Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer New Formula Review

September 3, 2019

Laura Mercier just revamped her Tinted Moisturizer and Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating into new formulas and I’ve been testing them for the past couple of weeks. The original was considered a cult-classic for that dewy no-makeup makeup look and while it was wildly popular I found it hit or miss for me with the colors and formula. The new versions now come with higher SPF 30, new packaging and new ingredients. The active ingredients for the sunscreen include Octinoxate 7.49%, Avobenzone 2.5%, Octocrylene 2% and Oxybenzone 1%. You can find the new versions out now at Laura Mercier and Sephora.

If you were a fan of the original I’d recommend you buy a tube or two sooner than later as they usually pull them from stores and counters when new formulas are released. You can still find it online at a few places right now but I suspect they will be pulled eventually.

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New Tinted Moisturizer – Sand 3N1

It has been a long time since I’ve worn her original Tinted Moisturizer. I reviewed it numerous times over the years and have always had a love/hate relationship with it. In San Diego I could only wear it in winter and even though the formula was sheer I never found the colors to be a good match. Sand is what I wore back in the day but it was always a touch too warm and oxidized just slightly giving my skin a peach look that didn’t quite go with my yellow/golden neck. The new Tinted Moisturizer works much better for my skin type and skin tone right now. Your mileage may vary depending on what your skin can tolerate for sunscreen ingredients but I had no issues, irritation or clogging of pores. There are 20 shades and she has three different color undertones C for Cool, N for Neutral and W for Warm. I find the colors work better for me now with my sunny Florida tan.

The Tinted Moisturizer has a dewy look with a very sheer finish. Coverage is barely there but it does a decent job at evening out the skin in the most natural fresh way. I fully expected it to be too dewy for me and did not think it would last the day in Florida humidity but it surprised me! Indoors it holds up pretty well. Outside even at the beach it holds up ok, it stayed put even after some swimming, but it does get more dewy looking when you sweat. Since I don’t have perfect skin and need more coverage I find layering her Flawless Fusion Concealer and setting with her Translucent Loose Powder or Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Powder on top gives me a good look.

I was sent the color 3W1 Bisque which I can definitely wear but I felt it warmed up just a little when it set and was a bit too dark so I bought 3N1 Sand at Sephora. I have a look below with bare skin vs. tinted moisturizer vs. full makeup look below. Coverage is very very sheer. I’ve tested it over bare skin and also over other moisturizers and it works well either way. Moisturizers I’ve tested it with include the Chanel Camellia Water Cream, Farmacy Honey Drop Moisturizer and Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream.

Shown Below:

Bare Skin
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand 3N1 and Bisque 3W1 swatched
Sand 3N1 applied all over
Full look wearing:
- Base: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand
- No concealer
- Powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Shade 2
- Blush: Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in Sex on Fire
- Eyes: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer Diffused Bronze Light + Scattered Light in Blaze
- Brows: Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown
- Lipstick: Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel in Beige Intime

Ingredients Tinted Moisturizer: ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: AVOBENZONE 2.5%, OCTINOXATE 7.49%, OCTOCRYLENE 2.0%, OXYBENZONE 1.0%

INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: WATER, GLYCERIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, DIMETHICONE, PEG/PPG-14/7 DIMETHYL ETHER, HYDROGENATED POLYDECENE, PEG-5 GLYCERYL STEARATE, ISODODECANE, SILICA, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, TREHALOSE, PHENOXYETHANOL, TOCOPHEROL, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, MACADAMIA TERNIFOLIA SEED OIL, ALEURITES MOLUCCANUS SEED OIL, RHUS VERNICIFLUA PEEL WAX, TAMARINDUS INDICA SEED GUM, SACCHARIDE ISOMERATE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, ISOSTEARIC ACID, GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, POLYSILICONE-11, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, BEHENIC ACID, STEARIC ACID, BATYL ALCOHOL, HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE STEAROXY ETHER, PEG-30 PHYTOSTEROL, DISODIUM EDTA, SODIUM METAPHOSPHATE, CARBOMER, POLYACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER-6, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, BHT, SODIUM CITRATE, CITRIC ACID, T-BUTYL ALCOHOL. MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE, IRON OXIDES.

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New Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating – Warm Radiance

The new Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating formula comes in 6 shades and has a soft shimmer. It adds radiance all over. As long as I set with a powder the shimmer/dewy effect is cancelled out just enough that I don’t end up looking too shimmery. This has a similar effect to the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter on my skin, but the Laura Mercier is sheerer, more dewy and not quite as pigmented. Below is an application demo, the color sheers out when blended.

Bare Skin
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance cheek swatched
Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance blended on part of face (cheeks to jaw)
Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance blended all over the face
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer 3N added for more coverage and blended (blending step not shown)
Added Laura Mercier Translucent Loose setting powder with brush and Rouge Essentiel Lipstick in Nude Nouveau

Closer look at just the Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance applied/blended all over:

Versus full makeup look with added concealer + powder etc. Wearing Kosas Color and Light Pressed Powder Duo in Papaya 1972 on cheeks and Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Nude Nouveau + Lip Glace in Opal on top.

Illuminating Ingredients: ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: AVOBENZONE 2.5%; OCTINOXATE 7.49%; OCTOCRYLENE 2.0%; OXYBENZONE 1.0% INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: WATER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, MICA, DIMETHICONE, PEG/PPG-14/7 DIMETHYL ETHER, HYDROGENATED POLYDECENE, PEG-5 GLYCERYL STEARATE, ISODODECANE, TREHALOSE, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT, ASCOPHYLLUM NODOSUM EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL, ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDE, SACCHARIDE ISOMERATE, ISOSTEARIC ACID,SILICA, GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, POLYSILICONE-11, BEHENYLALCOHOL, BEHENIC ACID, STEARIC ACID, BATYL ALCOHOL,HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE STEAROXY ETHER,PEG-30 PHYTOSTEROL, SODIUM METAPHOSPHATE, CARBOMER,POLYACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER-6, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE,CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE, T-BUTYL ALCOHOL, DISODIUMEDTA, BHT, PHENOXYETHANOL, POTASSIUM SORBATE.MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CARMINE, IRON OXIDES.

Swatches next to some corresponding color names in other formulas, left to right, all Laura Mercier:

Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance
Tinted Moisturizer 3N1 Sand
Flawless Fusion Concealer 3N
Flawless Fusion Foundation in 3N1 Buff
Tinted Moisturizer 3W1 Bisque
Flawless Fusion Concealer 3W
Flawless Fusion Foundation in 3W1 Dusk

A few swatch comparisons:

Chanel Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Tint in Medium and Medium Plus (review here)
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand and Bisque
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz (too yellow for me now)
YSL Touche Eclat All-in-One Glow in B40 (too warm for me now)

Overall I like both formulas a lot more than I anticipated. I have normal combination skin most of the year, although it does get quite dry with the weather changes here and non-stop AC. I almost always prefer medium to full coverage on most days so the Tinted Moisturizer formula isn’t something I feel like I’d gravitate towards on most days. I really love the fresh look it gives but I do need to add concealer and a tinted powder on top to even out my skin the way I want. If you have super oily skin I do think it might be too dewy for you. I like the new formula a lot better than the original.

Compared to other tinted sheer coverage bases I still love the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer but don’t have a good color match at the moment. The YSL Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow in B40 is too dark for me but I haven’t looked to see if the next shade down is a better match since I like other foundation formulas better.

I think it’s worth looking into if you don’t want or need a lot of coverage. You can find the new Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizers out now at Laura Mercier and Sephora. Some other stores still have the original but I suspect they’ll be pulling them soon.