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The Best Tinted Moisturizers For Every Skin Type & Budget — & They're All On Amazon

Amazon/Bustle

When you don't want to wear a full face of makeup, but you also don’t want to leave your face totally bare to the elements, the best tinted moisturizers are there to strike the perfect balance. These amped-up moisturizers will give you just a hint of coverage along with glow-boosting hydration. They're the embodiment of the “no-makeup-makeup” conundrum, especially because you won’t feel like you’re wearing makeup.

“Tinted moisturizers” can be an umbrella term for products that fuse skin care and makeup, so you’ll find a couple of BB creams on this list, too. That said, there are slight differences between these products. Tinted moisturizers really only provide hydration and light coverage, while BB creams work a little harder with the addition of priming and brightening ingredients, and they tend to focus more pointedly on blurring blemishes and evening out discoloration. And you won’t find a BB cream without sun protection, whereas SPF isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for tinted moisturizers.

Of course, the best tinted moisturizer for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you have sensitive skin, for instance, opt for a tinted moisturizer that's free from artificial fragrance and other harsh ingredients that can exacerbate irritation and redness. Meanwhile, the best tinted moisturizers for oily skin should be non-comedogenic and oil-free. And if you’re looking for a tinted moisturizer to keep your dry skin hydrated and smooth, look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and rich oils to really seal in moisture.

You'll find picks for all of the aforementioned skin types and more in this roundup of the six best tinted moisturizers below.

1

The Overall Best Tinted Moisturizer For Most Skin Types

There’s a reason why bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream has gained such a cult-like following: Put simply, this powerhouse product works on virtually every skin type. Plant-derived squalane and mineral electrolytes work to deeply hydrate and replenish dry skin, but this oil-free, non-comedogenic formula will suit oily and/or acne-prone skin types, too. It’s free of fragrance and other common irritants that are known to trigger sensitive skin — and the formula is vegan and gluten-free, as an added bonus.

This water-based gel-cream hybrid blends seamlessly into skin to deliver lightweight coverage and a dewy finish, while an SPF of 30 provides ample sun protection. It comes in 20 different shades to suit a range of skin tones, most of which are available on Amazon through the links below.

2

The Best Drugstore Tinted Moisturizer For Most Skin Types

On top of its accessible price point, reviewers love the NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil for its lightweight feel and staying power. One reviewer said this tinted cream lasted throughout a humid, eight-hour day, and another said that it didn’t slip or feel greasy on their oily skin. It’s non-comedogenic and spiked with soothing aloe and cucumber, so people with easily-irritated or acne-prone skin can safely give this a go. Since this breathable formula provides sheer coverage, you can either use this on its own, or as a base for a fuller-coverage foundation.

3

The Best Tinted Moisturizer For Sensitive Skin

Infused with soothing ingredients like chamomile and free of parabens, petrochemicals, phthalates, and other common irritants, the Purlisse Perfect Glow BB Cream is a safe choice for people with sensitive and reaction-prone skin. The formula also contains sugar maple, a natural antioxidant, to gently boost your skin’s radiance. Purslane extract, which was used in traditional Chinese medicine to heal snakebites, is put to work here for its regenerative effects. To top it all off, an SPF of 30 provides you with a healthy dose of sun protection. Any of its eight shades will give you light-to-medium coverage, which you can wear alone or under powder to tone down the glow.

4

The Best Tinted Moisturizer For Dry Skin

Packed with natural ingredients to target dryness from several fronts, First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer takes its role as a moisturizer seriously. Hyaluronic acid boosts your skin’s moisture content, colloidal oatmeal heals and protects irritated skin, and vitamin E fights off sun damage and environmental pollutants. At the same time, the formula is free of drying astringents like alcohol and ethanol, as well as artificial fragrances, which are known to irritate sensitive skin. Altogether, this rich but lightweight formula promises to keep your skin hydrated for 12 hours. Thanks to that hyaluronic acid, plus light-reflecting minerals, this tinted moisturizer will make your skin look smooth, even, and glowy, too.

5

The Best Oil-Free BB Cream For Dark Skin Tones

For those with darker skin tones, the Black Radiance True Complexion BB Cream gets near-perfect reviews for its smoothing, glow-boosting, and complexion-evening effects. It’s airy enough to be used as a primer, but reviewers say it’s pigmented enough to use on its own if you’re after a light wash of coverage. And somehow, it seems to work on every skin type — reviewers say its creamy texture hydrates dry skin, but its non-comedogenic formula won’t aggravate breakouts. An SPF of 15 provides a bit of sun protection, but it's still recommended that you apply additional SPF underneath your BB cream.

6

The Best Waterproof Tinted Moisturizer

Lightweight, non-comedogenic, and formulated specifically to be waterproof, the Jane Iredale Dream Tint Tinted Moisturizer is ideal if you want a wash of coverage at the gym, beach, or pool (that said, the shade range could certainly use expanding). Dream Tint is water-resistant for up to 40 minutes, so you won't have to worry about your foundation streaking or wearing the minute your face encounters a little bit of moisture. Jojoba oil and shea butter keep your skin hydrated, while antibacterial grapefruit and lavender extracts keep your pores clean. Be aware that this only contains SPF 15, so be sure to apply a layer of higher-protection sunscreen beforehand, and reapply the product after you’ve dunked your head underwater (or sweat through your clothes at spin).

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