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 is Ciele Cosmetics. Founded by celebrity makeup artist Nikki DeRoest and beauty industry veteran Cerre Francis, this is a brand you'll definitely want to keep an eye on. Not only are folks raving about the brand's Tinted Serum Foundation on Sephora, TikTok users alike deem this one a solid new 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 is about. Luckily, I got my hands on a few of the brand's offerings. The brand may not have much in terms of color products just yet, but the ones it does have are great everyday staples I'll keep handy in my makeup bag. For all my thoughts, keep reading below.
Serum foundations are definitely trending right now, but not all are created equal. While there are a couple serum-like formulas out there that I love, some of them don't quite hit the mark and 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 really like how this one 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 winer, 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. 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."
While I didn't get to try the shades of this blush that I wanted to (they were, of course, sold out), I did get my hands on the shade Giselle, a rich, brighter berry hue. I wasn't sure if I would like it 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. 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 didn't try this setting powder for myself since 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 use 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. 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."
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 really nice airbrush effect. The other side can be used to blend concealer or even liquid blush.
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, multi-purpose 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.
