The New Tower 28 Swipe Serum Foundation Is a Sensitive Skin Girl's Dream
It makes my skin look better—and I don't have to worry about it triggering a flare.
As Marie Claire’s resident Sensitive Skin Beauty Editor, it only felt appropriate to be the designated tester for Tower 28’s newest launch: Swipe Serum Foundation. Here's the thing about Tower 28: the entire brand is dedicated to making formulas that are suitable for easily irritated or acne-prone skin. As someone who is either dealing with a rosacea flare, perioral dermatitis, or eczema at any given point in time, my ears immediately perked up when I got wind of this drop.
Foundations are a tricky category. There are a grand total of three formulas I can use without sending my skin into a spiral (Chanel Sublimage L’Essence D’Tiente, Westman Atelier Supreme Bio Complex Foundation, and Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Filter for inquiring minds), so the chance to add another to my repertoire is incredibly exciting. “This product is the embodiment of why I started Tower 28. It’s the confidence you need and the coverage you want, whether you have eczema like me or acne like my teenage daughter,” says founder and CEO Amy Liu. Basically, it’s supposed to be the key to making skin look better without worrying about making it worse in the process. Sensitive skin girls get it.
That in mind, I set out to risk my good skin streak for the sake of being a makeup guinea pig. My honest review on this new launch—along with before-and-after photos—ahead.
What Makes Tower28’s Swipe Serum Foundation Different?
Tower28 is always going to do the legwork. Not only is this formula derm-approved, non-comedogenic, and made with triple-filtered water, but it also got a 94 percent stamp of approval in a clinical study. These participants—all of whom had sensitive skin—said it didn’t break them out after one week of wear. The key lies in the formulation.
Obviously, it’s made without the risky ingredients like oils and shea butter, but it’s just as important to note what’s in this foundation. The hero ingredient, porulaca extract, is respected as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ingredient, which makes it uniquely suited for eczema-prone and acne-prone skin types. There’s also fermented oat, which helps restore and strengthen the skin barrier, as well as lactobacillus ferment, which soothes the skin and protects against environmental stressors.
As for the coverage? This foundation delivers a natural finish and is truly buildable. One pump applied with the hands is more of a skin tint situation, but if you put two pumps on a brush, it will show up much more like a traditional medium-coverage foundation.
How Do I Apply Tower28’s Swipe Serum Foundation?
Like most serum foundations, I find the texture to be on the wetter side. That comes with pros and cons. On the one hand, it sinks into the skin so naturally and never looks like I’m wearing caked-on makeup, but it can also veer into greasy territory really quickly. I find that applying it with my fingers amps up the wet look (which is great if you’re going for a glass skin vibe), but I personally enjoy the finish that comes along with a beauty blender. It’s still glowy, but with a little powder, it tones it down just enough that I don’t feel overly shiny. If you’re looking for fuller coverage, try applying the foundation with the brand new brush that launched in tandem with the foundation.
How Does Tower28’s Swipe Serum Foundation Wear Throughout the Day?
The foundation promises 16-hour wear, and while I never plan on keeping it on that long, I can confirm it stays looking fresh-ish for up to 12. It didn’t separate at all and really meshed with my existing skincare, looking like an extension of my actual skin texture.
Because it’s deeply hydrating and has a serum base, I found that I needed to powder a bit throughout the day to minimize excess shine (I also run a bit oily in the summer, though) and noticed that the product lifted around my nose by mid-day—probably from brushing my hand across the bridge.
Is Tower28’s Swipe Serum Foundation Worth It?
In a beauty landscape where luxury foundations are running $70+, a $36 serum foundation feels pretty well priced. And to be totally honest, it feels and looks on par with my luxury options. But the real test when it comes to this product was whether or not it would send me and one of my many skin conditions into a flare. Now that I’ve been wearing this for a week, I can confidently say that my skin is cooperating. I have no perioral dermatitis. My eczema is stable. And save for the one cyst pimple on my chin (it’s that time of the month), I haven’t been experiencing any extra breakouts.
Because I only rotate between three foundations, I’m overjoyed to have another formula and finish to play with. It feels lighter and more natural than my other go-tos, which makes it perfect for seeing me through the end of summer and into fall.
Shop More Tower28 Products I Love
When my skin is in the middle of a freak out, I feel confident reaching for this—it was developed with sensitive and acne-prone skin in mind and avoids all the common triggers.
If I had to pick a favorite child, it’s this baby. I keep her in my work bag and whip it out when my skin is in need of soothing hydration.
The new foundation was modeled off of this concealer, so the textures are quite similar. Think: glowy, moisturizing, and natural.
I vividly remember when these launched—they were one of the first really buzzy cream blushes and deserved every bit of viral hype. They’re pigmented and long lasted, so rest assured one pan will last forever.
There’s no such thing as having too many lip oils. This one feels more like a gloss, in my opinion, but packs in a ton of shine.
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