The Best Drugstore Skin Tints For a Fresh, Naturally Radiant Look

Affiliate links When it comes to makeup in spring and summer months, I am all about keeping it light and easy, and that’s where skin tints come in! Skin tints are perfect for achieving a ‘your-skin-but-better’ look that’s great for everyday.

What is a Skin Tint?

Skin tints have a very lightweight and thin, serum-like liquidy texture that just melts into skin providing buildable sheer to medium coverage with a natural radiant finish that lets your skin shine through. Basically, skin tints even out your skin tone while smoothing and blurring imperfections for a bright, fresh look (without looking like you’re wearing makeup!)

Skin tints are perfect for someone who is looking for minimal coverage with a very natural finish. Plus, they also contain at least one or two skin-loving ingredients to provide skincare benefits.

Not to mention, a skin tint is very easy to apply and blend effortlessly with your fingers giving you a natural skin-like finish. However, most of the skin tints are not very long-wearing and usually last for about 6-8 hours. Of course, paired with a primer plus setting powder will increase wear time!

What is the difference between a Skin Tint and Tinted Moisturizer?

Tinted moisturizers have a slightly thicker, creamy texture that glides on smoothly like a lightweight moisturizer. Tinted moisturizers are also quite easy to apply/blend and have a lightweight feel on the skin but the formula is usually more hydrating and also provides a bit more coverage. And they are also infused with a few skincare ingredients. So yeah, tinted moisturizers are similar to skin tints…they’re more like sisters, but not twins!

With spring in full swing and summer on the way, let’s talk about the best drugstore skin tints that are perfect to achieve an easy ‘no-makeup makeup look’ while also adding lightweight hydration.

Here are the best drugstore skin tints that are perfect to tie your ‘less is more’ look together…not only for spring and summer but all year round!

The Best Drugstore Skin Tints (All under $20)

Maybelline Super Stay 24HR Skin Tint ($14)

Infused with vitamin C, this is a very lightweight skin tint that provides buildable, light to medium coverage with a semi-matte finish. Available in 18 shades, it truly feels weightless but delivers beautiful coverage with a natural, healthy radiance. It blurs pores, smooths lines, and doesn’t accentuate any texture on skin. Not to mention, it lasts all day long as the formula is sweat and humidity resistant, and holds up really well without fading. The non-comedogenic formula is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

Revlon Illuminance Serum Tint SPF 15 ($14)

Infused with skincare ingredients like ginger root extract + vitamin C and Niacinamide to boost your skin’s radiance, this skin tint provides light coverage with a satin finish. Available in 16 shades, the formula is both breathable and buildable, so you can control your level of preferred coverage. The formula also contains hydrating hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, plus it has SPF 15 to protect skin against UV damage.

Wet n Wild Bare Focus Niacinamide Skin Tint ($7.50)

Formulated with skin-smoothing Niacinamide (5%), hyaluronic acid and peony extract, this is a lightweight sheer-to-medium buildable coverage skin tint that blurs imperfections while concealing redness and blemishes with a smooth, natural finish. It also feels hydrating and adds a soft satin glow to your skin to enhance your natural radiance without looking greasy/oily. Available in 27 shades with warm, neutral and cool undertones⁠.

L’Oréal True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum ($15)

Formulated with 1% Hyaluronic Acid, this lightweight tinted serum provides light coverage that’s buildable and makes skin look smoother and even-toned. It has a natural soft matte finish with a skin-like glow. Its lightweight enough that any glow from skincare below can peek through, and it will almost mimic what you wear under it. The formula is fragrance-free, non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) and suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin. Available in 14 flexible shades that blend to match a variety of skin tones.

COVERGIRL Simply Ageless Skin Perfector Essence Hydro Fresh Tint ($16)

This Covergirl skin tint has a unique texture with pigmented capsules that blend easily for a radiant bare-skin filter effect. It provides buildable light coverage with a natural skin-like finish and also feels hydrating. It does take a few extra seconds to blend evenly, and I like to use a brush or beauty blender with this one for an evenly smooth finish. It comes in 8 sheer shades which are adaptable for a wide range of skin tones. This skin tint also contains 0.5% bakuchiol (a plant-based retinol alternative perfect for sensitive skin) so it helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and increases skin’s firmness over time.

Catrice Nude Drop Tinted Serum ($10)

Enriched with nourishing hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, this is a super lightweight skin tint with a serum-like texture as the name indicates. It offers buildable, light to medium coverage with a radiant matte finish. Not only is the formula hydrating but also impressively long-lasting despite its sheerness and featherlight feel. Available in 16 shades, it is fragrance-free and suitable for sensitive skin.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Serum Foundation ($16)

Although called a foundation, this is more like a skin tint with a thin fluid texture and provides light, natural and buildable coverage that blurs imperfections, reduces redness and evens out skin tone. Formulated with Pro-Vitamin B5 to help maintain skin’s moisture barrier, this serum-infused foundation has a non-comedogenic and fragrance-free formula, suitable even for sensitive skin. Available in 15 shades.

Morphe 2 Hint Hint Skin Tint ($18)

This lightweight fluid tint melts into skin while providing buildable, light-to-medium coverage with a naturally radiant finish. It hydrates, smooths and blurs for a fresh-faced look in just a few drops. Available in 19 shades, the long-lasting formula is water-resistant, sweat resistant & transfer-resistant and also non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores)

Almay Skin Perfecting Hydrating Tint ($7.97)

Formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid and squalane, this lightweight skin tint blends effortlessly into skin providing buildable sheer to light coverage with a dewy finish. The formula is moisturizing without being heavy or greasy and leaves skin with a healthy, hydrated glow. Best for normal to dry skin, it’s fragrance-free and is available in 8 shades.

Wet n Wild Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator Skin Veil ($5.47)

Available in 8 shades, this lightweight tinted hydrator provides buildable light-to-medium coverage with a semi-matte finish. This one has more of a tinted moisturizer like texture that’s a bit creamy but still very lightweight and long-lasting, and it’s only $6! Formulated with hyaluronic acid and vegan squalane, the oil-free formula is also hydrating without a heavy or greasy feel. Great for all skin types.