Nørrebro, CopenhagenThe lab
Every formula and shade, from first beaker to final batch
Our own, since the first Lip Tint
Ingredients we useAbout Tinct
See it on skin.Keep the case.
Tinct makes skincare and colour in a small lab in Copenhagen. Every formula prints its percentages on the front, every shade is photographed on three skin tones, and every case is made to be refilled.
We started with one question we kept asking at beauty counters: what does this actually look like on skin like mine? The answer became the store: shades shown on skin before the price, and packaging you keep.
What we believe
- 01
Percentages on the front
If a serum has 5% niacinamide, the bottle says 5%. Every active, at the strength it works, and the full ingredient list on every product page.
- 02
See it on skin first
A shade name tells you very little. We photograph every shade on light, medium and deep skin in the same daylight, so you can judge for yourself.
- 03
Keep the case
Lip Tint, Cheek Tint and Barrier Cream come in cases made to last for years. Refills cost about a third less and use a fraction of the packaging.
- products in the whole range
- 25
- products in the whole range
- shades, each with its own name and line
- 30
- shades, each with its own name and line
- skin tones every shade is photographed on
- 3
- skin tones every shade is photographed on
- empties back earn one free refill
- 5
- empties back earn one free refill
From lab bench to your shelf
Most formulas take a year from the first beaker to the shop. Here is how a Lip Tint shade is made.
Step 1: Formulate
We mix the base and the pigments in small batches in the Copenhagen lab, then adjust until one layer is sheer and two are full.
Step 2: Patch-test
Every formula is worn by a panel of volunteers with different skin types before it's approved. Anything that stings goes back to the bench.
Step 3: Swatch on three skin tones
Each shade is photographed on light, medium and deep skin in the same daylight. If a shade turns grey on deep skin, we change the shade, not the photo.
Step 4: Fill and pack
Filled in Denmark into refill cartridges, clicked into aluminium cases and packed in paper. No plastic fill in the box.
Step 5: Refill
When it runs out, a refill clicks into the same case for $16. The empties come back to us and go to recycling.
Where it's made
The places behind every Tinct product.
- Nørrebro, Copenhagen
Jutland, DenmarkThe filling floor
Bottles, jars, tubes and refill cartridges
Filled within a day's drive of the lab
Shop skin
Northern EuropeThe cases
Brushed aluminium cases for Lip Tint and Cheek Tint
Anodised, recyclable, made to keep
Shop cases
US, UK and EUEmpties back
Sorting and recycling everything you send back
Glass, aluminium and cartridges each go their own way
Empties back
Empties back
Send five back. Get a refill free.
Any Tinct packaging counts: cartridges, pans, pods, pouches, bottles, jars and tubes. Rinse them if you can; you don't have to.
- 1Request a free label online.
- 2Tape it to any box of 5 or more empties.
- 3A refill code arrives once the box reaches us.
What we're still working on
We would rather tell you than leave it out. These are the parts of Tinct we haven't solved yet.
Cartridges are still plastic
Lip Tint refills sit in a small plastic cartridge inside a paper sleeve. It's a fifth of the old packaging, but it isn't none. Empties back recycles them separately.
SPF can't be refilled yet
Sunscreen needs an airtight pack to stay stable, so Mineral SPF still comes in a new bottle each time. We're testing a refillable one.
Aluminium takes energy to make
A case only pays off if you keep it and refill it. That's why refills cost a third less than a new case: keeping it should be the obvious choice.
