The 8 Best Skin Tints of 2023, Tested & Reviewed

Byrdie / David Hattan

There's a time and place for all makeup coverage levels from sheer to full, and the humid, sunny days of spring and summer are dewy skin's moment to shine. Lightweight, multipurpose products can make all the difference in helping your complexion to thrive, so it makes sense that skin tints are so popular these days. While they're not new, these foundation alternatives have exploded as we collectively navigate a hybrid lifestyle and embrace enhanced versions of our natural skin. “Skin tints have very sheer coverage,” says celebrity makeup artist Kenneth Soh. “It’s designed to give the skin the barest veil of color so it feels like you’re not wearing anything.”

To find the best skin tints on the market, we researched and tested multiple options for weeks at a time—evaluating popular picks based on their overall coverage and finish. We also considered other factors, such as shade range and any skin-beneficial properties. After considering dozens of products, we landed on these top-rated picks.

Sephora

Glowy but not oily finish

Great shade options for darker skin tones

Hydrating

Could have more shades

Before starting her own brand, Ami Colé’s founder Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye worked in Glossier product development, so she’s no stranger to no-makeup makeup. You only need a few drops of this lightweight formula for a buttery-smooth application that makes your skin glow—without being shiny or greasy. All of the brand’s products are formulated with deeper skin in mind, but this tint comes in six versatile shades that can fit a variety of tones.

We love that it has buildable coverage, and can be applied seamlessly with either a brush or your fingers. It’s just pigmented enough to wear as a base for a full face, or it can replace your full-coverage foundation when you want to go for a natural makeup look. After applying, we noticed that it had a natural—but somewhat radiant—finish and made our skin feel more hydrated and bouncy (which is due to the baobab and hibiscus extracts in the formula).

Price at time of publish: $32

Shades: 6 | Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sephora

Makes the skin look glowy

Versatile shade range

Pore-blurring effect

Very little coverage

Glossier is an OG in the minimalist makeup category, so we absolutely had to try the brand’s skin tint. We love that it leaves the skin with a slight tint and dewy finish, so it’s perfect for those who just want a sheer wash of color without too much coverage. When we put it to the test, we noticed that hyperpigmentation and other imperfections were still visible, but it made the skin look more even and minimized the appearance of pores.

The brand recommends applying with your fingers, and the tint blends easily into the skin for a subtle, selfie-friendly blur. It has a super thin consistency and a barely-there feel, making it a great choice for those who don’t love the texture of heavy makeup or foundation.

Price at time of publish: $26

Shades: 12 | Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Finish: Radiant | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sephora

Vegan

Extensive shade range

Sweat-proof formula

Some shades lean a little orange

As the name suggests, skin tints are meant to provide a slight amount of coverage for a more natural finish. But if you’re used to wearing a heavier foundation everyday and want to try something a little more lightweight, this pick is for you. The brand's first foray into minimal makeup, this tint from Huda Beauty lives up to its luminous name—and has a more impactful payoff than some of its competitors. This is no surprise, as the brand’s founder and namesake is the self-proclaimed queen of caked-on beauty, but the buildable finish marks a clear departure from Huda Kattan’s signature look. It offers blemish-blurring coverage and skin-friendly ingredients, but the ultra-glowy finish gives it extra oomph.

The formula is packed with red pepper extract as well as Damascus rose oil, which promises to ease the appearance of dark spots. We didn’t necessarily notice this after a couple of uses, but we imagine this is a gradual win. After applying with a foundation brush, we loved that we had a sun-kissed, healthy glow. But be forewarned: It truly is buildable, so a little goes a very long way.

Price at time of publish: $37

Shades: 15 | Size: 1.35 fl. oz. | Finish: Radiant | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Byrdie / Tamara Staples

Sephora

Formulated with multiple skin-beneficial ingredients

Has mineral SPF protection

Glowy finish

Unpleasant scent

If the intersection of makeup and skincare had an address, it would be wherever you find Saie's Slip Tint. It has an understated pigment, plus all of the ingredients you’d see in a skincare enthusiast’s daily lineup, such as hyaluronic acid, argan oil, licorice, and SPF 35. The result is a little bit of coverage, a dose of UV protection, and enough lasting hydration to allow you to skip your serum for the day.

Though it’s ultra-hydrating, this skin tint feels more oil-leaning than moisture-rich. This might not be a concern for dry skin types, but it might be a drawback for those with oily complexions. Nonetheless, this formula's multitasking DNA makes it a standout in the skin tint market—in fact, this do-it-all tint would be an ideal desert island product.

Price at time of publish: $36

Shades: 14 | Size: 1.3 fl. oz. | Finish: Radiant | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Byrdie / Tamara Staples

Amazon

Brightens and protects from UV rays

Multiple shades for all skin tones

Buildable but lightweight coverage

Can irritate sensitive skin

Skin tints usually have somewhat limited shade ranges, due to the minimal coverage that can easily be blended to match multiple skin tones. However, this popular pick from Nars—which comes in 16 shades—is a great choice if you’re looking for something to match you exactly.

This tried-and-true oil-free formula packs a pigmented punch without weighing you down, and is the perfect balance between full-on foundation and a bare face (except the bare face is impressively clear and even). As we blended it in, we were most impressed with how effortlessly it mixed with our skin’s undertones.

