The Best Tinted Moisturizers For Lightweight Coverage

Let your skin breathe during hotter temperatures and swap your foundation out for a tinted moisturizer or CC cream from brands like Nars, Ami Cole and Fenty Beauty.
The Lip Bar Just a Tint 3-in-1 tinted skin conditioner, Ami Cole's skin enhancing tint and Shiseido Synchro Skin self-refreshing tint.

When the sun’s beaming and it feels like a sauna outside, it’s the perfect time to try out a simpler beauty routine with products that aren’t as heavy as you might normally wear. Trading out your favorite foundation for a tinted moisturizer is one simple swap you can make that won’t leave your skin feeling cakey or like your makeup is melting off your face.

Tinted moisturizers are lightweight, pigmented lotions that also provide sheer, sometimes buildable coverage, giving a radiant look to your skin without using multiple products. Think of them as a less intense, lighter foundation that can be worn alone or as a base for the rest of your makeup routine.

They come in a variety of shades and often contain hydrating or beneficial ingredients like rose water, cucumber extract, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and even SPF protection.

If you have oily or acne-prone skin, you can even find moisturizers that are oil-free — such as The Lip Bar’s — or those that give off a blurring effect to cover blemishes, like Fenty Beauty’s. Whatever your skin care concerns and needs are, there’s a moisturizer that will work with you, not against you.

And to help you choose one that’s right for you, we reached out to makeup artists around the country to see what their favorite tinted moisturizers are that are perfect for warmer temperatures. Check out their picks below.

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1
Ami Cole skin enhancing tint
"This one is great for melanated skin. It's super lightweight and you can get light to medium coverage from it. You probably will need to add a bit of concealer if you're looking for more medium coverage. It's a great add-on for those good skin days, and it's one of my favorite tinted moisturizers for women of color." — Delina Medhin, celebrity makeup artist

It comes in 6 shades.
2
It Cosmetics CC+ cream
"It Cosmetics CC+ Cream is still a favorite for me as a makeup artist, since most clients are looking for the comfort of a tinted moisturizer but a bit more coverage than is usually offered in this category. The shade range is wide and the SPF 50 keeps me reaching for this, leaving skin perfectly even when applied with a brush. It offers a glowy and a matte finish for clients who need the range when temps rise." — Priscilla Freire, a New York City-based makeup artist

It comes in 15 shades.
3
Saie Slip Tint
"Saie’s Slip Tint is a go-to for drier/combo skin that loves a glow, and it’s bigger bonus is that it has zinc mineral sunscreen. Finding your right shade, you can get sun protection that doesn’t leave a white cast and it’s easy enough to reapply as needed. I'm a fan of products with licorice root extract to really help keep complexion bright and even-toned, and the Slip Tint features this ingredient." — Priscilla Freire

It comes in 14 shades.
4
The Lip Bar Just a Tint 3-in-1 tinted skin conditioner
"This 3-in-1 moisturizes, protects and gives an amazing amount of coverage without feeling cakey. Made with hyaluronic acid, this tinted moisturizer is nourishing enough to apply to clean, bare skin and has enough coverage to perfect the skin while still looking natural." — Kierra Lanice Wray, a Michigan-based makeup artist

It comes in 8 shades.
5
Nars pure radiant tinted moisturizer
"An oldie but goodie, this tinted moisturizer has SPF 30 and contains vitamin C to brighten the skin! This sheer, buildable tinted moisturizer is packed with skin care. Perfect for summer because it's lightweight and helps to even the skin tone over time!" — Kierra Lanice Wray

It comes in 16 shades.
6
Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop blurring skin tint
"This skin tint is the most lightweight in texture and blurs imperfections. Almost wet in its consistency, it melts into the skin like butter with its sheer to medium coverage. What takes the cake is the fact that is sweatproof and humidity-resistant, much needed for summer vacation or just an everyday slay!" — Kierra Lanice Wray

It comes in 25 shades.
7
Shiseido synchro skin self-refreshing tint
"The makeup I do is for photo and video, so the best thing about this skin tint for me is that it looks incredible on camera! It has SPF 20 and hyaluronic acid on the skin care side of things; then, on the makeup side, it gives a beautiful soft veil of coverage that balances the skin texture and tone, while still letting the natural skin shine through. I would say get this tint in two shades (light and dark), then use them to highlight and contour your face. You can use your favorite foundation as a concealer for a little extra coverage if you want to get that 'clean girl' makeup look that's very much trending." — Remi Odunsi, a New York City-based makeup artist

It comes in 12 shades.
8
Kosas tinted face oil
"A tinted oil that is perfect year-round for those who need an extra bit of moisture. I recommend applying this formula with your hands and pressing it into your skin for more coverage. For those looking for skin care benefits, it contains six different oils to nourish your skin." — Verónica Gaona, a New York City-based makeup artist

It comes in 16 shades.
9
Smashbox Halo Healthy Glow tinted moisturizer
"Super lightweight formula creates a healthy glow with light coverage that primes, perfect and protects the skin while adding hydration. The packaging is easy to work with and the shade options cater to a great variety of skin tones! I use during both summer and winter to give myself a skin-like finish and protect me from the sun!" — Melissa Drouillard, a New York City-based professional makeup artist and licensed esthetician

It comes in 20 shades.

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