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If there's one brand we trust for a no-makeup makeup look, it's Kosas. Its skin-loving products double as both makeup and skin care. Since launching in 2015, it's gained a cult following for viral products like the Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation (a tinted-moisturizer favorite of Glamour associate beauty editor Danielle Sinay) and the Air Brow Lifting Treatment Gel (a 2022 Glamour Beauty Award winner). Which goes to say: We're big fans of Kosas at Glamour, so of course we had to try the brand's latest launch, Kosas BB Burst Tinted Moisturizer Gel Cream.
A lightweight tinted moisturizer, the BB Burst features a gel-cream formula that hydrates skin with ingredients like collagen-boosting copper peptides, smoothing saccharide isomerate, moisture-retaining sodium PCA, and calming zinc oxide. Basically, the usual hybrid of skin care benefits combined with the pigment and high-performance makeup that we've come to love. The 24-shade range includes light, medium, medium deep, and deep skin tones with cool, neutral, warm, and olive undertones. Described by the brand as “my skin with a little extra,” the BB Burst promises buildable coverage with a smooth and natural finish.
So what happened when we put Kosas BB Burst to the test? Ahead, five Glamour editors share their honest reviews.
Ariana Yaptangco, senior beauty editor, wearing Medium Tan Neutral Cool 30
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BB creams are usually not my complexion product of choice. I had bad acne as a teenager, which meant discoloration and scarring, so when it comes to foundation, I'm full-coverage all the way. As I've worked on my skin, my texture has improved (shout-out to my dermatologist for prescribing me spironolactone) to the point that I can wear tinted moisturizers without feeling overly self-conscious. However, bad habits die hard, and I still feel like I need a good amount of coverage in my skin-care-makeup hybrid products.
Kosas BB Burst gives me the best of both worlds. The texture is soft and smooth like a moisturizer but gives you a good amount of pigment that can be built to something more opaque. The result is very natural-looking finish—it melts into skin and can be applied with just your fingers. The trickiest part was finding a shade match. Initially I tried shades in the medium-warm 20s range, but they ended up being way too light and chalky. I finally found my fit with Medium Tan Neutral Cool 30, which blends pretty seamlessly into my complexion. I'll definitely be using this on days when I need to get out the door in a hurry, or when I'm running weekend errands and want to look a bit more put together.
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Danielle Sinay, associate beauty editor, wearing Light + Neutral Warm 14
Lightweight, versatile, and oily-skin-friendly: Kosas BB Burst is the epitome of skin care and makeup in one. In fact, it's the only product that helps me stop wearing foundation entirely. The formula is so delicate that it looks like my face is bare, but it has the right amount of color-correcting coverage to smooth and blur pores. With a beautiful, natural finish and a shade that perfectly matches my skin tone, it feels more like a second skin than product. I wear it alone for a no-makeup makeup look or as primer with a full face. Every time I use it it lasts all day long—sans oxidation—despite how greasy I get. I haven’t been able to stop texting my friends about how much I love it!
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Monique Wilson, assistant editor, wearing Medium Deep Neutral 33
The Kosas BB Burst feels very light on my skin, which is great for day-to-day minimal makeup. It's very buildable if you want more coverage, but I use only one or two pumps for light coverage. Thankfully, it doesn't oxidize, and the color match is amazing for my complexion (I wear Medium Deep Neutral 33). I would definitely recommend Kosas BB Burst, especially for the price point! I'm keeping this a part of my everyday makeup rotation.
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Lindy Segal, interim deputy editor, wearing Light Neutral 12
When it comes to complexion products, I lean more “skin tint” than “heavy foundation,” so the Kosas BB Burst immediately piqued my interest. I tried shade Light Neutral 12, and it was a pretty good shade match, especially once blended. The texture is substantial—not runny or thin—but it feels weightless on the skin. I found it to be down the middle in finish, not overly glowy yet not matte either, so keep that in mind if you prefer one or the other. It also stayed on well (I used a setting spray—kudos to Rare Beauty Always An Optimist!), though at the end of a long day, I did notice it separating a bit on my dry skin, as can be expected. Overall, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a comfortable, easy-to-use formula for every day. She's a winner!
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Brie Schwartz, commerce director, wearing Light Medium Neutral Warm 20
Despite growing up in a salon, and being a very longtime editor of all things beauty, I’m pretty hopeless when it comes to doing my own makeup. This is one of the few reasons I don’t wear foundation (laziness ranks high on the list too), but I do like the occasional pore-minimizing coverage. I’ve tried tinted moisturizers before, which is just about as skilled as I get in the application process, but most (even the beloved Laura Mercier) can get cakey or pilly on my skin. The Kosas BB Burst, however, blended super easily with just my fingers (yep, so effortless even I could do it) and felt ultra light.
My typical go-to is Supergoop Glowscreen, but that has a tendency to go from dewy to greasy-looking fast. This buildable tinted gel-cream has none of that shiny slick. It also smells…fresh, which is so often not the case. Plus, it stayed put through the day. Keep in mind that shade matching is tricky. Despite trying two different shades, I could have used a shade a hair darker. I thought I looked a tad corpse-y, but I’m also not used to seeing myself in matte-like makeup, so I popped some Charlotte Tilbury highlighter blush on my cheeks. In short, I’m into it and will definitely wear it on special occasions (read: when I take the extra 13 seconds in the morning).
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Ariana Yaptangco is the senior beauty editor at Glamour. Follow her @arianayap.
