As someone who loves makeup but also cares deeply about using conscious beauty products, I was thrilled when I discovered Ilia Beauty. Their dedication to clean, ethical beauty aligned perfectly with my values. I knew I had to give their products a try to see if the formulas lived up to my (admittedly high) expectations.
In this in-depth Ilia Beauty review, I‘ll share my honest thoughts after testing over a dozen Ilia makeup products. You‘ll get the full low-down on everything from their best-selling Super Serum Skin Tint to the Fullest Volumizing Mascara and Color Haze Eye Shadows. I‘ll also compare Ilia to other green beauty brands I‘ve used so you can determine if they’re a good fit for your needs.
Overview of Ilia Beauty‘s Brand and Products
Ilia Beauty makes what they call “multitasking makeup powered by botanicals.” Founded in 2011 by Sasha Plavsic, the brand focuses on creating cosmetics with skin-loving ingredients, sustainable packaging, ethical sourcing and full transparency. Ilia avoids over 2,700 questionable ingredients while using active organic botanicals like hyaluronic acid and squalane in their products.
They’re also a Certified B Corporation meeting stringent standards around social and environmental performance. Right now Ilia Beauty offers over 100 makeup products across complexion, eyes, lips and tools/sets. This includes:
- Complexion: Foundations, concealers, bronzers and highlighters
- Eyes: Eyeshadows, eye liners, mascaras and brows
- Lips: Lipsticks, glosses, oils and liners
- Tools: Brushes and beauty tools
- Sets/Kits: Color pairings and sampler sets
Within their collection, you‘ll find plenty of bestsellers often featured by makeup artists, beauty editors and influencers. Next I‘ll share more on my personal experience with 10+ Ilia products after months of testing.
My Review of Key Ilia Beauty Makeup Products
Starting with complexion, I quickly became a die-hard fan of Ilia‘s lightweight skin tints and hydrating serums. But their eyeshadows and lip oils also deliver superb performance. Here‘s a detailed review of my top Ilia makeup picks:
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40
- Coverage: Light to medium, buildable
- Finish: Radiant, dewy
- Shades: 12 options. I wear ST3 Pagosa Springs
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, squalane, niacinamide
- My Review: It offers breathable medium coverage with a barely-there feel. The skincare-makeup hybrid includes SPF 40 protection. I love the natural luminosity it gives my skin.
Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation
- Coverage: Medium to full
- Finish: Natural, soft satin
- Shades: 18 options. I wear TS 8.5 Riccione.
- Key Ingredients: Aloe leaf, jojoba oil, squalane
- My Review: This serum foundation gives me that perfected “your skin but better” look. It hides imperfections without drying out my skin or settling into fine lines. The shade match was spot on.
Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara
- Benefits: Lengthening, volumizing, curling
- Formula: Conditions lashes with shea butter and beeswax
- Shades: Black
- My Review: It never flakes or smudges on me. I love how defined my lashes look with 2-3 coats. The slim brush makes coating even tiny bottom lashes easy.
Ilia Multi-stick Cream Blush
- Finish: Creamy, blendable
- Shades: 8 options. I like Sweet Butter.
- Key Ingredient: Shea butter
- My Review: I use this gorgeous nude-pink shade on my cheeks and lips nearly every day. It gives me that perfect natural flush without emphasizing dryness or texture. Plus it doubles as lip balm!
Ilia Color Haze Multi-Use Pigment
- Formula: Pressed powder
- Shades: 12 shimmer and matte shades. I own 3!
- Key Ingredient: Bio-active botanicals
- My Review: These ultra-blendable, buildable eye shadows work beautifully as highlighter and blush too. The foiled metallic finish pairs perfectly with the Limitless Lash Mascara for nights out.
Ilia Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil
- Shades: 10 options from nudes to berries. I wear Yam.
- Key Ingredient: Apricot oil
- My Review: Just a tinted, nourishing lip treatment with a shiny yet non-sticky finish. It keeps my lips crazy soft while adding that perfect punch of color. One coat is super sheer while layering it builds the pigment.
How Ilia Beauty Compares to Similar Clean Makeup Brands
As a beauty junkie, I‘ve tried my share of green beauty brands. Many tout their natural ingredients and ethical standards. But not all walk the walk on creating makeup that performs.
