I’ve been using Ilia Beauty products daily going on two years now. Their line of beauty products include three of my ride-or-die favorites that I’ve purchased many times over. It was high time to do a full Ilia Beauty review including my most used products.
Ilia is a beauty brand that combines skincare and makeup to create formulas that not only enhance your complexion but are also beneficial for your skin and improve it over time. Personally, I’m looking for products that don’t completely cover my natural skin but tone redness and amplify my features. Ilia delivers on this. Their products are lightweight and nourishing but their performance isn’t lacking. They are a clean beauty brand that uses carefully selected botanicals and safe synthetic ingredients in combination to produce the best product. Many of the products can be applied using your hands – no fancy brushes required.
Since I first began using Ilia, their line has expanded to include skincare focused products in addition to their core makeup line. I’ve tried many of their products, and I’m sharing my full review below.
In addition, all their products are made without gluten, parabens, phthalates, petroleum, mineral oil, talc, BHT/BHA, propylene glycol, PEG, cyclomethicones, and chemical screens if that is important to you. I also like their transparency in their manufacturing process (most products are made here in the U.S.) and their dedication to reducing waste through sustainably packaging.
*This post is not sponsored, and I have purchased all these products with my own money.
Ilia Beauty Review
This product is what the brand is most known for; it was practically revolutionary when it first launched a few years back. This super lightweight foundation (it seriously feels like I’m wearing nothing on my face) contains skincare powerhouses like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and squalane to hydrate and improve texture over time. It also covers redness much better than other lightweight products from other brands I’ve tried. It leaves a dewy finish that looks and feels very natural. Be sure to shake it prior to each use; I’ve found the pigment to be off when I forget this. If you’re looking for a more medium coverage foundation, try their True Skin Serum Foundation.
I was so excited when Ilia released this new product. I am a big fan of the Merit Beauty Complexion Stick but found the formula to be a bit too drying for my winter skin. This product from Ilia is definitely more hydrating in my opinion. I apply it to the red areas along my cheeks, nose, and forehead and blend out. It covers my red spots so well and gives my skin a blurred finish that looks really natural, too. I also love that it contains a ceramide-peptide complex which strengthens my skin’s barrier.
Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation
This foundation is a step up in coverage from the Serum Skin Tint mentioned above. It has a medium coverage that’s buildable. It’s lightweight (although understandably not as light as the skin tint.) One of the most important features I look for in a foundation is redness coverage, and this one works well for that issue. I prefer this on days I want my skin to look a little more flawless.
One of Ilia’s newest products, this cream bronzer is great for those of us with dry or mature skin. The texture is creamy, but it sets like a powder. It feels ultra lightweight. This is not a bronzer I would use for contouring as it gives a very subtle glow. It blends really nicely and looks very natural. I use the shade Ray and the Sculpting Brush to apply.
This product can be used on the cheeks and lips, but I mainly use it as a blush since I prefer a bold red lipstick these days. This buildable blush goes on smooth and blends well for a beautiful pop of color on the cheeks. Note that as with most cream blushes, the color isn’t long lasting and fades within a few hours. It comes in twelve shades with three shimmer options to use as a highlight. I use the shade Dreamer.
I’ve purchased SEVERAL tubes of this mascara since I first tried it. If you’re looking for a lengthening mascara that doesn’t smudge or clump, this is your girl. It lifts and separates for longer looking lashes. Plus, it stays on all day, but comes off easily at night with my micellar water. If you’re looking to prioritize volume over length, try their Fullest Volumizing Mascara instead.
This is the one product from the Ilia product line I tried that didn’t wow me, but it could be because I’m inexperienced when it comes to liquid eyeshadow. I also didn’t love the shimmer in the shade I tested either; however, now the line has more matte options which I think suit me better. This eyeshadow goes on like a cream but dries like a powder for a longer lasting finish. And, as always with Ilia products, it feels super lightweight on the skin.
This concealer blends really well with my Ilia Skin Tint so it was an easy choice. It is a medium coverage concealer that looks exceedingly natural. It goes on smooth and blends easily for a barely there finish. You could apply with your hands, but I prefer a beauty blender for this. I apply lightly under my eyes to brighten them and also a small amount on the red areas along my nose. There is minimal creasing under the eye. As with other Ilia products, this concealer contains skincare ingredients, like vitamin C, to improve skin over time.
I purchased this lip balm as a quick lip color option for busy days. My lips are chronically dry especially in the winter so I need a lip product that moisturizes as well. This one does just that. The color is quite pigmented for a lip balm so you have to be a little more careful with application, but the color lasts for a few hours and fades evenly. I have the shade ‘Runaway’ which is a rosy pink.
I don’t typically use a powder because my skin is on the dry side, but I wanted to try this product as an option for preventing creasing with my concealer and also to take down the shine in my t-zone. It slightly blurs my pores and helps my makeup last a bit longer, too I use the Finishing Powder Brush to apply.
The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Warm Nude
This glowy eyeshadow is talc free and made with jojoba seed oil and vitamin E to nourish the eyelids. I’ve only ever previously owned drugstore variety eyeshadow palettes and had problems with fallout, but this one doesn’t have that issue. This set comes with 2 matte, 2 satin, and 2 metallic shades so you’ve got plenty of options! I have the Shadow Brush and the Blending Blush, but I mainly use the latter to sweep the shadow over the entire eyelid. I’m not fancy when it comes to eyeshadow!
I highly recommend Ilia Beauty for anyone who prefers a more natural looking complexion and a minimal makeup routine. If I had to recommend one product only, it would definitely be the Super Serum Skin Tint which has honestly ruined me for other complexion products as they all seem too heavy and drying now. As a final note, my skin is on the dry side of the spectrum so if you have oily skin, these products may perform differently for you.
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