I swapped foundation for Mecca Max’s new serum skin tint, here are my honest thoughts
WORDS BY ELLA TAVERNER
Your skin but better.
When I say I’m not a morning person, I really mean it. Ask my partner or family how often I whine that I’m tired throughout the day, and you’ll be met with an emphatic eye roll.
Despite clocking nearly 10 hours of sleep a night and living mere blocks away from the office, my mornings tend to be rooted in scattered chaos. The concept of an at-home breakfast is foreign to me, as is the prospect of anything that remotely resembles pre-work exercise.
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As a result, my morning makeup routine consists of reliable, easy-to-apply products that are fuss-free and require minimal-to-zero touch-ups. For that reason, I love tinted moisturisers and cream blush. So when I learnt Mecca Max was releasing a new skin tint, I knew I had to put it to the test.
Extending its aptly named Off Duty collection (perfect for no-fuss girlies), the Serum Skin Tint is a foundation-serum hybrid that combines dewy, sheer coverage with skincare holy grails like niacinamide and squalane. I was lucky enough to get my hot little hands on the skin tint a few weeks prior to the launch, joining Mecca on a three-day trip to beautiful Yarawu Country in Broome, Western Australia in celebration of the release.
Available in 20 ‘flexible’ shades (thanks to its sheerness and blendability), the hydrating tint is 100 per cent vegan and cruelty-free, perfect for no-makeup makeup days. With the forecast set in the 30s each day, I packed lightly, blotting pads and setting spray in tow. Though I’d say my skin is on the combination side, I’m definitely prone to a shiny t-zone here and there. I spent the next three days galavanting around the Kimberley Coast, putting the skin tints’ ‘off duty’ claims to the test.
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Upon initial application, the most notable feature of the product was its consistency. Unlike the creamy formula of my regular tinted moisturiser, the skin tint was almost water-like in texture and weight. The benefits of this were two-fold. Firstly, this meant it was a dream to blend. I switched between using my fingers and a brush, but ultimately found a beauty blender was the best applicator. Secondly, it felt like I was wearing nothing on my skin, all while providing the perfect amount of sheer coverage.
I was totally impressed with how well the tint coped with Broome’s humidity. Though very dewy when first applied to the skin (much like a serum), after a few minutes it almost adjusted to my skin’s texture, and set nicely with a translucent powder.
I found cream products layered best over the tint, particularly in such a hot climate, while the coverage was surprisingly a little higher than my regular tinted moisturiser. We were fortunate enough to attend a makeup masterclass with Mecca’s Head of Artistry, Jennifer Horsely, who explained the pigment could be built up seamlessly for those wanting more coverage.
Upon returning to icy Melbourne, I was keen to judge the versatility of the tint once my dry winter skin took over again. I’ve been wearing it to work for the past two weeks and can confirm it’s taken up permanent residency in my daily makeup rotation.
The skincare-like formula has made it a lot more comfortable to wear throughout the day than any other tinted moisturiser or lightweight foundation, and its sheer pigment and blendability mean it leaves no harsh lines. Without sounding too cliché, it really does tick the box of a ‘your skin but better’ base.
To find out more about Mecca Max’s Off Duty Serum Skin Tint, try this.
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