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I have never liked the feel of foundation on my skin. I usually use Bare Escentuals powdered mineral foundation, but it’s time consuming and a bit messy, so I looked around for an quick and easy alternative for the summer months, and maybe beyond. Since I always start with a moisturizer, and usually one with a sunscreen, I decided to try a tinted moisturizer. But which one? Fortunately I didn’t have to buy them all, since my sister already has most of them! So I tried two of hers: Laura Mercier and Stila.
Laura Mercier is a fine cosmetics company whose products can be found in high-end department stores (think Saks and Neiman Marcus) as well as on-line at Sephora.com. The line includes skin care, bath products, and fragrances as well as cosmetics. I was enraptured by their shimmer powder in the spring (it’s lighter than their bronzer, and as my skin is very fair, made a great bronzer for me), so decided to give their Tinted Moisturizer a try. The shade my sister had is Nude, which is their lightest color (yes, she’s as fair as I am; our other sister is even paler).
The tinted moisturizer from Laura Mercier won a “Best of Sephora” title this year, meaning it is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed products on the Sephora website. It comes in a 1.5 fluid ounce tube with a hefty price tag of $40. It contains a sunscreen with an SPF of 20, higher than most others. (They also make an oil-free tinted moisturizer, which also retails for $40.) The company describes the product as “perfect for all skin types” and promises to give your face “a healthy glow” while moisturizing and protecting from both UVA and UVB rays. The active (sun-protecting) ingredients are Octyl Methoxycinnamate and Menthyl Anthranilate (both are plant derivatives). It has a pleasant scent, although it’s not an artificial fragrance, and is lightweight; I was pleased to find that it feels like a moisturizer, and once you’ve applied it, it has no “foundation” weight on your face. It is sheer, but if you want more coverage than it provides, you can always apply more.
Stila is another higher-end company, but generally less expensive and exclusive than Laura Mercier. It too can be found at better department stores or on-line at Sephora.com. Their product , Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer, is a 1.7 fluid ounce tube for $30, still not what I would consider a bargain, but less than the Laura Mercier. I used their lightest shade, too, although its name is Fair rather than Nude. (Stila also makes an Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer with an SPF of 15 for the same $30 price; it contains light-reflecting particles.) It has an SPF of 15, using the active ingredients Octinoxate and Avobenzone. Although that second ingredient sounds like a petroleum product, it isn’t; rather it is a resin from an Asian tree, often used in cosmetics and fragrances. Like the Laura Mercier, it contains no artificial fragrance and no perfume, but smells even nicer than the Laura Mercier. It too goes on sheer, and can be layered, and is quickly absorbed by my dry skin.
I can’t say anything bad about either product, except that their price tag doesn’t fit my budget! Unlike drugstore brands such as Cover Girl and Revlon, whose tinted moisturizers (CG Smoothers, Revlon Skinlights) contain petroleum products and things like talc and wax along with some plant derivatives, neither Laura Mercier nor Stila upsets my sensitive skin. They go on lightly, and cover as much as I need. The make-up artist at the Laura Mercier counter where my sister bought her tinted moisturizer advised me to use my regular moisturizer under the tinted moisturizer because my skin is so dry, but that step wouldn’t be needed for most people, and I sometimes skip it myself.
In the end, I think, it comes down to your favorite brand and your budget. I have a Cover Girl budget and a Stila sense of style, so I won’t be buying my own tinted moisturizer (actually I did buy the CG Smoother — but wore it only once because it gave me a rash). If I did, though, I would choose the Stila, despite Laura Mercier’s award, for the scent and the relatively lower price. If your skin can handle it, the Cover Girl product is probably just as good in terms of weight and coverage, but it is definitely not for sensitive skin.
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By: L. Lee Scott