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15 Best Tinted Moisturizers For Light Coverage

Let’s face the facts… we all want to look beautiful, protect our skin and appear as though we’ve got just a hint of the sun’s color all year long. We want to look dewy, but not sweaty. We’d like to have skin that looks airbrushed and perfect. Oh, and if we can minimize pores and diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles, even better.

We’ve tested the best, compared our personal experiences to consumer reviews, and sorted through dozens and dozens of options to find the best tinted moisturizer for nearly every skin type. They all have potential to satisfy some of the things on your wish list. Our front runners might make you decide to kick your foundation to the curb for good.

What Is the Best Tinted Moisturizer?

Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Mineral formula
  • SPF 15
  • Sheer to full coverage
Price: $49.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Wrinkle minimizing
  • SPF 18
  • Moderate coverage
Price: $28.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • SPF 30
  • Illuminates skin
  • Pore minimizing
Price: $38.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Mineral pigment highlighters
  • Hydrating
  • SPF 30
Price: $29.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Sheer coverage
  • Water resistant
  • Blurs fine lines
Price: $50.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Antioxidant formula
  • SPF 50
  • Water resistant
Price: $39.99 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • SPF 20
  • Mineral formula hides flaws
  • Provides lightweight moisture
Price: $32.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Light diffusing mineral formula
  • SPF 20
  • Provides even coverage
Price: $118.14 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Renews and repairs damaged skin
  • Very moisturizing
  • Vegan friendly
Price: $36.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Super sheer
  • SPF 20
  • Buildable coverage
Price: $39.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • SPF 30
  • Non-comedogenic
  • Whipped mousse-like texture
Price: $34.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Full coverage
  • Targets and repairs dark spots
  • SPF 40
Price: $37.57 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Chemical free
  • Comes in a variety of shades
  • Super affordable
Price: $36.00 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Sheer coverage
  • Wrinkle minimizing
  • Leaves skin glowing
Price: $22.49 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Amazon Customer Reviews
  • Sheer formula
  • Blends with all skin colors
  • SPF 45
Price: $148.35 Shop at Amazon Shop now Read our review
Our Unbiased Reviews
  1. 1. Bella Terra BB Cream 3-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Buildable coverage without feeling heavy or greasy
    • Natural mineral tints with no toxic chemicals
    • Actually improves skin with long term use
    Cons:
    • Super expensive
    • Can feel drying on your skin
    • Not as blendable as some

    If you’re looking for the perfect replacement for heavy foundations, especially in the summer where you’d prefer a lighter look, this mineral tinted moisturizer from Bella Terra is a winner. With buildable color, you can easily wear it sheer and add on for full coverage, without feeling like you’re wearing old school pancake makeup.

    This tinted BB cream features natural mineral SPF 15, and because it feels so light, you’ll love the fact that it also feels super soft and velvety, adding moisture but also allowing your natural complexion to shine through. This moisturizer does a great job at covering blemishes and blurring pores without preservatives, parabens or any toxic chemicals.

    This cruelty free formula is perfect for anyone with sensitive skin and great for those with acne, rosacea, and signs of premature aging. It helps to calm and heal, plumps and hydrates fine lines and wrinkles and actually improves your skin over time. Get it in five easily blendable shades.

    For those months when your summer glow has faded and you’re looking for a full coverage foundation, you want to find one that isn’t pore clogging like these non comedogenic foundations.

  2. 2. theBalm, BalmShelter Tinted Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Softens skin while minimizing the look of wrinkles
    • Appealing fragrance
    • Evens out skin tones with moderate coverage
    • Good for sensitive skin
    Cons:
    • Can darken throughout the day, or when touched up
    • Can feel heavier than some
    • Too moisturizing for oily complexions
    • Non-organic

    This terrific tinted moisturizer offers sun protection for everyday exposure while helping to improve the look of your skin’s tone and texture. With regular use, you’ll sport a beautiful, polished complexion. theBalm feels weightless and silky-smooth and even though it features SPF 18, it doesn’t feel sticky like sunblock or suntan lotion. This tinted moisturizer can be applied using a sponge, fingers, or a brush.

    It will smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. It can even do double duty as a light-look replacement for foundation, making your daytime, evening and nighttime routines simpler and faster. It allows your complexion some breathing room to glow and prosper. To complete your new, lightened up look, buy theBalm Sexy Anti-Shine Translucent Powder along with theBalm Manizer, to give you more luminous looking skin.

  3. 3. stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Illuminating Beauty Balm SPF 30

    Pros:
    • A little goes a long way
    • Light diffusing pigments make skin look luminous
    • SPF 30 eliminates the need for other sunscreens
    • Doesn’t clog pores
    Cons:
    • Super spendy
    • More coverage than some might want
    • Somewhat thicker than most tinted moisturizers
    • Applies best with a sponge, versus fingers

    Stila’s moisturizing beauty balm is better than just makeup. This moisturizer gives your skin a radiant and natural-looking glow. It contains innovative microspheres, which have been shown to hide skin imperfections and reduce wrinkle depth by up to 84 percent.

    It hydrates and nourishes your skin, helps to reduce pore size and provides oil and blemish control all in one. With SPF 30, you won’t have to double up on another sunscreen, that can clog pores and feels so sticky. It melts right into the skin and dries nicely to create a gorgeous glow without being tacky or greasy.

    Get double duty with the stila Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream to give you a perfectly rosy glow. Still need a little help on your face? Try this version of stila’s Stay All Day Beauty Balm. This second hard-working formula minimizes redness, diminishes the look of pores, provides oil and blemish control, and tackles other skin imperfections with the utmost aplomb.

  4. 4. Juice Beauty SPF 30 Tinted Mineral Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Healthy, non-toxic ingredients
    • No need for foundation
    • Doesn’t streak
    • Pleasing scent
    Cons:
    • Too few color selections
    • Can be too thick and heavy for some
    • May not be suitable for very oily skin
    • Leaves skin too shiny

    Juice Beauty’s four-in-one multi-tasking moisturizer blends zinc broad spectrum SPF 30, mineral coverage, and powerful antioxidant-rich grape, along with aloe and pomegranate juices for a radiant, protected, even toned complexion. The tinted mineral formula provides light, glowing coverage with mineral pigment highlights.

    It hydrates with organic plant oils including coconut, sunflower and jojoba, and it replenishes moisture with vegetable hyaluronic acid. To make it an even better choice, it literally feeds your skin with antioxidant-rich pomegranate. Great for all skin types, this could become a regular in your beauty line up.

    To give your skin a quick pick-me-up during the day, try the Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist. If breakouts are a problem, try the Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser.

  5. 5. Jane Iredale Dream Tint Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Good for oily skin
    • High quality natural ingredients
    • Sheer coverage with lots of color options
    • Diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
    Cons:
    • Colors tend to run lighter than expected
    • Not as effective for drier skin types
    • Can tend to feel powdery when dry
    • Fragrance is not appealing to some

    If you’ve got oily skin and want to avoid pore clogging foundations and powders, this Dream Tint Moisturizer from Jane Iredale might be your perfect makeup substitute. Oil-free and formulated with lightweight minerals, this tinted moisturizer not only hydrates and provides sheer to medium coverage, but helps prevent transepidermal water loss.

    When your skin does break out, this tinted moisturizer calms the inflammation and improves skin elasticity. And it’s great for the active outdoors because it’s water resistant for up to 40 minutes. It also offers broad spectrum sun protection with SPF 15 UVB/UVA.

    Once smoothed on, it gives your skin a soft-focus effect that helps minimize the appearance of fine lines and enlarged pores. Key ingredients in this great product include: Titanium Dioxide, which calms and soothes skin and gives excellent mineral UV protection, Algae extract to hydrate and help prevent moisture loss and Boron Nitride that adheres, glides and diffuses light.

    If you think this line of beauty products might be right for you, the convenient Jane Iredale Starter Kit has a perfect selection of smaller size products to try out. If you’re looking for that glowing blush that’s as light as your tinted moisturizer, Jane Iredale’s Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain might be exactly right.

  6. 6. La Roche-Posay Anthelios Tinted Sunscreen Face Primer With SPF 50

    Pros:
    • Outstanding sun protection with SPF 50
    • Lighter tint gives skin a natural glow
    • Not greasy or tacky once dried
    • Nearly odorless
    Cons:
    • Very thick formula is hard to apply lightly
    • Can irritate skin
    • Looks a bit pasty when dry
    • Yellow undertone

    La Roche Posay Anthelios tinted mineral sunscreen, face primer and moisturizer is a unique combination of 100% mineral sunscreen with cell ox shield antioxidant technology to provide advanced UVA and UVB protection. Developed by dermatologists, it has universal tint technology to match most skin tones and provide an instant, natural glow.

    The cell ox shield is a synergistic combination of patented high efficacy sun filters and powerful antioxidants to protect your skin, even at the cellular level. This miraculous moisturizer is designed for sensitive skin, and formulated with an exclusive combination of physical sun filters at different particle sizes for improved protection and skin texture.

    Under normal wear, the powerful SPF 50 lasts for hours, and it offers light coverage to wear alone, or it’s suitable for use under makeup as well. This powerful primer will keep protecting your skin for up to 40 minutes of swimming or sweating.

    If you’re one who loves a serum underneath or on top of your tinted moisturizer, the La Roche-Posay Anthelios AOX Daily Antioxidant Serum with Sunscreen offers SPF 50, but no tint. If you have an acne prone complexion, La Roche Posay offers this great three-step skin clearing regimen.

  7. 7. Borghese Summer Glow Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20

    Pros:
    • Good for oily skin
    • Great texture, goes on smoothly
    • Good coverage of imperfections
    • Mineral formula delivers a sun-kissed glow
    Cons:
    • Feels a little greasy
    • Mineral tint can seem too shiny
    • Pretty spendy

    Borghese’s unique, oil-free formula offers a natural SPF of 20, without any harsh chemical UV filters. Loaded with an energizing mineral and botanical complex, it protects your skin from the sun’s harmful rays while nourishing and restoring it.

    Light diffusing pigments help camouflage imperfections and even out your skin tone, all without heavy coverage. The mineral-based formula helps defend skin against sun damage with full-spectrum SPF protection, so your skin appears and stays radiant and flawless.

  8. 8. Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint

    Pros:
    • Great for all skin types
    • Leaves skin looking velvety smooth
    • Great for older women
    • Great consistency, spreads evenly
    Cons:
    • Colors seem inconsistent with descriptions
    • Can look increasingly sparkly as the day wears on
    • Yellow undertones are unflattering for some

    This lightweight tinted moisturizer features SPF 20, which protects from both UVA and UVB rays. Ginseng and ginkgo biloba leaf extract deliver antioxidants to your skin, promoting a clear and healthy complexion. Jouer’s Moisture Tint evens out imperfections and fades the appearance of fine lines with a light-diffusing, multi-mineral formula.

    This award winning moisturizer promotes complexion perfection with its rich botanical ingredients and smooth, even coverage. This is a great choice if you’re looking for a moisturizer that is oil free, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and fragrance free, but in reality, it’s terrific for all skin types.

  9. 9. PÜR 4-In-1 Tinted Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Delivers nourishing moisture
    • Nice natural ingredients that are vegan friendly
    • SPF 20 formula
    • Gives good coverage even though it’s lightweight
    Cons:
    • Pretty spendy
    • Too illuminizing for some
    • May cause breakouts
    • Contains a few chemicals of concern

    This lightweight tinted moisturizer has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. The 4-in-1 formula hydrates and corrects skin with our favorite ingredient, hyaluronic acid. Pur’s exclusive Ceretin Complex is a one-of-a-kind ingredient engineered to dramatically renew your skin without causing irritation.

    While it’s a perfect base for foundation, we give the not to wearing it alone because it has great coverage. WIth SPF 20, you won’t need to slather on sunscreen afterwards, either. This cruelty-free formula contains natural illuminizers, to give you a dewy glow all day long.

    Unlike many tinted moisturizers that deliver tint, but not much moisture, PÜR has nailed it with this nourishing formula that is vegan friendly, paraben and gluten free, and even comes in a container that’s socially responsible and BPA free.

  10. 10. bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30

    Pros:
    • Super sheer formula that lets your skin shine through
    • More sweat-proof than traditional foundation
    • Very gentle for sensitive and breakout prone skin
    Cons:
    • Natural minerals can cause too much shine
    • Colors have orange undertones
    • Very little blemish coverage

    You might already be sold on mineral tinted moisturizers, so it’s an easy step to try this easy to blend gel cream from bareMinerals, one of the leaders in mineral based makeup. This tinted moisturizer is exceptionally sheer, so it’s the perfect choice for those with healthy skin that are looking for color and moisture without tons of coverage.

    It brightens and makes your skin look lovely and luminous, while letting your natural complexion shine through – it’s like you without makeup, only better. It blends nicely without leaving streaks or getting cakey. It nicely fills in fine lines and wrinkles, and blurs pores without feeling heavy. It offers another feature we’re sold on – SPF 20. With buildable color, you can add more coverage if you choose.

    Another advantage of mineral foundations and tinted moisturizers is that they cling to your skin, without blocking your pores. That means they’re a lot more sweatproof to get you through those hot muggy months or a lunchtime workout without having to do a complete makeup redo before going out for the evening. According to Kori Ellis in her blog SheKnows, mineral makeup binds to oil, not water, so it’s more gym proof than traditional foundation if you’re not going to have time for a full start over.

  11. 11. MDSolarSciences Mineral Tinted Crème

    Pros:
    • Dries to a soft matte finish
    • Blurs skin imperfections
    • Ultra-light tint for those who prefer minimal coverage
    • Super long-lasting protection in wet conditions
    Cons:
    • Not offered in a variety of color choices
    • Zinc Oxide can tend to look shiny
    • May not be best for oily complexions

    Okay, outdoor girls. This might become your new favorite tinted moisturizer because of its long lasting, water-resistant formula. It’ll protect you in pools or freak rainstorms for up to 80 minutes, yet it won’t clog your pores.

    The natural, light-tint, blends well with most skin tones and leaves a soft matte finish. Hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic, this naturally derived and safer mineral UVA-UVB protection helps reduce the risk of photo-aging and skin cancer with SPF 30.

    This light mousse-like moisturizer can be worn alone, or makes a perfect makeup primer. It provides antioxidant protection that includes green tea, cranberry fruit and pomegranate extracts along with vitamin C.

    To brighten up your beautiful eyes along with your face, try the MDSolarSciences Daily Eye Repair Emulsion

  12. 12. Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream SPF 40

    Pros:
    • Natural looking coverage
    • Helps to correct hyperpigmentation
    • Protects against sun damage with SPF 40
    • Leaves skin with a pretty glow
    Cons:
    • Color is too light for some
    • A little tube for a lot of cash
    • May irritate sensitive skin around the eyes

    Supergoop! seamlessly blends skincare and suncare into one easy to use CC cream that’s moisturizing, colorizing and delivers a hefty SPF 40 to protect your skin from aging due to sun damage. Infused with vitamins and antioxidants, and free from some of the bad stuff you don’t want in your tinted moisturizer, this formula non-greasy.

    It has light diffusing mica particles to give you an illuminated effect that leaves your skin brighter than before. Omega-3, Omega-6, and apple extract help to correct hyperpigmentation, providing a clearer, more even skin tone. Thumbs up to that. A bit heavier than a traditional tinted moisturizer, this CC cream gives enough coverage that you won’t miss your foundation a bit.

