What Is a Makeup-Skincare Hybrid?

Makeup-skincare hybrid products are the perfect marriage of products that offer color payoff or complexion coverage as well as skincare benefits. These unique formulas deliver the instant gratification of makeup with the positive effects of skincare. For example, a concealer that reduces dark circles is the hybrid of our dreams. 

After the global pandemic of 2020, consumers became more focused on skincare. As we spent more time online, we also became more informed and concerned about the ingredients in our products, opting for skinimalism and a less-is-more approach to makeup. This movement increased demand for products with nourishing ingredients typically found in skincare but with claims catering to common skin concerns.

Does this mean that your favorite full-coverage foundation is bad for you? Absolutely not. As long as you remove your makeup and avoid comedogenic products, you’re likely in the clear. Too often, makeup gets a bad reputation for the real culprit: poor skin care. Not properly removing your makeup, wearing your makeup to the gym, or worse—to sleep—can wreak havoc on your skin. When you use makeup as a crutch for blemish-prone skin without going to the source of the issue in your skincare routine, you can find yourself in the vicious cycle of encountering new blemishes that only need more coverage. With proper double cleansing and today’s host of skin-loving makeup products, you can enjoy your makeup without negatively affecting your complexion. 

The lines between makeup and skincare are blurrier than ever. Keep reading to discover the skincare-makeup hybrids we can’t get enough of.  

The Best Makeup-Skincare Hybrid

1. Best Anti-Aging Foundation:

YENSA BEAUTY Super Serum Silk Foundation 

Don’t just try to hide fine lines; reduce them with this ultra-hydrating full-coverage serum foundation. It’s made with vitamins C and E, ferulic acid, and bakuchiol to fight fine lines and wrinkles. It also features skin-smoothing peptides for anti-aging benefits and comes in 16 brightening shades.

2. Best Niacinamide Concealer:

TOYFACTORY Niablend Serum Concealer

This is an eye cream and concealer in one. The anti-caking formula gives you natural, lightweight, buildable full-coverage that’s perfect for under eyes and blemishes alike, while niacinamide diminishes hyperpigmentation and supports healthier, more radiant skin. 

3. Best Radiant Primer:

DANESSA MYRICKS Yummy Skin Glow Serum

Say hello to an all-over glow. This hydrating primer lives up to its name and gives your skin yummy hydration for plump, dewy skin. The antioxidant-rich serum comes in two luminous shades and features turmeric and olive-derived squalane oil. We love that it reduces the appearance of pores for a smooth makeup application and a more radiant finish.

4. Best Radiant Skin Tint:

ESTÉE LAUDER Futurist SkinTint Serum Foundation

With SPF 20, 8-hour staying power, and 85% skin-caring ingredients, this light coverage foundation has everything we want in a skin tint. The sweat- and humidity-resistant formula has a natural, soft, radiant finish for a more even-looking complexion, but it also improves the look and smoothness of skin in just one week.

5. Best Medium Coverage Foundation:

TARTE Hydroflex Serum Foundation

The word on the street is that this product is the yoga pants of foundation. It delivers medium coverage with hydroflex technology that moves with your skin for a cake-free, natural finish. It tops our list for its hydrating formula with hyaluronic acid, conditioning marine plants, and brightening sea daffodils.

6. Best Clean Concealer:

HONEST Fresh Flex Concealer

This multitasking concealer is as clean as it gets. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, dermatologist-tested, and toxicologist-audited, so you can have peace of mind with each touch-up. You’ll come for the 16 shades of medium buildable coverage, but stay for the hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and niacinamide that nourish your skin with each use.

7. Best Shade Range:

PÜR Love Your Selfie Foundation & Concealer

This multitasking product features 100 shades of skin-loving pigments. Its dual applicator allows you to use it all over as a full-coverage foundation, or just where you need it as a concealer. The skin-loving ingredients include lingonberry extract, green tea extra, and vitamin B (to name a few) to protect the skin, fight premature aging, and improve overall tone.

8. Best Plumping Coverage:

KOSAS BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream

Who doesn’t want to look better without makeup on? This visibly plumping and firming tinted moisturizer gets you just a little closer to a flawless complexion with each use. It delivers a refreshing burst of active skincare including copper peptides to support collagen, soothing zinc, and hydrating sodium PCA. The light, buildable coverage has a smoothing effect for a vibrant, fresh look.

9. Best Sheer Coverage:

GLOSSIER Perfecting Skin Tint

This skin tint is the definition of your skin but better. It features diamond powder to give a bright, blurred effect while minimizing the look of pores and glycerin to attract and maintain moisture. We love that the sheer coverage won’t hide your freckles, but it does deliver a smooth, breathable finish.

10. Best Skin Tint with SPF:

ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40

This cult-favorite skin tint is one of the early skincare-makeup hybrids that took the industry by storm. It features a mineral sunscreen with SPF 40 and lightweight coverage that delivers a mineral finish and a healthy glow. It also has active skincare ingredients that have been clinically proven to improve dryness, redness, wrinkles, and even skintone over time.

11. Best Lash-Enhancing Mascara:

TYPOLOGY Serum Mascara

We all love the eye-opening effect of longer, more defined lashes, and this mascara fortifies and repairs them so you can enjoy the results long after you’ve removed your makeup. It’s made with pea peptides and castor oil to lengthen lashes in the long term.

12. Best For Softer Lips:

CHANEL Lip and Cheek Balm

Add a pop of color to your lips or cheeks with this nourishing balm. The buttery formula melts into your skin while delivering a buildable wash of color. Red camellia oil softens and supports barrier function while helping your lips feel more supple over time.

13. Best Multipurpose Balm:

JONES ROAD BEAUTY Miracle Balm

If you’re looking for one product to add a dash of radiance to your look, this miracle balm is it. Wear it alone or under foundation for a radiant shimmer and a sheer touch of color. Use it on your lips, cheeks, or anywhere you want to glow. The deeper shades can also be used as a bronzer or highlight. The jojoba seed has antioxidant properties and is a great hydrator for all skin types.

14. Best Lip-Enhancing Lipstick:

CLINIQUE Almost Lipstick

Lipstick, meet lip balm. When you want a pop of color but your lips could use some TLC, this not-quite-a-lipstick product has 95% conditioning ingredients to give your lips the attention they need. It comes in two sheer shades that blend with your natural lip color for a universally flattering look.

15. Best For Deep Skin Tones:

AMI COLE Skin Enhancing Stick

This skin-enhancing stick is the perfect foundation for touch-ups on the go. It comes in 14 shades formulated for melanin-rich skin, and the nourishing stick is great for coverage, concealing, and sculpting. The nourishing formula features baobab seed oil and shea butter for an ultra-lightweight finish that feels like nothing yet blurs to soft-focus perfection.

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