We Tried Everything From Flesh Beauty — & Here's Our Unfiltered Opinion

Beauty isn't about fitting in, but standing out. That's what Linda Wells, founding editor of Allure and current chief creative officer at Revlon, has always proselytized — and her ethos has turned countless beauty lovers into believers. In an age where #sponcon runs wild and Instagram filters blur the lines between real and make-believe, for the last few decades, Wells has been one guiding light in an industry that seems to struggle with positioning its backbone in honest, thoughtful reviews about products most of us spend hundreds of dollars on every year.

And, in the same spirit of breaking boundaries and redefining the dated idea of what we should expect from this multi-billion-dollar industry, Wells just launched a new beauty brand of her own. It's called Flesh, and if you think the name is a word-choice faux pas, like calling a skin-care brand "Moist," you're mistaken.

At an intimate gathering of beauty editors to preview the launch of the brand, Wells explained that the name — this grotesque word that was often thought of as taboo in the journalism world — was in fact the perfect fit. Unlike the assumptions that often come with a word like "nude," flesh stands on its own as encompassing every shade of skin that could ever exist — not just a spectrum of ivory and beige.

So it makes sense that Flesh's highly-anticipated launch would come with an inclusive foundation range (a movement many credit to Rihanna's epic Fenty Beauty launch last September). Including shades that cover a realistic and diverse range, from a frothy ivory to rich espresso, was never not an option for Wells. Still, the broad color spectrum isn't the only way Wells' Flesh is ready to make a difference. Look at the liquid lipsticks, the glosses, the blushes... everything is vibrant, bold, and flattering on fair skin tones, deep skin tones, and everything in between.

But words aren't enough to convince you, right? We figured. So, we asked 7 staffers to test out almost every single product in the range, to give you a better idea of exactly how this new beauty brand can change everything. Their thoughts, ahead.