I Thought I Knew What “Lit From Within” Skin Looked Like—Then I Tried This New Silky Foundation

At this point, a lion’s share of the beauty market—from hydrating serums and moisturizers to dewy foundations and highlighters—promises to make you appear “lit from within.” The buzzy phrase is somewhat of a cliché these days, so often met with an eye roll from beauty editors—self very much included. But those are truly the only words I can use to describe my own skin after testing a new foundation launch from Carisa Janes, the founder and CEO of Hourglass, which has one of my favorite skin tints of all time.

Introducing Outside In, Janes’s latest brand venture inspired by warm, buttery natural light. Think speckles of sun filtering through a canopy of leaves or the soft golden hue drenching your morning sheets from a nearby window. If you’ve ever wanted skin like that, keep scrolling; the Silk Serum Foundation is practically synonymous with liquid gold.

The Formula

True to its name, Outside In’s Silk Serum Foundation has a thin, serum-like consistency with a dewy—yet not too shiny!—finish. But unlike other serum foundations (which border on watery, in my opinion), this one has a supple, pillowy texture that doesn’t ever feel too “messy.” It’s pumped with hero hydrators like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, yet it doesn’t leave behind an oily residue like so many other skincare-infused makeup formulas. Not to mention those heroes are included at functional doses, meaning the brand doesn’t sprinkle them in just so it can slap on a “skin-improving” label (my pet peeve, TBH, and it happens more often than you’d think!). No, those ingredients have a potent enough concentration to actually make a difference in skin health—that is, hydration and smoothness.

That “serum” portion is impressive, but it’s the superfine pigments that really make this foundation shine—ahem, literally. They diffuse upon application, instantly blurring the surface with the perfect level of glow, then self-set for all-day wear. Self-setting formulas usually lean matte, so I’m shocked to discover a dewy formula with this level of longevity. (Typically, glowy foundations melt off my face by midday!)

I’d say the dewy finish is Goldilocks (not too shiny, not too matte), but for those looking for a bit more radiance, Outside In also has a lightweight face oil—dubbed Floral Reserve—you can use as a glowy primer. Brimming with sweet almond, sunflower seed, meadowfoam seed, jojoba seed, and macadamia seed oils, the formula adds a healthy-looking sheen that easily peeks through your foundation with zero greasy residue.

The Application

As with all foundations, I like to dispense product on my hand, swirl it with a dense complexion brush until all the bristles are fully coated (a technique makeup artists love called “priming the brush”), then apply in light layers until I reach my desired level of coverage. Let me tell you this serum foundation was practically made for this process. Because the superfine pigments disperse across my skin with ease, I wind up using way less product than I would have originally thought. Two to three drops does the trick for my entire face—that’s it! It helps that I use the brand’s Serum Foundation Brush, which has soft, dense synthetic bristles that catch and release the pigment with ease.

My Results

With a less-is-more application, the Silk Serum Foundation precisely covers areas I want to disguise (dark spots and redness) without making it look like I’m wearing makeup at all—a balance I always seek out in my complexion products. I want people to compliment my skin, not my makeup, which, for the record, has happened multiple times since wearing this serum number out in public. It somehow makes my skin look like liquid silk—soft and smooth all over, yet dewy in the areas I want to shine. (Silk Serum is the perfect name for it, clearly!)

I took this photo right before heading to a work dinner. It was around 5 p.m., and the natural light was quickly waning from my apartment window. (No golden-hour light for me, sadly!) Still, you can see the noticeable highlight on my cheekbone, even though I’m only wearing a kiss of blush (Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush, if you’re curious). I didn’t even need to follow up with concealer; call it the witchcraft of Carisa Janes, but somehow my entire complexion remained buttery-smooth, plush, and—dare I say—lit from within.

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