In the hot summer months I love a good sheer natural-looking base and many of you do too! By popular request I’ve rounded up my favorite skin tints and sheer-bases for summer.
Here are my top ten favorites right now (in no particular order). I have normal combination skin and live in a very humid area. A lot of you have asked for sweat-proof makeup recommendations and unfortunately sometimes it can be so humid that nothing lasts outdoors. This time of year though I’m indoors as much as I can be, so these favorites hold up very well for me throughout the day.
Chanel Les Beiges
Chanel makes my favorite foundations, in particular the Les Beiges lineup. I love their formulas, shade undertones and the variety of finishes they offer. The Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint ($47 – 70) is available in a travel or full size format. This is the sheerest base I’ve tried that I like. It offers minimal coverage with a gel base and micro-droplets of pigment. It’s the best bare-skin effect base I’ve tried with a lightweight finish that has a fresh glow without feeling greasy. Since it’s so sheer I don’t need an exact match, I can wear either Medium or Medium Plus. Original review from 2019 here.
The Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch ($70) is similar in concept but has more coverage. I love the finish. It has medium coverage and blends out beautifully on the skin. I also love the texture and formula. Coverage is easy to control and layer without ever feeling heavy. I wear B40. Review and look on the skin here.
Summer Fridays
The Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint ($42) is another popular sheer tint and I love it. I do think the colors are limited (I would love to see more colors and more undertone options) but if you can find a match it’s great. I alternate between Shade 4 or 5 and sometimes mix them. Since I’ve bought these they have added a Shade 4.5 but it was warm/pinkish so I’ve decided to stick with my 4 and 5. Coverage is very sheer. It’s lightweight, dewy but not greasy, and natural looking. However if you have oily skin I do think this will be too dewy for you.
Lisa Eldridge
Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint is another very good sheer skin tint. I usually love applying tints with a brush or sponge but I think this one blends best with the warmth of your fingers. In my first order I picked out T7 and T8 based on her foundation shade chart. I tried a few samples of her foundation (wasn’t a fan) and my match was No 14. The color recommendations in the Sheer Skin Tints ended up being too light. I felt T9’s olive undertone would be too yellow so I ordered T10 which is a great match for my tan summer skin. I sometimes mix 8 and 10 though.
This is naturally glowy so you do need to set with a powder. Coverage is very sheer but buildable. It feels comfortable and lightly hydrating on the skin. A little goes a long way.
Supergoop!
Supergoop! Protec(tint) Daily SPF Tint with SPF 50 ($44) has been getting a lot of love from me this year. I bought these when I still had my winter skin coloring and I tan easily, so by now I’ve ended up with multiple shades. For me 30W is the best match although I have used 24N and 26W. I’ve added swatches next to their GlowScreen (also love this) for reference. This is a natural looking base that has sheer medium coverage. It’s described as “lightweight” but I don’t know that I would agree with that description. It’s semi thick and you can definitely feel it on the skin. I still really like this for beach days or boat days.
It Cosmetics
The It Cosmetics CC+ tints have reached cult status and for good reason! I’ve tried every formula they have and the It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow ($47) is the best one. It has a thinner texture than most CC+ creams so it’s easier to blend and has a sheerer finish with medium coverage so it looks more natural on the skin. Since it’s not super thick like most CC creams it has a lighter weight feel. Can’t rave enough about this one. I wear Medium Tan.
Fenty + Rare Beauty
If you need something that isn’t too emollient or dewy I highly recommend checking out the Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint ($36) or Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer ($30). Both have a natural finish that is somewhere in between soft glow and satin with a subtle blurring effect. I think both are highly under-rated, they should get more love! I wear either Shade 9 or 10 in the Fenty and in the Rare Beauty I wear 24N. Coverage for both is sheer-medium. Enough to even out redness and smooth out the face without looking or feeling heavy. Skin still looks like skin.
below wearing Rare Beauty Tinted Moisturizer in 24N (full look details here)
below wearing Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint in Shade 10
Patrick Ta
The Patrick Ta Major Skin Crème Foundation and Finishing Powder Duo ($52) isn’t really a skin tint, but I’ve added it to the roundup because the finish is like that of a skin tint in solid cream foundation form. The finish is SO beautiful for both the cream and powder. The powder doesn’t have full intensity pigment so it doesn’t darken or alter the look of your foundation, it just sets in the most beautiful natural way. I wear Light Medium 2, full review here.
Sisley
Last on my list is the Sisley Phyto-Teint Nude ($110). This is an incredibly pricey option but the formula is impeccable and for me it was worth the splurge. It has a beautiful fluid texture and finish. Glides on with absolute perfection and has a very pretty finish. I prefer this Phyto-Teint Nude to the newer Phyto-Teint Perfection (which is full coverage, matte and isn’t as forgiving if you don’t have an exact match). I’ve repurchased once, but I don’t know that I’ll repurchase it a third time because of the price point, but the formula is exceptionally good. Full review here.
Best Foundation Brushes
For applying liquids and creams I usually love a beautyblender to blend and press everything into the skin, but I do have a few favorite brushes.
It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7 is a great dual ended brush. The foundation side is ultra smooth and gives you streak-free coverage and blends everything to perfection. The smaller side is nice for blending out areas around the eyes or nose.
Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush and the Vanish Foundation Brush are also excellent. Both are very smooth on the skin and they blend creams well.
Fenty Foundation Brush 145 is a really nice one. It has a slightly wider shape and it’s angled which blends everything out smoothly.
Laura Mercier Real Flawless Foundation Brush is one of the best ones for me. If I had to pick just one this would be it. It’s wider and angled without being too short/dense. I love the pointed tip to help blend in creases like around the nose.
I clean the brushes with warm water and Dawn Dish Soap. For stubborn creams I’ll do a double cleanse and after rinsing with warm water + dish soap, I’ll spritz some of the Sephora Collection Daily Brush Cleaner which is the best at dissolving cream products. A brush cleaning pad is essential. I’m using the Sigma Brush Cleaning Mat and love it.
For those of you who have been asking for an updated skin tint roundup I hope you found this helpful! If you want to share your favorite skin tints for summer, let me know what they are in the comments!