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.

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

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

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

Favorite Sunscreen: Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 Sunscreen

Shop More Editor-Loved Skin Tints