Tinted Moisturizer: Your Beauty E-Z Pass

Me, starting off an 18-hour day with Boots No.7 Soft and Sheer Tinted Moisturizer in Medium at my Mother's Day breakfast at the Cheesecake Factory (yes, I crave this place once in a while). Please ignore the slightly hideous pattern of the booth chair fabric!

When moms talk about having two or five minutes to get ready, we mean it. When we're with our kids, our precious, few minutes to get us out that door is no longer cushioned by the luxury of "free time." But we all, of course, want to look good for ourselves and the world. And why shouldn't we want to? We deserve it! I've done all sorts of foundations throughout my adult life -- powders, creams, mousses, airbrush/sprays -- but the one kind of coverage I've come to rely on most as a busy mother is tinted moisturizer. You can't beat the convenience of having sun protection, moisturizer, and sheer color on your face in one speedy application.

Life with kids is crazy: crazy good. Meaning there's not usually time to go peek in a mirror and revisit the vanity for powdering and reapplication if your make-up has moved throughout the day. I always leave the house with lip gloss in the pocket of my diaper bag or purse. If I'm feeling extra on-the-ready that day, maybe I'll leave with a compact. But most times, there's too much going on that I'm lucky if I get a quick lip gloss touch-up.

When you use full-coverage foundations, particularly when weather is warm, your pores are more open, and heat, oil, sweat does a number on your visage. This does not take into account whatever might've been sketched onto your face by tiny, prodding hands (Thank you my little A for mommy's "shimmer cream" session this morning, a.k.a. butter sauce from a breakfast of ravioli, which also got into my hair).  By mid-day, with the heavier stuff, you can start to look like you've really got layers caked on. With tinted moisturizer, you avoid any serious cosmetic disintegration. It's light, many times oil-free, and sits tight.

So leave all the moving and shaking to the children, and for your make-up, try starting the day with tinted moisturizer. It might just make your life easier.



Tinted Moisturizer 1-2-3:

It's true that tinted moisturizer won't give you the coverage that a full-blown foundation will, but it will smooth out your skin and fill in lines and wrinkles. If you want to bump up its coverage, simply mix both the tinted moisturizer and a little bit of your regular foundation on the backside of your hand, then apply. You can also use a stick foundation like I do (try the wonderful Shu Uemura Nobara Cream Cover Stick, $42), to conceal problem areas like discoloration or acne. The handy stick form makes it all happen in a matter of seconds. 


Here's a rundown of some of my picks for good tinted moisturizers, from the most expensive to the least expensive.

1) Best Texture: I love the smooth, chalk-less feel of Chantecaille's Just Skin ($62) with mineral SPF 15, UVB protection, which includes anti-irritant and anti-oxidant botanical extracts. It really is virtually weightless.

2) Best Shade Range: Tarte's Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer ($36) with SPF 20, is oil-free, and packed with antioxidants and other beneficial fruit extracts. Because it is paraben- and phthalate-free, it is good for those with sensitive skin. I particularly like that there are a dozen shades to choose from.

3) Best Bang for Your Buck: Boots No. 7 Soft and Sheer Tinted Moisturizer ($12), and CoverGirl CG Smoothers Tinted Moisture ($8), both with SPF 15, are solid drugstore options. I noticed that the Boots No. 7 one has great endurance in terms of coverage (it's lasted me through 18 hour days), and you can't beat CoverGirl for an oil-free choice for less than ten dollars.

-N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.