It leaves your skin with a dewy finish, without creating a flat shine—there’s dimension to the glow. The tint doubles as a sunscreen, which is both efficient and impressive, but at 30, the SPF is a little lower on the scale if you prefer to opt for stronger sun protection.  That being said, complexion products shouldn't be the only line of defense against UV rays anyway, so this isn't a make-or-break detail.

Price at time of publish: $46

Shades: 16 | Size: 1.9 fl. oz. | Finish: Radiant | Cruelty-Free: No

Amazon

Serum texture

Brightening and hydrating

Clean formula

Application can get messy

This product is a serum and skin tint that moonlights as a high-powered SPF (at 40, it’s the strongest SPF on this list). Based on effectiveness alone, this product ranks high. As skincare fanatics, we were sold just looking at the ingredient list: Each drop is packed with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and plant-based squalene. Since it has such a hydrating formula, it needs a bit of time to dry down, especially if you're building on it. But once it settles, it leaves an all-over glow.

While we love the nourishing ingredients, UV protection, and overall finish, we did find that applying can get a little messy. Though the dropper turns up the volume on the skincare feel, for a pigmented product this might create some unwelcome messes.

Price at time of publish: $48

Shades: 30 | Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Finish: Radiant | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sephora

Extensive shade range

Transfer-proof

Stays put all day

Could be more hydrating

A glowy finish is certainly popular these days, but it’s not for everyone. This is one of the only skin tints that has a natural finish instead of radiant, but it still has that lightweight tint feel. We love that it’s able to blur the appearance of blemishes and has buildable coverage, and that it comes in over 20 shades to find our perfect match (as expected from Rihanna’s brand).

After applying, we noticed that it dried almost like a powder, with no greasiness or transfer. This makes it perfect for oily skin types, as it won’t make the complexion even more shiny. However, because it still has moisturizing properties, it won’t accentuate patches or lines on drier skin types.

Price at time of publish: $35

Shades: 25 | Size: 1.08 fl. oz. | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sephora

Formulated with botanical oils

Brightening and plumping

Comfortable feel

May irritate acne-prone skin types

Kosas calls this tint/face oil hybrid the "sweatpants of foundation," and TBH, the brand is totally right: It's comfortable to wear and easy to put on. But if this is the tint equivalent of sweats, it would be the most luxe pair in your dresser. The product's high-end ingredient list makes it a clear-cut above other tints. Red raspberry oil tackles blemishes, rosehip seed oil boosts radiance, and meadowfoam oil leaves you feeling supple and smooth.

The serum-like consistency leaves a finish that's dewy, but not greasy; hydrating, but not wet-looking. Since it's a step below foundation on the coverage scale, you shouldn't expect it to totally blur blemishes or transform your complexion. The formula is a lightweight, skin-enhancing tint for those who want to correct instead of just cover.

Price at time of publish: $42

Shades: 5 | Size: 1.0 fl. oz. | Finish: Radiant | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The best skin tint you can buy is the Ami Colé Skin-Enhancing Tint, which is hydrating but lightweight with a glowy—not oily—finish. We also love the buildable Huda Beauty GloWish Multidew Skin Tint, which is able to brighten uneven skin tone and give your makeup base a radiant finish.

Meet the Expert

Kenneth Soh is a professional makeup artist based in London. His work has appeared in Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and more.

As you can see on this list, many skin tints double as skincare—often including hydrating or brightening ingredients (like argan oil and licorice root in the Saie Slip Tint). Because of this, you’ll want to check the ingredient list as you would with a regular skin care product to take note of anything that your skin usually doesn’t agree with. If you want your skin to look as hydrated and dewy as possible, Soh recommends looking for formulas that are made with hyaluronic acid and squalane.

Skin tints are usually pretty blendable and sheer, so the majority of the formulas on the market have limited shade ranges because they can easily fit multiple skin tones. But, if you know that you have unique undertones or like to be specific with your shade match, you’ll want to pick one that has more options to choose from—such as the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer or the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40.

Skin tints are famous for their radiant, dewy finish, but if that’s not for you—don’t fret. There are many that have a demi-matte or natural finish, like the Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint.

The biggest difference between skin tints and foundation—or any other complexion makeup product—is the level of coverage. Skin tints are usually more lightweight and provide a sheer finish that allows some of your natural complexion to show through, while foundations are thicker and offer more complete coverage for any areas of concern, as well as varying finishes from dewy to matte. Skin tints, being designed for a more minimalist, skincare-focused makeup routine, also are more likely to include skin-friendly ingredients like hyaluronic acid, rosehip oil, and niacinamide.

Long story short, however you would like. Skin tints can easily be applied with your fingers due to the lightweight, blendable consistency, but you can also use a brush to work the product in. It’s completely up to your preference, and how you would like your makeup base to look overall. Soh recommends using your fingers if you want a more natural, barely-there finish, but agrees that using a foundation brush or sponge is just as effective.

Shannon Stubbs is a staff commerce updates writer at Byrdie, where she covers beauty. She’s frequently trying new skincare and makeup products to recommend the best of the best to readers. She’s researched and used multiple skin tints to compile this story, including the  Ami Colé Skin-Enhancing Tint and the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint.