Louise McSharry: Here are my top three skin tints for flawless, more natural coverage

Of course, there are no hard and fast rules around these things, and if you’re someone who always wants their skin to look like skin, and doesn’t want to wear heavy make-up, a skin tint might suit you all year round. With so many of them on the market, though, how do you figure out which one to choose? And how do you apply them?

Applying a skin tint is easy — you can use any combination of fingers, brushes or sponges, depending on your preference. Personally, I find the warmth of the fingers helps complexion products to melt into the skin, which is important when a natural finish is what you seek to achieve. If you have blemishes to cover, you may find it’s easier to conceal them first, before applying your skin tint. Just make sure you blend the products well, and don’t use too much product. A gentle tapping motion should ensure a natural finish.

If you have areas which require more coverage, you can absolutely use a concealer to deliver that. Light layers will always last longer and deliver a more natural finish, but will still allow you to get a flawless look without ever looking like you’re wearing loads of make-up.

As for which one to choose, here are some of the best options around if you want to even your complexion but achieve a truly natural, skin-like finish. You may not be familiar with the brands, but trust me, they’re worth a try.

Erborian CC Crème (€44 via spacenk.com) — This Korean brand might be unfamiliar to you, but it is worth getting to know if only for its complexion products. This CC cream adjusts to the skin tone and immediately evens it out, leaving the skin looking healthy and hydrated. It also contains skincare ingredients and SPF, although I would certainly use an additional layer of SPF before application.

If you want a super-natural skin-like finish you can apply without any faff, this could be the one for you. The only downside is a relatively limited shade range which may be too dark for the lightest complexions and too light for the darkest.

Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint (€45 via spacenk.com) — Staying in the very sheer and natural family, Lisa Eldridge’s Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint is a silky, lightweight dream. It blends easily and melts into the skin, leaving you with a beautiful satin finish, and comes in a much wider shade range than the Erborian products, so all bases should be covered.

Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint (€47.46 via cultbeauty.com) — This is a gorgeous product which delivers a layer of sheer colour, blurring pores and diminishing redness, leaving you with beautifully even, natural-looking skin. Despite containing hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane, this product works really well on oily skin and wears well throughout the day.

Buying Irish

Ealu is an Irish brand founded just a year ago by beauty entrepreneurs Carly Colgan Bates and Susan Fox. The range is small for now, with just four products available. Cleanse, Sand, Drench and Gloss are body products designed to cleanse, exfoliate, moisturise and shine the body, and each is packaged beautifully in elegant peach packaging. I am particularly drawn to Gloss (€38 via ealu-moments.com), a ‘shimmering body oil’, but unlike most oils, this formula is thick enough to prevent it from dripping everywhere, allowing you to apply shimmer with precision and without mess. Perfect for nights out, or a post-pool glow, it’s a great product.

Something old…

Every year at around this time, I buy a Clarins Invisible Sun Care Stick (€29 via boots.ie). This stick offers broad spectrum (that’s UVA and UVB) SPF 50 protection, and when things get warm, I want one with me. I love its texture, which leaves the face glowing and hydrated via vitamin E and aloe vera without feeling sticky or greasy. Mainly, though, I love the format. I love that you can stick this in your pocket or in your handbag and you don’t need to worry about it taking up loads of space or spilling, you simply have access to sun protection whenever you want it. I use it on myself, share it with friends, and have often lashed it all over my children’s body when I’ve been stuck. In fact, there was one summer where I had to fight my youngest to use any other sun cream. It’s just a great product, which delivers on protection, experience and practicality.

… Something new

Bahama Skin is the youth-friendly skincare brand from the team behind Sosu Cosmetics. It’s worth noting if you’re the parent of a skincare-obsessed tween as its brightly coloured packaging is very on trend but the formulas don’t contain the kind of actives young skin should avoid. Today, though, I want to talk about the brand’s Skin Glow Sun Stick SPF 50 (€19.95 via sosucosmetics.com). This formula was designed with sensitive skin in mind so it works on all skin types, and is incredibly handy for on-the-go application. If you’re someone who hikes, bikes, trikes or similar, you can pop it in your bag or pocket and lash it on as you move. Convenience is king, and this product is incredibly convenient.