Foundation has never been part of my makeup routine. I’m partial to a natural dewy look, and every foundation I’ve ever tried has always gone on too cakey, too heavy, and too thick. So I resigned myself to believe my skin tone will forever be uneven. Better that than cake face, right?

Then one fateful day in December, I hired a makeup artist on GlamSquad to do my makeup for a wedding. As we were chatting about how I wanted to look, I casually offered up my skepticism about foundation. “Nothing works on me; I can’t use it,” I told him. He raised his eyebrows, reached into his bag and said, “Well you’ve probably never tried this.”

This referred to Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer, which he told me he “swears by.” He went on to extoll its virtues, telling me about how he uses it on “absolutely everyone,” whether they think they need foundation or not. He said he’d even converted full-coverage foundation lovers on to its light-as-air finish. His enthusiasm intrigued me, but I wasn’t sold until he put it on.

Seeing it on my skin, I completely understood where this guy’s fervor came from. The change was subtle but unmistakable. The tinted moisturizer gave my face that natural, dewy glow I wanted without looking like I was wearing anything at all. I even liked the way it looked before he put any other makeup on, which is something a mascara addict like myself would honestly never say. I usually feel naked without any eye makeup on, but this tinted moisturizer was really changing everything.

The real test came when I was actually at the wedding—dancing, sweating, and doing other things that makeup usually hates. The product held up for hours and looked just as good while I was staring at myself in the mirror at 2 A.M., questioning my decisions at the open bar.

The next day I decided this wasn’t just a formal occasion look, I needed this tinted moisturizer immediately. So I did what anyone would in that situation—I Googled it. Apparently I’m the only one who wasn’t in on its magic. The reviews and five-stars for it were in the thousands.On Nordstrom alone, Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer has 2,500 glowing reviews. On Sephora it has 4,000!

I’d been slightly hesitant to actually buy it, because at $46, it’s not the cheapest. But after reading the hundredth review by someone who claimed they “couldn’t leave the house without it,” I clicked add to cart—and I’ve never regretted a decision less.

When I’m in a rush, the tinted moisturizer is the only product I’ll put on. It gives me the confidence of a full face of makeup while also making me look like I just came back from a beach vacation. It also blends really nicely with all of the other makeup products I use routinely, like Milk Makeup flex concealer and Glossier Cloud Paint. Plus, it lasts forever! The tube itself is not that large, but I’ve used it every day for four months now and I haven’t run out. (A little on a Beautyblender goes a long way.)

So now when people tell me that they hate foundation I turn to them and say, “Well you’ve probably never tried this.” Weeks later, they’ll come to me and say, “I can’t leave the house without it.” But, of course, I already know. How couldn’t they?

Buy Now: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, $46, Nordstrom

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