What is a Skin Tint?
What is a skin tint and what makes them different from a foundation or tinted moisturiser? Discover everything you need to know about skin tints and why they’re so popular.
- 8th July 2024
- By Charlotte Tilbury
10 minute read
Darlings, skin tints have been taking over the beauty industry in recent years, but what is a skin tint and how do they differ from a foundation or a tinted moisturiser? In this guide, I’m doing a deep dive into skin tints and answering your skin tint FAQs! Discover what distinguishes a skin tint from other complexion products and learn how to use a skin tint in your makeup routine for the most beautiful, natural-looking results.
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What is a skin tint?
A skin tint is a sheer or light-coverage complexion product that looks natural and provides just-a-tint of skin-perfecting pigment. Skin tints are generally formulated with thin, lightweight textures that feel breathable and barely-there, helping them to unlock a super-light, second-skin effect. Many skin tints have luminous, serum-like characteristics and are infused with skincare ingredients, allowing them to mimic the hydrated glow of a good skin day. The pigments used in skin tints are less saturated to produce a subtle, semi-sheer tone that allows for a natural-looking tint rather than full-glam makeup coverage.
What are the benefits of a skin tint?
Natural-looking finish
Skin tints are known for their light, skin-like coverage which makes them perfect for creating natural, ‘no foundation’ makeup looks. Their barely there appearance is perfectly suited to ‘no foundation’ days and everyday makeup where you want your skin to look luminous and healthy without the super-perfected look of a foundation.
Lightweight, breathable feel
Skin tints are generally comfortable and easy-to-wear thanks to their light, second-skin texture. They feel weightless on the skin and are almost undetectable, feeling as though you are wearing next to no foundation at all.
Flexible shade matching
Due to skin tints having lighter coverage, the need for an exact foundation match lessens as they are less noticeable on the skin. Skin tints like my Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick are formulated to stretch across several skin tones, blending out effortlessly to mesh with your skin tone while leaving a subtle tint.
Quick and easy to apply
Skin tints are perfect candidates for 5-minute makeup! One of the biggest benefits of using a skin tint instead of a medium or full-coverage foundation is that they’re quicker and easier to apply. Generally, skin tints are extremely fluid and malleable, helping them to blend effortlessly into skin. They also have extremely light coverage which minimises the risk of looking patchy on the face.
Tilbury Tip: You can blend out Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick in just 15 seconds! It’s so easy, you could apply it in the dark! Discover how to apply stick foundation, here.
Wears effortlessly
When you apply a full or medium-coverage foundation, you run a greater risk of your base makeup visibly separating throughout the day. Skin tints wear much more naturally; because of their light coverage, it is much less noticeable if a skin tint starts to fade or break down in areas such as around the nose or mouth.
What is the difference between a skin tint and a foundation?
All skin tints are foundations, but not all foundations are skin tints. Skin tints are a subcategory of foundation; the term skin tint has become extremely popular in the beauty industry and refers to any foundation or face makeup product that has a sheer level of coverage that tints your complexion to create a soft, barely there base.
Just like a foundation, skin tints are designed to even the appearance of skin tone and blend seamlessly with your complexion. However, a skin tint takes a far more minimal approach to makeup, concentrating on creating an ultra-lightweight veil that still looks like skin. To achieve this, skin tints have lighter coverage than other foundations which helps them to look undetectable and avoids any heaviness or caking. While foundations help to cover the look of redness, blemishes, and discolouration, skin tints allow your natural skin to peek through and have a natural-looking, your skin appearance.
Discover my guide to foundation finishes
What’s the difference between a skin tint and a tinted moisturiser?
Skin tints and tinted moisturisers are similar in the sense that they are both light-coverage alternatives to full-coverage foundation. The key difference between the two is the prominence of skincare ingredients within the formula. A tinted moisturiser is a moisturiser by definition, and so they often have a thicker, cream consistency that’s infused with moisturising skincare ingredients that will help to hydrate and prep the skin. Skin tints can also contain hydrating skincare ingredients and are often more lightweight than a moisturiser, however, their primary purpose is to provide coverage for your complexion, even if that coverage is on the sheerer side.
