‘Skin Tints’ Are the Summer-Approved Alternative to Foundation

Hello, glow.

By Danielle Fontana Dooley, Associate Director, Digital Content · Jun 8, 2022

It seems intuitive to dust off our lightweight, glowy makeup formulas when the temps start to rise, but the onset of skin tints—airy, barely there formulas spiked with skin-care benefits—make getting glowy, summer-ready skin easier than ever.

1 / 5

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer ($29)

Packed with SPF 20, this creamy tint delivers a light wash of tone-evening coverage that can be layered without pilling or cakiness. (It’s also gone viral on TikTok for creating a “red-carpet glow” when paired with Charlotte Tilbury’s Flawless Filter.)

2 / 5

Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer ($35)

Offering sheer, buildable coverage, mineral SPF 35 protection and good-for-skin ingredients like hyaluronic acid and licorice root extract, this clean-girl favorite is sure to be a summer sellout.

3 / 5

Yves Saint Laurent NU BARE LOOK TINT Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation ($38)

For a dewy, skin-but-better finish, look no further than this hyaluronic acid–infused option. Available in a range of 20 shades, this inclusive formula offers a skin-perfecting option for most tones.

4 / 5

caliray Freedreaming Clean Blurring Skin Tint ($39)

Giving slightly more coverage than other skin tints, this California-born, blurring option also includes vitamins C and E, plus antioxidants, to keep skin protected all summer long.

5 / 5

Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum ($49)

Picture-perfect “pigment spheres” are suspended in a hyaluronic acid–infused formula in this social media sensation. Not only does the cocktail freshly combine on the skin when blended, but each application delivers a supermodel-off-duty type of radiance.