Beauty
ILIA’s New Foundation Stick Is Like FaceTune In A Tube
Here’s what to know about the launch.
Most days, I’m a medium-coverage foundation girlie, and I’ve tried hundreds of formulas throughout the years. Some of my all-time favorites have actually launched in the last few months — specifically, the r.e.m. beauty Sweetener Foundation ($35) and the Kylie Cosmetics Power Plush Longwear Foundation ($36) — and they’ve been seriously hard to beat.
As of March 5, ILIA added another medium-coverage product to the shelves with its Skin Rewind Blurring Foundation and Concealer Complexion Stick ($48). A foundation-concealer hybrid packed with hydrating ingredients, the multi-tasking stick promises blurred skin with a soft finish akin to a baby’s silky-smooth complexion.
“Sometimes, I look at my daughter’s skin and just marvel at how smooth and soft it is,” brand founder Sasha Plavsic said in a statement about the inspo behind the launch. “I wondered what it would look like to capture that natural softness in a foundation.”
Below, find my honest review of the makeup launch that has all the glam girls talking.
Fast Facts
- Price: $48
- Best for: Makeup minimalists who want an easy-to-apply concealer
- Rating: 3.5/5
- What I Love: The velvet-smooth formula glides effortlessly onto my complexion with a barely-there feel
- What I Don’t Love: I found one layer’s coverage to be a bit patchy when used in place of my typical foundation
The Skin Rewind Complexion Stick
Available in 42 shades, the ILIA Skin Rewind Blurring Foundation and Concealer Complexion Stick is a multi-tasking complexion product that can be used in place of your foundation, concealer, or contour products (the latter if you use a deeper shade).
The formula is buildable and offers medium coverage, and its matte finish is meant to look like real skin.
In line with the brand’s M.O. of creating makeup products with skin-forward ingredients, the complexion stick is filled with actives that boost hydration and smooth your complexion.
Key Ingredients
- Ceramide-Peptide Complex: This buzzy complex taps the powers of both ceramides and peptides to help skin lock in moisture and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
- Squalane: This ingredient is a powerful humectant that not only deeply hydrates, but protects the skin’s protective outer barrier.
- Butterfly Lavender Extract: Aiding in moisturizing one’s skin, this ingredient benefits its appearance over time.
- Kelp Extract: Kelp protects the skin while improving its elasticity for a more youthful-looking complexion.
My First Impressions
Right out of the box, I immediately appreciated how luxe and weighty the stick feels in my hands. I love that the packaging is equipped with a thumb-shaped divot which allows for a comfortable grip and easy application.
The second I begin applying it directly to my skin, I notice that the texture feels creamy and glides on with little effort, offering a good amount of coverage and an almost skin-blurring effect.
Upon blending out that first application with my go-to dense brush, I saw that the result of one layer was a bit patchy in coverage. I added another layer, which didn’t feel heavy and did work to even out my complexion.
Taking a different approach my next go around, I decided to apply the stick as more of a concealer atop a skin tint. Immediately, I fell in love with the velvet-soft look — and realized that, especially in tandem with a deeper shade fit for contouring, this launch makes for the perfect “underpainting” product that offers the prettiest soft matte finish. In this case, it almost feels like FaceTune in stick form.
As far as wear goes, I did find that a loose dusting of powder helped to keep the product in place. While my combination skin does tend to get a bit oily in my T-zone throughout the day, it remained dewy as the hours ticked on — akin to a “glass skin” sheen — and never looked like a greasy mess while wearing this formula.
The Final Verdict
While the ILIA Complexion Stick has some serious benefits, it isn’t replacing my faves in the foundation category.
That said, I do love how creamy and baby-soft the formula is. Instead of opting for a full face with this product, I prefer using it as an easy-to-apply concealer on top of lightweight skin tints, or even using a darker shade for a skin-smoothing contour — especially throughout the spring and summer months, when I typically don’t want too much product on my complexion.
If you’re a makeup minimalist, however, and like to apply a light foundation with your fingertips, this product was definitely made with you in mind.
