Hot Take, But I Prefer This $18 Drugstore Skin Tint to My Highest-End Foundation

I’ll admit it: I’m a makeup snob through and through. I want eye shadows with bold pigment, eyeliners that never smudge (unless I want to go Charli XCX grunge), and featherweight foundations that make my skin look perfect. Am I asking for too much? With most products, yes. With this one specific drugstore buy, no.

E.l.f Cosmetics has long been lauded for its budget-friendly products that boast comparative results to high-end, pricey purchases. I’ve personally shopped the brand since my early high school days, repeatedly stocking up on things like the Glow Reviver Lip Oil and the famous Putty Bronzer when my budget was that of a part-time lifeguard and hostess. But now that my job requires me to test new beauty products every day, I’ve been exposed to a labyrinth of makeup on all ends of the price spectrum—and to be honest, I usually favor the expensive designer brands. So when something makes me deviate from the Chanel, Prada, and Armani beauty products that line my shelves, I scream about it from the rooftops… especially when that thing hails from the drugstore.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first tried the e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Skin Tint a few months ago, but I certainly didn’t think I’d forsake my normal go-to foundations, sunscreens, and tinted moisturizers for this skin-blurring elixir. I was a woman possessed, taking selfies from every angle and marveling at my skin in every bathroom mirror—even Who What Wear senior editor Jamie Schneider stopped me to tell me that my skin looked “porcelain.” She was shocked to hear that it wasn’t a byproduct of some expensive facial or an extra-glowy foundation but an affordable hybrid from a slept-on brand.

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About the e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Skin Tint

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Halo Glow Skin Tint SPF 50

Pros: Ultra-light feel, hydrating formula, high SPF rating, luminous finish

Cons: May be too glowy for those with oily skin

Key ingredients: Zinc oxide (mineral), niacinamide, bisabolol

Customer review: “VERY impressed. Lightweight, glowy, and no white cast. Gives light coverage with skincare benefits and SPF 50—perfect for no-makeup days. Not greasy. Affordable and effective!”

Where to begin? Hydrating, protective, and air-light—all words that describe the high-quality skin tint in this low-priced tube. I appreciate thin formulas that don’t require much to get the job done, especially during sweltering summers, and this serum-like formula checked every box. It first and foremost is a mineral sunscreen, boasting SPF 50 (higher than any of the other staple skin makeup products in my collection) and water resistance for up to 80 minutes. The formula comes in 18 flexible shades ranging from fair to deep and rich, with three different undertone options (cool, warm, and neutral). Plus, no white cast… ever.

Because these shades are flexible, I’ve found that I can bounce between a few hues on days when I want an exact color match and days when I want to look a bit more bronze. The less I apply, the sheerer my look, and the more I apply, the easier it is to build up the pigment to a foundation-level façade. But it doesn’t just make my skin look great, it makes it feel even better.

As someone with perennially dry skin, it’s important that my makeup products not only make my skin look flawless but do something good for it in the interim. It makes sense that this formula is as light and absorbent as a serum because it offers many of the same benefits as serums I use on the regular. Its ingredient list is packed with names like niacinamide (controls redness, minimizes the appearance of pores, and evens the skin tone), bisabolol (soothes skin and seals hydration), and allantoin (moisturizes skin and reduces irritation), creating a skincare-makeup hybrid that likely costs less than any of the products on your shelf.

The Wear Test(s)

One thing you should know about me is that when I find a product I love, I fixate on it—which means that since receiving this skin tint in May, I have worn it practically every day since.

Its first big outing was on a long weekend trip to Sonoma, California, where I needed to pack light and streamline my makeup routine. Dry conditions, 90-degree temperatures, and wine-induced flushes awaiting, this environment seemed like the perfect place to put this tint to the test. Despite hopping from one vineyard to another under the sweaty Western sun, my makeup stayed almost entirely intact, and my face remained protected from the sun—even when I forgot to wear a hat. My friends were so enamored by the cute pink packaging that they, too, slathered a bit of serum on their skin during our weekend stay.

When I came home from my trip, I still couldn’t put this light-as-air serum down—especially since I returned to New York City during an unexpected heat wave and couldn’t be bothered to apply anything heavier. Schneider looked at me during an in-person meeting that week and told me that my skin looked “porcelain,” and she was shocked to hear that it was the result of a drugstore elixir.

