Skin tints don’t typically offer long-lasting coverage, but beauty and wellness editor Laura Mulley has found a new one that offers a lightweight look and longevity
I usually apply a medium-coverage foundation every morning, but if I’m after a more natural-looking face base, one of the best skin tints is exactly what’s needed. Offering a barely-there feel and light coverage, skin tints usually consist of colour pigments in a suspended in a water or gel-based formula.
I’ve tried a few over the years but the main issue I’ve found is that they don’t last very long on the skin and, once the ‘water’ element has soaked in or evaporated, can end up looking a little patchy. This new one, however, is the best I’ve ever found.
Trending cosmetics brand Milk Makeup has just launched its Hydro Grip Gel Tint, £34, a light, buildable face base that delivers hydration and a dewy finish but – like the now-viral Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer – one that lasts all day, promising for last for 8-12 hours. Available in 15 flexible shades, it even proved so popular before its arrived that the brand launched early, to a waitlist of over 12,000.
I was one of the lucky few who got to try it out before it hit the shops, and here are my honest thoughts (spoiler: it’s an absolute hit)…
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Pros
- Skin looks dewy and radiant
- Blends really well
- ‘Sets’ on the skin quickly
- Lasts all day
- Really natural finish
- You can see the colour of the actual product through the tube
Cons
- The texture does change ever so slightly throughout the day
- It could be a little more moisturising
This skin tint blends on so well – I prefer to use a dense foundation brush, but it goes on nicely with fingers too – and makes skin look gorgeous from the first swipe: smooth, glowy and perfected, but in a very natural way. It feels lightly hydrating on the skin but not at all greasy or slippy, and gives a light-to-medium coverage that refines minor marks (a concealer might be needed to cover more stubborn imperfections though).
What impressed me most, though, is just how well this finish lasted throughout the day. I’ve always found skin tints to turn drier as the day goes on, settling in fine lines and patches, but this one beats all others. It doesn’t remain looking exactly as fresh as when it was first applied, but it lasts better than all other I’ve tried. It also doesn’t transfer into collars of clothes, unlike what can happen with a tinted moisturiser instead.
I also love the packaging; the squeezy tube is light and travel-friendly, and I like that you can see the actual product colour through the tube’s ‘windows’.
If you’re looking for other highly recommended skin tints for spring, Kosas BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream, £34, gets the thumbs up from our shopping writer Grace, who says, “As soon as I tried this I knew it was going to become my new staple. Featuring copper peptides and squalane, this hydrating formula provides a glowy, natural-looking base that feels just like skincare.”
For a cheaper alternative, try Maybelline Super Stay up to 24H Skin Tint Foundation + Vitamin C, £13.99 – our tester says it has “impressive staying power that stands up to a long working day or a big night out, but still gives that natural barely there look”.
