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In spring, a young woman's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of new spring makeup. Expecially lighter makeup. And what's lighter than ditching your full-coverage mineral foundation for a tinted moisturizer?
Ever since Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer started racking up awards, the rush has been on to create a less expensive version. This means if you're uncomfortable with Laura Mercier's $42 price tag, you can head to the drugstore--there are a lot of excellent products there.
A good tinted moisturizer evens out minor imperfections, leaves your skin hydrated and smooth, and provides SPF protection. They tend to be very sheer, and blend easily into the skin, so picking the correct shade isn't as much of an issue as it is with a full-coverage foundation.
The following are three drugstore versions I highly recommend:
For oily skin, or for wearing in hot weather, Wet n Wild's Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer ($3.99) works really well. It provides a little more coverage than most, which is great if you need it--not so great if you really hate the feel of foundation. Also, you'll need to blend it quickly.
For a lot of women, Cover Girl CG Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer ($7.59) is the Holy Grail, with a wide variety of shade selections and nice, soft finish. Best for normal to dry skins.
Still on the fence? E.L.F.'s Shielding Hydro-Tint SPF 15 smells like a cremesicle and only costs a dollar!
OK, let's say I've talked you into using a tinted moisturizer. "But Poppy," you whimper, "my skin isn't as fabulous as yours!" That's OK, gentle reader; neither is mine.
That's right. I love my tinted moisturizer, but I use concealer, too.
For redness, under-eye shadows, and because one end is a totally excellent cheap version of Yves St. Laurent's amazing $40 Touche Eclat highlighter, I highly recommend Maybelline's amazing Instant Age Rewind Double Face Perfector ($7.09):
Which goes on light, covers undereye circles, and doesn't crease into lines.
And if your problem is blemishes, Revlon's ColorStay Blemish Concealor ($9.99) is long-lasting, fabulous product. I don't like the sponge-tip applicator--I find it unhygienic. I like to use a separate brush (a cheap Taklon eye shadow brush from The Body Shop.)
A tinted moisturizer won't solve all of your complexion problems. Yes, it's a two-in-one product, so if you have normal to dry skin, you can skip wearing moisturizer or sun screen. If your skin is dry, though, you might want to add another layer of moisture. And if you have oily or combination skin, the micronized titanium dioxide found in almost every SPF will leave you feeling shiny, so a good pressed powder will become your friend.
What a tinted moisturizer will do is provide sun protection and let you free up the parts of your face that don't need much coverage--and what could be more spring-like than that?
