My Mom Is 26 Years Older Than Me, and We Both Love This Lightweight Serum Foundation

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In sixth grade, my mom took one look at the acne on my face and promptly ushered me to the drugstore—not in search of face wash or spot treatment—but foundation. “It’ll help dry up your skin,” she told me. She never struggled with acne; in her view, just covering it up would suffice. Her idea of makeup was very different from what I’d end up liking, though. Full-coverage, matte, long-wearing formulas were all I could find in her stash up until recently. Mine? Lightweight, dewy, and loaded with skincare ingredients.

But as we’re both aging—her, 55; me, 29—our makeup tastes are finally starting to converge. What used to look fresh on my skin now is a bit too shiny, and her go-to matte foundations now look dry and settle into fine lines. A few weeks ago, my mom texted me after she’d gone down an Instagram rabbit hole looking for a new foundation. Perks of having a beauty editor as a daughter, I had a few of my favorite picks en route to her house in a matter of days.

After testing a handful of different formulas—from lightweight serums to medium coverage liquids to smoothing powders—she settled on one favorite: Ciele’s Tint & Protect SPF 50+ Tinted Serum Foundation.

Ciele Tint & Protect SPF 50+ Tinted Serum Foundation

$44Sephora

I’ve loved this foundation since the first time I tested it a few years ago (I even awarded it best skin tint in Cosmo’s Acne Awards in 2023). Unlike so many skin tints I’ve tried, this one really has a Goldilocks formula that’s just right. It’s not too dewy, but it makes my skin look plump and hydrated. It blurs my pores, but doesn’t look drying or cakey. It’s lightweight, but has a shockingly buildable coverage that hides acne and dark spots. And it’s packed with SPF to protect your skin from the sun, plus niacinamide, allantoin, and bisabolol to soothe irritation—but it also doesn’t contain any heavy oils that could break out acne-prone skin. Like I said: just right, which is precisely why it was the first foundation I had sent to my mom in this experiment. I knew it would do what she wanted (smooth over fine lines and pores, even out skin tone, and lightly hydrate) without feeling too much like she was wearing a mask of makeup on her face.

Unlike my laborious routine, my mom is much more minimalistic. Foundation, setting powder, and mascara are pretty much all she goes for on a normal day. So I had a feeling this sheer foundation would be her winner.

“I can’t imagine anything beating this,” she told me over the phone as she swatched it on the back of her hand. “It goes on so light and smooth and makes the back of my hands look like I have no wrinkles. If this looks as good on my face as it does on my hand, I’m gonna need a lifetime supply of this. I’m afraid to ask how much it costs.” (Can you tell she’s used to me recc-ing $$$$ products, like the Dyson Airwrap and Armani Luminous Silk?)

Beth Gillette for Cosmopolitan

Beth Gillette for Cosmopolitan

I assured her that it’s not too terribly priced ($44, and one bottle lasted me well over six months). The next morning, she began testing all of the foundations I sent on her face, comparing them diligently (I’ve taught her well!). At first, she was worried it didn’t have enough coverage. “This one feels great, but it is soo light that there’s barely any coverage,” she texted me. I told her that the product can easily be built up with a few sheer layers to get her desired look. From there, she quickly fell in love, as predicted.

Although I swear by the Ciele Dual-Ended Foundation Brush for application, my mom prefers her fingers—and is firm proof that you can use either to get a blurred finish. We both have oily skin, so I told her to dust some powder on her T-zone to keep shine at bay, and she agreed this was the best method for long-lasting wear. But if your skin is on the dry side, this tint sets well on its own without powder.

I’m excited she found such a good pick before summer, especially since this contains such great SPF coverage (my mom is unfortunately still stuck in the ‘80s and not as proactive about sun safety as I am). “Foundations like this didn’t exist in my day,” she told me, reminiscing on the heavy options she wore in her 20s. “I can’t believe this is so light yet covers up what I need to. I already want to tell all my friends about it.”

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Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with more than seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing makeup stories.

Beth Gillette

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.