Carisa Janes needs no introduction. As the founder of Hourglass Cosmetics, she's established herself in the beauty industry as someone who knows how to make beauty products that makeup artists stockpile, beauty editors rave about, and regular people covet. So, when she announced her new brand, Outside-In—a buzzy new addition to the makeup as skincare movement—and its new hero product, the Silk Serum Foundation, I knew I had to test it out immediately. "Our goal was to create something truly weightless and undetectable—a foundation that is effortless to apply and delivers a radiant, light-diffused finish," she tells me. "We focused on everything that shapes the experience: texture, finish, and performance, while ensuring it’s gentle enough for sensitive skin." With its promise of "lit from within skin," hydration benefits, and skincare-meets-makeup messaging, this product was a no-brainer for me to add to my "must try" list.
Ahead, read my honest review of Ourself's Silk Serum Foundation.
My Skin:
Have I talked about how dry my skin is recently? I feel like I'm constantly telling Coveteur readers about my dry skin woes, but this is a relevant mention. My skin is dry year-round but, especially now that temperatures have dropped in New York City. I can't stand any foundation (and makeup in general) that leaves my skin feeling dryer than it already is. I also can't stand foundations that accentuate my dryness or draw attention to my inevitable mid-winter flakiness. The ultimate dream is a foundation that helps hydrate my skin, while also providing enough coverage.
The Product:
When Janes was developing Outside-In's Silk Serum Setting Foundation, her goal was to create "a breathable, second-skin formula that diffuses light beautifully and wears seamlessly from day to night."
The formula includes hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to ensure that it not only fulfills makeup needs, but smoothes and hydrates the skin at the same time. The liquid serum base is made with spherical powders that "diffuse light" and allows the product to set upon contact with the skin—supposedly, delivering a refined finish without the need of a setting powder. The foundation is available in a range of 25 shades developed with intention, and meant to accommodate a wide range of skin-tones and undertones.
A moment for the packaging: the bottles are crafted with rice husk resin that make the product feel both luxurious and sustainable. They feature a dropper, which makes them feel more like a serum bottle than a traditional foundation. This allows the product to be applied directly to the face resulting in an easy, mess-free process. The foundation rings in at $64 for a 30mL bottle, falling in the middle range for the market.
Before Outside-In Silk Serum Foundation
Bianca Asare
The Results:
I was immediately drawn to the mess-free application system, fully eliminating the need to get your hands dirty. The application system made it easy to build up the finish I wanted because I was in control of how much product was squeezed out. The consistency is liquid-y, which made for easy blending, but also lent itself to dripping on my shirt in one occasion as I wasn't quick enough with my Beautyblender. The product felt silky and lightweight on my face and didn't contribute to or exacerbate my dryness. Instead, my skin felt smooth all day, at least relative to how it usually feels on a day-to-day basis. By the end of one of my days of testing, a decent amount of coverage still remained. (I'm not the only one who was pleased with the result; celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes recently left a rave review on TikTok, too.)
After Outside-In Silk Serum Foundation
Bianca Asare
Worth It?
I think this foundation is certainly worth a try; it's an easy way to add some skincare benefits into your makeup routine while getting a decent amount of coverage. The mid-range price feels completely justified consider the beneficial ingredients included. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I would argue that it provided a bit less coverage than competitors. This could likely be attributed to how lightweight and liquid-like it is. My main comparison point the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. I would argue that the Outside In foundation provided a bit less coverage, but felt more lightweight and liquid-like. Both foundation's feel hydrating and don't dry my skin out, but I also trust that my skin would benefit from the niacinamide and hyaluronic acid in Outside In's formula. Although the shade that I received didn't feel like quite the right match for my skin-tone, the silky smooth feeling and added benefits lead to me being super open to trying a different shade.
TL;DR
Carisa Janes' intention for Outside-In's foundation was to create a light, silky foundation filled with skincare ingredients. It's infused with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, and promises to hydrate and smooth while still providing a decent amount of coverage. I loved the dropper bottle, which lends itself to easy application and blending, and the product feels silky and hydrating on my dry skin.
