Foundation vs. tinted moisturizer - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

Foundation vs. tinted moisturizer

Gigi

Veteran

I had a makeup consult today at a natural skincare spa near me. I asked the gal who was doing my face about tinted moisturizer, because I know that it is a favorite among fabbers (including Angie, if I remember correctly). The gal told me that in her opinion, tinted moisturizer is streaky and doesn't give very good coverage, so she doesn't recommend it. Of course, part of me wonders if maybe their spa just doesn't sell any tinted moisturizers, and that's why she's saying that. :^) I was wondering if anyone on the forum can speak to whether they have had this problem with tinted moisturizers?

General

20 replies

Latest reply was from fuzzylogic

Gaylene

Veteran

I've found, like everything, tinted moisturizers can vary, and some are better than others. I personally like Laura Mercier tinted moisturizers because I find them easy to work with and the color doesn't settle in the lines on my face as much as other brands. But, to be honest, I'm moving away from both foundations and tinted moisturizers as I'm getting older. I'm finding bit of blush, a touch of concealer, an eyebrow pencil, and a swipe of mascara is enough to make me looked polished these days. My skin routine keeps my skin glowing and I find that adding a layer of colour, even a light one like a tinted moisturizer, tends to dull instead of enhance my older skin. And I have a huge poisoned eye for sparkles on older skin as well as colour caking into wrinkles and folds.

Echo

Veteran

I used to use a tinted moisturizer, then I read that most people don't wear enough of a tinted moisturizer to get the proper sun protection, and because I have very oily skin I cannot double up and wear both sunscreen and TM. So I've switched to wearing a separate SPF with a sheer foundation on top. Many liquid foundations are just as sheer as a TM; they just have buildable coverage, so you can apply another layer of a foundation if you want more coverage. I use foundation more like some people use concealer, though. I don't wear it everywhere, and I mostly just put bits here and there (mostly in the T-zone or just under my eyes) to even out my skin.

Adelfa

Veteran

I have oily skin too and the TM looked unattractive as the day wore on.

DonnaF

Veteran

I've been trying samples of Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. I suppose it can look streaky if you get the wrong color. The fifth sample seems to be the correct color, finally. The SAs keep wanting to give me colors that are too dark and too orange. I suppose the other samples may match my color if I'm out in the sun in middle of summer as I do tan easily even with sunscreen.

And TM gives hardly any coverage, but just enough for my face color to look *off* if it doesn't quite match. I prefer to go with my light undertone, then add bronzer or blush on top vs. match the redder top tone. Dunno if I'm explaining that right.

deb

Veteran

I think it depends on how much coverage you want. TM gives light coverage where foundation gives light, medium and heavy coverage. There are tinted moisturizers for oily skin, so just like foundation, you have to match your skin type.

MRL

Veteran

I like the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, too. I have also had good results with BB and CC creams and haven't found any of these to be too heavy for my skin.

nancylee

Veteran

I've worn tinted moisturizer for years, and actually find it much easier to apply and less prone to streakiness than traditional foundation. It's an especially good option for dry or aging skin since it add moisture and usually some SPF. I highly recommend Laura Mercier and NARS brands.

(My guess is that the spa beautician was just trying to sell her merchandise.)

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I only want light coverage, and I love the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. I'd tried many foundations over the years, and I'm happier with the LM than anything I've used in a long, long time. I have to be careful about applying it in areas where it might settle into a fine line (beside the nose, for instance), but that only takes a few seconds.

I do use a moisturizer with SPF underneath every day for added protection, and if I'm going to be out in intense sun for a longer period of time (I.e, beach day, hiking, etc) I'll go with a dedicated sunscreen.

My skin seems to have changed in the last year (coinciding quite interestingly with my hysterectomy, which would indicate that hormonal changes occur even when the ovaries are still intact!). The oiliness has settled down, which is good, but I think I'm seeing a few more lines and wrinkles, and of course, the dreaded age spots. Still, putting a heavier coating of stuff on one's face only seems to draw attention by making the texture look odd, IMHO. I don't mind my freckles showing through.

Suzanne (ambergreen)

Veteran

I've found over the last couple of years that traditional foundation is too heavy for my aging skin; it tends to look flaky and sit on top of it. Rather than toss it, I've started to blend it with an equal amount of a very light moisturizer with SPF (Trader Joe's, actually, although it isn't quite as "natural" as I'd prefer as far as ingredients. Anyway.) This goes on and blends so much better, and the color is less intense on my pale face--it's just enough. With a foundation that also has SPF, I figure I'm covered...and, bonus, both these items together cost less than $15.

I used to use and love the Mercier TM, especially because its lightest tone was a good match for me. But the drug store is really easy to get to...heheh.

LoriFLA

Laura Mercier makes a great tinted moisturizer. I don't find it streaky at all and I find the LM tinted moisturizer has more coverage than most.

Another great option, IMO, is Estee Lauder Day Wear Sheer Tint Moisturizer. It's fresh (smells like cucumber), isn't heavy, and adjusts to your skin tone.

shiny

Veteran

I just use drugstore brand tinted moisturizer, the kind that adjusts to your skin tone. I don't find it streaky at all. If anything, it's too sheer and sometimes I wonder if it does anything at all, maybe it only has a psychological effect.

I only use the TM in the warmer months -- when it's so hot out that foundation is too heavy and/or starts to slide off my face after an hour outside in the sun. I toss it in my bag and reapply as needed throughout the day, same as I would any sunscreen.

