My Friends Always Ask Me What Foundation I'm Wearing—This Chanel Dupe Is *It*

Welcome to Deep Reviews—your one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. Every month, the Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market's most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are truly worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, completely uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations. To put it simply, stick with us, and buyer's remorse will be a thing of the past.

The majority of our Deep Reviews will feature our editors' honest, ultra-hot takes on entire product categories or multiple products from a particular beauty brand, but every so often, we'll sprinkle in a special single-product format called Honestly, I Love It. As the name suggests, these reviews will hone in on one standout beauty formula our editors quite literally can't shut up about. This time around, I'm highlighting Rose Inc's Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tint Serum ($22).

Despite my being a beauty editor, I sometimes find it difficult to fully commit to trying new products that I have little to no exposure to. The emergence of skincare-infused makeup products has posed a unique challenge for me, as it's somewhat of a new idea. Part of my job is noting the rise of trends in the beauty industry while taking into consideration the people, current events, and circumstances it can be linked to. When I think of skincare increasingly being incorporated into makeup, I'm immediately reminded of the strange and wild ride that was the first few months of the COVID-9 pandemic. 

Without much of a warning, we were removed from the predictable pattern of our everyday lives. For many, including myself, this inspired a notable change in approach to our most basic routines (including makeup and skincare). Having more time to analyze what we wanted from our products could very well have contributed to identifying where they were failing us or, alternately, what was working. One quick browse through your favorite beauty retailer reveals what so many of us were discovering: that our makeup products don't need to work against efforts to keep the skin healthy. In fact, the two can be combined, resulting in lines of makeup products formulated to offer major skincare benefits.

That's where Rose Inc's TikTok-viral Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tint Serum comes into play (which also happens to be a great dupe of Chanel’s famous Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint without the hefty price tag). Rose Inc, the result of a partnership between British model and businesswoman Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and biotech company Amyris, was launched in August of 2021. Stemming from the eponymous editorial site, Rose Inc, launched by Huntington-Whiteley in May 2018, the brand has quickly become recognizable for its high-performing products blending the benefits of skincare with clean and luxurious beauty products. Rose Inc now offers extensive collections of products skincare, makeup, and as of a few days ago, bodycare.

Here's what you need to know about the brand's tinted serum that has been taking social media platforms by storm (the product's tag on TikTok has over 491.4k views): I first discovered it six months ago when I was on the hunt for a lightweight foundation that A) had a buildable, yet breathable formula that wouldn't contribute to clogged pores and B) offers all the skincare benefits I could want from a moderately priced product. Rose Inc tinted serum does all the above and more.

I decided to test this tinted serum foundation by wearing it for a week; paying extra attention to how well it held up throughout my day. For the first two days, I wore it alone, only using a setting spray to help it last. On the third day, I decided to throw a curve ball: adding a layer of concealer just under the eyes and around the mouth. For my fourth and fifth days, I decided to have fun with my makeup looks: adding eyeliner, tinted lip oils, blushes, and highlighters to gain a better understanding of how the product responds to others (no one likes piling).

Unsurprisingly, the tinted serum foundation passed each of my tests with flying colors, providing my face with light coverage while also keeping it glowing and moisturized. Without a doubt, Rose Inc's Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tint Serum Foundation is the most used product in my makeup collection and I don't foresee substituting it with another anytime soon. It's perfect for anyone who loves having a little coverage here and there but wants their skin to continue breathing as well as get the hydration it needs to be its healthiest. During your next trip to Sephora, be sure to make room for this one in your shopping basket.

To better understand why the formula viral product has been embraced so heartily by Gen Z and Millennials alike, I reached out to Shuting Hu, PhD who, in addition to being the co-founder and CEO of Acaderma, knows everything there is to know about what makes good skincare good. The three most notable ingredients in its Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tint formula are squalane, sodium hyaluronate, and and Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2. According to Hu, lightweight serum foundations work because of their hydrating and lifting properties. "These ingredients added [to a foundation's formula] can provide longer moisturizing benefits and reduce the appearance of wrinkles," she says. In addition to counting on this product for a smooth-looking complexion, users can also expect a sheer, skin-like finish and natural glow.

Here's the secret: its formula uses pigment spheres completely suspended within a skincare base. All you need to do to release the gorgeous wash of color is to break these pigment spheres open when you apply the serum foundation with a brush. If you, like me, suffer from dry skin year-round (especially during the winter months) this product could be a huge game changer. "Applying foundation can also make your skin feel less hydrated," explains Hu. "Makeup products incorporated with skincare can soothe and hydrate the skin at the same time while allowing your makeup to have a long-lasting finish." Now, imagine what a foundation encased in skin care can do for dehydrated skin. If you're looking for more proof, check out my ultra-glowy results below.

Shop More of Our Rose Inc Makeup Favorites

Next: I Tried Glossier's All-Natural Deodorant That Defies Nature