Tinted moisturisers are a mainstay in many morning makeup and skincare routines, offering a simplified way to approach your makeup base (or forgo one at all). We're always eager to deploy products into our routine that can combine several of our daily skincare and makeup steps into one (whether it be colour correction, an extra dose of SPF, primer or foundation). Tinted moisturisers can come in all shapes and sizes, offering promises of a no-fuss, your-skin-but-better complexion. But while the range and diversity of choice excites us, it can also feel overwhelming. Where on earth do we start?

But we're here to help you take the stress out of making the right choice for your skin. Whether you have a sensitive, dry or oily complexion. Whether your spend limit is big or small. No matter if you're prioritising broad-spectrum protection or a perfectly glowy complexion – we've got you covered, and have rounded up our favourite tinted moisturisers and skin tints for every category, concern and budget. Take a look below at our picks of the best products on the market right now. You can thank us later.

Best for: Sensitive skin

Irritants in makeup products can be hard to avoid, but if you have sensitive skin, we know that finding something that works for you is at the top of your priority list. Our favourite tinted moisturisers that are especially formulated for signs of reactivity (including redness, bumpy texture and irritation) include Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Skin Perfecting Tint, Tower 28 SunnyDays Tinted Sunscreen Foundation and Kosas Dreambeam Comfy Smooth Tinted Base with SPF 40.

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Skin Perfecting Tint

Tower 28 SunnyDays Tinted Sunscreen Foundation

Kosas Dreambeam Comfy Smooth Tinted Base with SPF 40

Best for: Oily or acne-prone skin

Oily skin and foundation can find it hard to be friends. It's only natural that we end up opting for lighter, skincare-adjacent tinted moisturisers over the heavy foundation, in order to let our skin breath throughout the day. Some of our favourite oily-skin friendly tinted moisturisers are Laura Mercier Skin Tint Blurred Matte, Merit The Uniform Tinted SPF, and Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Skin Perfecting Tint Matte. All three offer gentle hydration for stripped-back skin, with Merit and Bare Minerals offering the added bonus of an SPF. The Merit formula is even specifically formulated without potentially pore-clogging ingredients.

Laura Mercier Skin Tint Blurred Matte

Merit The Uniform Tinted SPF

Bareminerals Complexion Rescue Skin Perfecting Tint Matte

Best for: Redness

Colour correction and calming treatments coalesce in the form of ERBORIAN CC Red Correct, and DR. JART+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Colour Correcting Treatment. These products offer the function of covering and correcting redness and rosacea on the skin, while also working to soothe and relieve inflammation throughout the day.

ERBORIAN CC Red Correct

DR. JART+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Colour Correcting Treatment

Best for: Dry skin

As we head into Spring, it's important that we put focus on hydration that's simultaneously lightweight. Our go-to formulas that fit this bill include: Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturiser, CHANEL Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint and Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint. Each act as a salve for dehydrated skin, while also offering subtle colour correction.

Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturiser

CHANEL Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint

Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint

Best for: Glowy finish

If you're looking for that perfectly dewy 'glazed donut' finish from your tinted moisturiser, our picks are Kosas BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser and Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops. Kosas and Westman Atelier offer a lightweight, radiant finish that will give you a your your-skin-but-better feel, while Nars offers a glowy solution with a little more coverage.

Kosas BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser

Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops

Best for: Sun protection

You need a dedicated sunscreen daily, especially in Australia as we head into summer. But with that being said, there are a range of great skin tints that offer additional SPF protection. If you're looking for an extra boost of SPF in your skincare, look to SUPERGOOP! Protectint and RATIONALE The Tinted Serum SPF50+.

SUPERGOOP! Protectint

RATIONALE The Tinted Serum SPF50+

Best for: When you're on a budget

We know that buying an expensive skin care product isn't always within budget, and if you're looking for an option that doesn't require a splurge, our picks are Maybelline Superstay Skin Tint, and the L'Oréal Bright Reveal Tinted SPF. Each offer a hydrating formula and radiant finish, without asking you to break the bank.

Maybelline Superstay Skin Tint

L'Oréal Bright Reveal Tinted SPF

Images: @merit, Mecca