REVIEW: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics OCC Tint Tinted Moisturizer

I know I've been posting tons of reviews, but I'm really trying to bust through my to-do list, and a lot of people requested this review. I mean, "I've been getting an email every week" a lot. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?), this product neither inspires nor infuriates me, so I haven't been looking forward to the review. I'm also one of those touchy-feely people who isn't totally thrilled by a company name based on a very real and serious mental disorder. ("A line obsessively crafted from the finest ingredients possible, to celebrate the driving compulsions of makeup fanatics everywhere"--oh, bullshit; you wanted an edgy name and you need to just admit that.) I still want to give my two cents on the product, though, because I can see it being quite useful to some people.

The OCC Tint comes in a plastic dropper bottle and costs $29.50 for a full fluid ounce. It has a rather basic formula and is free from a number of common irritants, including silicones, parabens, and sulfates. In fact, when people ask for a foundation that will work for sensitive skin, the OCC Tint is usually at the top of my list of recommendations.

Natural light on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: OCC Tint in Y0, Buxom Show Some Skin in Tickle the Ivory, NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia.

I got a bottle in the shade Y0, the lightest yellow shade. This shade is extremely pale and has col yellow tones; swatched up against my Buxom Show Some Skin foundation and the NARS Sheer Glow I keep around for swatching purposes, you can see that all three look practically identical. I will note, however, that the OCC Tint seems to oxidize a little on my skin. This puts it in the NC10-15 range.

There is also an R range that has (shocker!) red undertones. The range goes from very pale to very dark, but there are only 10 shades total. This means that if you don't have a perfect match, you may have to mix to get the best color possible.

Now, I mentioned before that this product doesn't contain silicone, and that becomes obvious when you start attempting to spread the product. Silicones are often responsible for giving base products their slip, something the OCC Tint is noticeably lacking in. It takes some work to get this product to smooth in to the skin; I got the best effect with a stippling brush.

While this product is listed as a "tinted moisturizer," it really only fits that bill in terms of its coverage, which is light and somewhat buildable to medium. It has a natural matte finish.

The OCC Tint is not very kind to dry skin. I was so grossed out by how it looked applied to my bare face that I decided to junk that entire batch of photographs and do another series over top of a light moisturizer. Even with the moisturizer, I noticed definite clinging on my dry patches, like the spot between my eyebrows. The moisturizer did help a little, though, so if you're dry-skinned and very keen on trying this product, you could maybe get away with it layered over a rich cream.

The wear on this tint is decent. I did notice quite a bit of oil breakthrough on my nose, but the actual coverage seemed to stay in place. Also, despite emphasizing my driest patches, my face wasn't itchy during the day. I developed a bit of a red irritation spot under my lip while photographing this foundation (visible in the 6 hours photo); however, I can't be totally sure the foundation was the cause, and it did fade after a few hours.

I wasn't wowed by this product on my skin, so I'll be moving it out of my collection. I also don't think it's going to be most peoples' top choice, since there are so many other options on the market. However, if you're looking for a silicone-free base with a broad shade range, the OCC Tint is one of the few readily available, moderately priced, and decently workable products on the market.

RATING: 3 out of 5

This product is available at OCCMakeup.com.