Skincare-Infused Makeup: The Future of Beauty
Learn why skincare-infused makeup is taking over the beauty industy. As I always say — double whammy!
Disclaimer: I do use affiliate links in this blog meaning that if you purchase anything through my affiliate links I receive commission at no additional cost to you! I only recommend products that I have heavily researched, tested and loved, and/or used for several years.
Please note: For my first-hand experiences and research below, I will only be covering skincare-first brands. If I covered all makeup brands that claim “skincare benefits” I would be writing for weeks — and would be quite skeptical of the majority of them if I am being honest. The brands and products below showcase real, proven skincare benefits that should actually be worth their price tags! Okay, let’s get into it!
This past summer I was on a hurried mission to stock up on my Jane Iredale foundation right before a trip to New York, and saw availability online at Bluemercury. I zoomed over to the store on Montana Avenue, but they unfortunately did not carry it at that location. I was asked if I wanted to test out any other brands, but explained with a sigh that I can only use a foundation that is non-comedogenic (which becomes very limiting, as described in my non-comedogenic blog post).
The associate led me over to the Sisley section and emphasized that their foundations were not only non-comedogenic, but also infused with skincare! She said that you could even sleep in it and wake up with fabulous skin. I was dumbfounded as I had used Jane Iredale since about 12 years ago when I was plagued with acne in high school, and Jane Iredale was the only brand I was aware of that had a fully non-comedogenic line besides Ilia in recent years. I had absolutely no idea that Sisley had come out with a foundation line, and was so giddy as I am a big Sisley stan for other skincare and body products!
I excitedly got color matched and was in even more shock when she had found a shade that perfectly matched my pale, porcelain skin. For years I had used a shade too dark for me, as it is rare to find a line that gets the pale shades just right. I then inquired about a foundation powder to mattify my skin, which I doubted they had — but again to my surprise, they did! And from that day forward, I was hooked! I could not believe how amazing my skin looked after doing multiple test tries at home. The specific liquid foundation I got was the Phyto-Teint Nude, which is a lighter foundation and almost like a second skin — it gives a flawless no-makeup, makeup look. The powder I got was the Blur Expert powder, which perfectly mattifies my skin and has the gorgeous signature Sisley orchid design.
A few weekends later I was perusing through the makeup area at Bloomingdale’s and decided to pop by the Sisley beauty counter. I told the associate how I had just purchased the Phyto-Teint Nude, and wanted to learn about some of the other non-comedogenic foundation products. He highly recommended the Phyto-Teint Perfection as a high-coverage foundation, and I was intrigued. I love that all of the foundations are grouped into different undertones of cool, neutral, and warm. I got matched to the 00N shade, and decided to take the plunge! I also got the Sisley foundation primer, Instant Éclat, as I had my eye on it for a while and was impressed with its hundreds of amazing reviews. I swear that this duo makes my face look like ultimate perfection on a night out, and on normal days I only have to pump a tiny bit and mix with my sunscreen to get a glowy, natural look. The primer also smooths out absolutely everything, and has a stunning, pearly sheen to it. I have noticed major improvements to my skin with daily use as well (see specifics below!).
The unique skincare ingredients found in the liquid Sisley products I use are as follows (all non-comedogenic):
Hydro-Booster Complex: cocktail of hydrating ingredients (hyaluronic acid and konjac glucomannan microspheres)
Aqua-Lock Complex: water captor ingredients (aquatic mint extract, plant sugar)
Vita-Light Complex: radiance, energy, and vitality booster (kiwi and ecerola extracts)
Phyto-Teint Perfection (2024 Modern Luxury Best of Beauty Best Buildable Medium-Coverage Foundation and 2024 Town & Country T&C Best Beauty Classics: New Classics)
Hydration: Cucumber extract and a glyco-complex give a hydrating, plumping effect. According to their research, after 1 month of daily use the skin is 32% more hydrated and bare skin is 26% more hydrated!
Smooths: Green lentil extract minimizes pores and evens the skin. After 1 month of daily use, the complexion is smoothed and refined for 88% of women!
Illuminates: Buckwheat extract has antioxidants and calms the skin, and peach blossom extract tones the skin. After 1 month of daily use, radiance is boosted for 82% of women!
Purifies: Burdock extract purifies the skin. After 1 month of daily use, 88% of women found their imperfections to be less visible.
Sooths: Peony extract is soothing as it is rich in polyphenols and flavonoids. After 1 month of daily use, skin is soothed day after day for 89% of women.
Instant Éclat (2018 SELF Healthy Beauty Award)
Moisturizes: Key ingredients of kiwi extract and glycerin of plant origin
Shop the products here (different retailers included)!
Okay I also have a new amazing finding — I was terribly mistaken as I thought for a long while that the Biologique Recherche foundation and concealer products are not non-comedogenic, but turns out that they are (my luck is on the up and up)! My whole skincare lineup is primarily Biologique Recherche, so I will definitely get color matched in-person and try them out (possibly tomorrow, when I do my Sunday routine at the Melrose Farmer’s Market). Wow, this is why I love blogging on product discovery — I learn so much more even for my own benefit when I do full investigative research! I have outlined some of the top Biologique Recherche makeup products below and their benefits.
Anti-pollution: -17% penetration of pollutants into the skin
Long-lasting hydration: +70% after 30 minutes, +48% after 4 hours, and +28% after 8 hours
Quality of the skin: +35% skin luminosity, +29% even skin tone, +28% skin texture improvement
Non-greasy, non-comedogenic, non-acneic, and silicone-free
Anti dark circles, anti puffiness, smoothing, plumping
I will say that it seems the shade options for Biologique Recherche are a bit limited in comparison to Sisley, but these do look like amazing benefits if you are able to find a perfect match!
