Welcome to The Great Beauty Try-On, where we seized the opportunity to test-drive the best-selling makeup products from some of your favorite beauty brands (plus some newcomers!) and documented the process along the way.
Let me start by saying that I’m not the biggest fan of makeup, but that makes my review all the more honest. I used to struggle with severe hormonal acne, so my focus has always been on curating the perfect skincare routine while makeup took a back seat. Concealers were interchangeable and contour was out of the question, but ever since “clean beauty” brands started popping up everywhere, I’ve felt like there are products that finally cater to my taste. What I love about them is that they’re usually products that let my skin breathe and don’t irritate it further.
When I was at my wits’ end with my acne, an esthetician suggested I try Tower 28 Beauty’s SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray ($28). She explained that the key ingredient, hypochlorus acid, helps to soothe irritation, reduce redness, and defend against bacteria. Not only that but all Tower 28 Beauty products are also designed for those with sensitive skin like me. After a few days, I noticed an immediate difference, and two years later, my skin has never looked better.
You can imagine my excitement when the brand began to expand into the world of color cosmetics. I was quick to purchase the BeachPlease Tinted Balm ($20) and Milky Lip Jelly ($15), which were immediate hits in my routine. Today, I’ve tested its entire lineup and what resulted may have converted me into a makeup lover. The blessing of an oversaturated market is that there really is something for everyone, and now my fellow sensitive skin consumers have a brand they can count on. Keep scrolling to get my thoughts on the rest of Tower 28 Beauty’s collection, and shop the products that created this easy, dewy look.
You’re probably not surprised to hear this, but I tend to skip foundation-like products, so this tinted moisturizer is right up my alley. It blends seamlessly into the skin with my fingers and a brush and has far more coverage than I was expecting. For being a dewy product, it has great longevity with only a bit of separation around my nose after six hours (powder would definitely help here). My only qualm is that the shade range is not as extensive as consumers need. I used the shade Mulholland, but Fairfax would have been a better match.
Truthfully, this is the only product I can’t give five stars. I’m an avid cream bronzer user and I wished this had a little more color payoff. It’s light, glowy, but would act better as a highlighter for deeper skin tones than a sculpting product. I could see myself reaching for this in the summer for that true no-makeup makeup look.
I’ve tried a few shades of the Beachplease balms, but this new shade, After Hours, is already my go-to blush for winter. It’s a beautifully pigmented berry color that would work for many different complexions. Unlike other balmy blushes on the market, this has great longevity and doesn’t feel like it’s sliding off my skin.
I love this product so much. It’s the antithesis of chalky, glittery highlighters. Everyone should have this in their collection.
My naturally short and flat eyelashes are so grateful this mascara exists. With a quick curl and swipe of this product, they take on a whole new look. The best part is that they stay lifted all day long without smudging or flaking. It’s a 10/10 mascara, and that says a lot coming from me.
There’s something really special about Tower 28’s gloss formula. It’s not sticky, it feels moisturizing, and has just the right amount of slip. I’m wearing the shade Coconut here, paired with the Fill Me In lip liner.
If you like Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk or Iconic Nude lip liner, you’re going to love this product. It has a creamy-matte finish that blends easily onto the lips and pairs perfectly with the lip jellies. Here I’m wearing Fill Me In, and it’s the perfect rosy pink for my fairer complexion.
You can never go wrong with a plain gloss. I’ve been keeping this formula in Chill with me from the gym to a night out. It’s so comfortable and compliments any lip liner I wear under it.
I also got to test the shade Work of Art, which is a pinky taupe and just slightly deeper than Fill Me In. I loved this color so much that I added just a swipe of the Chill jelly above.
Finally, the shining star of both my skincare and makeup routine. I’ve convinced all my family and friends to try it out and the results are in: it delivers on its promises to soothe and heal.
To build on the success of the facial spray, Tower 28 released it in serum form. It’s obviously a very different textural experience (it dries down a bit matte) but the results are the same. If you prefer a serum formula over a spray, I would opt for this instead.