In my experience after testing dozens of clean cosmetics companies, Ilia Beauty definitely leads the pack when it comes to combining safe, botanical formulas with serious payoff. They don‘t compromise on color, longevity or experience.
Brands like Kjaer Weis and Vapour offer that same exacting quality with predominantly organic ingredients. But the finish and feel differs quite a bit. Ilia excels at lightweight, versatile formulas compared to the ultra rich creams from Kjaer Weis or soft focus look of Vapour.
More affordable, mainstream clean brands rarely achieve the same dazzling results for me. While their ingredients may qualify as natural, the performance is often lackluster. For example, Bite Beauty and Milk Makeup’s pigment and wear time can’t match Ilia’s vibrant hues that last all day without fading or transferring.
Within its price point, Ilia Beauty equals and even exceeds luxury conventional makeup brands in terms of beautiful finish and friendly ingredients. So if you want high performance makeup powered by gentle botanicals, Ilia wins hands down in my book.
5 Makeup Tips and Tricks for Using Ilia Beauty Products
Based on working with Ilia Beauty‘s various formulas from serum foundation to powder shadow, I‘ve uncovered some useful application tips. Here are my top 5 tricks:
1. Prep your face properly to maximize smooth, creaseless makeup application. Apply moisturizer and face oil first before makeup, allow it to absorb fully. Follow with primer if needed.
2. Always tap the Multi-Stick onto cheeks and lips using just your fingertips. Buffing or rubbing disturbs the balmy formula. For eyeshadows, pat then gently smooth for flawless blending.
3. Mix skin tint or serum foundation with your preferred facial oil to amp up the dewy, radiant finish. I love using vitamin C or marula oil before applying foundation with a brush or damp sponge.
4. Use the Fullest Volumizing Mascara on top lashes first, then coat lower lashes separately without bumping the upper ones to prevent smudges. Wiggling the brush as you apply really maximizes thickness.
5. Build pigment slowly in thin layers when using lip oils or tinted balms for a soft stained look. Apply 1-2 layers then use fingertips to gently pat and set the product to prevent transferring.
Following those simple tips helps me get the most out of Ilia‘s nourishing makeup for a polished yet effortless look. Their versatile textures blend beautifully when used strategically.
Answering Common Ilia Beauty Questions
As an Ilia Beauty stan, friends and followers often ask me questions about the brand. Here’s the scoop on some commonly asked topics:
How do you pick your Ilia foundation shade online?
Use the quiz! It gives you spot on matches by asking about your depth, undertone and past foundation colors. You can even set up a free video consultation with their shade matching experts.
What happens if I don’t love a product? Can I return or exchange Ilia makeup?
Yes, their return policy offers a 60 day window to return or exchange lightly used products if the color, formula etc just isn’t right for you.
How often are new Ilia Beauty products launched?
They release new shades and innovations seasonally, typically every 3-4 months focused on complexion, lips or eyes. Subscribing to their emails keeps you looped into the latest drops!
Once I find my perfect Ilia lip color, can I buy backups so it never sells out?
Absolutely! When you love a lip or cheek formula, I strongly suggest ordering multiples so you never run out. Limited edition colors do disappear so stock up.
Can you create a full face just using Ilia products or do you need other makeup?
For me, Ilia offers everything I need for a complete look! Their formulas pair beautifully together while covering all aspects of face, eyes and lips. But you can absolutely mix their products with other beloved beauty items you already own and use. Think of Ilia as enhancing your current rotation rather than requiring a 100% switch.
My Final Verdict After Extensive Ilia Beauty Testing
If you can‘t tell by now, I‘m a total Ilia convert after months of trying their products in real life. The brand walks the walk when it comes to ethical business standards, sustainable packaging and avoiding questionable ingredients.
Yet unlike many green beauty brands, Ilia Beauty doesn‘t sacrifice rich color payoff, velvety textures and long wear performance. Their makeup works with skin instead of against it thanks to botanical extracts and emollients.
Are they the most affordable option out there? No, the price per product runs higher than conventional makeup reflecting their commitments to organics and fair wages. But in terms of value, the beautiful results and antioxidants make every dollar worth it.
If you want makeup powered by gentle, helpful ingredients that makes your skin look its best, I can‘t recommend Ilia Beauty enough. Their ranges offer diverse textures and shades fitting for all ages.
Have you tested Ilia Beauty products yourself? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! I love to chat all things green beauty.
