ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint Review: My Favorite Lightweight Summer Coverage

My first introduction into the world of clean beauty was Beautycounter’s tinted moisturizer, Dew Skin. It gave me a base that evened out my complexion, while also providing UV protection and hydration. I loved that product for years. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that my skin has become increasingly dry. Products that used to work well for me are now too drying – including my formally beloved Dew Skin by Beautycounter.

My new preference for a lightweight tinted moisturizer is ILIA’s Super Serum Skin Tint. I first tried it in the fall of 2022 when I had a chance to meet the ILIA team at a work conference. ILIA Beauty is a clean beauty brand that focuses on natural makeup looks and high performing products that contain skincare ingredients. I have a handful of ILIA Beauty products now and a few of them have become part of my everyday summer makeup routine, but today I am focusing on a full review of the Super Serum Skin Tint.

ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint Review

The Super Serum Skin Tint is a tinted serum with light, dewy coverage and 40 SPF. 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.

Ingredients

One of the stand-out features of ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint (and all other ILIA products I’ve tried) is that it’s made with high-performing skincare ingredients. The key ingredients include hyaluronic acid, squalane, and niacinamide.

Hyaluronic acid pulls moisture into skin, which increases hydration and helps skinappear more plump, while squalane helps with your skin’s elasticity which reduces 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 that is used in this base 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.)

Coverage

Like I briefly mentioned, the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint is a very lightweight coverage. It helps to blurs 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 2 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, which is another winning feature in my book. It simply adds a light tint to even your skin tone while still allowing your features to shine.

This base is the definition of a no-makeup makeup look: glowy, natural, and healthy. It’s a very minimalistic option for a base.

Wearability

When you’re 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 (this is when a product’s color/tint changes once exposed to oxygen), and does not melt off in hot or humid weather. While it’s not going to look perfectly fresh, as if you’ve just applied it, after a full day, you’ll still have a natural coverage by the end of the day. 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.

Feel and Scent

Feel and scent are the only issues I have with the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint. And honestly, feel isn’t the issue. This base feels just like any other tinted moisturizer I’ve used, although perhaps a little thinner. It blends easily with your fingers, a brush, or a beauty blender. However the scent is an issue for me. This may sound strange, but 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.

Before and After

As you can see below, this product gives the perfect natural coverage that combines well with the rest of my makeup routine. Add a little concealer, bronzer, blush, and some eye makeup, and I’m good to go. I wear shade STA OR6 for reference.

Where to Buy ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint

ILIA is sold at a ton of retailers, so you have a lot of options in terms of where to buy! Of course, ILIA sells directly online, but you’ll also find it at Nordstrom, Sephora, Credo, and Amazon.

You can read about the rest of my favorite ILIA products in this review. I’ve also worn the fuller coverage foundation by ILIA and have thoughts on that too.

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