This $14 Tinted Moisturizer Plumps and Smooths My Dry, Textured Skin
Ulta Beauty
Due to a decade-long battle with acne, my skin has some texture to it (think: craters, discoloration, enlarged pores along my cheeks and chin). Most days, it doesn't bother me, and through my work as a beauty writer, I have even found some amazing products that have smoothed my complexion. However, when it comes to makeup, those lumps and bumps become magnified by most foundations, especially as my sensitive, combination skin becomes drier and more irritated under that coverage. Plus, the added glowiness from trending primers, concealers, and skin tints only makes texture more prominent.
Of course, I, too, want to achieve the blemish-free, 'clean girl' look that everyone on TikTok is striving for. To get that even, dewy complexion, I always return to the same lightweight, blurring product I've sworn by for years: the Colourpop Pretty Fresh Hyaluronic Acid Tinted Moisturizer.
Ulta Beauty
Buy It: Colourpop Pretty Fresh Hyaluronic Acid Tinted Moisturizer, $14, Ulta.com
Colourpop Pretty Fresh Hyaluronic Acid Tinted Moisturizer Key Features
How I tested: I've used it two to three times a week for three years.
Perfect for: Dry, sensitive, and textured skin.
What you'll love: It plumps and hydrates your skin while blurring imperfections
Keep in mind: This is not a full-coverage foundation; it's slightly too sheer to completely obscure large blemishes and dark spots, but I find that a little concealer on top does the trick.
Key Ingredient: Hyaluronic acid
If you're not already familiar with the magic that is hyaluronic acid, here's a quick 101: A sugar that can contain 1000 times its weight in water, this hero skin-care ingredient restores moisture to the skin, giving it a plumped-up firmness and healthy glow. The star in this formula, the ingredient soothes and moisturizes away dullness from my face, compared to other skin tints that suck the life out of it, leaving it dry. What's more, this moisturizer also contains vitamin C-packed fruit extract, which brightens and evens my complexion and reverses sun damage.
Three years after my first purchase, this is one product you can find in my bag no matter where I'm headed, especially in the summer when a boost of hydration is a must. In addition to never causing skin flare ups or breakouts, this lightweight tint looks just as good in the first hour of wear as it does in the fourth, and glides on so smoothly that it looks like a perfect version of my skin.
If your sensitive, combination, and/or textured skin has you in a serious makeup rut, I guarantee this tinted moisturizer will save you so much time and stress the next time you're getting ready. Shop it on Ulta for just $14.
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