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Middle-Aged Shoppers Say This Hydrating, Tightening Primer "Deeply Reduces" Crow's Feet

Middle-Aged Shoppers Say Their Skin "Loves" This Hydrating, Tightening Primer
Middle-Aged Shoppers Say Their Skin "Loves" This Hydrating, Tightening Primer

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Thanks to hits like its celebrity-loved mascara and multi-stick, Ilia is mostly known for its makeup. But the clean beauty brand has a burgeoning section of skincare-meets-cosmetics products, exemplified by the tinted sunscreen Kate Hudson recently called out — and per shoppers, its priming serum is a slam-dunk for smooth, silky skin.

The formula is somewhat of a rarity in the beauty world, where primers often rely on silicones to minimize wrinkles. Instead, Ilia's True Skin Radiant Priming Serum recruits a plumping, protective bevvy of elements: gluconolactone, beta-glucan, aloe, glycerin, and antioxidant-rich algae and agave extracts to hydrate and firm skin.

Gluconolactone is a polyhydroxy acid (PHA), a category of uber-gentle exfoliants that stimulate cell turnover; as dermatologist Ava Shamban, MD, previously told InStyle, they can improve clogged pores and the appearance of fine lines. They're also humectants, so they attract and bind water into your skin — they're like the formula's aloe and glycerin that way, so it's a no-brainer the serum's users describe it making their face "silky-smooth."

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Shop now: $52; iliabeauty.com and sephora.com

Used by itself, reviewers on the brand's website said the priming serum gives their skin a "beautiful, radiant glow," aided by an almost-undetectable helping of luminous gold mica. People with oily skin said it keeps their face balanced and makeup intact all day (even with a face mask on), and one person went so far as to dub it "magic." Combined with Ilia's foundation, they wrote, their crow's feet "deeply reduced" — a feat for something that feels "weightless."

A customer in the 45- to 54-year-old range was similarly impressed with the blurring effect it had on their pores and skin texture, so much that they're comfortable skipping foundation altogether. Another fan mentioned that they felt a tightening sensation, too — something one more shopper seconded. "It made my skin feel firmer and smoother," a penultimate enthusiast wrote, and a last one added that it brightened their skin and left it looking "fresh" with minimal effort.

If you'd like to try Ilia's glass-bottled True Skin Radiant Priming Serum, get it for $52 at the brand's website or Sephora.