By now, men are well aware of the importance of proper hygiene — that’s nothing new. However, it’s no longer as simple as grabbing a bar soap or your favorite face wash (maybe even a good razor if you need one anymore) and calling it a day. Don’t get us wrong; we are not suggesting you have to do the latest Korean 10-step skincare routine, but the least you could do (and should do) is add a face moisturizer as your final step in your regimen. Bonus points if it contains sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.
Here’s where things get interesting. With face moisturizers being the last step before you leave the house, you could take it a step further by adding a hint of color to the mix. “Why,” you ask? For starters, adding a little coverup or concealer to keep your skin looking its best will not compromise your masculinity; let’s get that out of the way right now.
By adding a hint of color to your moisturizer, you can cover up troublesome acne, achieve a more even skin tone, or add an overall healthy glow, if that’s all your after. These moisturizers come in many formulations, but what’s most important is that you find the right shade for your skin. More and more brands continue to step it up in recent years, intending to deliver a shade of skincare for anyone who wants it. That means it’s not just the fair skin folks who can achieve flawless skin, but those with higher melanin levels as well.
After testing out just about any hydrating skin tint we could get our hands on, we narrowed this list down to the nine best tinted moisturizers for men.
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1. Perricone MD Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
BEST OVERALL
Why is this 2-ounce jar of tinted moisturizing sunscreen the best? Because every time we try something else, we keep finding ourselves coming back to this one for daily use. Although the texture is incredibly lightweight, a little still goes a long way, thanks to the pigment-filled specs that blend with your skin as you rub it in. The oil-free formula doesn’t feel greasy and doesn’t leave your face looking shiny. After application, our face has what can only be described as a glowing yet subtle blur that minimizes the look of minor imperfections without ever looking like anything resembling makeup. Titanium dioxide provides broad-spectrum SPF 30 sun protection, which means this tinted moisturized checks every box we have.
2. Stryx Tinted Moisturizer
RUNNERUP
At just under 2 ounces, Stryx set out to give men the option to add a little color into their routine. This handsome tinted moisturizer came in a close second due to its lack of sunscreen, but this is a winner for sure when it comes to covering up redness and blemishes without being noticeable. In addition to providing great hydration, this tint includes the key ingredients salicylic acid and niacinamide. Salicylic acid has long been a favorite of the acne-prone, but niacinamide — also known as vitamin B3 — has been in the limelight of late. Great for helping combat uneven skin tone and minimizing the appearance of large pores, this potent vitamin also fights environmental damage thanks to its ability to strengthen the skin’s natural barrier.
3. Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint
BEST FOR DARKER SKIN TONES
If your skin has more melanin, it’s harder to find deep, dark shades that can match as well as you’d like. Leave it to Rihanna, the newest billionaire boss on the block, to create a beauty company dedicated to keeping all skin tones in mind. With 25 shades (which, thanks to the neutral undertones of the product, can work on up to 50 skin shades), this lightweight, sheer skin tint comes in at just over one ounce and features the deepest shades in the broadest range. It’s rich in hyaluronic acid and glycerin to hydrate and talc to keep the shiny look to a minimum. Riri set out to make sure no matter your skin tone or gender, you had an excellent option for great-looking skin.
4. Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow Hydrating Tint
MOST SUBTLE
If all you want is just the hintiest hint of color, Charlotte Tilbury has you ever so slightly covered with this 1.35-ounce unisex hydrating tint. While applying the colorless water gel-like texture moisturizing cream, your skin feels instantly hydrated and looks ever-so-slightly warmed up in the process. Where this lightly tinted moisturizer really shines is how well it covers blemishes. You might not realize it while rubbing it on, but once it’s absorbed, your skin looks more healthy.
5. War Paint Men’s Tinted Moisturiser
MOST MANLY
Listen, we get it. Sometimes you just want a product made by men, for men. It may surprise you that the brand with the most severe name has the most comprehensive collection of products as far as men’s makeup goes. Whether you’re looking for something simple such as a matte bronzer or beard gel, or you’re in the market for concealer or foundation, War Paint has it in its lineup. What’s so great about the 1 ounce tinted moisturizer is its ability to toe the line between lightweight comfort and robust coverage.
6. Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40
MOST SHADES
At 30 shades available, Ilia’s lightweight serum wins for including the high number of skin tones. It protects your skin from all the rays — UVA, UVB, UVC, blue light, and infrared light — while also providing surprisingly deep hydration considering its light serum texture. Other vital ingredients include niacinamide, hyaluronic acid to hydrate, squalane to improve skin’s appearance, and non-nano zinc oxide, one of the best UV-blockers you can use to protect skin from the elements.
7. Kosas Tinted Face Oil Comfy Skin Tint
BEST OIL
There was a time when oil-free was the way to go (and for some, it still is, and that’s OK), but for others, face oils have become the go-to moisturizer of choice. Think about it, beard oils blew up, and guys love them, so it makes sense that face oils can work too, especially if they have the added benefits suitable for sensitive skin that this one does. Avocado oil moisturizes, jojoba oil nourishes, and rosehip oil helps to brighten the appearance of dull, dry skin. Two drops give you light coverage and a natural finish. Want more coverage? Use more drops. That’s why even at one ounce, this little tube will last you a long time.
8. Clarins UV Tint SPF 50
FULLEST COVERAGE
If you’re looking for more densely pigmented fuller coverage but not trying to cake on the makeup, Clarins offers all that and a broad-spectrum sunscreen. The tinted sunscreen provides great hydration thanks to hydrophilic sodium hyaluronate and moisture-rich glycerin. Still, it doesn’t go overboard, which means it’s an excellent choice for those with oily or combination skin types. Our only complaint? We need more skin tones — three just isn’t enough.
9. Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint
CULT-FAVORITE
Glossier cornered the market with its group of perfecting skin tints when the brand launched in 2014. So much so, the glossy girl-boss brand had ruled the Instagram feeds of influencers before #shelfies was even a hashtag. With 2.7 million followers on the social media platform, the brand now offers much more than just the four core products it started with. But, this skin tint is still a favorite of men and women and everyone in between. Incredibly lightweight, the sheer formula helps even out your skin but doesn’t cover up the good stuff (you know, like pores and freckles). The result is one of the most transparent moisturizing tints on our list.
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