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When Ilia Beauty launched its Super Serum Skin Tint, the world (and Allure editors) fell in love. I mean, what was better than trying out a base product that offered skin-nourishing ingredients, sun protection, and coverage? Nothing at the time came close, which is why it was awarded a Best of Beauty Award. Since then, the brand has been focused on minimalizing our routines and giving us a real glow from within, and folks, they did it again. Introducing the brand-new Ilia Beauty C Beyond Triple Serum a.k.a my skin's (and soon-to-be-your) new best friend.
The C Beyond Triple Serum is basically a skin-care product that offers brightening, sun-protecting benefits and an undeniable glow to the skin. Before we get into the goodness of this formula, I should mention that this serum is available in only three shades. At first, I was concerned and expressed that to the brand but an Ilia Beauty representative was quick to clarify that "the tones aren't there for coverage purposes" and that "the pigment in the product is there to remove the white cast from the mineral zinc oxide, making each of the hues pretty translucent when applying."
Still skeptical, I tapped cosmetic chemist Ginger King, who confirmed and stood by the claims. "When you add pigment or, in this case, tint to the formula it will help eliminate the white cast that mineral sunscreens tend to give off," says King. After testing out all of the hues on myself and my coworkers (you'll see some examples below) and taking the brand and King's expertise into account, I understood why the shade range is more than enough.
In addition to the sun-protecting mineral zinc oxide in the formula (which provides SPF 40, by the way), there are two other skin-loving active ingredients present. There's L-ascorbic acid which is the most powerful form of vitamin C, an ingredient that is known for brightening the skin, and niacinamide the works to minimize pores and even out the texture of the skin.
As far as inactive ingredients go, there are a ton of those as well — including some that we can thank for the glow-from-within luminosity this serum gives off. According to cosmetic chemist Ginger King, this formula is loaded with moisturizing emollients. "The illuminating skin you'll see after applying this treatment is thanks to the shea butter, ethyl esters, jojoba, and meadowfoam oils," King says. She also mentioned that there's squalane in the formula that moisturizes without clogging pores.
I, along with some colleagues, tried all three tones on our different complexions. Starting with commerce editor, Sarah Han, who wears Tone 1. "I'm always a little weary of multitasking products that promise to cover a lot of bases, but Ilia did the damn thing," she says. "I can afford to be even 'lazier' in the mornings, thanks to this airy formula, which I apply with my clean fingers and melts into my skin with ease." However, to avoid pilling, Han points out that she skips any skin-care products prior to applying C Beyond and starts with a clean complexion.
For me, I chose Tone 2, for medium skin tones. I took three drops of the liquidy formula and blended it into my skin as the final step in my skin-care routine. I chose a brush as my blending tool but a sponge or your good old-fashioned fingers will also work. The formula truly just glided onto my skin and all of the ingredients just sunk in, the pigment left very sheer coverage, but enough to even out any of my dark spots. And the glow? It was perfect. I didn't look oily; I just looked healthy.
Associate news editor, Gabi Thorne went with Tone 3, the darkest of the bunch. "Though the pigment in this product initially threw me off — it left me with glowy skin or looking like a dance member on Michael Jackson's Thriller video," she says. "I was pleasantly surprised to see how easily it sunk into my skin. It gave my skin a healthy, dewy glow that looks like I got the perfect dose of sun during golden hour."
Love what you see and want to give it a go for yourself? Ilia Beauty C Beyond Triple Serum is now available for $64 at iliabeauty.com, sephora.com, credobeauty.com, and more.
Check out more of our favorite skin-care products:
- Sunday Riley Just Added a New Product to Its Famed C.E.O. Line
- This TikTok-Viral Face Mask Made My Complexion Brighter Than Ever
- Tatcha's The Silk Sunscreen Is Like a Dewy Veil For Skin
Now, let supermodel Winnie Harlow walk you through her beauty regimen:
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