Our Beauty Writer’s Top Picks From the Ilia Friends and Family Sale

Now’s the time to make the switch from heavy foundations to lighter tinted moisturizers. Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint is one of my favorites, thanks to its sheer, lightweight formula, which is infused with plenty of nourishing ingredients, such as squalane and hyaluronic acid for extra hydration and SPF 40 for sun protection. Multiple makeup artists have raved about it as well, telling us that it blurs imperfections and melts into the skin for a radiant no-makeup-makeup look.

I also tend to wear less concealer in the summertime, since too much of it can impart an unpleasantly heavy, cakey sensation (or just melt right off in the heat!). But I still want something with a decent amount of coverage to help spot conceal and hide blemishes, and Viera-Newton says that Ilia’s fits the bill. “It buffs seamlessly into the skin, and never looks thick and cakey,” she writes. “I’ve also found that in 90-plus heat, it melts into my skin rather than caking and creasing all over.”

Over a decade of wearing eyeliner daily has taught me that gel liners are typically smoother and easier to apply than liquid or felt-tip ones. I’d opt for the brown for a more natural, everyday look or the black if I’m going for a smudgier rock-and-roll one.

Or, if you prefer a thinner, more liquid consistency over a cream, there’s also this multi-use pigment. Strategist beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton reports that it “goes on with a moisturizer-like texture, so it’s easy to buff and blend seamlessly into the skin with just your fingers for a really natural, everyday flush.” But once it sets, it has a slightly powdery finish that gives it more longevity for day-to-night wear, Viera-Newton says.

I’ve dubbed Ilia’s Limitless Lash mascara as the best for those with sensitive or easily irritated eyes. The gentle, clean formula includes conditioning beeswax and nourishing shea butter, and although sometimes clean mascaras are more prone to smudging or flaking, makeup artist Sandy Ganzer assures us that “this one does a great job at staying put.”

A bold lip is not usually my forte, but it’s something I’m curious to start experimenting with more. Food writer Colu Henry never travels without her Ilia lipstick in True Red. “Putting on a red lip immediately perks me up,” she says. Or if you prefer something a little more understated, the lipstick also comes in more subtle shades like neutral browns and soft pinks.

A tinted lip balm is definitely more within my comfort zone, and I never go anywhere without at least two or three in my bag. Ilia’s buttery, buildable formula helps soothe dry or flaky lips while simultaneously adding a kiss of color.

Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst recommends this Bright Start eye cream that helps to create a smooth, illuminated base under makeup. It contains sea fennel, a retinol alternative that brightens and firms, avocado extract for dark circles and puffiness, and caffeine and peptides to de-puff the under eye. Beauty expert Dawn Davis declares that it’s “the only eye cream that really makes a difference hiding dark circles. Plus it absorbs fast and layers beautifully under concealer.”