This "Liquid Glass" Facial Serum Will Make You Break Up With Highlighter

As someone who is heavily devoted to skin care, it's safe to say that I've been sucked in by all things K-beauty. Double cleansing, innovative ingredients like birch juice and rice ferment, the phenomenon of glass skin: The beauty buys I once deemed irreplaceable were slowly but surely being replaced by Korean superstar products in my bathroom cabinet.

So this fall, when Farsáli founder Sal Ali told me he had something in the works that would give me glassy, dewy skin, I was all ears. Coming from the brand responsible for the blurring serum that works wonders and our Beauty Innovator Awards nominee Jelly Beam Illuminator, I knew this had to be good. From his jacket pocket, Ali pulled out a lab vial full of pearly liquid that had me fighting the urge to take out my KiraKira app.

This sparkly substance was the Liquid Glass Radiance Make-Skin Serum (a makeup/skin-care hybrid — get it?), inspired by the glass-skin results that usually take an 11-step commitment to achieve. After watching his wife go through this lengthy process, Ali essentially wanted to eliminate the need for the other ten steps with just one product. And so he created this limited-edition serum, which has two key ingredients — hyaluronic acid and gently exfoliating fruit extracts of apple, orange, and watermelon — that work to both plump and hydrate the skin.

Ali swiped the formula on my hand, and I was impressed by the shine. But I was still skeptical: How would it feel and look on my actual face? I have sensitive skin, so I'm very reluctant when it comes to potent serums, but this one proved its worth after just one use. I took the product home and applied it as the last step in my morning skin-care routine. I released three droplets on my face, focusing on the cheeks and forehead, and rubbed it in upwards. I felt the moisture right away, like a cooling jelly, which was a breath of fresh air in the a.m. Afterwards, I decided to go with zero coverage — zip, nada, just mascara and eyebrow pencil. Because what's glass skin if you're covering it all up? (That said, the product can also be applied over makeup as a finishing step.)

Overall, the results were everything Ali promised. My skin looked refreshed, and the glow was real — or, as my boyfriend put it, "You look sweaty, but in a good way." The light hit me in all the right places, and I couldn't believe that my skin had the so-called "dewy dumpling" look without any highlighter. The best part? The dewiness is long-lasting, and holds up through the driest environments (as in, the moisture-sucking air in my office, and the cold temps outside). Now all I need is the perfect coat, and I'll be able to get through the winter with ease. Except when I'm commuting on snow days — no serum or coat could ever make that less painful.