Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20

The final time that I used my Sephora VIB 15% coupon (it is finally expired!) was to actually purpose a product that I really needed, I had no tinted moisturizers in my collection and I found that my primer/foundation/concealer/loose powder routine was not the best choice when I had to get ready to go in a huge hurry.  I needed a product that I could use quickly in the morning and still create a flawless face.  I have used the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in the past and I really liked the finish and coverage that it gave me, however the makeup artist at the counter used it on me and showed me a concealer to use with it so that I cover add an additional layer of coverage to red areas or dark circles.  I was undecided whether or not to just rebuy the Laura Mercier product since I really liked it but in the end I decided that I wanted to try a product from a different brand.  I then decided that I wanted to try a brand that I don't own very much from.  After wandering around the busy store and looking at every single tinted moisturizer that I found, I decided to try the product from Stila.

I found a great description on this product on the company's website.  "Stila's iconic tinted moisturizer got a makeover!  Introducing the new and improved Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 that is now WATER RESISTANT!  It's more than just makeup; it's sheer lumimous color infused with light-diffusing pigments to help diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles, plus it includes skin-enhancing ingredients such as ginger root extract, gingko biloba leaf extract and chamomile for anti-oxidant protection.  This revolutionary oil-free, tinted moisturizer multitasks as a skin-hydrating, skintone-perfecting, SPF-protecting complexion enhancer.  The micro-fine light diffusing pigments create a sheer wash of natural color and help diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles.  Its oil-free formula melts right into the skin and dries down, creating a gorgeous glow without the tackiness or greasiness."

This product is available in ten shades, not quite as big a shade selection as Laura Mercier but most people are still able to find a good match to their skintone.  My shade is Fair, the palest shade that is recommended for porcelain to fair complexions.  I tried this shade on one hand and the Bare shade on the other hand.  The Bare shade was made for fair skin with neutral undertones, it was slightly too dark for my skin and didn't look as natural as the Fair shade.  The other product that I tried was the Urban Defense product from Urban Decay, the coverage and SPF are comparable but the Halo (light) shade was too warm and too dark for my skin.  The shade choice was what pretty much made my decision to purchase the Stila product, I won't be able to use the Urban Decay product unless more shades are introduced.

I applied this product to bare skin with my hands, in the past I have used tinted moistuizers on top of skin cream or primer however I felt that this type of use actually detracted from the product and made the wear much worse but didn't add to the benefits of the product.  This product gave better-than-average coverage for a tinted moisturizer (major reason that I chose this product based on product recommendations from the associates at Sephora) and lasted all day.  I haven't tried the water resistant aspect of this product yet, I have only worn it out running and around the house on my day off.  This product held up well when I was sweating during my run so I can see that it would perform well on a rainy day or at pool party.  This product was hydrating enough to make my skin soft, but I can't see that it will be hydrating enough in the fall and winter months.  This is going to be an exclusively warm weather product for me, the time of the year that I try to wear less makeup anyway.

This is a good choice for a tinted moisturizer if you want a product that still gives medium coverage, this one could be too heavy for ladies who hate foundation but it is a great product for ladies who typically wear foundation every single day.  I like the shade range of this product, it was pretty easy for me to find a really close match to my skintone.  I still wish that tinted moisturizers had no SPF in them, they don't cover well enough for the SPF to be effective and having the SPF 20 in this product dilutes any other SPF that you would use during the day.  An SPF 20 is not high enough for me when I am out running in the summer months and would be much too low at the beach or pool.  Why do all tinted moisturizers contain an SPF 20?  Does anyone have an answer to this question?

photo courtesy of Stila