Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission
If I had to choose one makeup brand to go in my desert island kit, it would be Kosas (unclear why I would need makeup on a desert island, but you get my point). Each product has the type of intense color payoff you don’t expect from “clean” beauty. What’s more, the line takes a skin-care-first approach to its products, which means that the formulas are designed to enhance your complexion immediately after you put them on and for the long haul.
In the latest episode of Zoe Tries It All, I sat down with founder Sheena Yaitanes to find out how to put together a full face of makeup exclusively using Kosas’s best-selling products. As someone who has been using the line for years, this was a dream come true.
During our time together, she walked me through a step-by-step tutorial—and blew my mind with tips on how to properly apply concealer to make my eyes look more open and how to use bronzer without turning orange. