Updated May 2024

One thing about me is that if I’m gonna wear makeup, I prefer it to be minimal. Tinted moisturizers and lightweight foundations are my favorite type of complexion products. However, it can be hard to find products that work well for me while also not breaking the bank. It can also be a struggle to find lightweight complexion products that work for people with darker skin tones. (Inclusivity is still a problem in the beauty industry, but that’s a conversation for later). I started this tinted moisturizer/ lightweight foundation series to see which products are worth your money, and which ones you should leave on the shelf.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate & referral links. If you use them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

What’s the difference between tinted moisturizer and foundation?

I had a hard time figuring out whether to call this a tinted moisturizer guide or a light coverage foundation guide, since I personally don’t see a difference between these two products and like using them both. However, that difference does exist and it may be important to you.

Tinted moisturizer is usually a product that has more skincare properties than your everyday foundation. This could include skincare ingredients like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and commonly SPF. They also tend to look more dewy or glowy due to being more moisturizing than a regular foundation. People with dry skin may prefer to use a tinted moisturizer, as some foundation formulas can cling to dry patches on the skin.

Light coverage foundations may have a similar coverage level to a tinted moisturizer, but they usually don’t have as many skincare ingredients. (Seems like that’s starting to change with the increase in makeup brands jumping on the skincare trend, but still) These products can have more pigments added since the main purpose is coverage, regardless of how ‘light’ that coverage may be. You’ll also usually find more shades in a foundation than a tinted moisturizer.

What makes a good tinted moisturizer?

In my opinion, these are the traits that make a tinted moisturizer great. You may prefer different characteristics from your foundation, so keep that in mind while reading my reviews.

Has a good shade range

No matter how nice a foundation’s formula is, it doesn’t do any good if it’s not available in your shade. Tinted moisturizers and other light coverage complexion products have historically been pretty bad when it comes to inclusive shade ranges. In my experience, they either all have the same undertone, only have 5-6 shades in total, or don’t offer deep shades. I understand that since these products are more sheer that you can sometimes get away with something not matching exactly. That doesn’t mean that brands shouldn’t even TRY to be inclusive with their shade ranges. It’s 2024, we need to do better.

Light to medium coverage

I like the way that full coverage foundation looks sometimes, like for big events or times that I’m being photographed. On a day to day basis, I prefer the light to medium coverage that comes from most tinted moisturizers. I don’t mind seeing a bit of my skin through the product, plus this makes it easier to pull off shades that aren’t an exact match to my skin.

Blendable with just my fingers

When I’m getting ready in the morning, I don’t want to have to use sponges or brushes to apply my complexion product. Every now and then I enjoy playing in makeup and going in with multiple tools and techniques, but I’d rather just blend it in with my fingers and keep it moving when I’m in a rush.

Long-lasting

What good is a complexion product that only lasts 3-4 hours on my skin? I need something that’s going to last at least 7-8 hours (aka a full day of work). For the wear tests I perform on each product, I leave the foundation on at least 8 hours but most times I push it for 10 hours. I’m mainly curious how my oily/combination skin looks after hours with makeup on: will I need to blot/ apply powder/ reapply the foundation?

Matches my skin without needing extra work

Some products only look good when you’ve layered them with a concealer or a bronzer. Honestly I’m not a fan of that. I want a product that works on its own, and not something that needs extra products just to make it look good. Also, it’s pretty common for Black women to have multiple shades to their skin (the middle of my face is at least one shade lighter than the perimeter). I’d prefer to find a product that’s a good middle shade so I don’t have to buy two colors of the same product.

Looks good on my oily/combination skin

Oily skin can really tear up some foundations after just a couple of hours. I need a product that’s going to hold up to whatever amount of sebum my skin decides to produce that day (that sounded way more scientific than it needed to lol). I’ve also got drier skin around my nose and mouth, so I also don’t want a product that’ll look patchy in those areas.

Complexion Products I’ve Tried

As I test new complexion products, I’ll add them to this list. This page will be a place to compare my shades and overall ranking of each product from best to worst. Each link will have more of my thoughts on the products, before/after pictures of how they look on my skin, and shopping links. I’m rating them on a scale of 1-5 stars: (1=bad, 2=meh, 3=fine, 4=good, 5=great)

1. L’Oreal True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum (shade 7-8 Tan-Deep) ☆5/5☆
2. Smashbox Halo Tinted Moisturizer (shade Tan-Olive) ☆5/5☆
3. About-Face The Performer Foundation (shade D3 Olive) ☆5/5☆
4. Thread Beauty Face It Foundation Stick (shade 110) ☆5/5☆
5. Fenty Eaze Drop Skin Tint (shade 20) ☆5/5☆
6. Too Faced Born This Way Skin Tint (shade Maple) ☆4/5☆
7. Fenty Eaze Drop Stick Foundation (shade 21) ☆4/5☆
8. Tula Radiant Skin Tint (shade 23 Tan Deep Olive) ☆4/5☆
9. Sephora Collection Matte Perfection Tinted Moisturizer (shade 12- Tweed) ☆4/5☆
10. Maybelline Super Stay Skin Tint (shade 355) ☆4/5☆
11. L’Oreal Skin Paradise Tinted Moisturizer (shade Deep 1) ☆4/5☆
12. Mented Cosmetics Skin by Mented Stick Foundation (shade T20/T40) ☆3/5☆
13. CoverGirl Skin Perfector Essence (shade 60 Tan) ☆3/5☆
14. The Lip Bar Just a Tint 3-in-1 Tinted Skin Conditioner (shade Almond) ☆3/5☆

Foundation Shade Comparisons

I swatched these products next to each other to compare the difference in shades and undertones of each product. There’s no filters or adjustments made to the pictures, and they were taken in bathroom lighting. The foundations will look different once blended in, but I left them unblended to better show the shades.

For more makeup shown on darker skin, check out Cocoa Swatches! She’s been sharing makeup swatches on darker skin tones for years, and has built a whole brand around the idea.

Tinted Moisturizer Application Videos

All my application and review videos for each product can be seen in this playlist. Most of them are short 1 minute videos, but I’ve done a couple full length review videos as well.