Kosas Cosmetics Review: The Clean Makeup Brand Worth Obsessing Over
Hey gorgeous! If you‘ve been curious about Kosas Cosmetics, the clean beauty brand that‘s been all over Instagram lately, you‘ve come to the right place. As a total makeup junkie, I‘ve been busy trying out all the Kosas products I could get my hands on. Now, I‘m ready to dish on everything you need to know, from the brand‘s bestsellers to whether their formulas are actually worth the hype (spoiler alert: they totally are).
In this ultimate Kosas Cosmetics review, we‘ll cover:
- Background on the brand and what makes them unique
- Detailed reviews of their most popular products (with plenty of pics!)
- What customers and beauty experts are raving about
- How Kosas stacks up to other clean makeup brands
- My honest opinion on if Kosas is worth your hard-earned cash
Trust me, by the end, you‘ll be ready to glow get ‘em. Let‘s dive in!
Why Kosas Is Leading the Clean Beauty Revolution
If you‘re not familiar with Kosas, allow me to introduce you. Founded in 2015 by the crazy-talented Sheena Yaitanes (who has an organic chem degree!), Kosas has been on a mission to create clean, skin-friendly color cosmetics that don‘t compromise on performance or luxury feel.
What does "clean" mean to Kosas? Their products are:
- Made without 2700+ potentially harmful ingredients
- Cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified
- Gluten-free
- Formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oil, and more
But Kosas goes beyond just being "free from" certain ingredients. Their formulas are packed with nourishing, skin-loving oils and botanicals to visibly improve your complexion over time. Think of it as treating your skin while you glam up.
Kosas has been getting major recognition from the beauty community. They‘ve won…
- Allure Best of Beauty Awards (2019, 2020, 2021)
- Glamour Beauty Awards (2020, 2021)
- Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards (2020)
- Elle Future of Beauty Awards (2021)
Plus, they‘ve earned a devoted following of 380k+ on Instagram. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Olivia Wilde swear by Kosas‘ glow-giving products.
Kosas‘ Rise to Clean Beauty Stardom | Year | Milestone |
|–|–|
| 2015 | Kosas launched with just 6 products |
| 2016 | Expanded into complexion with Tinted Face Oil launch |
| 2018 | Earned Clean at Sephora seal |
| 2019 | Won Allure Best of Beauty, opened NYC store |
| 2020 | Revealer Concealer named one of Allure‘s bestselling products |
| 2021 | Expanded into skincare with Chemistry Deodorant |
Putting Kosas‘ Bestsellers to the Test
Alright, now that you know why Kosas is such a standout clean beauty brand, let‘s get into the really fun part – swatching and testing their top-rated products! I‘ll be sharing my in-depth, honest thoughts on the formulas, shades, and overall experience.
Tinted Face Oil Foundation

Let‘s start with the product that put Kosas on the map: their best-selling Tinted Face Oil Foundation. This unique formula marries a lightweight skin tint with the nourishing properties of a face oil. It has light-to-medium, buildable coverage that makes your skin look naturally perfected.
The Tinted Face Oil contains six botanical oils to hydrate skin and smooth texture:
- Avocado oil: moisturizing and rich in vitamins
- Meadowfoam oil: balancing and reparative
- Jojoba oil: non-comedogenic and soothing
- Camellia seed oil: antioxidant-packed and protecting
- Rosehip seed oil: brightening and rejuvenating
- Red raspberry oil: fights free radicals and signs of aging
As someone with combination skin, I was worried this would make me greasy – but it absolutely did not. The finish is glowy and natural, never oily. It blurred my pores and evened my skin without hiding my freckles. I love that it has mineral SPF 25 too.
The Tinted Face Oil comes in 16 flexible shades. I wear 3.5, but I could easily go up or down a half-shade and still get a seamless match. Some reviews mentioned it didn‘t work well for very oily skin types, but most raved about the skincare benefits and radiant finish. It‘s pricier at $42, but a little goes a long way.
Revealer Concealer

Meet my new ride-or-die, do-it-all concealer. The Revealer Concealer totally lives up to its name by bringing a brightening, medium-coverage finish to imperfections without being cakey or drying. It‘s infused with good-for-skin ingredients like:
- Caffeine and pink algae to color correct and depuff
- Arnica and panthenol to soothe irritation and redness
- Peptides and hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump skin
I love using Revealer as an under-eye brightener, spot concealer, and even as eyeshadow primer. It never creases or settles into fine lines thanks to the smoothing, serum-like formula. The finish lasts all day without transferring or fading.
This overachiever comes in a whopping 28 shades to suit tons of skin tones. I use 3.5C, which has cool undertones that neutralize my dark circles. A few reviews said it wasn‘t ideal for extremely parched under-eyes, but with a good eye cream underneath, it works like a charm for me. $28 is completely reasonable given the results.
Weightless Lipstick

