Which Jane Iredale base is for you: Dream Tint, Skintuition or Glow Fixation

Three of the Jane Iredale bases we stock have sun protection built in and get mixed up at the counter every week: Dream Tint Tinted Moisturiser SPF 15, Skintuition SPF 30 Radiance-Boosting Liquid Foundation, and the new Glow Fixation SPF 30 Sheer Tint Skin Enhancer. They get mixed up at the counter every week. This is the plain comparison, taken from the labels and our own listings, with a recommendation at the end.

The short version

• Dream Tint, $112: sheer to medium coverage, a natural, dewy finish, SPF 15, seven shades.
• Skintuition, $122: buildable coverage, a luminous finish, mineral SPF 30, 26 shades.
• Glow Fixation, $118: a sheer tint, a luminous finish, SPF 30 on the New Zealand label, five flexible shades.

Coverage

Dream Tint gives sheer to medium coverage, in Jane Iredale's words. Our listing puts it as sheer, natural-looking coverage that helps even out skin tone. Wear it on its own, or layer it under a mineral foundation when you want more; the brand's own tip is to apply it under powder foundation for extra coverage.

Skintuition is the one with real coverage, and it is buildable: a light wash of colour from a thin layer, up to something more solid if you add a second where you want it, usually around the nose and chin. Buildable is not the same as full. If you want full, flat coverage, none of these three is it.

Glow Fixation is not a foundation. It is a sheer tint with a glow, made to be worn alone or as a luminous base under makeup, and Jane Iredale says it can go under any of its foundations. If you want to cover things, choose one of the other two.

Finish

Dream Tint: dewy and natural, with what the brand calls a soft-focus effect. Skintuition: luminous, a soft glow rather than a flat finish. Our own note on the listing is that oilier skin through a humid Auckland summer may find the glow reads as shine by mid afternoon, and a translucent powder pressed into the T zone is the usual fix. Glow Fixation: luminous, described by the brand as a lit-from-within look. It is the one you buy for the glow.

SPF, as labelled

Dream Tint is SPF 15 broad spectrum, from titanium dioxide at 4.5 percent, and the brand lists it as water resistant to 40 minutes. Skintuition is mineral SPF 30. Glow Fixation is SPF 30 on the New Zealand label, from non-nano zinc oxide at 22.75 percent.

One honest thing about SPF in makeup, which we also say on the Skintuition page. An SPF rating is measured at a lab standard application, a much thicker layer than anyone wears foundation, and any sunscreen only protects at the amount you actually put on. Glow Fixation is the one of the three whose instruction reads like a sunscreen's: apply it liberally and evenly over face and neck, about two fingers' length, as the last step of your skincare. For the other two, put a dedicated sunscreen underneath on a bright day and think of the SPF as a helpful extra. Reapply if you are out for long.

Shades

Dream Tint comes in seven on our Dream Tint page: Light, Medium Light, Medium, Medium Dark, Dark, Warm Bronze and Peach Brightener. Peach Brightener is the odd one out: Jane Iredale's tip is to use it to camouflage dark under-eye circles, hyperpigmentation and freckles.

Skintuition comes in 26, from Shade 10 (Fair) to Shade 84 (Deeper). With that many, the match is precise, so check it along the jawline in daylight rather than under indoor lighting.

Glow Fixation comes in five flexible shades organised by skin tone depth, from Fair to Light through to Dark to Deep. Because the tint is sheer, the match is forgiving; if you sit between two, try both along the jaw.

Price

Dream Tint $112, Glow Fixation $118, Skintuition $122. All three are on the shelf at 245 Parnell Road and online, though Glow Fixation is in small numbers per shade. Delivery rates show at checkout, or choose pickup.

Who each one suits

Dream Tint, if you want one product that does three jobs: moisturiser, sunscreen and light foundation. It is the one for a low-key day, and the one to layer under powder when the day turns out not to be low-key. Vegan and wheat-free in all shades, as stated by Jane Iredale.

Skintuition, if you want coverage you can build and a finish that still looks like skin. Our listing suggests it for normal, dry and combination skin that wants a soft glow rather than a flat finish, and for winter, when indoor heating leaves the face feeling tight. Less suitable if you want full coverage, or if your skin is oily and you do not want to powder.

Glow Fixation, if you want to look like yourself on a good day, with sun protection built in, and you are happy to skip coverage altogether. It is also the one for people who gave up on mineral sunscreen because it felt heavy, since this one is tinted and, in the brand's words, weightless. Vegan and wheat-free, as stated by Jane Iredale.

Try them on

All three are on the counter at Verdo, so come in and put each one along the jaw. It takes a minute and it is the fastest way to settle the question. Dream Tint Tinted Moisturiser SPF 15, Skintuition SPF 30 Radiance-Boosting Liquid Foundation and Glow Fixation SPF 30 Sheer Tint are all online too.

Where to find us

Verdo is at 245 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland, open seven days. Email enquiries@verdonails.co.nz or call 027 559 0837.

The Verdo team