I Compared Glossier's New Perfecting Skin Tint to the Original Formula

Glossier has a habit of getting ahead of potential customer complaints way before they have a chance to escalate. Seriously, that brand has to have the most fire-safety-savvy drag prevention team in the digital mall. Perhaps you remember that not too long ago, the brand essentially offered a two-fer to customers who bought the Perfecting Skin Tint, claiming that the formula was soon to be improved based on customer feedback, so customers could try the new formula with a voucher and keep the one they just bought — essentially giving them two for the price of one. Dang.

What's different about the new formula? "The new formula is the same sheer and breathable one you know and love — just with some improvements," Glossier said in a statement. Those improvements include an updated pigment treatment to prevent shade-warping over time, improved film-formers and the addition of cork oak to help create a soft, hydrating veil atop skin, and a richer blend of oils.

Glossier didn't promote the new formula at all, really. The only way you would've found about it was if you were one of those customers who was emailed a promo code to buy the new version with that messaging from the brand, or if you happened to read about it on Reddit. The packaging hadn't changed and there wasn't any "new and improved" messaging on the new formulation once they'd been deployed. The notable difference is that the ingredients list was written on the original bottle, whereas on the new bottles there's less text overall, and the directions for application inhabit the space where the ingredients list once was (the ingredients are on the box, though).

You can see how those ingredients differ between the new and original formulas here. I've had a bottle of the original formula for a few months sitting in my vanity, which largely serves as a filing cabinet for makeup that I like but don't necessarily wear all the time.

The original on the left, and newer formula on the right.

The first new ingredient is dimer dilinoleyl dimer dilinoleate, which appears to replace VP/hexadecene copolymer, both of which are skin-conditioning and binding ingredients, according to the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic database. Alcohol also finds its way into the new formulation, as well as caprylyl glycol (another skin-conditioning agent), and chlorphenesin (a synthetic preservative). Stearyl triethoxysilane gets swapped for triethoxycaprylylsilane, both of which are binders.

The Feel

So how does the new recipe look? Well, side-by-side in my shade (dark), the original formula is a tad bit lighter than the new one. Then again, I've had this bottle for several months, so the shade could've warped since then. That's something the brand may have addressed with those pigment stabilizers.

The original formula is on top, and the newer formulation is on the bottom.

It's still the same liquid-y consistency in the same small squirt bottle.

Here's a humbling before photo of me with no makeup on:

The products look different when applying, which I did with my hands. The original formula appeared to have a slightly whiter cast than then newer one, which was a closer match to my warm, golden-toned skin. It also feels and appears to sink into the skin more readily. One of the qualms I've had with the Perfecting Skin Tint since the beginning was that it felt like it sat on top of your skin and the more you blended, the more it felt like you were just pushing it around on your face. The new formula acts a bit like a face oil, in that regard. Both still have that signature Glossier superdewy finish and are both still incredibly sheer (it is a tint, after all). I did notice that the new formula was slightly more buildable in pigment than the original formula. With the original formula, the more you added, the more you just looked shiny but not necessarily with any more coverage. I patted the new formula onto the area where I usually conceal for slightly more coverage. (But honestly, it's almost negligible; I'm just comparing these two formulas. If you want actual coverage, go for a concealer.)

Here I am wearing the original Perfecting Skin Tint:

The wear

One thing I noticed was that the new formula is built to wear longer. It seems to meld with your skin so it never looks like you're wearing makeup, per se, just that your skin tone is slightly evened-out and very well-moisturized (you can see still freckles). When I'd wear the original formula, sometimes throughout the day if I touched my face too vigorously, I'd notice where it smeared into a visible streak, even though it looked well-blended when I applied it. (That's what I mean about it sitting on top of your skin as opposed to sinking in.)

And here I am wearing the new formula:

The finish:

The Skin Tint finishes are nearly identical, so looks-wise they do the same job. The biggest difference is an improved user experience — something Glossier definitely keeps up with on all fronts, so it seems. Also, something worth noting if you're a Glossier die-hard (or just own a lot of their makeup products), both formulas played nicely with the other face makeups from the brand, like Cloud Paint and Haloscope highlighter. I'd wager that the Cloud Paint was even a little bit easier to blend into the new formula since the tint was easier to blend overall.

If you're still working through your existing bottle of the Perfecting Skin Tint, I wouldn't necessarily chuck it just yet. Just know that should you choose to repurchase, you're in for a spiffed-up version that behaves better and wears just a bit longer and steadily. As always, you can find it on Glossier.com (or IRL at any one of their showrooms in NYC, LA, or Chicago) for $26.

Source: Read Full Article