ILIA Beauty
Review By Deborah Ferguson
As a true minimalist when it comes to using foundation and concealer makeup, it’s always a challenge to find coverage that doesn’t irritate, trigger break outs and crease free, while possibly oxidizing on my skin throughout the day. After attending a ILIA Beauty launch event in Los Angeles for their new Skin Rewind Complexion Stick, I immediately had a new appreciation for ILIA and their extraordinary vegan makeup brand. I was able to try all their skin prep and foundation products, while experiencing the benefits of the various layers can provide for a nourishing, minimalist, no make-up look on my mature skin. My daily challenges include darker under eye circles, fine lines that attract concealer to reveal deep creases, discoloration, uneven skin tone from sun exposure. And one of the biggest challenges is different zones on my face have various issues for example; my chin and lower jaw area break out a lot, the rest of my face is dry. How does one balance this and wear foundation without your skin looking like it’s a map of different tones?
Brand overview:
Ilia was founded in 2011 by Sasha Plavsic. She was introduced to a more natural lifestyle by her mother. After urging Sasha to read the ingredients on her lip balm of choice, she was shocked to learn that ingredients in the product were not safe. This prompted her to look deeper into the industry only to discover that these ingredients were unfortunately the normal formula standard. Safety/safe formula is the priority for Sasha as are skin loving ingredients that work and ensure high level, effective results for all skin tones and types. It’s ideal to start with skin care, skin prep that balances the skin for even the lightest touch of foundation.
The Base Face Milk
This product when applied to clean skin has a milky, light texture, like a luxury serum rather than a skin essence. It absorbed quickly and effortlessly into my skin without residue, or reactions. Which brings me to how suitable it is for all skin types and ages. I noticed balanced overall hydration, plumped fine lines, a result of 30 days of applying the essence as my first layer of skincare. It was most effective when applied before the ILIA foundation products. It’s a perfect light moisturizer for oily, combination skin that tends to break out. The essence formula is loaded with nutrients which gave my skin an extra boost of glow.
The Base Face Milk has a power packed ingredient list, a few key heroingredients include:
-A barrier renewal complex: Utilizing the power of lipids, sterols, and fatty acids, this unique complex brings plenty of long lasting moisture to the skin.
-Hyaluronic acid: skin plumping & amp; Hydrating
-Microalgae extract: a supplement for your skin, rich with nutrients and antioxidants.
-Prickly pear flower extract: contains antioxidants and has antibacterial properties, aids in minimizing skin discoloration..
Skin Rewind Complexion Stick
The new Skin Rewind Complexion Stick is like a magic eraser that blurs, brightens and neutralizes discoloration including redness. The weightless, creamy texture made it easy to apply and blend, and left my skin with an almost invisible veil of moisture, but not too oily. Its impressive long-lasting coverage is one of the best I’ve ever experienced, it didn’t melt or move all day. I tried it on its own as a foundation stick and the overall medium coverage was long lasting, neutralizing and didn’t oxidize at all. The lasting power of 10 hours + was perfect as I didn’t need to touch it up or add more. It worked on my eye lids, and lower eye area after I applied the The True skin serum concealer, which was a perfect way to blend the two tones seamlessly. Basically, it’s a brilliant lightweight concealer and foundation in one.
The packaging and size of the product ensure its easy to use and apply. I also experimented with it as a contour in a slightly darker tone, as they have so many tones and the texture makes it so easy to create a natural look, rather than heavy or cakey look.
The result-driven, potent ingredients like the skin-firming and fortifying ceramide-peptide complex deliver the age-defying look. I also like the exceptional overall lasting radiance and luminosity it delivers via the winged kelp extract. And the fine line blurring and smoothing is the result of the butterfly lavender extract. It is formulated to improve your skin over time. This new foundation stick will be in my daily arsenal of top three products for multi-use coverage delivering reliable, mess free results.
True Skin Serum Concealer
After years of trying and buying concealers that don’t crease, aren’t heavy and or cakey, don’t contrast with foundation, and have lasting power; I finally found my #1 product the True Skin Serum Concealer. It’s serum like texture is creamy, lightweight and a little goes a long way when applying and blending. My favorite result is the creases around my eyes are not filled with concealer 8 hours after applying. I do suggest for the ultimate overall finish add on a light dusting of the Soft-Focus Concealing Powder.
Ilia being a clean beauty brand with effective anti-aging ingredients, perhaps that is why the concealer not only offers coverage but the added benefit of skincare.
Ilia states it has anti-aging benefits, so when using it to cover and brighten your skin, it’s also improving the skin’s barrier, which helps retain hydration. The Albizia Julibrissin Bark (Silk Tree Extract) extract is a key ingredient for its antioxidant, anti-aging, immunostimulating results. The detoxifying, anti-glycation effect protects your skin’s collagen and aids in lightening dark under eye circles. Like the new foundation stick it’s a magic eraser for under the eyes and to hide blemishes and other facial and neck scars.
Super Serum skin Tint SPF 40
The Super Skin Serum Tint is my new favorite anti-aging serum, sunscreen and skin tint in one bottle. The skin tint helped me achieve a radiant, no-makeup look while offering SPF and hydration. I don’t ever really need or use full cover foundations; this product fits the multi-use need for light but effective coverage.
The lightweight liquid texture was easy to apply and blend for a natural, skin-blurring effect that evened out my skin tone while leaving a dewy glow. This exceptional serum/ skin tint reduced the need for some of my daily skincare routine products when I travel or when I’m on the go and want a multi-use, time saving product.
I found it’s an ideal product to apply after I blended in the Skin Rewind Complexion Stick, it added a perfect final layer of dewy glow, sunscreen, and moisture. The SPF 40 contains a 12% active non-nano zinc, which is one of the most effective sunscreen ingredients for shielding your skin from UVA, UVB, UVC, blue light, and infrared rays and the non -nano zinc that
won’t enter your blood stream.
The liquid formula feels like a light moisturizing serum and is loaded with similar elements I often find in anti-aging serums I use and review for Contents Beauty. These key result driven ingredients: hyaluronic Acid (line minimizing and hydration), niacinamide (Improves skin texture), and squalene (protects your skin from free radicals and signs of aging) work well on all skin types, ages and skin tones. The tens of thousands of fans have all claimed similar results; minimize and heal blemishes, improve skin
tones and reduce fine lines, I must agree.
Multi-Stick
I’ve been a longtime fan of this Multi-Stick as it’s very emollient, easy to blend while adding the perfect wash of color. The creamy, multiuse formula is loaded with vitamin E, avocado oil and shea butter, which enables it to almost melt into the skin. Compared to similar blush sticks it’s much more buildable, blendable and delivered a natural tint of longer lasting color (10 hours until I needed to touch up). The Multi-Sticks are not just blush, but can effortlessly be to swiped onto your lips for a light tint, for a subtle lip color look. The colors are long lasting, moisturizing and nourishing for your skin and lips.
The compact, easy to use, twist up makes it easy to apply on the go—just swipe and blend. Available in 12 swipe and go shades, available in both natural and luminous finishes.
Suitable for: All skin types including sensitive skin and blemish-prone skin.
Ilia Beauty products are Cruelty-free, certified gluten-free, fragrance-free,silicone-free, 99% naturally derived.
Product Creative Direction & Review
DEBORAH FERGUSON
Photography
SESSE LIND
Web Layout
Katharina Grabinger
Thank you to the Ilia PR team, this review was not sponsored or linked
to any affiliate marketing programs