With there being so many tinted complexion balms, it’s hard to know which one to choose. I’m going to do a rundown of the Laura Mercier Tinted Blur Balm and the Clinique Daily Calm Foundation Balm, comparing the formula, shade range, pricing and claims to see which tinted complexion balm comes out on top.
Both of these balms are solid tinted complexion balms, but they are designed with different benefits.
Laura Mercier Tinted Blur Balm
The Laura Mercier Tinted Blur Balm is $44 and contains 5g of product, inside a gold chrome compact with a mirror inside the lid.
Laura Mercier Tinted Blur Balm has a water-free formula, with squalane being the very first ingredient, followed by silica and dimethicone. The squalane gives the balm slip and comfort and the silica absorbs excess oil, creating a blurred and powdery finish.
When it comes to the claims, the balm has a peptide infusion to improve your skin’s texture, elasticity and tone.
Vegan squalane conditions your skin and supports your skin barrier, and the transparent mica and “color-true” pigments give you the soft focus coverage.
This complexion balm is a makeup-led formula, even though the ingredients include some skincare ingredients. The high percentage of silica with waxes and film formers are why the creamy balm performs like a very lightweight powder foundation once you’ve blended it into the skin.
It’ll blur your skin, control your shine levels, give you long-lasting coverage as well as smoothing your pores.
When it comes to potential weaknesses, if you have very dry or flaky skin, you’re going to need to use a super hydrating primer and skincare products before application, as the powder-setting finish will just emphasize dehydration.
BUY HERE: Laura Mercier / Sephora / ULTA / Nordstrom
Clinique Daily Calm Foundation Balm
The Clinique Daily Calm Foundation Balm is $49 and contains 30ml of product, so the Clinique balm contains significantly more product for the money, as a comparison. The Clinique balm is housed in a jar with a lid you unscrew, and you don’t get a mirror.
As one is measured by weight and the other by volume, they can’t be compared exactly gram for milliliter, but the difference is still significant between the two.
Clinique Daily Calm Foundation Balm is a water-based silicone balm, with the first ingredient being water, followed by a number of silicones creating a smooth texture to melt across your skin, without heavy rubbing.
There are also waxes and silica, which gives the balm its consistency within the solid pot, but also gives you a lightly blurred finish on your skin.
There’s a botanical blend featuring Chinese skullcap root and moso bamboo leaf extracts, while magnolia bark extract to help soothe visible irritation.
It is a hydrating formula, feels comfortable on the skin and gives you light coverage, so it might not offer enough coverage if you’re dealing with blemishes, pigmentation or post-acne mark issues.
BUY HERE: Clinique / ULTA / Macy’s / Nordstrom
Which Is Best?
It depends on what you’re looking for. Clinique wins for the skincare benefits and for the formula being suitable for super sensitive skin, while the Laura Mercier balm wins for coverage, longevity, skin blurring and oil control.
Laura Mercier’s balm starts off being sheer but can be layered to give you medium coverage. Clinique’s balm will give you sheer to light coverage with a natural looking finish.
When it comes to shade range, both formulas have 8 shades. Laura Mercier has proper shade descriptions for all 8 shade, while Clinique just names their shades for the shade category, so it could be hard to find a shade match without swatching instore.
Clinique says the shades are flexible and capable of adapting across several skin tones. However, three of its eight shades sit within the light-medium category, while there is only one light, one medium and one medium-deep option.
From the brand claims, the Laura Mercier balm focuses on improving texture and making your skin look good, while the Clinique balm focuses on skin sensitivity and redness issues.
Laura Mercier claims their balm gives you 12 hours of wear time, and Clinique doesn’t make any claims at all, although the Clinique formula does claim to be sweat and humidity resistant.
Which Balm Is Best For Different Skin Types?
Choose Laura Mercier Tinted Blur Balm if you have:
- Combination or oily skin
- Enlarged or visible pores
- Uneven texture
- You like a natural matte foundation
- You’re looking for light-to-medium buildable coverage
- You need your base to last without constant touch-ups
Choose Clinique Daily Calm Foundation Makeup Balm if you have:
- Sensitive or reactive skin
- You have visible redness or irritation
- Normal to dry skin
- You have dehydration or tightness
- You prefer sheer no-makeup makeup
- You have skin that reacts to heavily fragranced complexion products
Clinique wins the blur balm battle for comfort, skincare and value, while Laura Mercier wins for coverage, blurring and wear.
The Clinique Balm is going to be a better everyday complexion balm for sensitive or dry skin, but Laura Mercier is better for those with oily skin, or those that want their tinted skin balm to behave and perform like a conventional foundation.
