Situation: #tintedmoisturizerproblems

Not too shabby, huh?

I'm English, Scottish, Polish, Russian, and half Canadian.  Without knowing me or looking at a picture of me, you'll probably be thinking one thing - I'm pale as shit.  Au contraire, mon ami!  I'm very very tan, and I attempt to keep my tan for as many months out of the year as possible.  (Without using a tanning bed, MOM.)  Hence my frequent trips down the Jersey Shore.  SPF 15 tanning oil, all the way.

These past four Boston winters have taught me a lot about life: 1. NorthFace is actually a fantastic brand and I shouldn't make fun of people wearing NorthFace jackets and UGGs anymore.  2. I'm not made for the cold.  And 3. Spray tans are a godsend.

Like many ladies I know, I've had problems trying to match my skin tone to a foundation that I like since the days I first started wearing makeup.  Let's just say I was NOT a very good makeup artist at the age of 12.  My face was either oddly pale or oddly tanned.  Skin tone charts at makeup stores are unhelpful, and it's annoying asking someone in the store to apply foundation onto you because you're probably already wearing makeup and you don't want your hands to get all discolored from different foundation colors.  #firstworldproblems.

Interning at Cone Communications last semester with the Pru literally across the street from the office building allowed one-too-many trips to Sephora to overhaul this foundation problem of mine.  A free Clinique sample won me over.  I'm a sucker for free samples, but I am officially hooked on this specific Clinique product.

This, right here, is my jam.

Introducing: Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 ($26, Sephora.com).  Well worth the cost, my friends.  One itty-bitty bottle of tinted moisturizer lasted me about four months, and I'm the kind of girl who doesn't like to leave my apartment without some face makeup.  A few little dabs of the moisturizer is enough to cover my face and top of my neck, and it blends evenly with my skin.  For a lightweight moisturizer, it covers up little pimples or blackheads extremely well.  AND it's SPF 15, so it's perfect for that blaring summer sun.

I bought Shade 03 back in February when I was in my winter depression (it was just about time for a spray tan), and it matched my pale-tan skin perfectly.  I accidentally purchased Shade 05 my last visit to Sephora, but with my Memorial Day Weekend tan, it matches my skin just right.  You can find the different shades on the Sephora website here.

On top of my tinted moisturizer, I usually apply a few quick brushstrokes of bronzer, just on my cheekbones, forehead and under my eyebrow for more definition.  I've been a loyal fan of Annie's Cosmetics owned by Morristown local, Annie Cheong, who's recently moved her store to New York City.  Maybe I like her so much because she tried to convince me to audition for the Miss New Jersey beauty pageant, but Annie has been the business manager and beauty consultant trainer of big names like Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Sisley.  My mother first took me to see Annie to consult me on makeup application in high school, and she taught me everything I needed to know about selecting the right colors and applying makeup.

How do you feel about tinted moisturizer?  Do you know of any other lightweight tinted moisturizers that blend well?  Comment away!