Maybelline vs L’Oréal: Which viral drugstore skin tint is best?

Lightweight, sheer foundations and skint tints have become very popular. Rather than full-coverage matte finishes, buildable glowy formulas are all the rage. These trending products are typically lighter, infused with skin-loving ingredients, and deliver a healthy radiant finish.

2 of the most hyped skin tints are the L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum and Maybelline Super Stay 24H Skin Tint. These affordable skin tints promise to deliver light, buildable coverage with a dewy finish.

But which viral drugstore skin tint is the best: Maybelline or L’Oréal? This in-depth comparison tells you everything you need to know before purchasing.

Get 20% off these skin tints and so many other beauty must-haves at LookFantastic with my code LFTFBLOGSARAH. Shop today!

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Need-to-knows

Before I delve into this comparison, I wanted to give you a run-down of how I tested the skin tints. I’ve got oily skin with mild rosacea. Whenever I swatched or applied either product, I kept everything else the same for a true comparison. This includes skincare prep, makeup products, the brush I used to apply the products, and the time of day. Both products were purchased with my own money. When I tested these products, the weather was really hot, so this could impact the longevity.

The comparison

Price

Both of the skin tints come in 30ml bottles. The L’Oréal skin tint costs £14.99 whereas the Maybelline skin tint costs £12.99, making Maybelline a few pounds cheaper. But both are affordable options.

Packaging

The packaging is almost identical. Both of the skin tints have the same dropper. The L’Oreal bottle is slightly thinner and taller, while the Maybelline one is shorter but fatter. They weigh the same.

Ingredients

Looking at the INCI lists, there are some similarities. Both contain the emollient (softens or soothes skin) dimethicone, skin-softening trimethylsiloxysilicate, the humectant (retains or preserves moisture) butylene glycol, and alcohol denat. which can irritate the skin.

However, the Maybelline Super Stay 24H Skin Tint features ascorbyl glucoside, which is a stable form of vitamin C that helps make skin feel smoother and look brighter. This active does feature far down the INCI list, though. Whereas the L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum incorporates hydrating glycerin and a derivative of hyaluronic acid: sodium acetylated hyaluronate. Again, L’Oréal’s hyaluronic acid active features low on the INCI list.

Texture

The nature of skin tints means the textures are fairly similar. But there is one difference. The L’Oréal skin tint feels more serum-like and is slightly thicker and runnier, whereas the Maybelline skin tint feels like a lightweight foundation and is thinner.

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Shade range

Maybelline wins on shade range by a country mile with 18 shades. L’Oréal only offers 10 shades.

I want to point out that both brands need to expand their shade range for medium-dark skin tones. They have more shades for lighter complexions than they do for deeper skin tones. More. Inclusivity. Needed.

But, it’s okay to have fewer shades in a skin tint. As they’re very light and sheer, you can get away with going a shade lighter or darker than your complexion, as it will melt into your skin seamlessly. My L’Oréal shade is deeper than my complexion, but once I’ve applied it, the match is brilliant. So don’t worry if you can’t find an exact match – you can make it work.

Swatches

I did some swatches of both skin tints. These were done on my bare arms, without primer. I took a photo of the swatch applied directly to my skin and then one more blended out, so you can get a better look at the shades and formulas. I got shade 06 in the Maybelline Super Stay 24H Skin Tint and 2-3 Light in the L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum.

As you can see, although the L’Oréal one is darker, but as soon as I blended it, the shades look more similar.

Application

The skin tints work really well when blended with your fingertips. Their light consistencies mean the product can be worked into the skin seamlessly.

I think Maybelline’s skin tint works best when applied with a beauty blender or sponge. This technique offers a flawless blend, sheer coverage, and a poreless finish. Using a brush with Maybelline’s skin tint can lead to cakeyness.

Whereas I feel L’Oréal’s skin tint works best with a brush. The thicker consistency lends itself well to being buffed into the skin with bristles. Using a brush over a sponge also gives extra coverage due to a brush being denser.

On its own

To give you an indication of what this skin tint looks like by itself, I applied it to my bare skin before finishing the rest of my makeup. I did my usual skincare routine and applied the e.l.f. Cosmetics Power Grip Primer to help the skin tints stick to my face.

On the right-hand side of my face is L’Oréal and Maybelline is on the left.

I think the skin tints are pretty much identical. Despite the L’Oréal one being slightly too dark for me in the swatches, it matches my complexion really well once buffed in.

They both feel super lightweight, blend easily, don’t emphasise my skin texture or pores, and offer luminosity. While they won’t completely cover spots, they both help even out redness and blemishes.

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Finished makeup look

I don’t wear skin tints alone. They’re something I’d wear as part of a minimal look, such as the clean girl makeup look. Here’s what the skin tints look like as part of a simple everyday makeup look:

I think these drugstore skin tints look lovely. Despite wearing 2 different products on my face, you can’t tell! They’re super lightweight and very easy to work with. The skin tints didn’t go cakey when I applied translucent setting powder on my T-zone.

Lasting power

These skin tints have surprising lasting power and even wore for the same length of time. After 12 hours on a very hot day (27 degrees and above for most of the day), they stayed in place surprisingly well. The products faded a bit, particularly around the jaw area.

In my culprit T-zone area, which always gets oily, the skin tints actually hadn’t broken down much at all. My cheeks, chin, and nose had become a bit greasy, but it wasn’t a slippery mess. My forehead and upper lip didn’t really break down at all. It’s nothing a quick top-up of setting powder couldn’t fix, as most of the product stayed on my face. I was thoroughly impressed!

Neither side looked greasier or more faded than the other. Both offer excellent lasting power, even on a really warm day.

Which drugstore skin tint is the best?

Honestly, the Maybelline Super Stay 24H Skin Tint and the L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum are gorgeous. They’re so easy to work with, feel super lightweight, give a beautiful healthy glow, and are buildable.

If I had to say which drugstore skin tint is the best, I’d go with L’Oréal. Slightly. It feels a bit more hydrating, makes the skin look plumper, and works well with a makeup brush. I prefer using a foundation brush to a sponge, so L’Oréal speaks to me more. But the Maybelline one is exquisite.

I’d highly recommend either skin tint for an even and radiant complexion.

Get 20% off these skin tints and so many other beauty must-haves at LookFantastic with my code LFTFBLOGSARAH. Shop today!

Have you tried either of these drugstore skin tints yet?

Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 6 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.