I Tried Selena Gomez’s New Tinted Moisturizer and Won’t Go Back

As someone with acne-prone skin, I typically look for foundations that will cover up my blemishes. My search often leaves me coming up short, considering I also like a more natural to dewy finish with my complexion products. That means finding a foundation that strikes the perfect balance between full coverage and lightweight on the skin was really starting to feel like trying to find a unicorn. Then one night, I was scrolling on Instagram and saw that Rare Beauty released a new tinted moisturizer.

In a video featuring influencer Eni Popoola, who has been open about her experience with acne, Popoola applies the Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 ($29) to one side of her face to show the difference it makes. Not only does the formula cover up her hyperpigmentation, but the finish is so natural, it’s as if she doesn’t have foundation on at all. After also seeing the exquisite shade match that she achieved, I knew I had to try it myself.

One particular part of the experience with choosing tinted moisturizer that I enjoyed was how easy it was to get an accurate shade match online – even if you have never tried other Rare Beauty complexion products. The entire line features 24 shades in total, and it covers a wide variety of deep to fair tones, so there are plenty of options to choose from. For my shade, I chose 44N.

The formula comes in a small, sleek squeeze tube with a droplet applicator. This made it extremely easy to control the amount of product that came out, a feature that I really appreciated. Taking my NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation Brush ($15), I applied the product directly onto the brush. While the tinted moisturizer does have a liquid consistency, it didn’t immediately sink to the bottom of the brush, which gave me time to dot the product onto a larger surface area of my face in one go.

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Once I started blending the tinted moisturizer onto my face, I was immediately impressed with the coverage. I have quite a bit of hyperpigmentation and active breakouts, so I typically have to either build up a foundation or go back and add concealer. Not only was this product covering my blemishes, but it did so with just one layer, which I was completely shocked by.

Once I was done applying it all over, I quickly marked it down as my new go-to base product for summer. It left a soft, natural finish that felt neither too matte nor too dewy and will be perfect to see me through the hotter months. It covered up my breakouts seamlessly, yet my skin also did not feel like it had been caked on with pounds of makeup.

There is nothing about this tinted moisturizer that I don’t love. Everything from the packaging to the finish and even slight scent of sunscreen that reminds me of the beach – I can’t sing its praises enough. (Maybe just not as well as Selena Gomez.)

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