e.l.f.

e.l.f. Halo Glow Skin Tint.

Foundation

About this product

A tinted skin product from e.l.f. Cosmetics that gives sheer, glowy coverage and is labelled as a mineral broad-spectrum SPF 50 that is water resistant for 80 minutes.

Full ingredients

Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isododecane, Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone, Tridecyl Salicylate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Propanediol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, C13-15 Alkane, Silica, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Sodium Chloride, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenoxyethanol, Bisabolol, Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide

Guru Score

59%

Mixed

4 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

The SPF 50 on the label doesn't hold up at the amount you'd really apply, and that's the sticking point. Gurus who tried it call it a foundation, not a sunscreen, and one test landed around SPF 25. As a tint it earns praise for a glow that doesn't go orange or ashy, though wear and coverage run thin. A translucent powder tones down the shine.

Synthesized from 4 expert reviews · most recent take December 2025

What they liked

Sheer, blendable coverage at pea-sized amount
Doesn't oxidize orange on fair warm skin

What they flagged

Pills over other sunscreens
Pricey for a tinted foundation

Type

FoundationLiquid

Key actives

NiacinamideSPF

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Excess oil and shine1 expert

“If you wanted to tone that down, I would set this with either a translucent powder or if you have a face powder, a colored face powder, you can do that too, to tone down some of the shine.”

The Style and Beauty Doctor, watch at 0:55

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

AliceintheRabbitHole

59k subs

~Nay

"I included the ELF Skin Tint SPF fifty as my worst skin tint and my worst sunscreen of the year, it is not a sunscreen. Some people said that even if a pea sized amount doesn't get you a real SPF of fifty, it's still better than nothing, but I disagree, I do not think that it is better than nothing. I think it's creating a false sense of security in people, and that's a big problem."

All 4 takes from AliceintheRabbitHole

Debunking MYTHS, Thanking Creators, & More! Skincare Try On & Chat

Worst Products of 2025.

"This is the e.l.f. [...] Halo Glow Skin Tint Mineral Broadspectrum SPF 50, water resistant eighty minutes, and it sounds wonderful, but this is not a sunscreen, it's absolutely far more of a foundation. [...] Too many people pick up products like this [...] and think if it says SPF 50 they can just apply it and not worry about other sunscreen, but I have no idea what the SPF level actually is when you apply a normal amount of this."

Products I've Been LOVING (and disappointments...)

"I'm frustrated by the marketing, because it does have sunscreen but not in an amount you'd actually apply, which is a real problem for people who think they're protected and aren't. Setting the [...] marketing aside, it's actually a gorgeous skin tint, too fair warm was my color and I love that it doesn't go orange on me. But I have very mixed feelings in the end on this one, especially because it's eighteen dollars and e.l.f. prices have gone through the roof."

I Bought Your AFFORDABLE Requests (June '25 New Products)

"But I think this is a foundation, and you are not going to get SPF 50 until you apply double of what I just applied. When I bring a sponge into the equation, some of the product gets sucked into the sponge, so I'm actually lowering the SPF even more. Please do not think that when you put a tiny bit on your hand and buff it into your skin you are getting an SPF of 50, doing it that way I only got maybe an SPF of twenty five and I'm not going out like that."

HotandFlashy

1.23M subs

~Nay

"This is the third time I've had this on. [...] This was showing a lot of signs of wear. It definitely is not a long-wearing skin tint or foundation for me. [...] There are definitely foundations that stay on my nose longer than this. It was looking really thin on the rest of my face. So it wasn't really giving me any coverage. It didn't really fade away in a bad way. It wasn't like sliding around or looking weird anywhere or gathering in pores or gathering in wrinkles too much."

The Style and Beauty Doctor

222k subs

~Mixed

"If you wanted to tone that down, I would set this with either a translucent powder or if you have a face powder, a colored face powder, you can do that too, to tone down some of the shine. I like that it doesn't look ashy, though. [...] When it comes out of [...] the bottle, it's dispensing so quickly. I would probably use a makeup sponge or a brush to apply this, but you got to make sure you put on enough. Now, enough is approximately a quarter to half a teaspoon for your face, neck, and ears."

Robert Welsh

1.11M subs

~Yay

"Let's look at e.l.f.'s version of the glowy base. Doesn't look like it. But you know what it does. We all know what it does. It's clearly its own version, right?"

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is e.l.f. Halo Glow Skin Tint?

A tinted skin product from e.l.f. Cosmetics that gives sheer, glowy coverage and is labelled as a mineral broad-spectrum SPF 50 that is water resistant for 80 minutes.

Is e.l.f. Halo Glow Skin Tint worth it?

The gurus are split. 1 of the 4 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 59%.

What is e.l.f. Halo Glow Skin Tint's Guru Score?

e.l.f. Halo Glow Skin Tint holds a Guru Score of 59%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 4 expert reviewers we have collected.