Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF40

Where I got it

I was at the Mecca Maxima opening at Sylvia Park earlier this month and I bought VIP tickets for the opening event for $20 and they gave $100 vouchers to use in-store (on the day). So I shopped a little bit and was really excited when they started stocking this on their website. I needed to go in-store to get myself shade-matched. So I got myself shade-matched and bought this $81 serum foundation.

What I got

This is the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF40 in shade ST11.5 Morgat. A vegan, tinted mineral SPF face serum that provides skin with lightweight, dewy coverage. Skin is left feeling hydrated and nourished thanks to hyaluronic acid to plump, plant-based squalane to help balance and niacinamide to help smooth skin’s texture. This product has been dermatologist tested and is non-comedogenic. 

Ingredients for 11.5: Aqua/water/eau, zinc oxide, squalane*, polyglyceryl-3 ricinoleate, shea butter ethyl esters, isoamyl laurate*, butyloctyl salicylate, propanediol, isopropyl isostearate, polyglyceryl-3 diisostearate, methylpropanediol, niacinamide, sodium chloride, lecithin, caprylyl glycol, silica, aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder, bisabolol, hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate, allantoin, phenylpropanol, sodium myristoyl glutamate, sodium hyaluronate, tetrasodium glutamate diacetate, aluminum hydroxide, polyhydroxystearic acid. may contain/peut contenir : ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499 (iron oxides), ci 77891 (titanium dioxide). *organic ingredients. ingrédients organiques.

How I find it

It was actually a little difficult to find a good shade match. Whether it was because of the interior lighting or the product, you need to shake it up really well before picking up the product with the pipette so that the formulas inside mix up well. The colour on the neck of the bottle was also not a true representation of the shade, so when I thought shade 9 was about my colour, it was way too light for me. We went darker to shade 10 and then 11, but the tones were a little off. Then the lady came back with shade 11.5 which is an in-between colour, and it was actually lighter than shade 11 (mind-blowing). I’m guessing it is because of the undertone. ST11.5 Morgat is described as medium with golden olive undertones. I would say that I always think I had a neutral undertone, oh well.

So you are supposed to use this as a serum – applying with your hands and fingertips. After cleansing and toning, you can go straight into the serum – you don’t need a serum, moisturiser or even SPF (I have serious doubts on this, I will elaborate on this below). Anyway, I have tried using this on its own directly after cleansing and a hydrating spray/essence. On the first try, I made the serious mistake of using way too much product. I used at least one drop on my forehead, one on my chin and about one and a bit on each of my cheeks, then I blended it out with a brush (yes, I did not read instructions). It turned out horrible! It was way too thick and streaky, it did not blend well and it did not settle on my skin.

After the first try, I decided to use much less product and actually followed instructions. I dropped the foundation onto my fingertips and then applied it onto my face. I used a total of 3 drops to my entire face and blended it out with my fingers instead of a brush. It looked so much better and I would say with the warmth of my fingers, it did make the foundation spread easier because it is actually quite a thick serum. It did take a good few minutes to really sink in so that my skin doesn’t feel tacky. It does make my skin look greasy if I use too much, and I need to powder.

Overall

After using this for just over 2 weeks straight, I literally reached for this every single day for 2 weeks and after that, I started reaching for something else – BB cream, my favourite Dior Forever foundation, etc. I can say that I enjoyed using the foundation, it is hydrating and moisturising. It gives me this dewy, almost greasy finish and medium coverage, so it feels a little heavy on my combination-oily skin. I did not enjoy the application because it was a little thick and sticky during application. The shade was a little bit yellow, but the shades on either side did not match me at all. Also, there are some major issues with the bottle. You are supposed to shake this well every time you use it, but when you open the bottle, the foundation is all over the rim! I even made sure I tightly close the bottle before I shake and it still happens!

In summary, I think this serum foundation would be great if you have dry skin and you need that moisturising benefits and that it feels nourishing on the skin. It almost feels like a protective layer on the skin and it’s not something I look for in a foundation. I can kind of justify the price of this foundation because it claims to have skincare benefits (squalane, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide), but most foundation/BB creams out there already have these ingredients already. I personally would rather use proper skincare than makeup with skincare benefits, you know what I mean?

What do you guys think about this foundation if you have used it? Would this be suitable for your skin? What do you think about makeup with skincare benefits?