REVIEW: Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer SPF15

Every time I fall a little in love with a base product, it betrays me. In this instance, the Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer SPF15 made for a great slap-it-on-and-go, invisible-to-the-naked-eye foundation that worked well on my uber dry skin and passed my mother's very critical judgment. Unfortunately, something in this tinted moisturizer breaks me out a little if I wear it more than one day in a row, and that's not something I'm willing to tolerate in a product that goes all over my face. So I'll be returning it whilst whining about my first world problems. Still, I'd like to review it for people who don't have the same ingredient sensitivities.

The Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer retails for $46 per 1.7oz tube. While you're getting more than the standard foundation here, the creamier, more moisturizer-like texture means you'll require a bit more product for each application. It's packaged in an opaque squeeze tube with a nozzle that's relatively easy to control. I also like that the cap is easy to twist on and off, but still stays on; that should make this a little easier to open if your dexterity is limited.

Natural light on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth in 110 Porcelain, Buxom Show Some Skin in Tickle the Ivory, Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain Tint, NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia, The Ordinary Coverage Foundation in 1.0N.

There are 8 shades in the range, and while it goes from very light to decently dark, I feel that there's a big jump between Deep Tint and Rich Tint--I'd love something in between there. There is some flexibility in the range because the coverage is sheer.

I purchased the lightest shade, Porcelain Tint. I think it reads a tad pinker in these photos than it is in real life, but it certainly has a neutral-pink undertone. People in the NC/NW 10-15 range should have no trouble using this shade. If you're closer to NC/NW20, or you're an NC15 with very strong yellow undertones, you may want to bump up to Extra Light Tint.

I was having a very good skin day in the above before-and-after photos, though I had some redness, particularly between my brows. (That's life with chronic hives.) While this tinted moisturizer doesn't fully cover those issues, it does give the skin an overall smoother appearance. I also love how moisturized and healthy it makes my face look.

Advertised for "normal to dry skin," I definitely think this is a product that will work best for people on the dryer end of the spectrum, or normal/combination skinned people who like a dewier finish and are willing to powder where necessary. If you like a decent amount of coverage, a more matte finish, or foundations that control oil, you'll want to take a pass on this one.

The texture definitely marks this as a dry skinned person's product, since it's very rich and creamy without feeling heavy on the skin. (I was going to call it "unctuous," since I'm trying to bring that word back in a positive way, buuuuuut I don't think we're there yet.) Unfortunately, like most Bobbi Brown products, this formula is also loaded with fragrance; this one reminds me of a barber shop cologne, and it takes a few minutes to fade. Zero stars, would not recommend that smell. Stop putting fragrance in your bases, Bobbi Brown, because they are super gross.

After testing this tinted moisturizer on its own a few times, I decided it would be best to wear it as shown above and in the header: with a bit of powder on my nose and my eyes, the only oily-ish parts of my face. As you can see, I still got a bit shiny on my nose; I powdered right after that 3 hour photo. It definitely fades a little on my oilier spots, and it looks a tad dry by the end of the day. That said, it's much less Sahara Desert-y after 6+ hours on my skin than most foundations, and it's only noticeable if you're super close to my face.

While this tinted moisturizer didn't work out for me in the long run, I'd have no qualms recommending it to most other dry-skinned people, provided they aren't acne-prone and the ingredients list checks out for them. Just be forewarned that this stuff reeks, reeks, reeks right out of the tube.

RATING: 4 out of 5

I purchase my Bobbi Brown products at Nordstrom.