Rose Inc. Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum: Wear Test & Review

Rose Inc.is a partnership between Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and biotech company Amyris, with its entire focus being on innovation and clean ingredients. It has a range of products in its line, including skincare, lipsticks, makeup brushes, highlighters & bronzers - but our review is focused on the newly released Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum (RRP $39 GBP, $49.00 USD, $67.00 AUD for 30ml). 

Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum: The Facts

The packaging is very on brand for the company and looks luxe - without the exorbitant price tag. The lid is nice and secure and I love the lightly frosted bottle as you can see how much product is left. A glass bottle would have elevated this product to another level, however, I appreciate that the choice was most likely made with sustainability in mind. The plastic casing is also less likely to break and is great for traveling. 

Having only 14 shades could be seen as a negative, however the selection is reasonable and covers a good range of skin tones. There is definitely room for expansion, but tinted serums are quite forgiving. For example, my closest shade is 030, and is not my “perfect” match but it still suits my skin and wears quite nicely. There is no strong fragrance and it is suitable for all skin types. It also has a good selection of undertones with lots of neutral shades. 

The company's ethos is that it wants to “raise the bar for ethical and efficacious color and skincare” and this is evident in its ingredient list. The Rose Inc. website describes the foundation as “pigment spheres that are suspended within a skincare base, infused with hyaluronic acid to visibly plump and smooth the appearance of fine lines”. The combination of skincare and pigments makes this a very interesting product to look at. When you first pump it onto your skin, it looks as if the foundation has separated, but as you work it into your skin, with your brush or fingers, the pigments burst and mix with the skincare base for a flawless, luminous finish. 

I also found that the squalane was working overtime to weightlessly hydrate the skin, with the dewy finish throwing me back to my youth in one application. It still feels too good to be true that a foundation can be hydrating and lightweight, and include ingredients that are working with your skin and not against it - gone are the days of 90s foundation, where you put it on with a spackle & scraped it off with a chisel. 

It has a light/sheer coverage which you could build up if you prefer a more full coverage look, however the way this foundation sets may have you re-thinking the way you usually wear foundation. Upon first application it is dewy, but it then settles to a blurred yet radiant finish. I used a brush to apply, as it is my preference, but you could still achieve these results when applying with your hands. My only tip, for if you use a brush, would be to use a dense foundation brush over a beauty blender and to massage well into the skin to ensure all the pigment spheres are blended in. 

There are similar products in the market, such as Chanel Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint (UK)(US) , which has a very similar concept; beads of pigment suspended in a hydrating skin serum. However, Rose Inc. has better staying power than the Chanel version. Similarly, Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint (UK)(US) , is a great hydrating tinted serum similar in coverage and finish to Rose Inc, however Rose Inc still has better staying power over this one too. 

12 Hour Rose inc. Wear Test 

We had our lab technician, Fleur, take Rose Inc. out for the day for a wear test, and this is how it went; 

7:00am: I'm really into skincare so I’m excited to try this foundation out and see how it works in my day-to-day routine. After applying 2 serums and a moisturiser (I hear it’s a crime not to prime but I’ve never been big on them. Also, a crime not to SPF but I couldn’t lie for this review!), my first impression is that it feels like I’m applying another refreshing serum. I prefer to use a flat foundation brush when applying this product and it blends effortlessly and requires very little work which is perfect for on-the-go or makeup beginners. The finish is extremely dewy and will remain that way unless you choose to set it. Today I’m choosing to set my base because I wear a mask on transport to work and want to ensure I don’t lose product to the mask or have it move around too much. I find the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (UK) (US) in Diffused Light is fine and glowy enough that it pairs beautifully with this product. I’m using the minimal amount of powder so it doesn’t take away from the finish of the tinted serum. I completed my makeup and off I go! 

9am Check-In: 2 hours since application. After battling the elements for the 1 hour transit, my skin looks nice and dewy and the coverage is quite good. After inspection, not much came off on my face mask, which I was impressed with. Skin looks filtered and plump and fresh - we love a walking instagram filter. 

12pm Check-In: 5 hours since application. I’ve noticed it wearing off on the chin a little because I touch my face a lot when I’m working. It’s wearing off under the nose as well because it’s very cold and I’ve been dabbing my nose. Other than that not a whole lot of change. Luminosity is the same and overall coverage is quite good. 

7pm Check-In: 12hrs since application. I can see around the mouth has worn off a bit thanks to my afternoon pastry snack (we can’t blame Rose Inc. for this). For the light coverage it provides, it performed and lasted as I would have expected. I love that you can’t feel it on the skin, the all day illumination and it surprisingly wears really well for a serum formula with minimal transfer to my mask (maximum transfer to my constant tissue dabbing and face touching though). 

Fleur’s Final thoughts: The serum looks flawless upon application, wears off as the day goes on but overall it looks really natural. This is a “my skin, but better” product for those no-makeup makeup days. My main tip would be to always apply with a foundation brush or fingers, and never with a sponge because your beauty blender will soak up all that juicy serum goodness. 

It’s definitely not going to be for everybody because it’s sheer and luminous. If you love fuller coverage matte foundations, look elsewhere. If you’re oily, this also may not work for you due to that high shine factor. It’s definitely a great product to have in your foundation arsenal, carving out its own niche in the line up. 

Another huge tick is that I’ve since tried this with a few different concealers, powders and creams and it’s like a chameleon product that plays with all of them amazingly. I don’t have to powder, blot or top up during the day.   

If I close my eyes and imagine my skin on its best day, Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum delivers exactly that - plump, even, hydrated skin!

Fleur’s Skincare Products (in order of application):

Beauté Pacifique Serum Symphonique Hyaluronic Serum (UK)

Beauté Pacifique Defy Damage Skin Repair Serum (UK)

Beauté Pacifique Superfruit Creme (UK)

Fleur’s Makeup Products (in order of application):

Foundation: Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum (030) (UK)

Concealer: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Concealer (5) (UK) (US)

Eyebrow Pencil: Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow Pencil (Brunette) (UK) (US)

Eyebrow Gel: Makeup Revolution Brow Gel (Medium Brown) (UK) (US)

Liquid Blush: McoBeauty Cheek & Lip Tint (Dusk) (UK) (US)

Setting Powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Finish Powder (Diffused Light) (UK) (US)

Powder Blush: Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Blush - Vibrant Flush (Exclusive Shade)

Bronzer & Eyeshadow: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer - Natural Bronze Light (Exclusive Shade)

Highlight: Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder - Glistening Strobe Light (Exclusive Shade)

Mascara: Nars Climax Mascara (UK) (US)

Lipstick: MAC Satin Lipstick (Faux) (UK) (US)