Anastasia Beverly Hills’ New Beauty Balm Acts Like A Filter IRL

We’re in the age where new beauty launches happen faster than you can say “go viral” — but every so often, one launch happens that makes you stop in your tracks. Enter: Anastasia Beverly Hills’ new Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint. Beauty balms have existed for ages — from the Korean invention of BB creams (remember those?) to the slew of new color-correcting skin tints — but what makes this new version from Anastasia Beverly Hills so unique is the delivery system. Namely, like all of my favorite makeup products, it’s in stick form. But instead of a standard tube, it’s a portable rectangular shape that looks like a mini-sized deodorant. This makes application so easy — the curves of the shape fit perfectly into the nooks and crannies of your face, yet it’s still small enough to barely take up any room in your makeup bag. And trust, this is a product you’ll want to take with you everywhere.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal and portability, the Beauty Balm marks a new direction for the iconic brow and makeup brand. Anastasia Beverly Hills is known for setting the bar when it comes to creating brow and makeup products. Look in any makeup artist’s kit, and you’ll likely find Brow Whiz, Dip Brow or one of the brand’s highly-pigmented eye shadow palettes. But up until now, the brand hasn’t necessarily been synonymous with face makeup, focusing instead on creating top-tier products for the eyes and brows (don’t sleep on the Lip Velvet, either), usually for a full-glam look. Launching with a sheer-coverage, skin care-infused Beauty Balm stakes a claim in the complexion space for the brand — and the best part is, it really delivers.

First, the ingredients. This isn’t your average foundation stick. Company president Norvina Soare said she wanted to launch a product that also have skin care benefits, so people wouldn’t have to worry about it clogging pores or feeling heavy. The Beauty Balm is infused with hyaluronic acid and a peptide complex for a smoothing, hydrating effect, and free of fragrance, phthalates, and mineral oil. But the star of the show is the texture. I was able to test this new launch a few weeks before the official release and have been wearing it every day since. Unlike other foundation sticks which can feel heavy, cake-y, or drag across the skin, this stick feels smooth and moisturizing as you apply. I do a swipe across my forehead, along my cheeks, down my nose and across my chin, then blend in with my fingers or a foundation brush. It melts into the skin seamlessly, and the immediate effect is magic: suddenly, my skin looks smoother and dewier, like I’ve just added a quick swipe of Instagram’s Paris filter. It also provides a surprising amount of coverage, given how skin-like the finish is. Pro tip: you can also choose a product two shades darker than your natural skin tone to contour and bronze.

The portability, delivery system and blurred finish of Anastasia’s new Beauty Balm Serum Boosted Skin Tint make this a keeper — and if it’s a sign of what’s to come, our faces are ready.

The new skin tint launches officially on March 28th on AnastasiaBeverlyHills.com.