Illamasqua Hydra Veil Rehydrating Gel Review & Photos
Illamasqua Hydra Veil Rehydrating Gel
Illamasqua Hydra Veil Rehydrating Gel ($40.00 for 1.0 oz.) is a cross between a primer and a moisturizer, so perhaps it’s best categorized as a moisturizing primer, as it is not a skincare product (e.g. no long-term hydration benefits are claimed). It’s really supposed to help by providing instant hydration, smooth the skin, and prolong the wear of your base makeup.
It has a thick, jelly-like consistency that looks and feels that way. It jiggles in the pot and is just slightly less solid in comparison to Jell-o. It comes with a small, spoon spatula that hooks to the interior lid for more hygenic removal of the product. Once you disturb the surface of the product, it can look crumbly, but it reforms and looks pristine the next time you open it. You don’t need a lot, but it did seem like a small quantity when I first opened up the jar, though one ounce is about average for a primer. It feels cool when applied, and it spreads easily and doesn’t feel greasy or heavy. It absorbs and dries down quickly. I’ve been using a flat foundation brush (MAC’s 190) to apply and spread it over the skin after my moisturizer but prior to foundation.
One thing I noticed was that sometimes it did give me a light stinging sensation some of the time that I used the product. I’ve used it for a week now, and out of those seven tries, I’d say three of those times had a mild stinging sensation on the drier areas of my face for about thirty seconds or less (in contrast, when I applied it to Shaun’s face, and he didn’t experience any stinging at all, and he has an oilier skin type). It did leave behind a smoother surface, and my foundations (I tried MUFE HD, Guerlain Lingerie de Peau, Kiehl’s Tinted Moisturizer, and Giorgio Armani Maestro) seemed to apply better than they would over the skin alone but not dramatically improved over dry patches. For me, I didn’t notice particularly better or prolonged wear out of my foundations–an extra half hour at best but nothing dramatic.
I had really hoped for a life-changing product with Hydra Veil, because I often get dry patches along the tops of my cheeks and around my nose, so having an added boost prior to applying foundation can go a long way to giving me a more flawless finish. It was the product I was most excited for in the new collection, but it wasn’t a good fit for my skin type.
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, PEG-240/HDI Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Niacinamide, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alcohol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Fragrance, Methylisothiazolinone, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Potassium Laurate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, BHT, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Sodium Chloride, Tocopherol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene.
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Illamasqua Hydra Veil Rehydrating Gel
Illamasqua Hydra Veil Rehydrating Gel
Illamasqua Hydra Veil Rehydrating Gel
Illamasqua Hydra Veil Rehydrating Gel
Illamasqua Hydra Veil Rehydrating Gel
i have the same problem with dry patches as you, i find that i really have to scrub my face before i can even attempt to put any makeup on as moisturizers dont really tend to help that much in my problem areas. I was hoping this would be my new go to product, thanks for saving me from buyers regret!
also am i the only one having issues with staying logged in? i log in and then when i click to comment on a post it shows that i am no longer logged in.
I will pass on your comment to the tech guys and have them look into it! Thanks!
If my skin is overly dry or irritated, I sometimes get stinging when I use products with hyaluronic acid too. I never have accompanying redness or itchiness & my dry patches disappear, so I just attribute it to the hyaluronic acid doing its job.
yup, me too. my skin isn’t overly sensitive, either. it just gets dryyyyy. most moisturizers make my skin sting for a minute or two, now that i think about it. they never leave any damage or make the itchy dryness worse, so i don’t worry about it!
What is this ‘hyaluronic acid’ supposed to do exactly? Make your dry patches disappear?
It is said to lock in moisture to the skin as it can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water.x
nope, it’s one or more of the other ingredients which can be irritating because companies like to ruin the effect of a good ingredient with crappy ones. not the acid, that acid retains moisture so don’t blame it.
Yay Shaun..way to take one for the team! Too bad about the dry spots, Christine. I have a few of those nasties as well particularly on the outer perimeter of my face. I’ll stick to moisturizer followed by Guerlain Meteriorites primer. It is one of those products where when you first put your foundation on, it doesn’t seem to do anything and then about 20 minutes later when your makeup and everything has set and melded with your skin, you realize it has done something very good. Maybe the Illamasqua product is a better choice for oilier skin types? I do like products with hyaluronic acid.
Yeah, when I want a moisturizer primer, I usually reach for Eve Pearl’s – which seems to do better (for my skin), so I imagine this is better for someone else!
A little off topic but Christine, congrats on the new look of your website. It’s FAB. 🙂 Love it.
Thank you, Heather!
I’ve never heard of this brand before but with this review, I would like to try it as soon as possible. I really like to use a great moisturizer/primer as it can be used as a base before applying my makeup or what. It would also make your skin look shinier and smoother. 🙂 Thanks for this, btw!
I wish Illamasqua was available to me because this looks interesting and like something I might want to try and it’s not insanely pricey, which is nice. But, alas, no Illamasqua for me to check it out.
Ooh interesting! I’ve heard that the Astalift gel moisturizer is that way too–you scoop a little bit out and the next time you open, it’s completely reformed. This one sounds really fun! I am very tempted to test it but not sure it’d be the ideal primer for my super oily skin :/
Try it!!! I’m oily and Astalift is my desert island product. Read up on the science behind it, it’s so interesting. Plus Japanese skin care is usually light years ahead of everywhere else, so you know it’s good stuff 🙂
eww, it has alcohol in it. that stinging sensation was caused by it irritating your skin.
It could have been any of the ingredients, including the fragrance. Also, if it was irritating her skin in any serious manner she would probably notice slight redness or a possible increase in dryness. If the product had enough alcohol in it to sting in any manner it world probably be at least slightly drying on the skin (especially if it is already dry). Lots of products have alcohol in them but they do not all sting/tingle or dry the skin.
I was just considering this in my Sephora order for the new vib gift, and I’m so glad you reviewed it first. I had such high hopes for this as well because I have severely dry sides of the nose, cheeks, and in between the eyebrows, and the Smashbox hydrating primer doesn’t make a difference for me. I am also considering the makeup forever hd elixir, as both are the same price, although I’d have to use a regular primer over the elixir.
so glad I read this….I have sensitive/dry skin and have had stinging occur at times. I think for me it may be the niacinamide (I’m totally fine with hyaluronic acid however)
I too was intrigued by the presentation of this product and decided I needed it. I got virtually the same results although I noticed it did work sort of nicely for the oilier areas of my skin? I have a problem with my oily spots being even oilier if I don’t moisturize (as my skin is trying to overcompensate for lack of moisture) but if I overdo it even slightly it’s a mess. So maybe this really would be something ladies with slightly oilier skin might find helpful?