Top Tinted Moisturizer Products Under $20

If you're still wearing heavy foundation, you're missing out on one of the most revolutionary developments in cosmetics: the tinted moisturizer. Like foundation, a tinted moisturizer will even out skin tone, cover flaws, and serve as a base for your cosmetics. The difference between traditional foundation and tinted moisturizer?

Tinted moisturizer goes on light, hydrates your skin, and provides protection against the damaging effects of the sun. (Remember, 90 percent of wrinkles are caused by the sun's UVA light.) Moreover, the sheer coverage of a tinted moisturizer gives your face a natural glow. Some tinted moisturizers even help reduce the appearance of tiny lines, and shave years off your appearance. If you haven't tried a tinted moisturizer before, you're missing out on a lighter, healthier look.

And don't think that you can't afford it. First of all, you'll save money on just buying one product instead of a separate foundation and moisturizer. Secondly, there are a number of excellent options all under $20. Here's just a sample of top tinted moisturizers that won't hurt your wallet.

1. Revlon Age Defying Light Makeup with Botafirm for Every Skin. Winner of the Best Tinted Moisturizer in 2005, Revlon has designed a near perfect product. Offering strong SPF 30 protection, it's also non-pore-clogging and designed for sensitive skin. Best of all, it's sweatproof, making it ideal for summer wear. It visibly firms skin, reduces the appearance of fine lines, and conceals blemishes without looking heavy. If you love to look natural and not overly made-up, Revlon's tinted moisturizer is the way to go. Give it fourteen days and you'll never go back to your old foundation.

   
   

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3. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer Tinted Moisturizer. Neutrogena's tinted moisturizer combines a vitamin-infused Retinol treatment, the protection of SPF 20 moisturizer, and sheer tint in a single application. It's one of the best products on the market, and glides on with barely-there smoothness. The end result is a cosmetic that gives you healthier skin. The only downside of this product is that it doesn't stand up to heavy perspiration as well as one would wish, but it does put up an admirable fight.

   
   

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5. Wet n' Wild Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer. When it comes to cosmetics, Wet n' Wild is the dime-store cousin of real cosmetics, and usually relegated to the end of the aisle where the teenagers can find it. But when it comes to their tinted moisturizer, Wet n' Wild offers a superior product. This tinted moisturizer stood up better to perspiration than products that cost three and four times as much, and still offered a lightweight coverage and an adequate sunscreen. Plus, the packaging is convenient, and avoid spills for those last minute applications in the car. It doesn't offer anything in the way of retinol treatments or vitamin infusions, but it does moisturize your skin and provide perfect coverage without being too sheer.

   
   

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7. OLAY Complete Plus Ultra-Rich Tinted Moisturizer. Olay's tinted moisturizer is bound to do wonders for your skin with its rich creams and emollients. It is intense moisture for extra dry skin and works actively for 12 hours, without re-application. So, as a tinted moisturizer, you can just put it on and forget about it while it makes you look younger hour after hour. But some consumers report an oily texture, and the color matching to skin tone is not ideal.

   
   

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9. Cover Girl CG Smoothers. Cover girl has excellent skin tone matching, and a nice compact container for their tinted moisturizer. With SPF 15, this tinted moisturizer also offers reasonable sunscreen protection. Cover Girl's tinted moisturizer goes on sheer, but some consumers report that it goes on a little bit too sheer, providing only the lightest coverage. It also had a tendency to run with perspiration more than other brands of its class, so keep those drawbacks in mind.
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