Mixed Makeup has worked her way through more than 30 moisturizers, and the vast majority get her stamp of approval. She approves at an approval rate of 85%, which means she skips almost nothing. What she does do, though, is get very specific about fit: the right moisturizer for dry skin is not the right moisturizer for oily skin, and she says so plainly.
What does Mixed Makeup recommend in moisturizers?
Across her approved takes, she keeps coming back to the same thing: a good moisturizer has to match the person using it. She rated The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA as a midweight option she thinks works for most skin types, praising its amino acids for helping the skin barrier without leaving skin greasy. For drier skin, she pointed to First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream as a richer pick that still sits well under makeup and sunscreen. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 is one she has used for a long time and travels with, partly because it contains no preservatives, which she notes can sometimes irritate very sensitive skin. Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream got a nod for its texture, and the Dieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Firming Moisturizer earned one of her warmest takes, calling it 'like heaven'. She also flagged the iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Extreme Cream Anti-Aging, Firming & Lifting Moisturizer as something that piqued her interest after hearing praise from others in the industry.
In her words
"I have been a stan of this La Roche-Posay cream for so long. This also travels with me. The reason why I love this so much, especially when I travel, is because it doesn't have any preservatives in it. [...] There are times when my skin is so super sensitive I want the most basic, basic, basic, and sometimes preservatives can be a little bit irritating to the skin. [...] When you're traveling [...] and your skin is just so dry or something, this ends up being the perfect moisturizer to put on."
"I have been really liking this Tatcha moisturizer. It's the lighter version. [...] It feels nice, super nice. I like the texture of it."
"If you need something that's a little bit richer but can still be nice underneath your makeup and underneath your sunscreen, the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is a really nice one. It's going to be a little bit thicker because it has ingredients like shea butter in it, but it's super nourishing for your skin. If you do have super dry skin, you might want something that's a little bit thicker."
"The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA moisturizer is a really nice midweight moisturizer. It has super nourishing ingredients in there, has a ton of different amino acids that help to strengthen and support your skin barrier, and it just feels nice and creamy but not too heavy. It doesn't leave your skin looking greasy, so I find that it's just a really nice moisturizer for most skin types but especially for someone with dry skin."
"I saw [...] Alex the Cosmetic Chemist, the founder of Educated Mess, raving about this specific moisturizer. [...] The more I talk to people [...] in this industry, it turns out even people who work for me on my team at Narium really love the founder of iNNBEAUTY PROJECT. A lot of their products actually are really interesting to me, [...] so I'm going to pick up this moisturizer because it piques my interest."
"Do Skin has the most incredible moisturizer, the Instant Angel, which is just like heaven."
How many moisturizers has Mixed Makeup reviewed?
Mixed Makeup has reviewed 33 moisturizers, for an approval rate of 85%. 28 approved, 4 mixed, and 1 skipped.
What has Mixed Makeup skipped in moisturizers?
She gave the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré (Radiant Complexion Cream) a clear Nay, and her reasoning is useful to anyone who has heard it hyped as a universal must-have. She finds it too thick for many people and is direct that someone with oily skin will not benefit from it, especially under makeup. She says she has never had it in her pro kit. Beyond that one exception, she skipped very little across her whole record here.
"This is boring. [...] It's so thick, not everybody needs a thicker [product]. It really makes me mad when people say like everyone needs Embryolisse, no they don't. Not everyone is going to survive it. A really oily skinned client is not going to benefit from having Embryolisse under their makeup, period. You [...] will not find it in my Pro kit. I've never seen it actually."
What should you take from Mixed Makeup's picks?
If you are trying to figure out which moisturizer to reach for, Mixed Makeup's record is a helpful one: she approves a wide range of them, but she always ties her praise to a skin type. Her advice is less about finding the single best moisturizer and more about matching the texture and richness to what your skin actually needs.
Watch Mixed Makeup say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré (Radiant Complexion Cream)Skipped itWatch at 12:17
- La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5Rated itWatch at 15:24
- Tatcha Dewy Skin CreamRated itWatch at 1:02
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair CreamRated itWatch at 15:39
- The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HARated itWatch at 14:47
- iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Extreme Cream Anti-Aging, Firming & Lifting MoisturizerRated itWatch at 6:50
- Dieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Firming MoisturizerRated itWatch at 2:59
- Prequel Advanced Relief 10% Urea Moisturizing MilkRated itWatch at 17:00
- The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing & Plumping Moisturizer + Barrier StrengtheningRated itWatch at 26:41
- Lancôme Cream SkinRated itWatch at 2:58
- Skin Rocks Rich Moisturizer Face CreamRated itWatch at 15:13
- Then I Met You Bong Bong Bounce CreamRated itWatch at 18:15
- Pyunkang Yul Nutrition Cream Blue LabelRated itWatch at 16:53
- Ntorium Multipeptide MoisturizerRated itWatch at 8:06
- Topicals Faded CreamRated itWatch at 27:19
- Altruist Anti-Redness Pigmentation Fighting Moisturizer LightRated itWatch at 26:53
- Jordan Samuel Skin Antioxidant Treatment EmulsionRated itWatch at 10:00
- Kosas Gel Liner PencilsRated itWatch at 6:43
- Crown Affair Finishing GelRated itWatch at 9:17
- Jergens Natural Glow Wet Skin MoisturizerRated itWatch at 15:10
- Curel Intensive Moisture Care Moisture Facial MilkRated itWatch at 8:39
- Herbivore Botanicals Pink Cloud Moisture CreamRated itWatch at 6:12
- Augustinus Bader Rich CreamRated itWatch at 20:33
- Biafine Topical EmulsionRated itWatch at 7:40
About this expert
See everything Mixed Makeup has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what Mixed Makeup said across her videos about 33 products in moisturizers, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.