In this post I explain all three ILIA foundations, so you can decide which is right for you. If I had to pick just one, I’d get the ILIA True Skin Medium Coverage Foundation, but depending on the type of coverage and formula you like, you may be happier with a different one.
I’m always on the hunt for great makeup. Over the last few years, I’ve found a few foundations that are true stand-outs for me (which is saying a lot since I’m picky!), and today I’m reviewing one from a favorite makeup brand of mine — Ilia Beauty, a beauty company started by Sasha Plavsic.
I first tried the True Skin Serum Foundation in the fall of 2022. Then I got hooked on the water-based Super Serum Skin Tint (which is similar to a tinted moisturizer), and after trying and LOVING it, I decided to try their full coverage foundation too. I was very pleasantly surprised by how hydrating it is, especially since it’s made for more oily skin/combination skin and I have dry, aging skin. Then, I discovered ILIA’s Skin Rewind Complexion Stick and fell in love with how easy it is to apply and how natural it looks.
The ILIA True Skin Medium-Coverage Foundation is a weightless, medium-coverage foundation with a natural-looking finish. It also contains active skincare ingredients like Niacinamide and Allantoin, which nourish your skin even after you’ve taken your makeup off for the day.
The foundation has won two impressive awards: PureWow Editors’ Pick for Best Multi-Tasking Foundation in 2022 and the Best Clean Foundation in the EBONY Beauty & Grooming Awards (2022). So, in addition to nearly 4000+ positive customer reviews, the media also gives this foundation high praise. And rightfully so, it’s the best serum foundation I’ve ever used.
It comes in a 1 fl oz bottle with a pump, and it meets all of my requirements for foundation:
It’s also cruelty-free and vegan.
What I love about the True Skin foundation (in addition to everything I just mentioned), is that it truly looks like my skin when I’m wearing it. I don’t have many freckles, but when I do have a few, they still show through the foundation, which I appreciate. I don’t like when a foundation covers the skin so much that it looks totally different. I prefer to use a foundation that enhances my skin and makes it look more radiant while providing a smooth, even base for the rest of my makeup. This liquid foundation is just that.
Like I mentioned above, this foundation contains Niacinamide and Allantoin along with other skin care ingredients, which is what makes it a serum foundation.
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that visibly smooths and refines uneven skin texture and tone, while Allantoin soothes the look of irritation and redness, making it great for acne-prone skin. This foundation also contains aloe which hydrates and nourishes, which is why my dry skin also likes it.
The look and feel of the packaging aren’t anything super special, but I do like that it has a pump to dispense the product. I don’t like digging into a jar (like I have to with my favorite Chantecaille foundation) to get the product out. It just feels unsanitary. I find that I apply products with a pump like this one directly to my skin, just applying a small amount of product onto the parts of my face where I typically apply foundation.
Something that is noteworthy about their packaging, however, is that it’s recyclable. You can recycle the bottle through most curbside recycling services once the bottle is empty. You can also recycle the pump and cap through Pact Collective.
The formula is very lightweight and smooth. It’s silky and breathable, which helps it melt into skin and blend super easily. There’s no “dragging” this product around your face, which is nice. I’d say it’s a medium-weight foundation. It’s not thick or pasty, but it’s also more than a moisturizer. It’s on the thinner side of other medium-weight/medium-coverage foundations I have.
I typically use this Ilia complexion brush, but when I’m in a rush, my fingers work just fine.
I’d say this foundation has a medium coverage. In the winter months, I find that I like a little more coverage than in the summer, so this is perfect. It’s not full coverage like I’d use for an event, but it’s perfect for every day when I want to look polished but not overly made up. I wear shade SF2.5 Molokai.
The finish is very natural and slightly dewy. It’s not glowy and it’s not matte, but either of those looks could be achieved with some liquid highlighter or with a pressed powder. I have dry skin, and this does not get dry or cake-y throughout the day.
Next up is the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint. This is a tinted serum with light, dewy coverage and 40 SPF – very similar to a tinted moisturizer. It’s designed to act as a base, similar to a BB cream, with sheer coverage. I apply the rest of my makeup over this.
Like the True Skin Foundation, this is vegan, non-comedogenic, safe for sensitive skin, and formulated without fragrance, gluten, or silicone.
The key ingredients in the Skin Tint include hyaluronic acid, squalane, and niacinamide.
Hyaluronic acid pulls moisture into skin, increasing hydration and helping it appear plump. Squalane helps with your skin’s elasticity, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. The third key ingredient is niacinamide, which helps control your skin’s oil production (so you won’t look greasy), minimize your pores, and give you a radiant glow. These ingredients are not only great for a daily base, but over time, they will actually improve your skin’s overall hydration and texture.
The SPF used is a form of zinc oxide which gives SPF 40 protection. Since zinc oxide is used in this, there is a very slight white cast that appears when you first put this on, however, it disappears quickly and all that’s left is your tinted base. (If you’re looking for more non-toxic sunscreens for your face and body, I’ve got you covered.)
