This Beauty Balm Is My Secret Weapon For Easy 5-Minute Makeup

Not many people can say they work in the field that they are most passionate about, but thankfully, I am one of those lucky few. Since first discovering the world of makeup on YouTube in the mid-2000s, my obsession with all things cosmetics has only grown over the years. As a result, I have tried almost every formula on the market, and while that initial excitement has not waned, at this point, it takes something truly innovative to really turn my head. Enter: the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint ($42).

Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint

From

$42

$42 at Sephora

Available in 16 shades, the balm is described by the brand as a serum-boosted tint that provides sheer-to-light coverage. Though I have oily skin, I'm a sucker for complexion products that leave a light dew to the skin. So, of course, I had to give it a try for myself. Keep reading to see if the balm should be added to your makeup bag.

While I initially liked the packaging of this product, I didn't think it would actually be functional. Spoiler alert: I was so wrong. Oftentimes, products with this rectangular shape tend to skip around when you apply them to the slightly more flat but curved parts of the face, like the forehead and between the brows. The way this balm hugged every inch of my face made me feel like I was in sensory heaven — it was like rubbing aloe vera all over my face (which makes me feel like I should keep this in the fridge; applying the cold balm on a hot summer day would definitely feel like magic).

Additionally, I was impressed by how buildable this balm is. It does stay true to its sheer-to-light coverage promises, but after the initial swipe, I went over a few more areas that still had some dark marks peeking through. Once the second layer was added, they were significantly more blurred. Additionally, while this product only comes in 16 shades, the balm shades are equally spread between fair to dark skin tones, with four colors in each category, which I appreciate. Because the balm offers such light coverage, the shades are much more flexible than something like Huda Beauty's Faux Filter Foundation ($42).

Huda Beauty's Faux Filter Foundation

From

$42

$42 at Sephora

The packaging makes this balm extremely easy to use. All you have to do is twist the product up and swipe it onto your preferred areas. If you want a bit more coverage, go over areas with blemishes once more, and then set your face with powder if you want to dial down the shine.

This product is a balm in the truest sense of the word. It feels extremely emollient on the skin and doesn't dry down, so if you have oily skin, beware. However, as someone who prefers a more dewy complexion but who also has combo-to-oily skin, I just did the rest of my routine and added concealer under my eyes before setting the balm, then added powder bronzer on the outer perimeters of my face. These steps added a nice velvety finish to the balm while simultaneously helping to keep it in place. For the areas that this method leaves untouched, like the lower cheeks, you will still feel that balmy consistency, but you can set that with a lightweight skin-tone powder like the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder ($48).

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder

From

$48

$48 at Sephora

You can buy the beauty balm at Sephora.com, AnastasiaBeverlyHills.com, Ulta.com, and Nordstrom.com.