Farewell, Foundation—These Are the 13 Best Tinted Moisturisers for a Fresh, Healthy-Looking Base

Best for: Absolutely everything

This is a firm favourite amongst my industry peers because it has such a please-all formula. Lightweight, hydrating and glowy—but not overly dewy. Plus, it’s available in 24 flexible shades.

Best for: A dewy glow

This formula has been flying off the shelves since it launched earlier this year, and once you try it, you’ll understand why. As someone with oily skin, as much as I love tinted moisturisers, I find that they often lack coverage and longevity, but this works brilliantly on both counts. It’s a gel-cream product that’s rich in hyaluronic acid (perfect if you have dehydrated skin), and it glides on like butter, smoothing over uneven texture and redness as it goes. The coverage is decent, although I do find that I need to layer it up over active breakouts, but it never looks cakey or heavy. Even better, while it has a delightful dewiness, it lasts well on my oily skin and makes me look fresh and even, rather than slick.

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Best for: Coverage with sun protection

While I’ll never advocate for relying on a make-up product for your sunscreen, the fact that this tinted moisturiser from Beauty Pie contains SPF 40 is an undeniable plus if you’re not so hot on applying daily sun protection or you want some added peace of mind. And SPF aside, the formula itself is delightful. Applied on the skin, it feels like a luxurious moisturiser thanks to an abundance of hydrating ingredients (glycerin, squalene and hyaluronic acid) as well as brightening vitamin C, exfoliants and more. So not only will your skin look amazing when you’re wearing it (the coverage is pretty remarkable and it’s undeniably radiance-boosting), but you can rest assured that it’s actually looking after your skin at the same time.

Best for: Lightweight, sheer coverage

This is one of the best skin tints the beauty team has tested, and you'll find makeup experts raving about it too. It melts into the skin with a second-skin finish that provides a healthy glow and dewy finish. You won't regret trying it.

Best for: Combination skin

Kosas' latest drop is fast becoming a Who What Wear team favourite. The gel-cream texture melts into the skin to deliver a hydrating and radiant veil of colour that still lets your complexion shine through—no cakiness here.

Best for: Oily skin

If you have oily skin, tinted moisturisers can be difficult to pick from, as they tend to have a dewy finish that quickly looks shiny on oily skin. This formula is oil-free, so it gives a semi-matte finish but without looking cakey or heavy.

Best for: Mature skin

So many beauty editors adore this tinted serum, which imparts a glowing radiance and is packed with skin-nourishing ingredients including hydrating hyaluronic acid, brightening niacinamide and plumping squalene.

Best for: Affordability and performance

One of the more affordable tinted moisturisers out there, this L'Oréal buy gives high coverage—almost foundation level—but feels like a light moisturiser/serum. Plus, it includes 1% hyaluronic acid to hydrate.

Best for: Uneven skin texture

With this, you benefit from the care that Clinique puts into its skincare but within a tint. It’s humidity- and sweat-resistant as well as oil-free, so it can last all day.

Best for: A foundation alternative

The best bit about this tint is how well it can be built up. You can opt for a light, sheer layer or do two for a bit more coverage without it looking cakey. It’s available in 15 shades.

Best for: Wide shade range.

Cool girl beauty brand, Saie, has a tinted moisturiser that is a perfect balance between skincare and natural coverage, with 14 stretchable shades catering to all skin tones and undertones. Infused with vitamins A and C along with hyaluronic acid, finished off with a sprinkling of SPF 35, it's a summer dream. 

Best for: All skin types

Those who lean into a dewy finish and no-makeup-makeup looks will love MAC's latest base product. The silky gel texture melts onto skin, delivering hydration and light (but buildable) coverage.

Best for: Covering redness and discolouration

Something of a cult beauty product, this tinted moisturiser is beloved by friends of mine both in and out of the beauty industry for the way that it diminishes redness, discolouration and pigmentation in seconds. And while it’s probably the tinted moisturiser with the most coverage of this entire list, it manages to provide coverage and hydration without ever looking like you’re wearing a full face of makeup. An impressive feat indeed.