Which of these Top 3 Tinted Moisturizers Works Best?

I’m a stay at home mom, so I don’t have to go into an office everyday. So when it came down to tinted moisturizer vs foundation for my everyday makeup, tinted moisturizer won hands down. It’s what I wear every single day, and actually even use under my foundation when I need the full coverage of foundation.

On low profile days I love putting on some tinted moisturizer, a swipe of mascara, lipgloss and out-the-door. A moisturizer with color and SPF is than a pick me up, a tinted moisturizer can also do so much to nourish and protect your skin.

I want to share with you my 3 highly recommended tinted moisturizers. I’ve used them all and can easily give them my stamp of approval.

Tinted moisturizer vs foundation. No, they aren’t even remotely the same thing. Tinted moisturizer can’t even hold a candle to coverage like foundation can. So if you need a true evening out of skintone, or blemishes covered, then you want foundation.

But if you need lighter coverage, or to give your skin a breather from heavy makeup, then tinted moisturizer is your ticket.

All that to say, that the skin of my youth has changed, I’ve tried a few brands and these are my suggestions for the best tinted moisturizer for mature skin – with two being clear winners (keep reading to find out!)

I had my first scare with skin cancer when they found basel and early squamous carcinoma. They also found a second degree atypical. I ened up having Moh’s surgery. Because of my family history of skin carcinoma, and my Florida sun background, my doctor had me topical chemo. It was rough but worth it. I actually ended up loving how even and smooth my skin looked like after it was all done!

All is under control now. But all that to say, I am always, always, always wearing tinted face moisturizer with spf. Period. Full stop. I just simply won’t leave my house without it!

All three of the tinted moisturizer brands and products I’m recommending have incorporated SPF in them.

Perricone MD Tinted Moisturizer

High Potency Classics Face Finishing & Firming Tinting Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

PRO: What I love about this moisturizer is it gives you a very strong tint and glow which is perfect for a no-makeup makeup look. I have no problem wearing only this moisturizer to run errands and for casual outings. The coverage is that good!

The Perricone MD Face Finishing & Firming tinted moisturizer does a great job soaking into your skin, but not settling into fine lines. Now when you try it, don’t panic. It takes a few minutes for the color to develop, but once it’s set it gives you an incredible glow.

Worth the wait!

Another benefit is it seems to work with all skin types. It definitely works wonders on my skin, and I’ve read tons of reviews where everyone seems to say the same thing.

My final thumbs up is I love the bounce this moisturizer gives my skin. It also includes SPF 30 giving your skin some much needed protection.

I LOVE this product so much I did a review on it. Check out this video to see the full Perricone MD review.

CON: My only complaint about the Perricone MD tinted moisturizer is the jar is a little on the small side. A little goes a long way with this product so even with the small jar size I don’t think you’d be in danger of blowing through it too quickly.

Elta MD Tinted Moisturizer

UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46 Tinted

PRO: The Elta MD Tinted Moisturizer UV Elements Broad Spectrum tinted moisturizer is my second pick and this is why. It goes on really nice and includes hyaluronic acid, transparent zinc oxide and is water resistant.

The Elta MD is very moisturizing but it drys super well into the skin so there’s no need to apply powder when your using it. You don’t really get a greasy shine with this sunscreen which is a major bonus. This makes for a great grab and go moisturizer without the cakey or oily feel.

This tinted moisturizer works beautifully. Two giant thumbs up!

CON: While I would highly recommend this moisturizer, I will admit it the Elta Md tinted moisturizer doesn’t give a very strong color tint. Depending on how much coverage you need, you may still want a light layer of concealer or foundation. Again, that depends on the look you want. I use it alone and it’s fine.

ILIA Tinted Moisturizer

Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation

PRO: This isn’t my top pick for me but there are a lot of great things about this moisturizer that I love.

It’s an exceptional choice for dry skin. Now when I say dry skin I mean always dry, or seasonally dry (like in the winter), or when you’re just having a bad skin week.

It’s very very moisturizing and doesn’t show the dry flakes. The Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint moisturizer gives a nice tint with higher coverage than the Elta MD. It’s because of this, that it’s my #1 tinted moisturizer for mature skin choice. Older skin will benefit from the added moisturizing ingredients.

It also includes hyaluronic acid which gives your skin that awesome bounce we all love.

CON: It has better coverage than the Elta MD. It can take a while to feel like it’s really sunk into your skin leaving a heavy feel.

Another downer is it has an odd and distinct smell which can be difficult to overlook. I actually contacted Ilia to talk about the smell. They told me it’s from the zinc oxide mixed with natural botanicals. Ilia doesn’t use synthetic fragrances in any products, and this serum doesn’t contain essential oils. So instead of masking the smell to avoid adding synthetics to formula. The scent does dissipate though!

Despite these two con’s I keep this in my makeup arsenal though to use on dry-skin days. It’s pretty amazing.

I love these products for low makeup days. I own and rotate all three of these in my makeup routine. They all have their place and best times of use. I can promise you this – unless it is pitch black outside, I will always be wearing tinted face moisturizer with spf. I just won’t risk anything anymore!

These are great grab and go products for busy women, and busy moms! I love using these when I’m needing a boost in my skin without a lot of struggle and time.