TBH, the Best Tinted Moisturizers Hail From the Drugstore—13 We've Vetted for Cloudlike Skin

Pros: Provides all-day hydration and sun protection

Cons: Limited shade range

Shades: 3

Finish: Glowy

Size: 1.7 ounces

This hydrating tinted moisturizer and sunscreen is among the highest-rated drugstore options on the market. Take it from the nearly 43,000 reviewers who rated it five stars on Amazon. While a sunscreen at its core, this formula is infused with three skin barrier–restoring ceramides that provide thirst-quenching moisturization and utilizes iron oxides to ward off unsightly white casts. It comes in three shades (Light, Medium, and Deep) that are suitable for a wide range of skin tones because of their flexibility, but we think the brand could still stand to diversify its shade range.

Customer review: "Is it possible to be addicted to an SPF? I have used likely hundreds of skincare products throughout the years (I'm in my 30s), from drugstore to luxury, and this is my favorite product of all time. It has a nice consistency and blends well with minimal but impactful color correction. I've lent some to friends before, who all liked it as well—it works with a variety of skin tones. Going to buy this specific SPF for as long as they sell it."

Pros: Surprisingly hydrating and buildable despite its super-low price

Cons: May not be moisturizing enough for very dry skin

Shades: 8

Finish: Semi-matte

Size: 0.91 ounces

If you want a good tinted moisturizer minus the splurge, look no further than this $5 option from Wet n Wild. This oil-free formula has a matte finish but doesn't make your skin feel cakey or dry like so many mattes of old. It's easy to build the coverage with an extra layer, and one reviewer even compared it to MAC's discontinued Studio Sculpt SPF Foundation. The creamy base includes ultra-hydrating ingredients like squalane and hyaluronic acid, ensuring that your skin feels soft despite its shine-controlled façade.

Customer review: "My skin absolutely went berserk from the use of a new sunscreen—new acne everyday. I was absolutely out of ideas on how to make my skin look presentable, [and] that's when I wanted to give this old tube a try. Just a little went a very long way to hide all the marks and even the textural irregularities. It became a staple for me everytime I stepped out of the house."

Pros: Can reduce the appearance of fine lines over time, includes SPF

Cons: Only has one deep shade

Shades: 6

Finish: Semi-matte

Size: 1 ounce

If you wished you could turn your favorite retinol into an imperfection-cloaking makeup product, then you're in luck. This tinted moisturizer offers a sheer wash of color to even redness and hydrate the skin without settling into wrinkles and fine lines. In fact, it works to smooth them over time. It's armored with SPF 20 for an extra dose of protection, which we love, but we wish it had far more than one shade for deep skin tones.

Customer review: "I am 63, [and] I was surprised how light it felt on my face—it added just enough color. It also doesn't bring out the tiny lines in my face. I think I finally found what I have been looking for."

Pros: Impressive array of shades, from fair to deep, that consider warm and neutral undertones

Cons: none

Shades: 24

Finish: Dewy

Size: 1.45 ounces

There's so much to love about this tinted moisturizer: an inclusive list of shades (24!), a hyaluronic acid– and coconut water–infused formula, and a dewy, natural finish that makes your complexion look plump and moisturized. We hate to be redundant, but it really does look like your skin but better.

Customer review: "I'm really loving this! It feels great on—like I'm not wearing makeup. I have a warm undertone and it's a great match. … [It] looks just like skin."

Pros: Buildable, pill- and flake-free formula, safe for acne-prone skin

Cons: On the expensive side at full price

Shades: 11

Finish: Satin

Size: 0.94 ounces

If you're a skincare fan, you've probably heard the phrase "hyaluronic acid" about a thousand times in the past year. Well, add three more coins to the jar because this juicy tinted moisturizer from Revlon has triple hyaluronic acid serum, plus a bevy of other dry skin–saving ingredients, including squalane, glycerin, and a handful of antioxidants that protect the skin barrier. Flaky skin, begone!

Customer review: "I have tried nearly everything on the market, from expensive foundations from Sephora to drugstore BB creams, [and] I've finally found my new favorite. I love that it doesn't feel heavy or thick [and] doesn't get cakey or settle into lines. I get a lot of compliments on my skin now!"

Pros: Free from acne-inducing ingredients, wide shade range

Cons: Some shoppers wish the texture was a bit thinner

Shades: 18

Finish: Natural

Size: 1 ounce

There are a few things that deemed this the best formula for acne-prone skin in our books: Its ingredient list is free of pore cloggers, according to Acne Clinic NYC; it contains vitamin C, which is known to reduce the appearance of acne scars and inflammation; and it controls the oils that your skin naturally produces throughout the day without making your complexion fall flat.

Customer review: "[This is] by far the best affordable foundation I have used. It's perfect for mature skin and provides great 'gripping' to the skin. Very natural finish with excellent coverage—the longevity of wear is amazing."

Pros: No white cast, fragrance-free, nongreasy feel

Cons: The most expensive rec on this list

Shades: 4

Finish: Semi-matte

Size: 1.7 ounces

Let's face it. No one wants to layer on a serum, a moisturizer, and an SPF before getting to foundation. The best solution? A tinted moisturizer with SPF or, in this case, a tinted sunscreen with all of the skin-perfecting results of your favorite foundation. La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios sunscreen comes in four flexible shades, from light to deep, that can blend seamlessly into a variety of skin tones while providing up to 40 minutes of sun protection. More than 20,000 Amazon shoppers gave it five stars, sprinkling their reviews with words like "dermatologist recommended" and "sensitive skin–friendly."

