Last year you all gave me outstanding advice when I asked about non-greasy facial moisturizers. I have been happily using the highly recommended Aveeno Positively Radiant Facial Moisturizer ever since. Well, now I need some more advice. I have been thinking that my blotchy face could use a little smoothing out, but let’s face it (ha ha, no pun intended), I am not the foundation-applying sort. So, I’m thinking tinted moisturizers might be the way to go. Please share your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions! Comments on tinted moisturizers from drugstore brands to fancy schmancy ooh-la-la brands welcome and appreciated.
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ok the bestest thing you really really need is to go checkout http://www.cosmeticscop.com it’s run by consumer advocate paula begoun. I am in love with her books – carry them everywhere… you should say what your skin type is.. i can look in the book and see what they recommend.
teri
What better excuse to de-lurk than to recommend beauty products! I went thru the same thing recently, and picked up some Bobbi Brown SPF 15 tinted moisturizer, which I’m loving. Some of the other brands were nice, too (I’m remembering Stila and maybe Shiseido?), but the Bobbi Brown worked best skintone-wise, and I really like it. Oh, and love the blog!
Burt’s Bees all the way! No animal testing, no crazy chemicals or preservatives, lots of comforting plant/herbal extracts… I was terrified of makeup in general, for oh-so-many reasons, until I tried Burt’s. It’s all very easy to use and very natural looking (and the company was founded in Maine!)! =)
I used to really hate foundation, till I tried Vincent Longo Water Canvas, which is real nice (you can control the coverage from super thin too heavy coverage). It feels like you are putting water on. On my bad allergic skin days, I use Bare Escenctuals or Jane Iredale mineral foundation (Youngblood makes a good one too). But word of caution, use VERY sparingly. It will cover everything without feeling icky.
You can buy Vincent Longo and Bare Escentuals at Sephora. Jane Iredale and Youngblood are harder to come by… I can only get it at some clinical spas or dermatologists. Hope this helps!
Clean & Clear by Johnson & Johnson has a really good moisturizer that’s not too expensive.
I loooove “You Rebel” by Benefit, available at your local Meier and Frank makeup counters. (I noticed you moved to the Rainy City, welcome!) It’s really light tinted moisturizer that looks good on any skintone- seriously! But I’m totally in love with all of their stuff anyway.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my bobbi brown tinted moisturizer. especially during summer it is about all I wear! if you go to nordstroms you can get little tester tubes to try it out.
Hiya, I used to use “you rebel” by Benefit, but it is quite oily so you may find it just slides off. It smells nice though.
No 7 sheer foundation is light and velvety, but I think that maybe you can only get it over here in the UK at Boots. But I’m off to get the Bobbi Brown one now!
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer.
Trust me, this product rocks.
I have to go with the Bare Essentials too….
http://www.qvc.com/asp/frameset.asp?class=6285&tmp=hp&cont=mhhb&cm_re=HP-_-MASTHEAD-_-BEAUTY
I never could do much with liquid foundation…. just too icky.. so I mostly went without. Then on a whim I tried the bare essentials… GREAT coverage and feels like a feather! Nothing greasy or oily or yucky, and you pretty much can NOT make a mistake on colors.. since they are so sheer, everything works!
I’m a Bare Escentials gal. I switched to it from MAC and LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
I’m a big fan of Clinique’s Almost Makeup; it’s a tinted moisturizer (with sunscreen as well). Very lightweight & sheer, oil-free, and relatively inexpensive compared to other department store products. Good luck!
I also use Clinique Almost Makeup. It is very light, doesn’t feel like you have a “coating” of something on your skin, and is easy to smooth on evenly and quickly. If you go to a Clinique counter with naked skin, they will help you choose a color and test it out so you can see how you like the look and feel before buying … at least, they let me do that!
I use dermalogica tinted moisturiser, its oil free and very very gentle, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Jeni
Fyberspates
I also use Clinique Almost Makeup for those days when I want a little more than just moisturizer. But, what I like to do is cut the C.A.M. with some moisturizer. I take a little less than my normal amount of moisturizer and mix it in the palm of my hand with a dab of the Almost Makeup, and apply that. It works great, and even when used alone, it doesn’t feel heavy or greasy or like anything at all. And it lasts. Plus, I tend to get oily and it doesn’t hurt my skin acne-wise, which is good to know if you are concerned about that. Clinique also just came out with a true tinted moisturizer but I haven’t tried that yet.
