ILIA began in 2011 when Sasha Plavsic returned to her hometown of Vancouver and decided to make the makeup she wanted to wear. She started with a loan co-signed by her father and a PDF guide on making lipsticks, and her first product was the Tinted Lip Conditioner, a balm and lipstick hybrid. That start explains the whole brand: makeup that behaves like skincare. The company is now based in Laguna Beach, California, and is Leaping Bunny certified and a 1% for the Planet member. The face group shows the idea at full scale. The Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 is the signature, and the Skin Rewind Blurring Foundation and Concealer Complexion Stick, the Skin Blur Serum Concealer and the Soft Focus Setting Powder fill in the rest. The Soft Focus Blurring Blush, the Sunshift Cream Bronzer and the Ethereal Baked Face Palette take care of color. The Perfecting Buff, Complexion, Finishing Powder, Shadow and Angled Line + Smudge brushes are the tools for applying all of it. For the whole routine, an everyday makeup look shows how a skin tint, concealer and cream blush work together, and a story about two sisters and their brushes is worth reading beside the brush set.

The lip products are the part closest to ILIA's beginnings. The Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm and the Hydrating Crayon feel like descendants of that first Tinted Lip Conditioner, and the Color Block Lipstick and the Overglaze Hydrating Lip Gloss, also sold as a deluxe trio, add shine and color. The Multi-Stick is a cream blush, highlighter and lip tint in one stick, which is why it is the one I would put in a small bag. For eyes, Limitless Lash Mascara is a signature product, and the Limitless Lash Duo and the Mini Fullest Volumizing Mascara give you more to choose from. Add the Thru Line Waterproof Eyeliner, the Clean Line Liquid Liner and the Eye Stylus Shadow Stick, and the group is covered. What I would skip is using the Mini Fullest Volumizing Mascara as your only mascara if you want length, because the Limitless Lash is the lengthening one. For lips, the good pink lip has other balms and sheer tints to try, and a lash lift story covers another way to get the effect.

ILIA launched its first pure skincare product, the Activated Eye Cream, in 2023, and this last group shows how far the line has moved in that direction. The Bright Start Retinol Alternative Eye Cream, The Base Face Milk Lightweight Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid, the Barrier Build Skin Protectant Cream and the True Skin Radiant Priming Serum are all part of it. The Lip Wrap Overnight Mask and the Lip Wrap Reviving Balm are the lip care steps, and Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 is the one for daytime. Color Haze and the Precision Dual Sharpener are two small extras for a makeup bag. The Mini Eye Essentials Set, the Mini Lip and Gloss Set and the Best Friends' Set are the places to try several things at once. For sun protection beyond the face, a reef safe sunscreen guide adds shade and clothing to the idea.

If I were putting together a small ILIA bag, I would pick the Super Serum Skin Tint, the Multi-Stick and the Limitless Lash Mascara. It is a founder-led brand that started with one lip product and a lipstick PDF, and the clean, skin-first idea has not changed. That is the reason the makeup and the skincare sit comfortably in one edit.

To round out the look, see Sisley Paris Skincare and Makeup and Rare Beauty Makeup and Fragrance.