When you get paid to test beauty products for a living, what do you actually pay to use? ELLE's Beauty Director Katy Young comes clean.
In my early twenties, I had a separate pot of cream for everything. But in 1997, along came make-up artist Bobbi Brown, waxing lyrical about something called ‘tinted moisturiser.’ Back then, the notion seemed bizarre. If I wanted to hydrate my skin, I slapped on Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser. If I wanted coverage, I used Dior’s finest foundation.
Then I tried it. I looked five years younger than I did with my stick foundation. And prettier. More natural. Enviably glowy. Like I’d just floated out of bed with a new lover.
So today, I say: a good tinted moisturiser should be just as much a staple in your kit as a great pair of jeans is in your wardrobe - it goes with everything and is effortless to wear. The drawback to both? Finding the perfect fit.
You see, the beauty of tinted moisturisers also maketh the challenge – there's one to suit everyone, but sourcing the tint-to-moisturiser ratio that works for you is tricky. That’s pretty much all it comes down to. I love a little less moisture and a little more tint, as my serum should have done the quenching. A great tinted moisturiser means that you don’t need to cover bags or blemishes with concealer afterwards. That uniform blank canvas effect is a bit old news now, anyway. The sexiest skin is skin reveals every mole, sun spot and wrinkle. It’s your story.
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I swapped full-coverage bases for tinted moisturisers about 10 years ago now, after falling hard for Erborian CC Cream from South Korea, where airy textures and performance determine a brand's success. Needless to say, this breathable, blendable cream catapulted Erborian to cult status - and the UK, thank goodness - where it almost single-handedly launched the CC category (essentially a group of souped-up tinted moisturisers with added skincare benefits).
Erborian CC Cream is a good choice for beginners to the tinted moisturiser category who want to even out tone and add luminosity. My only bugbear is that it comes in just one shade for all skin (MAC does a close alternative with its Lightful C+ Tinted Cream SPF30 with Radiance Booster, which comes in more shades).
If you want more coverage...
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream is a popular option. Founder Jamie Kern Lima - a rosacea sufferer - developed the brand as a disgruntled consumer in search of bases to conceal redness without caking. Pigment is heavier, but the trick is to apply tinted moisturiser in paper-thin smears. A weirdly therapeutic act in itself.
Sarah Chapman Skinesis Skin Insurance has recently won real estate in my make-up kit. Developed by my favourite facialist (if she’s good enough for Megan Markle...) the tinted filter blurs skin beautifully, while rose and jasmine oils also turn it into a skin-comforting lotion. This is my Summer pick.
If your skin is oily or combination...
...then congratulations, you'll age slower! Laura Mercier does a great oil-free tinted moisturiser. Mercier’s obsessions are good brows and skin, so it figures that she created an oil-control version that doesn't dry out the face. The coverage is veil-like, but can be built up. Remember that the middle of the face needs more coverage, so start there and work outwards.
If you want to try the next gen water-based version...
I’ve also been enjoying the new Chanel Les Beiges Eau de Teint, which may not parade itself as a tinted moisturiser but acts like one with its hydration and coverage qualities. Being 75% water-based, this balm is so fine, it both evens skin out and warms it up.
Of course, there's always the nifty trick of mixing your favourite moisturiser with your favourite base, which, between you and I, works almost as well...
Katy's Edit: Tinted Moisturisers
Chanel Les Beiges Eau de Teint Water Fresh Tint - £48
Natural for that ‘I've just had a week in the sun' envy-inducing effect.
Erborian CC Cream - £31
Where foundation can age skin, this light fantastic balm gives a subtle Photoshop finish to do just the opposite.
Sarah Chapman Skinesis Skin Insurance SPF15 - £52
Not strictly a tinted moisturiser, but rather a UV filter-meets-skincare-meets-spot-erasing-foundation for dewy, head-swivelling skin.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Oil Free - £35
Glow without the grease for oily skin that shouldn't be overloaded with moisturiser and foundation. This creates juicy dewiness that combination skin never thought possible.
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream - £31
Ideal for nervous complexions that like more coverage, but still want something far lighter than a foundation.