I’m in the same boat as you– my face could use a little smoothing out, what with the sunspots I’ve accumulated on it, and yet, I’m not knowledgeable about tinted moisturizers. I’d love to hear what you decide upon and if it works out!
I don’t usually wear any foundation, but when I want a little smoothing out I use Cover Girl tinted moisturizer (I forget the actual name of the product). It’s oil-free and has sunscreen, it feels nice and light, and I don’t look obviously makeup-y, just even. And it’s cheap 🙂
Even though I’m only 24 and basically sans wrinkles, I’m using the anti-aging Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer. It’s not that I’m really prematurely paranoid about aging but because this product combines moisturizer, a sheer tint, sun protection (SPF 20) and retinols that help keep my complexion clear and even. I highly recommend it. It is a bit thick like Benefit’s You Rebel, but it isn’t as oily. I would choose it over You Rebel anyday. Much better value for money. Don’t worry about the thickness of the product. If I feel like thinning it out, I put on a light moisturizer underneath first. This helps in the dry Toronto winter.
I was never a foundation wearer either, but at 40+ wanted my skin to look a little more finished – esp on special occasions. I now use Stila tinted moisturizer, squeeze a blob in my palm, squish together in my hands and apply all over my face like regular moisturizer. If needed, I use concealer for undereye circs and blemishes, then set with bare escentuals powder foundation. This isn’t matte and doesn’t give me that mask-look like some foundations can. Asians age well, but don’t look young forever 🙂 These are also unscented — my face gets itchy just walking by a laundromat.
I use the Neutrogena Healthy Skin one already mentioned and Cover Girl tinted mouisturizer (its cheap and good). They are both totally fine.
I agree with the Paula Begoun idea–nice one. She is a fantastic resource for what is good and not–she weeds through the hype. And if you are on a budget like me (gotta buy yarn!) then she will tell you what is good and cheap.
Just delurking to agree with Bare Essentials. I’m not a make-up girl at all, but I love their powders: light and natural.
I love origin’s ‘out smart’ spf 25. Its light and not greasy and the shade evens out skin without looking fakey.
The absolute best way to do this is to go to Nordstrom’s and have one of the professional ladies pick out the right shade of foundation, then buy the smallest size they offer, and mix it with a jumbo (and I do mean jumbo) container of your moisturizer. It goes a really long way, and the if you mix it right (I would suggest a 40-60 mix), then you get a relatively sheer coverage that evens out the skin tone. The best news is the bottle lasts you about 3-4 months and then you repeat the process as needed.
I have to agree with the Bare Esscentials users. I’ve used their products for a couple years and will never go back to using liquid foundation again!
i have to agree with the burt’s bees! the only prob, there are only 4 shades, so you might have to mix and match. if you buy their cosmetic sampler kit, you can play a bit to see what works for you.
I second the opinion that Paula Begouins products are fantastic. I almost exclusively use her skin products, as does my husband. She has a tinted moisturizer that contains SPF – it goes on lightly and feels natural.
http://www.paulaschoice.com
PLEASE give Bare Essentials a try!! This is the best in the market for a great smooth radiant look! A little lasts a long way with this line. Try it…you’ll love it!!!
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P109936&categoryId=C12210
Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer is wonderful!
ok, as a sometimes freelance makeup artist (as in, whenever someone pitches an interesting shoot/project at me and I have the time) I have gone through my fair share of product and so far, the one I keep going back to is Prescriptive’s Traceless found at http://www.prescriptives.com/templates/products/sp_shaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY3285&PRODUCT_ID=PROD1028
I get all my foundations from Prescriptives because I can customise my foundations AND get an exact skintone match for when I want heavier coverage than what traceless offers. It’s totally worth the money and a little goes a looooooooooonnnngggg way.
I love Burt’s Bees tinted moisturizer and also Burt’s Bees daytime moisturizer. No chemicals, no harsh ingredients. A little sticky at first, but once you go out into the dry air, you’re grateful.
