The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

Milk Makeup sunshine skin tint review: Is this exactly what our post-lockdown beauty bag needs?

The new launch promises weightless, sheer coverage in a unique rollerball applicator

Louise Whitbread
Thursday 18 March 2021 05:09 EDT
With SPF 30, it’s a multipurpose buy
With SPF 30, it’s a multipurpose buy (iStock/The Independent)

As the warmer weather has coincided with post-lockdown freedom being on the horizon, we’re taking a closer look at our make-up bag to see if it needs updating after a year spent mostly barefaced.

With hotter temperatures and continued mask wearing due to be around for the foreseeable future, we’re ditching the full-coverage foundations in favour of lightweight formulas that add a healthy glow and need little touching up.

One brand that aims to master this for summer 2021 is New York-based brand Milk Makeup, known for its cool, playful packaging and popular products designed for on-the-go application and top-ups, spanning skincare and make-up.

Some of its biggest hits include the hydro grip primer that's become a favourite among influencers and on TikTok, along with its Pritt stick-style cream bronzer and blushers. We also loved its vegan milk moisturising cleanser too, which took a spot in our review of the best face cleansers for its creamy texture that left skin feeling luxuriously soft.

Its latest launch is a three-in-one product: a skin tint, face oil and sunscreen all wrapped in a clickable rollerball applicator and available in 14 shades.

Read more:

Promising weightless, light coverage with moisturising natural oils that deliver a dewy finish and a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF30 in refillable packaging, it makes some bold claims on performance.

Keen to put it through its paces, we tried it ourselves, exploring how well it applied, blended, what sort of coverage it gave, whether it lasted and the company’s efforts towards making a more sustainable product.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

Milk Makeup sunshine skin tint SPF30

milk makeup sunshine skin tint.jpg

How to apply it

Having oily combination skin and a T-Zone so shiny you can see it from space, the second we heard face oil, skin tint and SPF in the same sentence, we were intrigued.

It comes in chunky stick packaging that’s a bit like a giant marker pen except it’s entirely clear, to help you know how much product you have left.

To apply it, take off the lid and press down on the clicker at the base of the stick and it will distribute the product via the rollerball applicator.

Rollerballs are typically seen in miniature perfumes, sometimes lip oils, but rarely face make-up, so we were keen to see how it delivered the product and how easy it was to keep clean and sanitary.

The first time we tried it took a few clicks before it dispensed the product, but it rolls a decent amount over your skin – especially larger areas like our cheeks – swiftly, without it being overloaded or the product dripping down the sides.

With one click we were able to dot each area of our face and blend it in with our fingers for sheer coverage.

Read more: 8 best refillable lipsticks to reduce your beauty waste

The formula is packed with grapeseed, avocado, mandarin, jojoba, and olive oils, which give your skin a glowy finish, blended together with olive-derived squalane, which seals in moisture and keeps skin looking supple.

While it won’t give you a huge amount of coverage, it is buildable and we were easily able to layer it up on areas of redness or blemishes to conceal more. It gives a lovely, your-skin-but-better finish and it left a dewy glow that didn’t look greasy (even on our usually oily skin).

For adding coverage to a breakout on our chin, we simply reached for our concealer.

We also tried the tint using a stippling brush and it blended just as seamlessly without getting it on your hands, but you don’t need to use one, which makes this a great option for on-the-go or if you’re caught out without your brush kit.

Buy now

Does it last?

We loved how weightless this seemed on the skin – exactly as it promises – and you can barely feel it once it’s blended in.

It provides a dewy glow, though if you do get particularly oily you can also dab powder on shinier areas like your nose and forehead.

Throughout the day it felt much more comfortable than our usual matte foundation underneath our face covering, with barely any transfer. Even the tiny amounts that did rub off from our upper lip didn’t make much of a difference, as the coverage is sheer anyway.

A few hours after first applying we did notice our T-zone was beginning to look a lot shinier, but this is true with almost every foundation, so it wasn’t a cause for concern and the sunscreen SPF30 is a great way to protect yourself from UV rays without much fuss.

How does the refill work?

One of the easiest ways to cut down on waste in your beauty routine is by using refillable products, and this skin tint is a simple place to start.

Once you’ve finished, simply twist the bottom canister to loosen and out it comes, a clear tube where the product once was.

Once you have your refill, which costs £27 per cartridge, simply pop it back in, twist to tighten and carry on as usual. It’s a completely fuss-free process and refill cartridges will be available from May 2021.

Read more: Can Charlotte Tilbury’s new eyebrow products give us supermodel brows?

According to the brand, the refill cartridge cuts down on 66 per cent of plastic use, while still holding the same amount of product as the original tube, and you can take apart the packaging to put it in your recycling once you’re finished with it.

Additionally, the box it comes in is made from 100 per cent post-consumer waste paperboard and its box labels are made from post-consumer paper.

The verdict

Overall, we were impressed, The packaging is innovative and fuss-free, with no mess or clumping from the rollerball, and we found a little went a long way – you can blend your whole face within seconds, using just your fingers.

It’s a nice re-introduction to base make-up products now that we’re soon to have a busier social calendar, so if you’re keen to try something sheerer post-lockdown, this is ideal.

The SPF30 is a nice touch, and you would never be able to tell from the texture or finish – there was no flashback when we took selfies, nor did it leave a white cast on the skin.

Back to top

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in