In fall/winter I need liquid foundation.

shiny

Veteran

I'll add that if anything is going to get streaky, it's liquid foundation worn in 80 degree weather. As soon as you start to sweat, streaks!

gryffin

Veteran

Gigi - I put on my sunscreen first. I love Neutrogena 60 sensitive skin block or the 60 pure and free baby in the kiddie line (same thing different packaging) It has only titanium and zinc so it's physcial blocker (no absorbed chemicals). It does look like desitin when you squeeze it out but it goes on sheer with a hint of a pearlescence and makes an awesome base for anything else. (If you are a darker skin type you might not like it, I'm very fair) Then I either dust chanel powder #1 in winter or colorscience 50 powder sunscreen on in light. I like skin to show through and for a very natural even look - the my skin just better with more protection. I really just want protection and to be even. Then I use cle de peau (the ne plus ultra of all concealers) just under my eyes. I never use moisturizers, tinted or otherwise, with spf since it's a cosmeceutical. ie they can put any spf on the label but they don't have to prove it. Studies have not show these to be as effective. So fwiw, that's what I do!!

rabbit

Veteran

I don't wear either and my face needs a mix of light and heavier coverage. I use sunscreen and then dab on concealer where needed. I set it with a light dusting of Aveda dual base powder (which is a powder but acts a bit like a foundation? It doesn't look powdery at all once it's on, and I put on such a light amount it doesn't accumulate anywhere). This bonds with whatever moisturizer I'm using and because it's light tends to adjust with my skin, for example it keeps working even when I'm sweating at the gym.

My experience has been that foundations give too much coverage where I don't need it, and too little where I do, and I was worried that tinted moisturizers would do the same, but I should experiment some.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I am a big fan of Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. The nude color is good if you're fairly light skinned but don't like redness, because it's yellow based. I use it over the radiance primer if I really want it to stay all day and not settle. Also you can brush a little of the powder foundation on nose and chin, to look a little heavier but not as heavy as real foundation.

I wish it had higher SPF though. It is fine for going for a walk or something but I've gotten sunburned with it after a day at the beach.

Linda

I fell for the TM by a multilevel marketing organization!! NuSkin's product gives me sheer coverage, but my skin feels great. I do use concealers if I'm "making up" more formally. I haven't noticed TM streaking. I just bought some of the company's light coverage foundation to try, but I'm not thrilled with that at all. Is anyone using the HD foundations and liking those? I occasionally do on-camera work and I would like to have a really great face look for that.

TM evens out my skin tones and makes me look more healthy than bare-faced, since I hit 50. I also am using a light touch with blush and bronzer most days, now, as I feel like I look very washed-out if I go without. (Bronzer is a revelation for me!)

Helena

Veteran

I have started using a small amount of moisturizer mixed in with my regular foundation (on top of my regular moisturizer). It works great for me

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks for all the input, everyone. As a makeup newbie, I find it helpful to know other people's experiences.

Looks like a lot of people really like Laura Mercier! :^)

It sounds like there is some crossover between the TMs and a foundation, that perhaps a very light foundation would be very similar to a heavier-pigmented TM. The foundation they used on me at the spa was somewhat sheer, so it might have been more similar to a TM. But as Echo pointed out, since this is a foundation, if I wanted more coverage I could possibly build layers with it (i.e., do a double layer) more successfully than you could with a TM. I should probably just try them both. There is sometimes no substitute for experience!

I was back in the spa today to get more samples. I looked around and didn't see any tinted moisturizers. Ha ha. But if they are in the line of makeup, that might not be their thing. Maybe it's considered "cheating" :^). I will say that I was very impressed with the ingredient list on the foundation--it was 100% natural. I didn't know that was possible.

What I like about the idea of a tinted moisturizer is that if you don't want to really "do makeup" for the day, that would seem to be easier to apply than foundation, and more moisturizing than foundation. So I am still staying open to the idea of a tinted moisturizer.

Gryffin, this morning I put on some sunblock on my face as moisturizer. It is SPF 30. I thought that was overkill, so I'm glad to see you're using SPF 60! Mine is white too but is sheer in coverage. It's specially formulated for the face, so I hope it's OK to use it as an everyday moisturizer. I never seem to use up the whole tube of sunblock before it expires (I don't do much outdoor stuff in the summer), so I'm trying to get my money's worth by using it as a daily moisturizer.

Linda, I didn't know there was such a thing as special foundation for when you're on camera! I think you should start a thread about that and ask if anyone has experience with it. :^) Sometimes individual questions get lost in a thread.

Anonymous

Hmm, I might be the only person here who doesn't like tinted moisturizers! I find that they look fine in the first few hours after applying. The problem is they have zero staying power on my skin (combo in the winter/oilier in the summer). I've had better luck applying medium-coverage foundation in a sheer, thin layer and then adding more coverage where I need it most.

fuzzylogic

Veteran

So much LM love here!

#I think of a tinted moisturiser as a foundation with a very light coverage
#TG's method of using foundation mixed with moisturiser will give the same results as a tinted moisturiser.
#Not all tinted moisturisers are equal. Eg I have found Becca to have less pigment, LM has intermediate pigment density, PerriconeM is quite pigmented
#I have found 'streakiness' to be more related to poor application technique than product eg foundation brush needs to be patted over face to get rid of streakiness, beauty blender is good for this reason but sucks up a bit of product, dab fingers over face to apply (use alcohol gel to clean hands before application)

Have fun finding tinted moisturisers and foundations that work for you, Gigi! (Waving!)