Tower 28 Beauty Review: Clean, Irritant-Free Makeup for Sensitive Skin

About Tower 28 Beauty

Tower 28 Beauty is a rising star in the clean beauty space, known for their irritant-free, sensitivity-tested makeup and skincare products. Founded by Amy Liu in 2019, the brand is on a mission to create high-performance cosmetics using only clean, skin-loving ingredients. As someone who has dealt with eczema and sensitive skin her whole life, Liu was frustrated by the lack of products that delivered pigment and staying power without harsh additives. She set out to develop a line of makeup that not only looks good, but actually soothes and nourishes sensitive, reactive skin.

The brand name Tower 28 refers to a lifeguard tower on Santa Monica Beach, representing the line‘s dedication to healthy, carefree beauty. All of the products are formulated to be 100% clean and free of common irritants and allergens. This means no essential oils, fragrances, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, talc, or any other potential triggers. Instead, the formulas center gentle, skin-calming ingredients like green tea extract, aloe vera, and chamomile. Every item is dermatologist-tested, non-comedogenic, and has the National Eczema Association‘s Seal of Acceptance.

But don‘t think that "clean and gentle" translates to boring – Tower 28‘s makeup is designed to be fun, easy, and super glowy. With multi-use balms, luminous bronzers, juicy lip jellies, and more, this line proves that irritant-free doesn‘t have to mean sacrificing color payoff or trendiness. In their first two years, Tower 28 has already earned major buzz, winning several beauty awards and becoming a staple for clean beauty fans and sensitive skin types alike.

In this Tower 28 Beauty review, we‘ll take an in-depth look at the brand‘s bestselling products, customer feedback, and more to help you decide if these clean, gentle formulas are right for you and your skin.

Overview of Tower 28 Products

Currently, Tower 28 offers a curated selection of 6 makeup and skincare essentials:

• SuperDew Highlighter Balm: A glossy, translucent balm that melts into skin for a natural, dewy glow
• BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm: A multi-use tinted balm for cheeks and lips with a radiant, sun-kissed finish
• SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray: A soothing hypochlorous acid mist that hydrates skin while fighting bacteria and irritation
• Bronzino Illuminating Cream Bronzer: A luminous bronzing balm with a sheer, buildable tint
• ShineOn Milky Lip Jelly: A hydrating, milky lip gloss with a hint of color
• ShineOn Lip Jelly: A juicy lip gloss with sheer-to-medium color payoff in an oil-based formula

All of Tower 28‘s products are cruelty-free, vegan, and gluten-free. They‘re also made without any synthetic or natural fragrances which can trigger allergies. The products come in fun, beachy packaging with a laid-back vibe that captures the brand‘s ethos of embracing natural, effortless beauty.

While the line is small, it covers the bases for an easy, glowing makeup look with cleaner formulas that work for all skin types. The products are designed to be simple and intuitive to use – just dab on with fingers for a healthy, natural-looking finish.

Tower 28 Product Reviews

Now, let‘s dive into the details on some of Tower 28‘s most popular products and see how they perform.

SuperDew Highlighter Balm Review

The SuperDew Highlighter Balm is one of Tower 28‘s hero products, offering an effortless, lightweight glow. This translucent balm has a cushiony texture that melts into skin, creating a naturally dewy, glossy sheen without any glitter or obvious shimmer. The balm has a thin, non-sticky consistency that layers well over makeup.

What sets SuperDew apart is the skincare-like formula. It‘s infused with a blend of calming chamomile, green tea, and aloe vera extracts to soothe and moisturize skin while you wear it. There‘s a subtle, fresh scent from the plant extracts, but no synthetic fragrance. I found that it didn‘t irritate my very sensitive, rosacea-prone skin.

To apply, just dab a small amount onto cheekbones, brow bones, nose bridge, Cupid‘s bow – anywhere you want a healthy sheen. It gives skin a naturally luminous, slightly glossy finish that doesn‘t look too shimmery or highlighted. The glow factor is definitely at the more natural, "lit-from-within" end of the spectrum which I personally prefer over an intense metallic highlight. You can also tap it onto eyelids and collarbones for a little boost.

While the balm works well on its own, I love layering it over the BeachPlease tinted balms or bronzers for a slightly more noticeable, multidimensional glow. If you have very oily skin, you may find it a bit too emollient, but it works well on my normal-dry skin without getting greasy. I also love that it‘s so gentle I can use it on no-makeup days to perk up my complexion.

Overall, if you‘re looking for a skin-healthy highlighter that gives a natural, dewy finish, SuperDew is a beautiful option, especially if you have sensitive or dry skin.

BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm Review

Tower 28‘s BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balms are a makeup bag staple for clean beauty lovers. These multi-use balms work as both a sheer blush and lip tint with a gorgeous, glowy finish. The formula is packed with nourishing, soothing ingredients like green tea extract and aloe vera to pamper skin while providing a fun pop of color.

The balms come in 6 summery, beach-inspired shades ranging from soft neutrals to vibrant corals and berries. All of the colors have a transparent, buildable texture – one tap gives a subtle tint, while a few more pats intensify the color. They have a balmy, non-greasy consistency that melts into skin and lips leaving behind a soft, luminous flush.

I tried the shades Magic Hour, a warm golden nude, and Happy Hour, a bright pink-coral. Both gave my skin a healthy, sun-kissed glow that looked very skin-like and natural. The colors diffuse easily without any harsh edges or streakiness. I love tapping them onto the apples of my cheeks and blending out with a fingertip for a quick, fresh-faced look. They layer well over foundation or onto bare skin.

