I know I declared a new foundation my HG just 5 months ago, but I think I may have found one even better.
Outside In is the new brand by Hourglass founder Carisa Janes. Right now they only have three products: a foundation, a foundation brush, and a face oil. The Silk Serum Foundation is the centerpiece of the debut collection, and it is designed as a hybrid of makeup and skincare. It is formulated to have the weightlessness of a serum with the performance of a long-wear foundation.
Infused with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, the Outside In Silk Serum Foundation promises to improve your skin over time. (Personally, I don’t take too much stock in these claims, for how much skincare can a makeup product contain? Besides, it seems like every other product contains niacinamide and hyaluronic acid these days.) It comes in 25 flexible shades — flexible since the foundation is light to medium coverage. The foundation contains light-diffusing powders to blur imperfections; these powders also claim to help the foundation self-set.
The lightest shade, 020 Fair Warm/Golden, matches me perfectly. The foundation does not oxidize or do anything else funny once it’s settled. It has a very runny consistency — probably why they decided to package it in a dropper bottle — and the texture reminds me of pigments mixed with dry oils. The formula is cruelty-free, vegan, non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic. It is also fragrance-free — a huge plus in my book.
You only need a few drops for your entire face. The first time I tried it, I applied way more than necessary and found that a lighter touch gives better results. If you want more coverage, you can certainly apply more layers, and I was surprised at how much coverage it could provide if one were so inclined.
The Outside In Silk Serum Foundation leaves a natural, slightly glowy finish. With setting spray, it lasts a good 8-10 hours on me with no need for touchups. My dry patches don’t act up at the end of the day, and there’s no feeling of “Arghh must get this makeup off NOW” at the end of the day either. It truly feels weightless.
The instructions on the website say not to apply it with a sponge (they recommend a brush or fingers), but I found no problems applying with my trusty Real Techniques makeup sponges. The website also recommends using it with the Outside In Floral Reserve Face Oil, but they sent me a sample of the oil with my order and I found that it provided no real benefit to the longevity or application of the foundation.
When I first saw the packaging for the product, I was a bit concerned that it would be messy, but the opposite turned out to be true. Yes, it is a dropper bottle. But it does not leak and the materials are top-notch. I read that it is made of an eco-friendly rice husk bio-resin with a durable limestone composite handle. When an errant drop/flick of foundation gets on the bottle, it can easily be wiped off.
I have been using the Outside In Silk Serum Foundation regularly since receiving it 3 weeks ago and I haven’t used any other foundation since — it is that good. At $64, it’s certainly an investment, but you only need to use such a little amount at a time that I’m sure a bottle will last a long time. I don’t know why this foundation isn’t getting more hype because I love it so much!
