TINTED MOISTURISERS

WHEN IT’S your JOB TO TEST BEAUTY PRODUCTS, WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY USE? BEAUTY DIRECTOR Katy Young COMES CLEAN

In my early twenties, I had a separate pot of cream for everything. But in 1997, along came make-up artist Bobbi Brown, waxing lyrical about something called ‘tinted moisturiser’. Back then, the notion seemed bizarre. If I wanted to hydrate my skin, I slapped on Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser. If I wanted coverage, I used Dior’s finest foundation.

Then I tried it. I looked five years younger than I did with my stick foundation. And prettier. More natural. Enviably glowy. Like I’d floated out of bed with a new lover.

So today, I say: a good tinted moisturiser should be as much of a staple in your beauty kit as a great pair of jeans is in your wardrobe – it goes with everything and is effortless to wear. The drawback to both? Finding the perfect fit.

You see, the beauty of tinted moisturisers also maketh the challenge – there’s one to suit everyone, but sourcing the tint-to-moisturiser ratio that works for you is tricky. That’s pretty much all it comes down to. I love a little less moisture and a little more tint, as my serum should have done the quenching. A great tinted moisturiser means that you don’t need to cover bags or blemishes with concealer afterwards. That uniform blank canvas effect is a bit old news, anyway. The sexiest skin reveals every mole, sun spot and wrinkle. It’s your story.

I swapped full-coverage bases for tinted moisturisers about 1O years ago, after falling hard for Erborian CC Cream from South Korea, where airy textures and performance determine a brand’s success. Needless to say, this breathable, blendable cream catapulted Erborian to cult status – and the UK, thank goodness – where it almost singlehandedly launched the CC category (essentially a group of souped-up tinted moisturisers with added skincare benefits). Erborian CC Cream is a good choice for beginners to the tinted moisturiser category who want to even out tone and add luminosity. My only bugbear is that it comes in just one shade (Mac does a close alternative with its Lightful C+ Tinted Cream SPF3O With Radiance Booster, which comes in more shades.) If you want more coverage, It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream is a popular option. Founder Jamie Kern Lima – a rosacea sufferer – developed the brand as a disgruntled consumer in search of bases to conceal redness without caking. Pigment is heavier, but the trick is to apply tinted moisturiser in paper-thin smears. A weirdly therapeutic act in itself.

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Skin Insurance has recently won real estate in my make-up kit. Developed by my favourite facialist (if she’s good enough for Meghan Markle…), the tinted filter blurs skin beautifully, while rose and jasmine oils turn it into a skin-comforting lotion. This is my summer pick. If your skin is oily (congratulations, you’ll age slower!), then Laura Mercier does a great oil-free version. Mercier’s obsessions are good brows and skin, so it figures that she created an oilcontrol version that doesn’t dry out the face. The coverage is veil-like, but can be built up. Remember that the middle of the face needs more coverage, so start there and work outwards.

I’ve also been enjoying the new Chanel Les Beiges Eau de Teint, which may not parade itself as a tinted moisturiser but acts like one with its hydration and coverage qualities. Being 75% water-based, this balm is so fine, it both evens skin out and warms it up.

Of course, there’s always the nifty trick of mixing your favourite moisturiser with your favourite base, which, between you and I, works almost as well…

“A GOOD TINTED MOISTURISER SHOULD BE as MUCH A STAPLE as A GREAT PAIR OF JEANS is IN your WARDROBE”