moisturizers with my fingers. Most are actually intended to be applied that way and I find you get the most natural finish.

Best for Dry Skin

Smashbox Halo Healthy Glow All-in-One Tinted Moisturizer is my trusted, tried and true. Of all my recommendations, I’ve used this tinted moisturizer the longest and it still delivers. The shade range is excellent, even including the illusive Light Olive! It has a modest SPF 25 so you’ll still want to apply SPF prior to.

It gives enough coverage to make a difference, a bit of glow but nothing sweaty or shiny and it blends in easily with fingers.

Best Overall

I feel fortunate to receive products directly from brands for review purposes. So many of them you never see or hear about because for whatever reason, they just don’t work out. Some are so impressive that I end up purchasing them again and again myself.

CLE Cosmetics CCC Cream was one such product. I love this Korean-made tinted complexion product more than most for several reasons.

The micro capsule technology is fun to use, first and foremost. When you blend the product into your skin, the capsules burst, releasing the pigment.

The finish is neither dewy nor matte, but that perfect middle ground. The coverage is exactly what I’d want from a skin tint, enough, but still natural.

Not only do I adore this product, but so does my 65 year old mother. She loves that it’s easy to apply with fingers and that it has the extra SPF coverage.

You can watch me apply it HERE.

Best for Combo/Oily Skin

Many skin tints and tinted moisturizers veer on the dewy side or even have ingredients like mica for a subtle glow. If that’s not your thing, you’ll want to reach for Tower 28 SunnyDays Tinted Sunscreen. The finish is more matte and there is no added luminosity.

Their shade range is impressive, available in a variety of undertones. It’s geared towards sensitive and acneic skin types so on the safer side if you’re breakout prone.

Additionally, I find the $32 price point to be quite modest.

Best Budget Pick

I have always loved the VERSED skincare line, but really had no expectations for their newly-launched makeup line. I’ve been so impressed with everything I’ve tried, most notably, the VERSED Skin Solution Multi-Serum Skin Tint.

The formula is hydrating and glowy, so best suited to more dry skin types. The coverage is just where I think a skin tint should be. I love the glass bottle and pump packaging, which feels a lot more expensive than it’s $20 price point.

If you want to see how it applies, I have a video HERE and feel free to use code IVYBOYD for 10% off all VERSED orders.