I went on to an event that night—only stopping home to slather glittery green eye shadow across my lids and change into a matching top—and my makeup stayed glowy, even, and in place, despite more than 10 hours of wear when it was all said and done.

How It Compares

As aforementioned, I have a lot of staple skin products that I swear by. While I’m not the biggest skincare girlie (sue me), I love a good pore-blurring makeup product—and I’m going to break down exactly why I gravitate toward this drugstore buy over some of the other starting players in my lineup. (And on the other hand, when I’d reach for my classics over this new favorite.)

Favorite Foundation: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Natural Glow Foundation

Armani Beauty

Luminous Silk Natural Glow Foundation

Similarities: Blurs skin, adds radiance, feels weightless

Differences: Much higher price, better coverage

I need not be the umpteenth beauty editor to urge you to buy this foundation (no really, we all recommend it), but allow me to indulge you for just a second. This lightweight formula is serum-like in its own way, offering a realistic glow without making your skin look or feel oily. (Its formula is oil-free, actually.) I trust this foundation for special occasions or any outings that I want my skin to look spectacular for—its blurring, tone and texture-evening, and radiance-boosting effects makes your complexion look ethereal in real life and on the other side of a camera lens.

However, since I tend to only reach for this bottle every once in a while, I recommend the e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow for everyday glam. Its low price point makes me feel less guilty about using it in higher doses, and its protective SPF properties make me feel more confident about daytime wear (since the Luminous Silk lacks it). While the formulas of these two aren’t super comparable, the end results are quite visually aligned.

Favorite Tinted Moisturizer: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Dewy With SPF 30

Laura Mercier

Tinted Moisturizer Natural Dewy With SPF 30

Similarities: Contains SPF, hydrates skin, evens texture and tone

Differences: Lower SPF rating, pricier, more moisturizing

While I love the celebrated Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer year-round, I see this product and the e.l.f. Cosmetics skin tint as seasonal counterparts to one another. The Laura Mercier moisturizer contains many of the same benefits as this drugstore skin-perfector: It hydrates the skin, lasts all day, cancels out redness (yes, even for those of us with rosacea!), and protects the skin with a layer of outdoor-safe SPF—even for summer activities with sweat and water. (SPF 30 is the baseline, Sheila Farhang, MD, previously told Who What Wear.)

Though they share many of the same qualities, I favor the skin tint to the moisturizer in the summer, and vice versa in the winter. The Halo Glow’s consistency is much thinner than the Tinted Moisturizer, which allows the skin to breathe more easily in hot and humid conditions. It also has a higher SPF rating, clocking in at 50 rather than Laura Mercier’s SPF 30. However, the Tinted Moisturizer’s hydration-rich formula is thicker than the Halo Glow’s, offering a richer skin experience and nourishing my winter-dry skin more effectively than the skin tint would be able to. When the weather cools off, I’ll likely make the switch back.

Favorite Sunscreen: Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 Sunscreen

Supergoop!

Glowscreen SPF 40 Sunscreen

Similarities: Hydrating formula, luminous finish, sheer tint

Differences: Smaller shade range, lower SPF rating, higher price tag

For hot days that require makeup, I don’t hesitate to reach for the Supergoop Glowscreen. Rated WWW’s favorite tinted sunscreen, this formula brings its A game when it comes to sun protection, lit-from-within luminosity, and soothing hydration. It doesn’t hurt that that this sunscreen doubles as a fantastic makeup primer, too. However, there are a few instances when I will opt for the e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow over this SPF-boosted formula.

Both share hydrating, skin-illuminating, and soothing qualities, but the skin tint offers more of a foundation-like finish as opposed to the sheer, natural wash of color that the sunscreen provides. Though I can trust the Glowscreen to douse me in a sunkissed bronze thanks to its flexible shades (despite how much smaller its shade range is than the Halo Glow’s), I can rely on the Halo Glow for a more pigmented, buildable finish on days when I want more coverage. It depends on the outing: If I’m doing something casual that doesn’t require all-day skin perfection, I’ll apply the Glowscreen Sunscreen. If I want many of the same benefits and the option to build up coverage, I’ll apply the Halo Glow Skin Tint.

Shop More Editor-Loved Skin Tints

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Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator Tinted Skin Veil

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Tint & Protect Medium Coverage Serum Foundation SPF 50+

Get your skin protection and wear it, too.

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SunnyDays Tinted SPF 30

A mineral sunscreen-foundation hybrid specifically made for sensitive skin.