Hi Mariko,
My 38 yr old daughter just turned me on to Bare Essentials. I’m 64, Japanese American, and have always used Prescriptives (because they custom blend), or MAC (because they have Asian shades), until now. B.E. is great! Very light, still covers (those Asian skin spots), and easy and quick to use. I bought the medium (color) starter kit from Sephora for about $60. Has everything in it including brushes and a how-to video. It amazes me that it seems to work on a lot of skin tones and doesn’t leave you with that clogged-pore look of a lot of makeups.
stick with your moisturizer and just add a small dab of foundation to it in your palm. works like a charm! so light and looks lovely…
I’m a *big* fan of Bio-Oil: http://www.bio-oil.info/
Now, it isn’t a foundation (I don’t wear any because my skin doesn’t like it). But Bio-Oil at night (insetad of or under a night cream, depedning on how your skin is) has done wonders for my skin, and I do get people asking me what foundation I use 🙂
Ok, I *love* Dr. Hauschka products. They’re a tad pricey, their tinted moisturizer will run you about 30+ bucks. But the ingredients are very, very gentle and all natural. Things like rose water and natural oil and minerals and stuff. I used their tinted moisturizer when I had really sensitive, very break-out prone, rashy skin and it was great. It provides coverage without stifling your skin, it smells like roses, and it’s actually healing. They have a website.
I have to 2nd (3rd-4th-5th?) the Bare Essentials, and this is coming from a die hard liquid foundation fan! Ever since I tried the Bare Essentials mineral make-up a few years back Ihave been hooked – it is so super light, looks flawless yet natural and never once made this greasy oil slick skin break out. It didn’t even melt down in the FL heat! As a bonus, if you like to play with eyeshadows, theirs are absolutely amazing – so gorgeous and fun to play with. Good luck!
I like Stila’s Pivotal Skin. It comes as a sponge saturated with really sheer foundation in a little twisty compact. You just smear it on (I’m sure there’s a better way to put that) where you need it. You can’t feel it when it’s on, and it has that movie star sheen. Perfect!
Bobbi Brown makes an all-in-one tinted moisturizer with 25 sunscreen. Magnificient!!
I suggest that you start with treatment as a way to reduce blotchiness: Origins has a great night cream or lotion (Night A Mins) that will help with that over time. Also, I like the enzyme mask from Juice Beauty – use 1-2x per week. It’s getting rid of two acne scars that lurked about for months.
The tinted moisturizers are not as good as a good foundation, which feels really good! Bobbi Brown oil-free, baby! The makeup that makes you look like you don’t wear makeup! Lasts a long time! Doesn’t make you feel icky! xox Kay
I have to agree with all the Bare Minerals lovers! It was suggested to me by my dermatologist after a few nasty allergic reactions to make-up products (some suggested here in the comments section). I’ve been using Bare Escentuals products for about 4 years and have seen a marked improvement in my skin since (less oil, less blemishes, etc). Another note, it contains sunscreen and has the approval of the Skin Cancer Foundation. If you have a Sephora nearby, go in and give it a try.
*coming out of the lurking shadows*
I have recently discovered that Vichy makes a really nice tinted moisturizer. My problem is that foundation always looks cakey because I am rather pale, but this line has a nice “light” colour option. I just dab it on after my normal moisturizer and I’m good to go.
I’m sticking my blotchy Asian nose in here to say that Bare Escentuals products are excellent. I don’t do foundation and this works well for me. I feel like I’ve got the coverage and not the stickiness. I also got the medium set and the color has been just right. (Also, I think that the mineral veil that comes with it helps to give me a more even coverage.) Cheers!
I hardly ever comment, much less twice in one post, but c’mon! I wanna know what you picked. These Bare Essential loyalists are making ME want to try some of that stuff.
I’m going to add into the whole mineral cosmetics thing – I buy mine from Aromaleigh – they sell sample sized items so you arent stuck with the wrong color in this huge container.
http://www.aromaleigh.com/
I tried Bare Escentuals but found Aromaleigh has a better texture.
Okay, here’s what everyone should do to improve his or her face: Go buy Clinique Dramatically Different Moisurizer, Seven Day Scrub Cream and a bar of their soap. Then buy about a dozen cheap white cotton wash cloths. First rub on the moisturizer. Second, without taking off the moisturizer, rub on the scrub cream. Third, without taking anything off, suds up the bar of soap and soap the whole mess up. Fourth, use a clean washcloth to scrape the whole mess off. Fifth, splash fifteen times with hot water. Sixth, splash fifteen times with cold water and pat dry. Ladies, this is a miracle for clear skin. The idea is that the moisturizer emulsifies the dirt, the scrub cream loosens it, and the soap breaks everything apart and lifts it off. You physically remove the whole mess with the cloth, melt any traces away with hot water and close your pours up with the cold water. It leaves you smooth, moist and really clean.