Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Skin Illuminator SPF 25.

Q: Is Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Skin Illuminator SPF 25 worth it?

Mostly yes. 1 of the 2 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 76%.

Q: What is Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Skin Illuminator SPF 25's Guru Score?

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Skin Illuminator SPF 25 holds a Guru Score of 76%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 2 expert reviewers we have collected.

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Sunscreen

About this product

A lightweight tinted moisturizer with SPF 25 broad-spectrum sunscreen and subtle illumination. Offers sheer coverage available in over 20 shades.

Full ingredients

Avobenzone (3.0%), Homosalate (5.0%), Octisalate (5.0%), Octocrylene (3.0%), Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Butylene Glycol, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Silica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocoglucoside, Citric Acid, Batyl Alcohol, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Xanthan Gum, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Citrate, Tin Oxide, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Iron Oxides, Mica, Titanium Dioxide

Guru Score

76%

Yay

Early verdict · Few reviews so far

What the gurus are saying

This chemical sunscreen stands out for not burning eyes, a rarity among chemical formulas. It works as a daily makeup base when tapped on to avoid pilling over products with actives. The sheer, hydrating texture suits winter or light city commuting, though SPF 25 is too low for extended summer sun. The shade range is extensive but skips desaturated and olive undertones.

Synthesized from 2 expert reviews · most recent take March 2025

What they liked

Doesn't sting eyes as a chemical sunscreen
Sheer and lightweight enough to wear daily
Melts into skin with a natural finish

What they flagged

Shade range may not suit desaturated or olive skin

Type

SunscreenLiquid

Key actives

Vitamin CVitamin ESPF

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Sephora → Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

✓Yay

"Laura Mercier is an SPF of 25 so it's just light for everyday use. It's a tinted one, it is a beautiful one that can melt into your skin just make everything disappear."

All 10 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss

Best Sunscreens for Every Skin Type & Lifestyle in 2024! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"Laura Mercier Illuminating Skin Illuminator broadspectrum SPF 25 is what I use in winter time when the UV index is low. SPF 25 is low though for summer so you need to not just rely on this if you're going to be outside. But they have over 20 shades and it's nice for everyday use if you are living in a city and going from building to building and you go to work at 8:00 a.m. and you leave at 6:00 p.m. you probably can still get away with using this in the summer."

Skincare for Your 20s: Acne, Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation, Oily Skin | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"This one miraculously does not burn my eyes and I use it every day as a makeup base. It is a chemical sunscreen of SPF 25 or SPF 30 depending on which one you have. I put two full fingers under my makeup and I go. I love it. It's hydrating and it does give you a nice base."

Sephora 2024 Spring Sale: Dermatologist’s Top Picks By Ingredient! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"Laura Mercier their tinted Illuminating SPF 25 is what I use every day like in the winter when the UV index is no higher than three or four"

6 Skin Mistakes Causing Flaky, Patchy Makeup | Dr. Idriss' Expert Tips

"I used to do my skin care, I'd get dressed, I'd come back and do my makeup. I would wear like a tinted SPF like this one by Laura Mercier and I would apply it first all over my face and then I would do my eyes and then I would do my eyebrows."

Sephora 2023 Holiday Sale: Dermatologist’s Top Picks for ALL Skin Concerns! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"One that I do use every day which is surprising because it's also a chemical sunscreen but it does not burn my eyes is Laura Mercier and I use this product as my makeup as well. [...] I literally use this much every morning and it covers my face and I do make sure to tap it on my nose and my jawline."

LIVE GRWM: Skincare + Makeup Tricks 💜 | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"What I use is Laura Mercier, their Tinted Moisturizer Skin Illuminator, it is an SPF 25, very light with sunscreen and it does give a nice sheen. I put two full fingers on my face, and every now and then when I feel like if I have [...] to do something a little bit more where I'm presenting, I'll use a"

Morning Skincare Routine: Dermatologist's 5 Minute Simple & Effective Regimen | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"Normally what I usually use because I don't usually use foundation, I'll use Laura Mercier's tinted SPF. I'll do the same thing but instead I will tap tap tap tap tap because of the color and to avoid any pilling, and that usually works. When you rub your sunscreen over the other products with actives you might pill, so I do usually pack. It goes in nice, sheer, clear, perfect."

How to Prevent & Treat Acne Scars for Brighter Skin! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"Laura Mercier is an SPF of 25 so it's just light for everyday use. It's a tinted one, it is a beautiful one that can melt into your skin just make everything disappear."

Best Sunscreens for Every Skin Type & Lifestyle! | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"Laura Mercier's tinted SPF is so pretty, so sheer, so lightweight. You can use the full two and a half finger lengths to cover your whole face and neck. [...] They have them in a variety of different tones so nobody is excluded from the game. I really do like Laura Mercier's tinted SPF. They just came up with their natural skin illuminator which has a little bit of pearl so it gives a little bit of the glow that the Glow Screen does."

Get Ready With Me: AM Routine, Spilling The Tea, PillowtalkDerm 👀 | Dr. Shereene Idriss

"I don't really wear foundation. [...] I use Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer with SPF 25. Not that I'm using it for the SPF at all. [...] It's just very, very light."

AliceintheRabbitHole

59k subs

✓Mixed

"This is the foundation that went viral. I like it, I don't love it, but I like it. My problem with Laura Mercier is that it doesn't seem like she has a good shade for me, the shades might be a little more saturated, my skin is desaturated, it's got a little bit of olive in it and a little bit of gray in it, so I'm going to skip it, but I know a lot of people do really like Laura Mercier's complexion products."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Vitamin C

Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

Source: DermNet

Sunscreen filters

Sun protection is the best evidenced way to slow visible ageing, and the filters are what does the work. Mineral and chemical filters both protect when a product is applied thickly enough and often enough, which is where most people fall short rather than on the choice of filter.

Source: DermNet

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and it is often in a formula to keep the other ingredients stable rather than as the active itself. It pairs well with vitamin C, though on its own the evidence for visible change is limited.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine