REVIEW: Physician's Formula Healthy Wear Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50

I am always on the look out for multi tasking time savers.  Some days I just don't have the time for a full face of makeup, but I still want to appear a little more polished than having just rolled out of bed.

I've been turning to a tinted moisturizer for those days and have been pleasantly surprised with the Physician's Formula Healthy Wear Tinted Moisturizer SPF50  (no that isn't a typo - SPF50!)  It retails for $14.95, a bit expensive for a drugstore brand, but just wait for a Buy One Get one 50% off sale or a 40% off sale which is pretty common for Physician's Formula products.  Being a woman of a certain age -ahem-  I appreciate a high SPF sunscreen to help combat premature aging like fine lines, sun damage and wrinkles.  You ladies who are still young, put on your damn SUNSCREEN.  Trust me on this one.  Just fucking do it.  EVERY DAY.  Yes, even when it's cloudy.  DO. IT.

Ok back to the review.  This comes in a plastic bottle with a pump top, and is available in 4 shades.  I always appreciate a pump top, it makes for less spillage and is more hygienic than the twist off top bottles.  The bottle is a standout neon orange and bright pink.  The consistency is very runny, and I've applied it with my fingers on days I need a little extra coverage, and with a Beauty Blender for days I'm looking for a little more sheer coverage.  You are not going to get more than a light-medium coverage with this product.  It isn't really meant to cover up every spot on your face.

It does however beautifully blur your imperfections.  The sun damage isn't quite so noticeable, and your skin tone is evened out.  You can use this directly on clean skin without the use of a primer or sunscreen or moisturizer.   See I just saved you 10 minutes right there.  It has no fragrance, no parabens, and is oil free.  It does not however control your own oil like a mattifying foundation might.  If you tend toward the oily/combination side, you will see T zone shine through after about 3 hours.  Adding a primer or a setting powder will help this last longer, but don't expect marathon kind of performance from ANY tinted moisturizer.

It is very blendable, and your skin still shows through for quite a natural look.  This is perfect for you ladies who are not used to wearing makeup regularly, or who don't want to look "made up".   You can easily just smooth this all over, add a bit of lipstick, and blush if you have that extra minute, then get out the door and on with your day.  I am actually liking this quite a bit better than the Garnier BB Cream that I reviewed recently because it does not cake up at all, wears down evenly without clinging to my dry spots and has a better sun screen.

This is what I wear when I know I am going to be spending a good bit of time in the sun, (the zoo, the beach, running days) and I can be confident that my skin is protected and I look polished.  If you are going to bother to put on sunscreen, why not have it make your skin look better at the same time?

One thing that you need to be aware of with anything that has SPF in it, there is something called "foundation flash back"  in flash photography.  Something in the sunscreen will cause a white cast on your face when it's hit with a flash, so keep that in mind.  Don't wear this if you are going to have photos taken cause you will look like a ghost.

Eeep!  Ghost face!

Overall I think this would be a great option for just about any skin type, the finish is demi matte, that becomes luminous as your own natural oils come out.  It's just lovely after about 2 hours and looks like your skin but better.  The SPF50 is the highest I've seen in any drugstore option, and only one BB cream I know of has something as high.

Packaging:    B+

Color Match:   A

Finish:     A

Longevity:  B

OVERALL GRADE:   B+