Tilbury Tip: Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick is powered by hyaluronic acid to keep skin feeling moisturised and lock in hydration for up to 24 hours!*
Does skin tint replace foundation?
Technically a skin tint is under the umbrella of foundation, so you don’t necessarily need to wear both. There are some situations where you may want to wear a foundation as well as your skin tint; if you love the look of a skin tint but require more coverage in certain areas, try mixing your skin tint with a foundation or applying foundation only in the areas you feel you need to – this will let you customise your skin tint to your own makeup preferences.
1. Prep your skin with skincare
It all starts with skincare, darlings. Before you apply your skin tint, complete your skincare routine to revive the look of your complexion and create a hydrated, smoother-looking base for makeup to glide onto. I recommend moisturising with Charlotte’s Magic Cream or Charlotte’s Magic Water Cream to hydrate, plump, and prime the look of your complexion, as well as using serums, face mists, and masks for a surge of even more magical moisture.
2. Apply a face primer
Primer is an important step for prepping your skin for your skin tint as it creates a smoothing-effect barrier between your skin and your makeup. Reaching for a hydrating face primer allows you to create a super-smooth canvas for your skin tint to apply onto, and it also helps to perfect the look of your complexion by blurring the appearance of pores and smoothing the look of skin texture. I recommend my Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer SPF50 to prime and protect your skin – it looks flawless underneath makeup and pairs perfectly with Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick.
3. Apply your skin tint
Once your skincare routine is complete and you have applied a hydrating primer, your skin is prepped and ready for skin tint application. Take a skin tint such as Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick and apply a small amount onto your face, smoothing it onto any areas where you want to add coverage. The beauty of a skin tint is that you can build it up gradually – if you want extra coverage, you can apply more product to get a greater level of coverage.
4. Blend with your fingers or a brush
You can blend out your skin tint with your fingers or a brush. If you are using your fingers, you should lightly massage your skin tint into your skin, paying attention to hard-to-reach areas such as around the nose, between the brows, and the hairline. If you prefer to use a brush, I recommend using the flat end of my Hollywood Complexion Brush to gently stipple your skin tint into your complexion until it appears as one with your skin with no visible brush strokes or unblended edges.
What is a Skin Tint? More FAQs
Do you need primer for a skin tint?
Yes – I always recommend wearing a makeup primer underneath any sort of foundation makeup as it will help your complexion to look smoother and plumper while giving it a flattering blurring effect. As skin tints provide a lighter amount of coverage, primer can do some of the work that foundation would normally do by helping to perfect and soft-focus the appearance of skin and even out the look of facial redness and uneven skin tone.
Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick
Hydrating stick foundation
Sheer-to-light, buildable coverage
Dewy, luminous finish
Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick is a super-natural, ‘no foundation’ foundation that provides just-a-tint of skin-perfecting coverage. It’s hydrating, smoothing, blurring, and gives your complexion an UNREAL glow!
Wonderglow
Luminous tinted primer
Sheer coverage
Illuminating, soft-focus finish
Wonderglow is an instant, soft-focus beauty flash that primes the face for makeup. The formula gifts your complexion a warm, candlelit tint with a blurring, illuminating effect.
Hollywood Flawless Filter
Glowy tinted illuminator
Sheer coverage
Hollywood glow finish
Hollywood Flawless Filter bottles the beautifying effects of Hollywood lights and retouch filters, tinting skin with sheer, illuminating coverage that unlocks your dream Hollywood glow.
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Author Details
Charlotte Tilbury
Founder, President, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty
With over 30 years experience, Charlotte Tilbury MBE is the world's number 1 makeup artist and British beauty entrepreneur. Charlotte established Charlotte Tilbury Beauty in 2013, which is now a record-breaking beauty brand that has won over 400 awards.