The packaging is slightly annoying, only because it can get a bit messy. The Ilia Skin Tint is more liquid than cream (like a serum) and uses a dropper to dispense the product. I dispense a drop or two onto the back of my hand and use a brush to blend it. Just like the True Skin Foundation, you can recycle the bottle.
The texture is thin and a little tacky, but it absorbs and feels normal after about 30 seconds. I should also note that it has a weird smell. When you first apply this serum, it smells (to me, at least) like dog food. Not ideal. But considering I still use it almost daily, despite the foul smell, it’s not a deal-breaker. The weird smell goes away in about 30 seconds.
Since the scent may bother you, I also recommend trying Crunchi’s Sunlight® Tinted SPF 30. I got it recently and love it as well. I have a full review on my favorite Crunchi makeup here.
Since the texture is on the tacky side, I prefer a brush to blend. However, you can also easily blend it in with your fingers.
The ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint is a very lightweight coverage. It helps to blur imperfections like redness and minor blemishes, but since it’s sheer, it’s not going to cover blemishes completely (and, therefore, may be too light for some), and it’s not necessarily buildable. A benefit to sheer coverage is that the shades are forgiving. As long as you’re within two shades of your exact match, you should be fine (and with 30 shades to choose from, this will be no problem). If you have freckles, this base won’t cover them up, another winning feature in my book. It simply adds a light tint to even your skin tone while still allowing your features to shine.
When talking about tinted moisturizers like the Super Serum Skin Tint, a big question is always about how long the coverage lasts. Since it’s sheer, does it give you coverage all day? In my experience, the Skin Tint has had great staying power. It does not oxidize (when a product’s color/tint changes once exposed to oxygen) and does not melt off in hot or humid weather.
The finish is very natural and hydrated. One huge selling point for the Super Serum Skin Tint is that it does not have problems with creasing – so it won’t settle into any fine lines. This base is the definition of a no-makeup makeup look: glowy, natural, and healthy. It’s a great no-makeup makeup look.
The Skin Rewind Complexion Stick is the newest foundation option from ILIA. I discovered it after trying MERIT makeup, since they have a complexion stick too. I like the ILIA Skin Rewind Complexion Stick much better than MERIT. ILIA’s stick is bigger, making it easier to apply and blends more easily. See how I compared it to Merit in this Instagram Reel.
The Skin Rewind Complexion Stick is buildable for more coverage, and it looks very natural. I love it on my dry, mature skin. However, I do wear a face oil underneath, since it’s a little dry compared to other foundations Ilia sells.
The key ingredients in the Skin Rewind Complexion Stick are ceramide-peptide complex which strengthens and firms the skin barrier, winged kelp extract, which restores luminosity and makes skin look more youthful, and butterfly lavender extract which smooths the look of wrinkles and fine lines. It was designed with all skin types in mind (including acne-prone and sensitive skin). It’s dermatologist-tested, non-comedogenic, and safe for sensitive skin.
The packaging is in stick form. You twist the formula up towards the top as needed. You can recycle this packaging as well! Just twist the stick up, clean out the rest of the remaining product, and then you can recycle the tube, base, and cap.
The formula is easy to blend. I apply it to my face directly and use the Ilia complexion brush to blend. It’s super smooth and buildable.
Like I mentioned above, I typically apply the Complexion Stick directly to my skin, and then use a brush to blend and buff it out. You can also use your fingers to blend if you prefer. The application was one of the reasons I liked ILIA’s stick better than MERIT’s – it applied and blended much smoother.
The coverage is medium but very buildable. It instantly blurs pores, covers any redness, and smooths my skin’s texture with a natural-matte finish. It’s more coverage than the Skin Tint and about the same as the Serum Foundation.
The Skin Rewind Complexion Stick has a matte-finish that looks and feels like your real skin. It’s one of my favorite foundations for everyday wear because it gives me a great base, but I still look like myself. It has great staying power (all day), and does not oxidize.
The ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint is water based. The Serum Skin Tint is fragrance-free, and has SPF for sun protection, squalane, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide which all hydrate your skin and decrease the look of inflammation. It’s not full coverage but rather, evens skin and provides light coverage.
Yes, ILIA’s foundation is non-comedogenic, meaning it will not clog your pores.
Yes. Their motto is: “Clean, skin-centric beauty. We challenge the conventions of clean beauty to create something radically new—through safe, potent formulas that protect and revive your skin,” and this accurately describes the brand. They don’t use undisclosed fragrance.
I don’t believe they do as much safety testing as Crunchi, but Ilia also performs better than Crunchi, so you’ll need to decide what’s most important to you: very clean and high-performing or the cleanest formulas available that are slightly lower-performing. (I reviewed Crunchi makeup here.)
ILIA is available at multiple retailers.
And while you’re shopping, be sure to take a look at the ILIA Multi Stick, Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint, Lip Oil, and Clean Line Liquid Liner. I genuinely love ILIA beauty products and if you like natural-looking makeup, you will too. My whole list of ILIA favorites is listed here.
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