On lips, the balms provide a sheer wash of color with a smoothing, moisturizing feel. The staying power is decent for such an emollient formula, lasting a few hours on my cheeks and lips before fading evenly. I did have to reapply after eating, but I don‘t mind with such an easy formula.

My only critique is that some of the lighter shades like Magic Hour don‘t show up as well on deeper skin tones. But overall, the BeachPlease balms are a lovely option if you want a quick, natural-looking flush in an irritant-free formula.

SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray Review

For an irritant-free skincare boost, Tower 28‘s SOS Spray is a unique face mist that instantly soothes and calms skin. The star ingredient is hypochlorous acid, a natural substance found in our white blood cells that fights bacteria, inflammation, and irritation.

The SOS Spray helps reduce redness, dry patches, breakouts, and other signs of stressed out skin. It‘s gotten the National Eczema Association‘s Seal of Acceptance for being safe and non-irritating for eczema-prone skin. You can use it as a hydrating toner after cleansing in the morning and night. It also works well as a midday skin refresher to cool and rebalance skin.

To use, just close your eyes and mist directly onto your face after cleansing. I love the ultra-fine, gentle mist – it instantly makes my skin feel soothed and hydrated without disrupting makeup. There‘s no scent or stickiness. While it hasn‘t totally eliminated my redness, I‘ve definitely noticed less irritation and a more balanced, hydrated complexion with consistent use.

If you struggle with sensitivity, dryness, rosacea, eczema, or breakout-prone skin, this is a lovely treatment product to calm and strengthen skin. I think it‘s especially helpful for prepping irritated skin for makeup. At $28 for a 4-oz bottle, it‘s not the cheapest face mist out there, but a little goes a long way and it has much more substantial skincare benefits than your average hydrating mist.

What Customers Are Saying About Tower 28

To get a well-rounded Tower 28 beauty review, I looked at customer feedback from several sources including Sephora, Credo Beauty, and the brand‘s website. The response is overwhelmingly positive, with shoppers raving about the gentle formulas, beautiful finishes, and how well the products work for sensitive skin.

On Sephora, the BeachPlease Tinted Balms have over 61k "loves" with an average rating of 4.4/5 stars. Happy customers rave about the "perfect glowy flush," "natural loook", and "easy to use" texture. One reviewer said "I love how easily this blends out and creates a natural sunkissed look which is what I am always aiming for."

The SOS Spray has an impressive 4.8/5 rating on Credo Beauty, with reviewers calling it "magic in a bottle" for soothing everything from eczema to post-procedure skin. One shopper with sensitive, rosacea-prone skin said it "calms and balances like nothing else I‘ve tried."

Some shoppers with deeper skin tones did note that certain blush and bronzer shades didn‘t show up well or were too orange-toned. A few customers also found that the tinted balms and glosses had shorter staying power compared to traditional formulas. But overall, the vast majority of customers seem thrilled with how gentle, skin-loving, and easy to use Tower 28‘s products are.

Is Tower 28 Beauty Worth It?

After extensively testing the products and analyzing customer reviews, I believe Tower 28 Beauty is absolutely worth trying, especially if you have sensitive, irritation-prone skin. The brand delivers on its promise of clean, irritant-free formulas that don‘t sacrifice color payoff or trendiness.

While the line is small, all of the products are carefully formulated with skin-soothing ingredients to calm and nourish while providing effortless, glowing color. The irritant-free formulas are a game-changer for reactive skin – they take the guesswork out of choosing products and let you enjoy makeup without any redness or stinging. I love how gentle yet high-performance everything is.

Tower 28 makes it easy to achieve that fresh, natural, "your skin but better" look with just a few products. The blendable formulas and flattering shades work well on a wide variety of skin tones and types. While some of the ultra-sheer products may not be ideal if you prefer full coverage looks, they‘re perfect for everyday, natural makeup.

I also love supporting Tower 28‘s mission of making the clean beauty space more inclusive for those with sensitivities and skin conditions. The brand has built a strong community of loyal fans who appreciate their transparency, soothing formulas, and fun approach to irritant-free beauty.

Overall, I believe Tower 28‘s products are a worthwhile investment if you want makeup that‘s both high-performance and gentle enough for sensitive, reactive skin. The glowy, natural-looking formulas are perfect for spring and summer looks. While no product is one-size-fits-all, this line comes pretty close to "safe for all" with their carefully-selected ingredients.

If you‘ve been struggling to find cosmetics that don‘t irritate your skin, Tower 28 could be the answer. I recommend starting with the SOS Spray to calm and prep skin, then trying the BeachPlease Balms and SuperDew Highlighter for an effortless, healthy glow.

Where to Buy Tower 28

You can shop the full Tower 28 collection on their website, tower28beauty.com. The products are also available at Sephora, Credo Beauty, and Revolve. Tower 28 offers free shipping on all U.S. orders over $30. They also have a rewards program where you can earn points to redeem for discounts.

Tower 28 Beauty Promotions & Discounts

To save on your Tower 28 Beauty order, sign up for their email list to get 10% off your first purchase. The brand also offers occasional sales, GWPs, and limited-edition sets.

Other Clean Beauty Brands to Consider

If you‘re looking for more clean, gentle beauty options, you might also like:

• Kosas: A clean beauty brand with skincare-powered makeup
• Ilia Beauty: Natural, skin-loving makeup with sustainable packaging
• Saie: An effortless, simple approach to clean beauty
• Merit: A luxury minimalist makeup line focused on clean, streamlined essentials

The author received products from Tower 28 Beauty for editorial consideration but all opinions are their own.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat about clean beauty.