Laura Mercier

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20.

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Foundation

#21 in FoundationSee the ranking →

About this product

A lightweight tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 that gives sheer, skin-like coverage and hydration in a single step.

Guru Score

64%

Mixed

5 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

That SPF 20 on the label is the catch: getting real protection from a tinted moisturizer would mean piling on a quarter-size amount, and you'd look caked. The advice is to wear it over a separate SPF 30 or higher. As a base, it's praised as lightweight and pretty on well-moisturized skin, though it also drew complaints of balling up over sunscreen and leaving dry, flaky patches by evening.

Synthesized from 5 expert reviews · most recent take March 2026

What they liked

Fine for winter use
Works well layered over sunscreen

What they flagged

SPF 20 below dermatologist threshold
SPF insufficient with cosmetic application
Requires SPF 30 sunscreen underneath

Type

FoundationLiquid

Where to buy

Sephora → 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.

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

Hyram

4.33M subs

~Mixed

"I always feel guilty talking about this because I know people feel like they're really getting their sunscreen protection whenever they use like a tinted moisturizer or a foundation that has SPF in it. But the reality is that in order to properly protect your face from sun damage, you need to use about a quarter size amount of a sunscreen. Now, imagine you using that much tinted moisturizer or foundation on your face. You're going to look caked up. It's not going to look good."

Caroline Hirons

250k subs

~Yay

"I go on with Laura Mercier, which I've been addicted to the Tinted Moisturizer. As long as your skin's properly moisturized, if you've got that as a base, it works really well."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

~Mixed

"This is a gorgeous, good product. However, I believe this is being used as a sunscreen. The Laura Mercier product is an SPF 20, which is great if you're putting it on top of a regular sunscreen, but look at the small amount used. While that's a perfect amount for makeup, it's not giving us the SPF 20 that we need, and unless we're reapplying this throughout the day, we need a good SPF [...] 30 underneath this. [...] A makeup product with sunscreen in it is not enough."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

~Yay

"I use Laura Mercier on my face for tinted moisturizer. It's very lightweight. You guys are watching it and seeing it right now in action. It is a beautiful moisturizer."

All 2 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss

Products I Refuse To Use In The Spring As A Dermatologist | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"Even though a tinted moisturizer like the Laura Mercier with an SPF of 20 is nice in the winter, it's a no-go for me in the spring. Anything below 30 is a no-go for me."

Sephora Holiday Savings Event 2022 Recommendations! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"I use Laura Mercier on my face for tinted moisturizer. It's very lightweight. You guys are watching it and seeing it right now in action. It is a beautiful moisturizer."

HotandFlashy

1.23M subs

~Nay

"It [...] balls and pills with my sunscreen or my skin care. The dryness and flakiness continues to be more and more apparent as the day wears on. I don't know why this is so drying but it is. At eight hours, I have skin flakes popping up all over my nose and under my nose [...] and by the side of my nose, it's just like a skin flake nose fest. It's very worn off on my nose and on my cheeks. [...] It's so dry feeling and so drying. I've just really not been happy with it at all today."

What the evidence says.

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

Frequently asked.

What is Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20?

A lightweight tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 that gives sheer, skin-like coverage and hydration in a single step.

Is Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 64%.

What is Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20's Guru Score?

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 holds a Guru Score of 64%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.