Okay, I just whipped up a Monkey 47 martini (a perfect one, might I add) as I’m uncovering thrilling findings as I fall deep into this rabbit hole of skincare-infused makeup. The one and ONLY Valmont has foundation products! Now, we only have a handful of shades to choose from (we can expect the very niche European brands to be much less inclusive with shade options). I have outlined the key benefits below.
Echinacea and Rosa Moschata: regenerates and rebalances
Sea buckthorn: eliminates superficial dead cells
Triple DNA and Liposomal RNA
Triple DNA: retains 10,000 times its weight in water; an anti-ageing molecule that stimulates all cell functions.
Liposomal RNA: boosts skin’s repairing and healing capacity
A recent collaboration that I have been intrigued by is the Victoria Beckham Beauty X Augustinus Bader concealer pen. I love the range of shades offered, and it has quite the laundry list of benefits outlined below.
Augustinus’ signature TFC8® complex repairs and renews skin with amino acids, vitamins, and synthesized molecules
Reduces fine lines and puffiness, and skin looks smoother and more even (from a 4-week clinical trial)
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 reduces the appearance of wrinkles from facial expressions, especially around the eyes and mouth
Polyglutamic Acid improves moisture, elasticity, reduces wrinkles, and promotes overall skin health
Squalane (naturally present in the skin lipid barrier) is a highly biocompatible oil and can penetrate the skin to provide hydration and antioxidant protection
Next up, we have La Prairie’s Skin Caviar Concealer (with SPF 15!). I also had no idea that La Prairie had makeup products, and the packaging looks absolutely luxurious and stunning (and even includes an application brush)! There is not a ton of depth on the benefits, but along with UV-protection the most notable are improving skin elasticity and firmness with the caviar extract.
Switzerland really knows how to do skincare, as we are following up with Cellcosmet Switzerland’s foundation. I myself am not so familiar with the brand, so will give some context on the brand’s remarkable science-focused methods. “Steeped in a culture of medical practice and at the forefront of Swiss cellular science, our founder discovered cellular therapy (based on the premise that a tired or stressed cell becomes revitalised when in contact with a young cell) and crafted our fabulous history, rich in scientific and human achievements.” We are again working with limited shades, but my hope is that with these early innovative skincare-focused products they will become more and more available to all skin types (including me, as I am the palest of pale with my sun allergy). I note the foundation’s benefits below.
Stabilised cellular extracts (5%): revitalizes, intensely moisturizes, creates suppler skin, and respects the identity of women skin (I really want to learn more on this - how interesting!)
Hyaluron Expert Complex: composed of hyaluronic acids of various molecular weights - smooths and plumps the skin
Photosome Complex: helps to reduce visible effects of skin ageing and protects the skin from external elements
Pigments and Mother-of-Pearl Complex: instantly evens the skin and gives a natural glow
And last but not least (ending with a bang!), we have Macrene Actives - another new incredible find for me. Upon looking up the founder, Dr. Macrene Alexiades MD PhD Derm-Scientist, my jaw is on the floor! Her accolades include holding 3 degrees from Harvard, being a Fulbright scholar, and receiving several prestigious awards — including the Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award. Prepare to be amazed with her full bio here (another perk of blog research - I love learning about accomplished, powerful women!). The brand’s formulas include 50 potent actives from medicinal plants. They have a strong mission for environmental awareness with all products packaged in recyclable glass and uncoated paper board printed with vegetal biodegradable inks. The brand carries both a tinted moisturizer and a concealer, where I have noted the many benefits below!
High Performance Tinted Moisturizer and Concealer (both contain the same benefits)
Anti-Wrinkle: Peptides, Hyaluronic Acids, Proline
Anti-Brown Blotches: Glucosamine, Arginine, Alanine, Amino Acids
Anti-Red Blotches: Coffee Seed Extract, Feverfew Extract, Yerba Mate Tea Extract, Cacao Extract
Anti-Oxidants: Superoxide Dismutase, Resveratrol, Epigallocatechins, Green Tea, Yerba Mate, & Pomegranate Extracts, Vitamins C & E
Protectors: Gingko biloba extract, Superoxide dismutase, Histidine, Glucosamine
Physical Blockers: Titanium dioxide, Iron oxides
Emollient / Moisturizers: Silybum marianum (Milk Thistle), Glycerin, non-GMO Lecithin, Phosphatidylcholine, Phospholipids, Sodium Lactate
Non-Acnegenic: No Talc or Mica; will not break you out
USDA Certified Organic Ingredients • Plant-Based • Vegan • Gluten-Free • Paraben-Free • Phthalate-Free • Sulfate-Free • Fragrance-Free • Acrylate-Free • Propylene-Glycol Free • Mineral Oil-Free • Petrolatum-Free • Animal Byproduct-Free • Mica-Free • Talc-Free • Packaged in Glass • Made in USA
Shop all products mentioned above here!
This research makes me extremely excited about where the beauty industry is headed when it comes to science-backed skincare-infused makeup. To me, makeup should solely be about having fun, illuminating your existing beauty, and boosting confidence. I can’t wait for the day when these positive effects are at the forefront, rather than plaguing women young and old with acne and other skincare conditions (as it did to me in my youth). I will embed some review videos as I try more and more of the non-comedogenic skincare-infused products. I would love to hear your thoughts on this blog post, and don’t forget to subscribe! XX
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