Customer review: "I don't wear foundation—just this—and it gives my skin the perfect natural, even look while providing amazing sun protection. I love that it's oil-free and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy, even in the heat. If you're looking for a sunscreen that doubles as a light, skin-enhancing base, this is it!"

Shades: 10

Finish: Glowy

Size: 1.01 ounces

Customer review: "I don't like feeling like I have makeup on my face and I do want to have SPF in my daily products … [and] I really love this product. It is a smooth and creamy texture, and I appreciate that it includes ingredients such as mango, shea butters, and niacinamide, which helps calm skin and increase hydration. This is my new daily go to!"

Pros: Free from common irritants (fragrance, parabens, drying alcohol), offers dry skin a natural glow

Cons: We wish it had SPF

Shades: 15

Finish: Natural

Size: 1 ounce

If you're someone with irritable, dry, or sensitive skin, there tends to be a far smaller pool of facial makeup to pick from. Lucky for you, this tinted serum is a lightweight, skincare-forward version of your regular tinted moisturizer with buildable coverage and skin-quenching hydration that makes your skin look perfect, in our opinion.

Editor review: "I'm a fan of Neutrogena's Sensitive Skin Serum Foundation because of its comfortable, nonirritating wear on my ultra-sensitive skin. Whether I apply it in the humid New York City summer or bitterly cold winter, this tinted moisturizer smooths over my dry or flushed skin and stays put all day long. I prefer it to my high-end foundations on most days." — Alyssa Brascia, associate beauty editor

Pros: Lightweight formula, covers acne, reduces shine without being too drying

Cons: Very small and light shade range

Shades: 4

Finish: Matte

Size: 1 ounce

If your skin tends to get extra shiny throughout the day, then this buildable, matte BB cream is for you. Engineered for oily complexions, this water-based formula helps balance out the sebum in your skin, making for comfortable, hydrating wear with a finish that controls your natural glow. Plus, it's pigmented enough to camouflage blemishes and is noncomedogenic, so it shouldn't create new ones.

Customer review: "My incredibly oily skin and 80-degree weather with humidity do not go well together. A friend recommended this BB cream to me and I got it because it was cheap—turns out it was everything I was looking for. Awesome coverage to hide acne and acne scars as well, [and] blendable [with] a smooth soft matte finish."

Pros: Offers foundation-like coverage without looking cakey or dry

Cons: Some reviewers reported slight oxidation

Shades: 27

Finish: Semi-matte

Size: 1.05 ounces

Sometimes, a full-coverage foundation is just a bit too drying and cakey. This budget-friendly CC (color-correcting) cream is the ideal alternative to the former thanks to its hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and peptide-based formula, which ensures hydrating, texture-improving wear while potent pigments work hard to neutralize redness and offer a foundation-like finish—without the dry, wrinkle-enhanced results we're used to.

Customer review: "This product covers my hyperpigmentation, rosy cheeks, and visible pores smoothly, gracefully, and without any visible caking or creasing. It's nice and lightweight, and you don't really feel greasy even though it's got a more dewy, natural finish. I am very confident that I could wear this to work and nobody would notice that I had foundation on—which is exactly what I'm going for!"

Pros: Hydrating, sensitive skin–friendly, lusciously luminous

Cons: Limited shade range

Shades: 5

Finish: Luminous

Size: 1.35 ounces

This tinted moisturizer is a star in its own right, and celebrities like Elle Fanning and Simone Ashley use it for both red carpet prep and everyday glam. Whether you want to label it as a highlighter or a bronzer, this skin enhancer can do it all depending on which shade you choose (lighter for a Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter–esque glow, deeper for a summery bronze). Its hydrating formula includes sensitive skin–friendly shea butter and glycerin, plus a shower of luminous pearls in every dollop for a naturally glowing complexion.

Editor review: "This is my go-to for days when I want to look dewy without appearing too 'done.' I'm not alone! Bella Hadid and Andie MacDowell also happen to be major fans of the luminous base. A true skincare-makeup hybrid, it's a moisturizer, highlighter, and skin tint all in one. Note, it doesn't offer too much coverage on its own if that's what you're mainly looking for in a skin tint. You can mix it into your foundation, BB cream, et al., to give it a megawatt glow." — Jamie Schneider, senior beauty editor

Pros: Blurs blemishes, doesn't clog pores, includes SPF

Cons: Shade range could be improved

Shades: 5

Finish: Natural

Size: 1 ounce

There's not much to gripe about when it comes to this glowy BB cream—other than its small (and arguably light) shade range. Its hydrating formula acts as your daily moisturizer, and its sheer coverage adds a wash of skin-smoothing color that doesn't settle into fine lines and wrinkles, stays all day, and, best of all, is less than $10.

Customer review: "I'm 59 and I don't wear foundation or concealer, [and] this is the first product I've tried that doesn't look cakey or dry. It doesn't accentuate my fine lines—it blurs my pores and other minor 'flaws.' It blends in beautifully and looks great. My skin but better!"