Pondering over tinted moisturisers

I know that this is a much covered subject and this is quite a long ramble (apologies), but i thought i'd share my experiences with tinted moisturisers because i prefer them to a heavy foundation any day and i've used a fair few in my time. Today i will be reviewing these three as they are the best ones i've come accross lately. 

I need to improve my photo taking skills, work in progress.

 So these are the following:

• Dermalogica sheer tint moisturiser in light £20
• Laura Mercier illuminating tinted moisturiser in bare radiance £32
• Benefit You Rebel lite £23.50

The first thing to note is just how different they are in shade. The Dermalogica is on the pinkish side, the You Rebel is very yellow based and the Laura Mercier is somewhere in the middle, almost neutral but leaning slightly beigy yellow. I'm a neutral/cool toned NW15 or lighter, so the Dermalogica and Laura Mercier work best for me colour wise. If you are pale and yellow toned (NC15/20) i think that You Rebel would be perfect for you. I'm still amazed at how different companies cater for "fair skin" and from these swatches alone you can see how difficult it can be to find a good colour match. 


Dermalogica Sheer Tint Moisturiser 
I had been using this religiously for months because i loved that being a skincare range, it felt like it was good for my skin and i loved the shade. It gave a very sheer coverage, just enough to even out the skin tone a little. However i would rarely wear this alone, usually using a mineral foundation on top as the coverage is so light. The price is probably not worth it as the tube is so small so although i like this product, i doubt i will repurchase. Also worth noting it has quite a clayish smell, some people might find this unpleasant. 


Benefit You Rebel Lite
Next i moved on to You Rebel TM. I used this because i love the consistency, it's very creamy and the tube is great, you can squeeze the product out like toothpaste, making sure you don't waste any. I also really like the smell, and apart from drugstore brands, i wasn't aware of many other TM's at the time and so believed this was the best around. I think that the original colour is a great product for those who have a more tanned complexion or want a light instant face (or body) tan. However, i think Benefit have fumbled the lite formula and either need to think about making the product more neutral toned or bringing out more shades in general. This is certainly too yellow based to really flatter my complexion and I feel that presuming all people will fit into a dark or light category shows a lack of awareness for the needs of their customers.


Saying that i can get this colour to work for me, but mainly because again, the coverage is sheer, more so than the original colour, and i would probably only wear this alone on holiday or in summer. I think that the price isn't too bad because the product lasts so long and as i said the tube is economical. I would consider repurchasing, if only the colour was a little less yellow i would love this. 


Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser
This is my newest addition. I had heard loads of people raving about LM on other blogs and thought i'd splash out and give it a try. I went for the illuminating formula as i felt that this had the best colour match for me and i felt i needed some added "glow" over the winter months. At the moment, i loooove this product and have been using it now for around 3/4 months. The reviews were not wrong and it is the best TM i have ever used. I do think that it is more the consistency of a foundation than a TM but for me over the last few months this has been ideal. I currently wear this with a little powder over the top or mixed with another foundation to tone down the glow a little. I don't find that it is too shimmery, although i am yet to try it on a hot sunny day, when it would really show up. 


I feel that the LM is almost not comparable to the other two TM's because they feel like they serve a different purpose. i use LM as a foundation and Dermalogica/You Rebel as a moisturiser with a hint of colour. I will probably repurchase LM but i'd also really like to try the non illuminating oil free version. If i feel that porcelain can work for me i will probably try this one out for the summer. Yes they are expensive, but for something i use every day i'm happy to pay the £32 and honestly i feel that most of the time (there are exceptions) you get what you pay for.


In Conclusion
I've been impressed in different ways by all three but Laura Mercier Illuminating TM is definately worth trying if you havn't already, it is one of the rare products that has lived up to the hype. If you have darker skin i would also try You Rebel original and You Rebel Lite for NC15/20s because these are still good products and a little more affordable.