  13. 13. Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Tinted Moisturizer

    Pros:
    • Extremely affordable
    • Organic and natural ingredients
    • Lightweight, yet offers good coverage
    • Lavender scent
    Cons:
    • Not enough color variety
    • Can tingle when first applied
    • Contains alcohol that can dry skin
    • Can seem runny

    Physicians Formula Organic wear 100% natural tinted moisturizer is a light formula that hydrates your skin and evens out skin tone with sheer and natural coverage. Infused with organic fruit water, it helps to nourish and restore your skin’s natural moisture balance.

    With SPF 15, this silky cream protects skin from the sun and environmental damage for a younger-looking, fresh complexion. Formulated with 80% certified organic ingredients, and 100 percent free of harsh chemicals, it features jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil, avocado oil, and shea butter to moisturize your skin.

    With four different shades to choose from, it’s easy to find the right color match for your skin tone, and the affordable price tag means you can buy the perfect color for each season should you choose to imbibe in a bit of sunshine.

    If you need or want more coverage, Physicians Formula also makes a tinted CC Cream in a variety of shades. To minimize your makeup routine even more, try Physician’s Formula Eye Liner and Lash Boosting Serum in one.

  14. 14. Olay Total Effects CC Cream With SPF 15

    Pros:
    • Multi-tasking formula features SPF 15
    • Excellent at minimizing pores, fine lines and wrinkles
    • Lightweight and sheer
    • Leaves skin with a glowy finish
    Cons:
    • Light coverage doesn’t cover most flaws
    • Smells a bit like sunscreen
    • Few color selections
    • Lower SPF than many

    Color and correct, moisturize, apply SPF, and reduce the appearance of your pores all in one simple step. Olay Total Effects CC Cream is a multi-tasking wonder, instantly reducing the look of pores in 80 percent of women, as assessed by expert graders.

    Formulated with seven benefits in one single product, younger-looking skin with a beautiful, flawless finish is at hand. It targets age spots, uneven tone and texture, and dryness and dullness all at one time. This tinted moisturizer won’t clog your pores, and with continued use, you should see smoother, younger-looking skin.

    Lightweight and easy to blend, this dynamite CC cream masks pores and provides an airbrushed finish. Find more of Olay’s wide range of tinted moisturizer options here

  15. 15. DRMTLGY Anti Aging Tinted Face Moisturizer SPF 45

    Pros:
    • Amazon’s Choice
    • Cruelty-free formula
    • Smooth, easily spreadable consistency
    • Nice, light coverage lets you skip foundation
    Cons:
    • Kind of pricey
    • No color choices
    • Tint can be too dark for fair complexions
    • Can irritate sensitive skin

    We all know that using sun protection on a daily basis will keep our skin healthy and youthful, but who wants to add one more layer of stuff to our face? DRMTLGY tinted moisturizer is easy to add to your daily beauty regimen, while skipping the foundation routine.

    This lightweight formula provides broad spectrum SPF 45, keeping your skin safe from the sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays. We have to keep harping on that point, because so many folks just don’t realize how the sun can age you super fast.

    Sheer color coverage minimizes fine lines and wrinkles, while leaving you with that perfect no makeup look. Never greasy, it easily absorbs, without making you look shiny or sweaty. This cruelty free formula is great for both men and women.

Depending on how patient you are, or if you’re daring enough to try to accomplish more with less, the best tinted moisturizer brands, deliver the goods. Plus you can play with all sorts of formulas that promise to make you radiant, youthful and glowing. With regular use, they all have advantages, particularly when it comes to encouraging daily use of SPF.

Now that you’ve reviewed our faves, you might just be able to eliminate a whole bunch of those creams, lotions, potions and makeups that clog your pores and are currently crowding your bathroom cupboards and drawers. Better yet, you can tackle your daily makeup routine, without a sticky mess, or layers upon layers of gunk on your face. In our world, that’s a total bonus.

See Also:

Tinted moisturizer offers sheer coverage for those times when you'd rather not wear a full face of makeup, plus they're an easy way to simplify your beauty routine.