If you want a clean lipstick with major color payoff, look no further. Kosas‘ Weightless Lip Color is the perfect marriage of high-impact pigment and lip-coddling moisture. The star ingredients are:
- Mango seed butter to soften and condition
- Shea butter to nourish and protect
- Cocoa seed butter to plump and smooth
One swipe delivers fully opaque color that feels like a silky balm on your lips. I have Rosewater, the perfect cool pink, but all eight shades are equally gorgeous. The lipsticks wear well (4-5 hours) for such a creamy, non-drying formula too.
I can‘t rave enough about how comfortable and easy to wear these lippies are. Tons of reviewers say they‘re their go-to everyday lip color, and I completely agree. They‘re $28, which is mid-range for a clean, high-performance lipstick.
What Customers and Experts Have to Say
You don‘t have to just take my word for how great Kosas products are – there are thousands of glowing reviews to back me up. Kosas‘ top-sellers have earned some serious accolades from customers and beauty editors alike:
- Tinted Face Oil: 4.1/5 stars from 1,098 Sephora reviews
- Revealer Concealer: 3.8/5 stars from 394 Sephora reviews
- Weightless Lipstick: 4.6/5 stars from 219 Sephora reviews
People couldn‘t stop gushing about how skin-like and beautiful the formulas look on, especially for being clean and nourishing. One reviewer said the Tinted Face Oil "feels like velvet upon application and then settles into a natural dewy finish." Another raved that the Weightless Lipsticks "are moisturizing, fade well, and last well for a clean lipstick."

But Kosas gets more than just customer love. Their products have earned seals of approval from top beauty authorities:
- Allure named the Revealer Concealer the Best Clean Concealer of 2020
- The Weightless Lipstick was an Elle Green Beauty Star in 2021
- Women‘s Health called Kosas one of the 15 best natural makeup brands
Of course, no products are perfect for everyone. A few reviewers had issues with Kosas face products clinging to dry patches or looking oily. But the vast majority found their skin looked the best it ever had.
How Kosas Compares to Other Leading Clean Makeup Brands
Wondering how Kosas stacks up to other popular clean beauty brands? Here‘s a quick comparison:
| Brand | Bestseller | Clean Ingredients | Cruelty-Free | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kosas | Tinted Face Oil | 6 botanical oils | Yes | $42 |
| Ilia | Super Serum Skin Tint | Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide | Yes | $48 |
| RMS | Un-Cover Up Cream Foundation | Coconut oil, jojoba oil | Yes | $36 |
| Honest Beauty | CCC Cream | Vitamin C, blue light protection | Yes | $22 |
As you can see, Kosas is right in line with other clean beauty leaders in terms of ingredients and ethics, with a slightly more accessible price point than some. They stand out for offering a wide shade range and catering to many skin types.
To Sum It All Up…
Alright bestie, we covered a lot of ground in this Kosas Cosmetics review. Here‘s the TL;DR…
Kosas is absolutely one of my top clean makeup brands because:
- Their formulas look amazing and are genuinely good for your skin
- They offer an inclusive shade range that works across skin tones
- The products feel barely-there and let your real skin shine through
- Every product is cruelty-free and made without questionable ingredients
- They have options for different skin types, from dry to oily
If you want to look naturally glowy and get a little skincare boost while you‘re at it, Kosas is 100% worth the buy. I especially recommend trying the Tinted Face Oil or Revealer Concealer if you‘re new to the brand – they‘ll make you an instant convert.
The only way to know for sure if Kosas will work for you is to get your pretty little hands on some and play. You can shop Kosas directly from their site, or at Sephora, Credo Beauty, and more. The products are pricier than drug-store brands, for sure. But for the quality, clean ingredients, and visible results, I think they‘re worth every penny.
And if Kosas isn‘t your jam after all? They offer free shipping and easy returns, plus a great customer service team to help you find your perfect fit. But trust me, once you get a taste of their glow-giving goodies, you‘ll be hooked.
Well gorgeous, that‘s it from me! I hope this in-depth Kosas review gave you all the deets you need to make an informed decision. I‘m always here to dish on the latest and greatest in beauty, so feel free to hit me up with your Qs. Until next time, go get your glow on!
