Everyone’s Switching To Skin Tints

June 5 | 4 minute read

Words by Christie Sinclair

A complexion product that also does the work of your skincare? It’s no wonder everyone’s switching to skin tints.

Not quite foundation. Not quite skincare. Skin tints sit somewhere in-between, and they’re your shortcut to an even complexion, effortless glow, and sheer, natural-looking coverage.

The good ones (and there are lots of them!) are the masters of beauty multitaskers. Skin-first in their formulas – often featuring hydrating ingredients like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and squalane – they improve your complexion with every application while offering just enough pigment to even out your skin and add a healthy dose of glowy hydration.

Adding to their appeal, they’re incredibly easy to use and impossible to mess up. For those makeup free days when you just want a hint of tint, simply blend the product into skin using fingertips for a dewy finish with serious glow. For a little extra coverage, you can go over any specific areas with a concealer or foundation. Layer anything else you want over the top – blush, bronzer, highlighter, powder, and you’re done.

You know you’ve chosen the right skin tint when someone says you look well rested. The key is picking one suited to your skin type or concern – like these...

Best for dry skin
MECCA MAX Off Duty Serum Skin Tint

It feels like a facial serum and works like a facial serum. If it wasn’t for the hint of coverage, we’re convinced this would be a facial serum. While it’s a dream base for all skin types, those with dry skin will appreciate the addition of hydrating ingredients. It cocktails niacinamide to help even skin tone and bolster your barrier with squalane to lock in moisture, with a sheer, dewy pigment that blends so seamlessly people will comment on your skin (not your makeup).

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Best for combination skin
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Skin Perfecting Tint

A triple threat, this award-winner and OG-favourite checks all of the ‘good base’ boxes (makeup, skincare, SPF) and must be tried at least once in your beauty life. The water-infused and oil-free gel-cream formula goes on with a refreshing, ‘water burst’ sensation that feels so good on skin, and the blend of skincare ingredients (including hydrating squalane and balancing electrolytes), luminous and natural-looking coverage, and broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen make it a one-stop product for radiant skin.

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Best for SPF protection
ILIA Beauty Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40

One of the next-gen tinted serums we're all crazy about, this vegan-friendly tint has a lightweight texture that feels weightless, and a non-comedogenic formula that's loaded with active skincare ingredients including niacinamide (which helps to balance excess sebum production and improve the appearance of pores), hyaluronic acid (to keep the complexion feeling hydrated and plumped) and squalane (hi, juicy skin!). With SPF 40, it’s also a UV protector, helping against hyperpigmentation and photoaging, which means fewer age spots and fine lines in the future. The coverage is sheer and the finish is glowy (not a hint of greasiness) - no wonder it's achieved cult status the world over.

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Best for mature skin
Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops

Skincare that just happens to serve the purpose of your foundation too? It’s just another multitasking beauty bag staple created by no-makeup-makeup queen, Gucci Westman. The best skin tints, like this one from Westman Atelier, disappear into your skin, leaving smooth, luminous, barely-there coverage. With tsubaki oil to firm, ginseng extract to brighten, ginger root complex to soothe, and pomegranate extract to combat free radicals, the benefits won’t wash off when your makeup does. Your skin feels healthier, looks healthier and appears considerably younger than your biological age.

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Best for oily skin
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser

Shiny skin types will love the oil-free formula and the light-diffusing pigments that blur and soften the appearance of skin (what pores?). And for extra credit, skin is also treated with mineral-rich sea water to help soften and smooth, vitamin C to help even out the skin’s tone and French Polynesian kopara to help refine the appearance of skin’s texture. It's beautifully buildable, too, and you'll be left with a dewy complexion that’s dressed in a sheer wash of luminous colour.

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Best for combination skin
Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint

The NYC fashion set has attributed their nonchalant glow to this cult-loved skin tint for a decade. One of Glossier's four original launches, it epitomises the brand’s skin-before-anything-else philosophy, delivering a healthy wash of near undetectable colour and a hydrated finish while toning down redness. The thin, serum-y formula is unmatched in its ability to blur imperfections without covering pores and freckles. Formulated with diamond powder (yes, really!) for luminosity and glycerin for moisture, it plays well with dry to normal skin types. Oily skin can use it too, but you might want to set it with a little translucent powder.

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Best for redness
Kosas BB Burst Tinted Gel Creme

Whether you're looking for a fail-proof skin perfector, don't want to go full-out on foundation, or just don't have the time for a full beat in the morning, Kosas’ bouncy gel–like cream version of a skin tint will quickly become your daily go-to. It’s hard to count how many benefits fit into this one little bottle. There’s zinc oxide to visibly reduce redness, copper peptides to support collagen, pump and firm, and saccharide isomerate + sodium PCA for hydration and skin barrier support. In summary, it’s like a perfect-10 finish that takes all of 60 seconds to apply.