I have spent most of my adult life in a complicated relationship with the phrase dewy finish. On everyone else, it looks like a literal angel just kissed their cheekbones; on me, it usually looks like I just finished a light jog through a car wash. When I saw that the queen of complexion, Laura Mercier, released a Tinted Moisturizer Blurred Matte, my oily T-zone and I practically sprinted to the checkout. But at $50 a tube, my wallet definitely had some questions about whether a skin tint could really justify that price tag.
The Anti-Grease Squeeze
The first thing I noticed when I squeezed this out was the texture. It is not that runny, watery liquid you get with most tints; it feels more like a whipped, airy cream. It is totally fragrance-free, which is a massive win for my sensitive skin days because there is nothing worse than smelling like a bouquet of fake roses all afternoon. When I blended 1N Birch onto my face using just my fingers, it did not just sit on top of my skin. It felt like it did this magic trick where it turned into a soft-focus filter. The packaging is the classic, sleek tube we know and love, but it is what is inside that actually feels expensive.
Surviving the Humidity Hike
I decided to put this to the ultimate test: a Saturday morning that involved a crowded, humid farmers market followed by a very sunny outdoor coffee date. Usually, by noon, I am reaching for those blue blotting papers like my life depends on them. With the Blurred Matte formula, I actually forgot I was wearing makeup. It contains French Rose Clay, which I am convinced is the secret ingredient to keeping my forehead from reflecting the sun.
- Shine Control: It stayed truly matte for about seven hours before I saw even a hint of a glow, which is unheard of for me.
- Pore Blurring: My pores usually look like craters by mid-day, but the Eijitsu Rose extract really seemed to keep everything looking smooth and filtered.
- Coverage: It is definitely sheer to light. It did not hide my hormonal breakout completely, but it made my skin tone look incredibly even.
- Comfort: Even though it is matte, it does not feel tight or chalky. It actually feels quite hydrating, likely thanks to that 91 percent skincare-based formula.
The Final Verdict
If you are looking for a mask to hide every single freckle or blemish, this is not it. This is for the days when you want to look like you just have naturally incredible, shine-free skin. For $50, you are paying for the technology that keeps a matte finish from looking like a desert. It is a splurge, but if you are tired of your makeup sliding off your face by lunch, it is a splurge that actually pays off in saved sanity and fewer powder touch-ups.
Who Should Buy This:
- Oily and Combination Skin Types: This was made for us. It tackles sebum without looking like a heavy mask.
- The No-Makeup-Makeup Lovers: If you want to look polished but still see your real skin underneath.
- Pore-Conscious People: If your biggest gripe is texture, the blurring effect here is top-tier.
Who Should Skip This:
- The Very Dry Skin Crowd: Even with the skincare ingredients, a matte finish might cling to your dry patches. Stick to the Natural Dewy version instead.
- Full Coverage Fans: If you want to erase your skin and start over, this will feel too transparent for you.
- Budget Shoppers: Let is be real, $50 is a lot for a tint. There are drugstore options that do "matte," though they rarely do "blurred" this well.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Lauren