We Tried The Glowy Skin Tint That Broke The Internet

There are millions of brilliant beauty products out there but only a handful have achieved viral status this year. One of them is Phlur's Missing Person Eau de Parfum, a fragrance said to make people cry (in a good way — it supposedly smells like someone you love or miss). Then there's Caudalie's Instant Detox Mask, which took TikTok by storm for treating breakouts and making skin gleam, and Dior's Backstage Rosy Glow Blush, which lends cheeks the prettiest flushed effect across a wide range of skin tones.

Now it's Ilia's Super Serum Skin Tint, $72, which has broken the internet. The complexion product, which comes in 30 shades with SPF, has an enormous 9 million views on TikTok, with beauty enthusiasts, editors, influencers and makeup artists all extolling its virtues.

"I'm speechless," exclaimed TikToker @katiehub.org after applying the lightweight complexion product using their fingers. "I'm literally glowing! If you're going for a natural, lightweight look, you need this product." Katie isn't the only one. "You're kidding," TikToker @meeksbruh captioned a video with thousands of views and likes in agreement. "The Ilia skin tint is unmatched." Elsewhere, @aubriebromlow said that it makes your skin look natural but better.

Aside from the way it looks (smooth, glowing and reflective, a little like glass skin), skincare lovers are also singing the tint's praises for combining moisturising squalane with hydrating niacinamide and SPF 40.

By the sound of it, the Super Serum Skin Tint is set to become a cult makeup staple, which is exactly why we had to put it to the test. Is it really as great as everyone says it is? Ahead, three R29 staffers who love makeup share their honest opinion.

Shade: ST6 Ora

"Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint has a lot going for it: lightweight texture, an impressive ingredients list and a flexible shade range to match a wide variety of skin tones. The coverage is on the sheer end so I like to wear this as a base with a powder foundation or concealer where needed, especially since the finish is very dewy.

However, I do feel that it’s a bit hard to justify the splurge compared to other foundations and skin tints. For the price, you could easily get a medium or high coverage product that can be used sparingly depending on the look you’re going for or all-over for a glam look.

Ilia’s skin tint doesn’t look like much on and I suppose that’s the whole point. I don’t personally need my makeup to do the heavy lifting for me when it comes to taking care of my complexion so I would likely not repurchase. That said, if you love trying out the latest products and have the coin to do so, it’s by no means a bad product — just manage expectations accordingly."

Shade: ST5 Bom Bom

"It’s not often that I fall for a complexion product, let alone a light coverage one (I battle hormonal breakouts on the daily and prefer something a little heavier). But this is beautiful. Straight out of the dropper it’s quite watery but unlike other trending skin tints it doesn’t contain oil. This is a win for me, as oil usually clogs my pores almost instantly.

The first time I smoothed Ilia’s skin tint over my skin using a dense foundation brush, I gasped. It covered my red spots well, blended in so easily, smoothed over my dry patches rather than collecting in them and lent a candlelit glow that the other skin tints in my kit could never.

My only gripe is that it smells like modelling clay. Karina, our Senior Affiliate Writer at Refinery29 UK, says it doesn’t look like you’re wearing much, and it certainly is undetectable on the skin. But it provides more coverage than I expected. I actually skip concealer when using this, as it’s enough without looking obvious or cakey. At $72, it doesn’t come cheap at all, especially considering high street brands like Rimmel and L’Oréal Paris serve up skin tints for cheaper.

That said, half a dropper full is enough to cover my entire face and neck. I have a love-hate relationship with my skin so I wouldn’t mind investing in complexion products that make me comfortable with my skin texture. In fact, I like this tint so much, I’ve replaced the foundation I constantly rave about (Gucci Beauty Natural Fluid Finish, in case you were wondering)."

Shade: Porto Covo ST15 / Honopu 14.5

"I love Ilia so much. Truly, its mascara is one of my favourite things on earth. I love the brand’s ethos, everything, so when this came out I was hyped. I’m not a huge foundation girl so I spent a ton of time trying and testing skin tints and tinted moisturisers this summer to try to find the best one. I’ll say this: Ilia’s is on the top of the best I’ve tried but it’s not going to be a go-to for me.

The formula is great. It goes on beautifully but it felt like it just sat on my skin. That’s likely the shea butter at work, right? I’m also against white packaging because I think it's impractical in the long run. I also found that my shade (even though it’s deep neutral cool in undertone) pulled a little too red on my skin and the shade above it was a little too light. I had to cocktail my own shade.

Like Karina said, I want a little more out of my skin products if they’re going to be as $$$ as this one is. For those days when I don’t want to give a full beat but just want a tiny bit of coverage and a brow, I may pick it up. But I don’t think it’s high on my list to repurchase if it runs out."