12 of the best tinted moisturisers with SPF for flawless coverage and protection
Experts are in agreement that we should all be wearing SPF every day. And while many foundations contain SPF, remember you’d need to top up with a teaspoonful on the face and neck every two hours to keep up the level of protection it says on the bottle. That’s a whole lot of pigment! This is where tinted moisturiser with SPF comes into its own; it’s hydration and sun protection first and foremost, but one you can top up throughout the day with that extra bit of colour or coverage
These magical bases come in different formulas (liquid and cream) as well as finishes (dewy, matte, satin) and feature super sheer, medium, and full-coverage options. Some simply blur to unify your complexion rather than add a foundation-like shade.
In the past, tinted SPFs have been fairly limited when it comes to shade range. And while there is still a lot more work to do, thanks to modern formulations a lot more ‘one shade suits all’ products really do work for every skin tone. Meanwhile some brands are approaching their tinted SPFs like a foundation range (we’re looking at you wonderful people at Ilia and Ultra Violette). So if that has put you off in the past, it is definitely time give tinted SPFs another chance.
Whether you’re looking for a subtle blurring of imperfections or a high-coverage tint, we’ve got all bases covered.
12 of the best tinted moisturisers with SPF
Best for a dewy finish:
Clarins Skin Illusion Tinted Moisturiser SPF25, £32
Filled with skin-loving ingredients such as chicory, which gets to work on fine lines, and kiwi that brightens the skin, it’s available in 10 stretchy shades and has SPF 25. It has the iconic Clarins skincare scent (parma violets meets floral notes) and feels light and like a burst of hydration for your skin. It delivers a medium coverage and creates a natural dewy finish.
Buy NowBest for glow:
If you are constantly hunting for glow, this is a great addition to your skincare arsenal. The formula contains hyaluronic acid, so it feels hydrating on the skin (drier skin may need to layer it with a hydrating serum or a light moisturiser). The tinted part doesn’t deliver full-on coverage, but it does add a light wash to the skin. However, what it has in buckets is light-reflecting pigments to create an instant glow and luminosity to the skin.
Best for oily skin:
Supergoop Protec(Tint) Daily SPF Tint SPF50, £40
Available in 14 shades, this brand-new tinted moisturiser SPF from Supergoop is a great addition to your spring-summer skincare and makeup arsenal. It is perhaps more tinted SPF than tinted moisturiser but it’s moisturising enough for oilier skins that suit fewer skincare layers.
Buy NowBest classic buy:
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30, £33
Arguably the OG tinted moisturiser with SPF, this delivers fairly sheer coverage but it is buildable. However, you will need a concealer on standby for any areas that need a bit more pigment oomph. It blends like a dream, feels really light and hydrating on the skin – thanks to the inclusion of hyaluronic acid – and has a decent SPF 30 to boot. Available in 20 shades.
Buy NowBest for oily complexions:
Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser SPF 30, £39
Available in 16 shades, this is a cult favourite among makeup artists and beauty editors due to its matte finish that doesn’t look too flat. It contains sea minerals and a natural sugar that hydrates the skin and perpetuates skin renewal. It also has an oil-free formula, delivers hefty coverage yet still feels light and hydrating enough to keep it in the tinted moisturiser category rather than the foundation one. It also contains solid SPF 30 protection.
Buy nowBest for shade range:
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 30, £42
If you prefer a serum-based skin hydrator that offers SPF and tint, this is for you. Available in a staggering 30 shades, it contains pore-shrinking niacinamide, hydrating squalane and hyaluronic acid plus a mineral-based SPF that doesn’t feel chalky or leave residue on the skin. The packaging is also completely recyclable.
Buy NowBest BB tinted SPF:
Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF50, £37
This contains 2 per cent niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier, glycerin for extra moisture and a brilliant mineral and chemical sunscreen to provide excellent coverage. Unlike many other BB creams the tint is actually quite heavy so if you like coverage then this will deliver, but if you prefer a sheerer effect a little will go a long way. As a true BB cream should do, this also colour corrects at the same time taking down both redness and sallowness in the skin tone. It only comes in four shades but they really do stretch across a lot of skin tones.
Buy NowBest for hydration:
Dr Sam’s Flawless Gossamer Tint SPF50, £35
You know you’re going to get amazing SPF creds when you’re buying from dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting and this contains titanium oxide to offer safe and effective sun protection. This has a slightly thicker consistency than other tinted SPFs but drier skins will lap it up. It contains hydrating squalane, shea butter and sodium hyaluronate, a byproduct of hyaluronic acid. It comes in four shades but there is also a completely clear shade as well.
Buy NowBest foundation-like SPF
Ultra Violette Daydream Screen Tinted Veil SPF50, £26.60
Available in 15 shades, this is a masterclass in modern day tinted SPF. It has top notch SPF protection and the fact that it comes in specific shades means you are going to treat it just like a tinted moisturiser and get a truly customised finish that works for your skin tone.
Buy NowBest for rosacea and redness:
Rosalique 3-in-1 Miracle anti-redness formula SPF 50, £29.99
If you suffer from sensitivity, rosacea or redness – and even if you don’t – this is one of our top choices for a tinted mineral-based, broad-spectrum SPF. It gives pretty much all the coverage of a foundation without looking like you have anything on. The secret is in its adaptive tint. It goes on green to neutralise redness and then blends away to look like your skin tone. Rosalique says that this universal cream works on skins that are light to olive “and even a little darker as long as there is a bit of a yellow undertone when you do have slightly darker skin”. It’s highly moisturising and contains skin-calming active ingredients including bisabolol, derived from chamomile.
Buy NowBest for ultra-high protection:
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Hydrating SPF50+ Tinted BB Sun Cream, was £18.70
There’s a fine line between where a tinted moisturiser ends and a tinted SPF starts, and this straddles both worlds. It has a slightly thicker consistency akin to sunscreen but it’s packed with hydrating ingredients. Unless you have particularly dry skin then this will serve as your moisturiser. As you would expect from La Roche-Posay, it’s ideal for sensitive skins and it is sand, sweat and water resistant so if you need great sun protection with a side of unifying skin tint, this is a good one to consider. The tint is visible but not high coverage so you may need some additional concealer or foundation on top.
Buy NowBest for sensitive skin:
Sensilis Photocorrection HA SPF50, £16.02
Formulated with the most sensitive skins in mind, this super hydrating and lightweight cream has high-protection broad-spectrum sun protection and adaptive pigments that will blend in to provide a light wash of tint that will unify lighter and medium skin tones. The non-comedogenic formula makes it a good choice for oilier skin types and it’s well-priced to boot.
Buy Now
