Writing my last skincare post, the one where I talk about trying to find an SPF that my Mum will wear, reminded me that I had, in fact, made rather a nice discovery when I was at her house the other weekend. I was rootling about in her bedside drawers, as you do (does anyone else automatically revert to being a child as soon as they set foot in their parents’ house?), and I came across a little pot of moisturiser by Perricone MD. Not just any moisturiser, it turned out, but one with a “face finishing” tint to it.

I had merely been looking for a face cream, because I had accidentally cleansed my face with a heavy duty gardeners’ hand-wash and it was dry as a bone (seriously need to get my eyes tested; I thought it was some sort of funky organic cleanser); but as soon as I started massaging the Perricone MD over my skin, a gorgeous bronzey glow began to spread over my face and I looked suddenly quite healthy. Despite not having had more than a few hours’ sleep for three nights on the trot and living on fish and chips, cake, Coca Cola and cheddar cheese, my face had the look of someone who perhaps juiced, or jogged, or owned their own yoga mat and didn’t use it to insulate the bottom of the dog bed. It was a really pleasant surprise.

Now look; I’m no stranger to these moisturiser/tint hybrids. Estée Lauder’s Sheer Tint, Origins and their Ginzing, both are excellent and give a warm glow on top of some pretty lovely skin-plumping hydration. Like the Perricone MD version here, they look like a standard face cream (if slightly speckly) but when you massage them in, a lovely tint is released. Nothing too strong, nothing to shiny – it’s just a suit-all sunkissed boost and a touch of sheen, so convenient if you don’t want the faff of a foundation and love the “real skin” look. I love these multi-purpose complexion enhancers and they’ve been around for ages, but I suppose the Perricone pot gave me a little jolt of pleasure because the healthy glow aspect was a bit of an unexpected bonus!

And, I think, the Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer Tint does seem to have a hint more of a tint than Ginzing – I can’t compare Lauder’s version because my Mum nicked it. (There’s a common theme going on here, isn’t there?) It also has a mineral SPF (titanium dioxide) which physically blocks the sun rays – so both UVA and UVB, the ones that age you and that burn you, to put it simply – and because of the tint, the mineral sun block doesn’t seem to leave any white cast on the skin.

What it does leave on the skin is that lust-worthy, juicy sort of finish that manages to be non-greasy and perfectly glowing at the same time. (Apologies, no before and after here because it was ludicrous trying to demonstrate the difference on camera!) It truly lives up to its “Face Finishing” description and is perfectly adequate as a final step if you don’t want to apply makeup on top. To be quite honest, applying foundation on top of this seems like a waste of a perfectly good “no makeup” opportunity, providing your skin is in reasonably good nick.

But this is more than a finishing step; the moisturiser itself is packed full of antioxidants and (Perricone’s signature skincare flourish) fish oil-derived omegas, making it a great choice for a potent, protective day cream whether you need the tint or not. I suppose this cream ticks many boxes and wears many hats; it’s an antioxidant moisturiser, it has broad spectrum spf, it has a mineral spf – which many people prefer, so long as it doesn’t have that chalky finish – it has a believable bronzey tint that looks healthy but not orange and it leaves a velvety finish that’s either a perfect makeup base or a comfortable, non-greasy end result.

OK it’s not cheap – £59 for a 30ml pot – but I see it as a hi-tech face cream with added benefits, rather than a tinted moisturiser. And, by the way, I liked it so much I came home and went to order it online (I stopped short of nicking it entirely from Mum’s cabinet!) but then realised that I had a pot of it in my “waiting to be tested” skincare stash. I can’t even tell you how chuffed I was. (It also made me feel quite shameful about just how behind I am on my product-testing duties and lack of control over my inventory. I need someone to clone my face. Or my whole self.)

As I was Googling the best place to buy the Face Finishing Tint, I saw that this product has overwhelmingly good reviews online, which is always reassuring. I mean, if I love something, I’ll always tell you whether it’s universally liked or I’m the only fan of it on the planet, but there’s something nice about having your own findings backed up by hundreds of other users.

Anyway, onwards to the next testing session – maybe I should do a regular feature – “things I found in my Mum’s (private) beauty drawers, without asking permission to look in them”. Highlights would include l’Occitane’s Almond Oil spray and a perfume called La Fille de Berlin by Serge Lutens*, which has the most amazing sexy rose scent. God knows what else is hiding in my Mum’s various beauty stashes – she squirrels things away all over the place!

You can find Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturiser Tint at Amazon here* (authorised stockist) and Sephora here* – it has sold out at Space NK. Origins Ginzing, which has an initial – very – fruity smell but then smells like sun lotion, is £30 here*. The finish is far less juicy-looking, but if you’re looking for a more affordable alternative…