Which is the best complexion cream for your skin?

There’s a plethora of base make-up products on the market these days: BB, CC and tinted moisturisers to name but a few. Here, we decode these complexion creams, explaining what each type accomplishes and which one you should use based on your skin type.

Tinted moisturisers

With less pigment and lower coverage than a foundation, tinted moisturisers are suited to those with non-problematic skin. They come in most shades and offer sheer coverage to brighten and hydrate, giving a natural look. Most contain a good sun protection factor to protect the skin without clogging or weighing it down with numerous products.

Sculpted Aimee Connolly Tint & Glow Skin Enhancer

This skin-brightening cream’s blend of hyaluronic acid and niacinamide creates a wonderfully glowing finish. It illuminates and evens out skin tone for dewy results. It also has an added infusion of SPF 30.

£23 for 45ml sculptedbyaimee.com

Clinique Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator

This cream professes to give 12 hours of hydration and protection and we can concur with that. It has the added benefit of SPF 25 and glides on beautifully to give a youthful, natural glow.

£32 for 40ml clinique.co.uk

Cetaphil Pro Tinted Moisturising Day Cream

Designed to gently moisturise and soothe sensitive skin, this cream helps to even out redness, much the same as a foundation, but lighter and fragrance-free. It has good SPF 30 protection and is easy to apply.

£24.99 for 50ml boots.com

W7 Just Tinted Natural Skin Tinted Moisturiser

This super-light coverage is perfect for when you want an almost no make-up day but need a little colour. It is rich and creamy and gives a gorgeous, dewy glow. It’s also great value for money.

£5.95 for 48ml w7makeup.co.uk

Dr Hauschka Tinted Day Cream

Suitable for dry, sensitive skin, this cream balances the skin’s oil and moisture levels.  for mature skin, it’s easy to apply and blends well with your own skin tone for an even look. It also smells glorious.

£29.50 for 30ml drhauschka.co.uk

BB creams

Also known as beauty balms, BB creams save time and money because they can prime, moisturise and provide light coverage in one easy step. Best suited to an even skin tone, BB creams will hydrate and add a luminescent glow for a natural look.

Nude by Nature Sheer Glow BB Cream

This glides on to the skin giving a lovely luminous finish and is best applied with a patting motion, not to be rubbed in. It’s perfect for those who prefer light coverage. With SPF 10, it’s 100 per cent natural, gluten and cruelty free.

£19.99 for 30ml superdrug.com

Catrice Cosmetics Clean ID Hydro BB Cream

Containing shea butter, this cream covers well and gives a natural radiance. A foundation can be applied on top for a more polished look. It’s fabulous value for money, vegan friendly and available in three shades, fair to medium.

£5.99 for 30ml justmylook.com

No 7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream

This cream and has a 3-in-1 formula to enhance the complexion and even the skin tone. It gives enough coverage without added foundation. The shades are perfect for fair to medium skin, it’s hypo-allergenic and has SPF 15 and 5* UVA technology.

£13.95 for 40ml boots.com

CC creams

Standing for ‘colour correcting’, these are BB creams but offer more coverage. If you have areas of hyperpigmentation or redness, then a CC cream will do the job of a primer and concealer without the need to multilayer products. They have colour correcting pigments and are moisture-based to calm and hydrate the skin.

Osmosis CC Cream

This luxury product has True Tone Technology and Light Lifting Effects, which means it colour- matches and enhances your natural skin tone and visibly brightens your complexion. It’s botanically infused and offers light coverage that glides on to the skin and won’t clog pores. This top-of-the-range cream reduces the appearance of redness and age spots, resulting in healthier-looking, radiant skin.

£45.50 for 40ml harveynichols.com

Embryolisse Complexion Correcting CC Cream

This cream can be used on bare skin or after your daily moisturiser and has SPF 20 to protect the skin from premature ageing. The cream has a velvety, smooth texture, and is suitable for all skin types. It works well to conceal fine lines and open pores, leaving skin hydrated, soft and flawless.

£29.99 for 30ml lookfantastic.com

Olay Total Effects 7-in-One CC Cream

This dynamic cream certainly packs a punch with 50 per cent more of the anti-ageing complex VitaNiacin, a blend of vitamin E and pro-vitamin B5 and vitamin B3. It glides on to the skin and absorbs evenly, offering light coverage for when you want a little colour but nothing too heavy. With antioxidants and good broad-spectrum sun protection, it smells lovely, is non-greasy and is excellent value for money.

£14.99 for 50ml superdrug.com

Applying your chosen skin product

Use the five-dot technique
Put five even dots of cream on your face – on your nose, chin, cheeks and forehead. Using your fingertips, make-up sponge or brush, blend evenly all over your face or pat gently on to your skin as required. Don’t rub or pull on the delicate skin around the eyes as this can cause fine lines.