This Is the Weird Oil You’ve Seen Every Beauty Vlogger Drip on Their Face Lately

It's like an Instagram filter in a bottle.

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(Image credit: @makeupshayla/@cosmobyhaley)

If you’ve watched literally any beauty video on Instagram or Youtube for more than a second in the past few months, you’ve definitely seen the weird step that happens at the beginning of each tutorial—the moment when, after all of the finger-wagging and poses to the camera, the beauty vlogger takes out a tiny vial of shimmery oil and drips it down their face, generally pretending to cry at the same time.

So what is this magical potion? It’s actually a lightweight face serum from Farsali, an indie brand that essentially rose to fame overnight, thanks to big-time beauty vloggers like Huda Kattan featuring them in their Instagram tutorials. And now, pretty much every vlogger and makeup-obsessed human has a bottle in their kits.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Brands)

The first Farsali product that went viral was the Farsali Unicorn EssencBUY IT (fondly dubbed “unicorn tears” on Instagram), a shimmery-pink, water-based serum full of vitamin C and berry extracts, like blueberry, goji berry, and açaí berry. The second, and the newest release from the brand, is the Farsali Rose Gold Elixir BUY IT, a lightweight oil that’s filled with skin-brightening vitamin C and A, hydrating linoleic acid, and, most importantly, super-tiny gold flecks. Because shimmer, yo. The result of each, after being massaged and blended across your face, is super-soft and glowy skin—pretty much the definition of dewiness—giving your entire makeup look a soft, lift-from-within haze.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Brands)

So why are these so damn popular? Because unlike some skincare products that pill under makeup, or turn your foundation patchy, or leave you with an oil slick by noon, these serum-oil hybrids are incredibly lightweight, yet fully moisturizing, making them an easy add-on to your beauty routine, since they won’t screw with your products. And, obviously, because how does anything get popular? Someone even more popular tells you to use it. *It’s the ciiiircle of liiiiiife*

At their very best, they'll give you an insanely pretty, glow-y makeup finish, and at their very worst, they're do, uh, nothing, aside from hydrating your skin, which is still a win in our book. So BRB as we go pick up two bottles and slather our skin with moisture, even if it’s just for the Insta pics. Remember: Always do it for the Insta pics.

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(Image credit: Marie Claire)
Chloe Metzger
Beauty Editor

Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the editorial content and growth strategy of the hair, makeup, and skin space on digital, while also obsessively writing about the best hair products for every hair type (curly girl here; whattup), and the skincare routines that really, truly work (follow her on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes pics of that magazine life). She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in AllureHealthFitnessMarie ClaireStyleCaster, and Parents. She also has an unhealthy adoration for Tom Hanks and would like to please meet him one day, if you could arrange that. Thanks.