At the beginning of this safer-at-home period, I mistakingly thought my skin would enjoy the break from makeup. But it turns out, stress, lack of sleep and an erratic schedule can wreak havoc on your skin. I’ve been babying it with the most gentle skincare free of irritating ingredients. And that should go for makeup, too. The Beautycounter Skin Twin Featherweight Foundation comes at exactly the right time.
Skin Twin is the perfect amount of light-to-medium coverage for a Zoom call or a virtual Bumble date. But how is it different from Beautycounter’s best-selling Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation? Well, it’s basically an ingredient upgrade. “When we began developing Skin Twin, I knew it needed to be just as high-performing on the skin as Tint Skin with even better attributes and ingredients,” said makeup artist and Beautycounter Chief Artistic Officer, Christy Coleman. “Skin Twin takes Tint Skin to the next level with skincare benefits from the hyaluronic acid and jojoba, while the hydrophobic pigments allow for long-wearing, buildable second-skin coverage.”
Image: Beautycounter.
It’s that addition of hyaluronic acid that makes such a difference in the look and feel of your skin. “[It’s] a beloved skincare ingredient and mega moisture magnet that can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water for immediately plumped, glowing skin,” says Coleman. Jojoba is combined with hyaluronic acid, which also helps moisturize and smooth skin—without giving the face that oil-slicked look.
Image: Beautycounter.
As someone with dry skin, I found Skin Twin to be hydrating and comfortable to wear. My face often looks textured and flaky under foundation but this formula sank right into my skin like my favorite daytime lotion. Plus, it doesn’t have cyclic silicones, PEGs or fragrances, which can often irritate my reactive skin. If you’re more on the oily side, Coleman recommends skipping any oil-based products before application.
“One of my favorite tips for applying foundation on oily skin is to first use a mattifying powder—not a setting powder—and dust it all over the face,” she says. “Apply Skin Twin on top of that. This will take down shine while still looking hydrated all day long.”
There are 18 flexible shades to choose from in fair, light, medium, tan, dark and deep categories. I tried both 210 and 230 in the light category and thought they both looked pretty great. Coleman says you might find a few hues you like and each shade will fit a number of skin tones. “Don’t get overwhelmed by looking at the entire shade range,” she says. “Focus on the 3-4 shades that you think match your skin tone best. The shades in this range are flexible, so each shade will cover a variety of skin tones.”
In addition to the shades being flexible, the coverage is pretty buildable. I applied one coat with my fingers and found it covered red spots on my skin but I could still see my freckles. Perfect. Coleman recommends using a brush with bristles that are spaced out to get a sheer finish. For medium-coverage, use a flat complexion brush or your fingers. You can keep applying until you achieve the coverage you want. Even with a few pumps, the formula didn’t cake up on me.
Want to try it yourself? You’re in luck. Skin Twin launches today.
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