(Trial Run)
The New Kosas Skin Tint Offers A True No Makeup-Makeup Look
A perfect complexion in one pump.
In our series Trial Run, TZR editors and writers put the buzziest new beauty products to the test and share their honest reviews. This week, beauty writer Khera Alexander is testing the Kosas BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream.
I love a good glam moment, but, most days, I’m a fan of unfussy beauty looks. Right now, with my active lifestyle and temperamental skin, makeup that requires little effort, is non-irritating, and still gives my look of the day maximum impact is what I’m all about. This, above all, is especially important when I’m looking for a complexion product. My ideal foundation is light and sheer enough to make me forget I have anything on, and most importantly, any worries about a future breakout are put to bed. In the mood to find something quicker and easier than my current foundation, Kosas must have read my mind when they dropped their BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream.
As a fan of the brand already — their Revealer Concealer is a must-have in my makeup bag — I was curious about the gel as soon as I heard it was released. With promises of giving consumers a “your-skin-but-better” finish, I wanted to know if this product could solve my desire for a foundation that was even easier to use. Describing BB Burst as being most similar to a tinted moisturizer with sheer, buildable coverage, this tint is also formulated to smooth skin texture and provide an immediate hydration boost, thanks to a few all-star ingredients.
Ahead, my honest, unfiltered thoughts on Kosas’ BB Burst Gel Cream.
Fast Facts
- Price: $38
- Size: 30 ml/1 fl oz
- Clean/Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Best For: Evening skin tone
- Ingredient Highlights: Copper peptides, zinc, saccharide isomerate, sodium PCA
- What We Like: Pigmented; light, buildable coverage; feels weightless; hydrates; skin looks instantly refreshed
- What We Don’t Like: Nothing
- Rating: 5/5
How TZR Keeps Score: 1/5: Making a return; 2/5: Keeping as a backup; 3/5: Finishing to the last drop; 4/5: Recommending to my group texts; 5/5: Already on auto-replenish
The Formula
Positioned as an innovative combination of a skin tint, foundation, and tinted moisturizer, the BB Burst has a gel-cream texture with a lightweight feel and contains four key ingredients that benefit the skin with each wear. Copper peptides support collagen to plump and firm, saccharide isomerate smooths and support the skin barrier, zinc oxide works to soothe sensitivity, and sodium PCA is a hydrator that locks in moisture.
In addition to the product’s interesting formula and texture, the BB Burst comes in a bottle with a pump, which I always enjoy for two reasons: It preserves the product in a sanitary way, and you can also control how exactly much you use.
My Typical Foundation Routine
I’m not a daily foundation wearer, but when I’m going to wear one, I want a product that blends quickly and easily and gives my skin a fresh, radiant appearance. I prefer formulas with sheer, buildable coverage like my current favorite, the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Foundation in shade 340. It softly smooths over any textural irregularities and dark spots and gives my complexion a true skin-like finish.
Right now, I like to pair my foundation with the Kosas Revealer Concealer in 6.5O, the Tower28 BeachPlease cream blush in Dream Hour, and use e.l.f.’s Putty Bronzer in Bronzed Belle to round out my complexion routine. This mix of products helps create a fresh, refined look, and what’s even better is that I can do my entire face of makeup in about 15 minutes.
My Experience & Results
When I was initially on the Kosas website looking at the models wearing the BB Burst, I was torn between two shades in the brand’s 24-shade lineup. Given the wide range and type of product, I got the sense that it was designed to be flexible on a few skin tones, but I at least wanted to be in the ballpark with my pick. After a quick search on TikTok, I settled on shade 34, which is described as a medium-deep shade with warm undertones.
When the BB Burst arrived, I tested it out right away, putting it on as I was getting ready to run errands and head to an event. Starting with half a pump of product, I buffed the gel into my skin, taking note of how cooling and refreshing it felt. Shade 34 was also the perfect match; it blended into my skin seamlessly and I had a soft, radiant look to my skin when I finished applying it. My skin felt incredibly comfortable and I loved how the tint didn’t make me feel like I had a thick layer of makeup on, which, for me, is always the goal when I’m wearing a complexion product. With a packed schedule ahead of me, I was looking forward to the number of opportunities I was going to have to test out this skin tint.
After two weeks of wearing the BB Burst gel during long days, cold weather, and combining it with different makeup products, I’m a big fan of this skin tint. Whether I applied it with a brush or clean fingers, the tint effortlessly perfected my complexion, made my skin look fresh and hydrated, and held up well for hours.
Is the Kosas BB Burst Gel Cream Worth It?
Similar to the other products I’ve tried from Kosas, there’s a level of ease and innovation to the BB Burst. It’s an updated version of a tinted moisturizer, but it’s so easy to use and makes me look refreshed in no time. Priced at $38 for 30ml, the gel is on par with other complexion products. Plus, you don’t need a ton of it to achieve the skin-like finish it provides, so the bottle can easily last for a few months. I think that makes the BB Burst a great purchase.
