My Other Makeup Products Basically Went Into Hibernation Once I Tried This Celeb-Loved Brand
Sephora shoppers never do me wrong. If I'm browsing the beauty retailer's newest drops and find a suite of beauty products that have almost a perfect five-star rating, I pay attention. One such brand that caught my eye recently was Ciele Cosmetics. Founded by celebrity makeup artist Nikki DeRoest and beauty-industry veteran Cerre Francis, this is a brand you'll want to keep an eye on. Not only do folks rave about the brand's Tinted Serum Foundation on Sephora, but TikTok users alike (celebrities, too!) deem this one a solid favorite. I won't lie, though. My first question was, Is it a tint? Is it a foundation? Unclear!
I knew I had to try it for myself along with a few other things from the brand to see what all the fuss was about. Luckily, I got my hands on a few of the brand's offerings, as did my fellow beauty editor Jamie Schneider. For all our thoughts, keep reading below. Spoiler: The other products in our makeup bags are currently gathering dust.
Serum foundations are definitely trending right now, but not all are created equal. While there are a couple of serum-like formulas out there that I love, some of them don't quite hit the mark, and they end up being too runny—not the case here!
This formula is thinner in consistency, but it doesn't apply too sheer, which I like. I will say that the packaging could use work, though. I'm not a fan of dropper bottles when it comes to foundation, because they tend to be messy. That being said, though, I like how this one is applied with a brush. It blends so seamlessly into the skin and never feels heavy or looks cakey. I also love that there are added skincare ingredients like soothing allantoin, redness-reducing bisabolol, and barrier-boosting niacinamide. It also contains zero pore-clogging ingredients, which is a huge plus for anyone who's acne-prone like me.
During the winter, I'm especially prone to dehydration. This formula is a great everyday foundation that also never dried me out after a few hours of wear—an issue I have with a lot of foundations, especially matte formulas. "The SPF 50 addition also flies under the radar," says Schneider. "It doesn't make the formula too gloopy and 'sunscreen-like.' I forget it even has sun protection at all, which is exactly how I want to feel wearing a sunscreen product."
Rave Customer Review: "I can’t believe there is finally a product that is fragrance free with SPF and feels like satin on the skin. You won’t feel this like foundation but the coverage is so good. Great shade range and easy to remove."
The brand's dual-ended complexion brush works beautifully with the foundation. The foundation side of the brush is angled with dense bristles, which create a nice airbrush effect. The other side can be used to blend concealer or even liquid blush.
Rave Customer Review: "I love this brush! I’m have always loved the fuctionality of dual ended brushes. It applies my concealer and foundation seamlessly and helps me achieve a great coverage. It’s perfect for on the go and traveling definitely worth it."
I wasn't sure if I would like this bright berry shade initially, but the formula is so creamy it just melts into the skin. It's also totally buildable, so you can go for a subtle gleam or more of a rosy-cheeks look in seconds. "I like to mix it with the shade June (a warm burgundy), and it creates the most beautiful, natural-looking flush," says Schneider.
Rave Customer Review: "Stunning, clean formula liquid blush with SPF?!?! YES!! With a history of precancerous removals, I'm looking for SPF wherever I can get it. The formula is perfect— blends out smoothly and evenly, lasts ALL day! Gorgeous satin finish. Will last a LONG time—a little goes a very long way. Also using as a lip tint over my gloss and it looks fantastic."
I'm not much of a powder girlie (it tends to dry out my skin), but I wanted to include it in the review for anyone who does love and uses powder. I love that these products provide additional sun protection with physical filters. I wouldn't recommend using your makeup as your only source of SPF, but it is nice to add on top of your regular SPF.
Schneider likes to tap it on precise areas that accrue oil throughout the day, like the sides of her nose and forehead. "It soaks up shine immediately," she notes. "If I have a breakout, I'll also tap it on top of my concealer to dry out the area and disguise any raised shadows; it makes the spot practically invisible."
Rave Customer Review: "I can honestly say that I love this finishing powder. It goes on nice and smooth and it blurs out all my pores. I love the fact that this has SPF 30 that will protect my skin. I totally recommend this product."
"Speaking of concealer, this one is sublime," Schneider adds. "It's creamy, lightweight, and blends like a dream. It's infused with tranexamic acid, which is known for improving skin discoloration, and of course comes spiked with SPF 50 to prevent new dark spots from forming. I haven't used any other concealer since adding it to my routine."
Rave Customer Review: "Love this concealer! I have some dark spots, and usually when I try to conceal them the concealer ends up being too thin or rubbing off. Not this one! Covers them well and has good staying power. Will be repurchasing!"
"This is my go-to concealer brush," declares Schneider. "One side has flat, dense bristles to stamp product into your skin (stamping versus swiping is the key to making blemishes look invisible), and the other has a pinpoint tip for super-precise concealing. I use the pinpoint side to set breakouts with the aforementioned powder."
Rave Customer Review: "Love this concealer brush especially the smaller side... It’s so great for detail work with a color corrector. Would buy again!"
"Make no mistake: These are not your average bronzing drops," warns Schneider. "Do not apply them directly on your face," DeRoest herself tells me during a master class. Rather, apply a single drop in the palm of your hand, blend thoroughly with a dense brush, then sweep the brush wherever you'd like some extra bronze—the cheekbones, hairline, lids, etc. You could also mix a drop into your moisturizer or foundation to deepen the shade. As the name suggests, it's super concentrated. A little goes a long way for a faux post-vacation glow!"
Rave Customer Review: "Love these bronzing drops! Probably my favorite I’ve tried yet, and I’ve been experimenting with a few! Even if the price is a little higher, the value is worth it because these drops are so pigmented. Perfect for adding to moisturizer or foundation! highly recommend."
"After I bronze up my skin, I'll use the brand's contour stick to coax my cheekbones out of hiding," explains Schneider. "While the bronzing drops add warmth back into my face, the cool-toned contour stick helps carve areas I want to define, like my jawline and cheekbones. I love how creamy the Ciele formula stays; even when I leave it on for a few minutes to do my brows, it effortlessly blends into my skin with some gentle buffing."
Rave Customer Review: "So I almost took this product back because I judged what it looked like. Then I decided to try it and WOW so glad I tried. It’s the best blendable contour stick I’ve tried. The only one as a fair gal that doesn’t make me look ashy."
More Makeup With SPF I Love
Saie's Slip Tint offers much lighter coverage than the Ciele Foundation, but it's great for no-makeup makeup days.
This is one of my all-time favorite tinted sunscreens. Euphoria makeup artist Donni Davy once told me that she swears by this formula in the shade Glow because it adds the perfect amount of subtle radiance. The tinted version is also flexible and provides a pretty good amount of coverage.
This classic foundation with SPF is full coverage, hydrating, and contains skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and niacinamide.
This hydrating, multipurpose balm is perfect for makeup minimalists. It has SPF 50 in it and can be used on the eyes, lips, or cheeks for an added wash of color.
Another cult-loved formula is Ilia's Super Serum Skin Tint with SPF 40. This one has a radiant finish and adds a serious dose of hydration with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and niacinamide.
Shawna Hudson is a beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and travel writer with over 10 years of experience. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in journalism and has written for other publications such as Bustle, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Elite Daily, and more. She is currently a beauty writer at Who What Wear and hopes to continue feeding her (completely out-of-control) beauty obsession as long as she can. Stay up to date on her latest finds on Instagram @shawnasimonee.
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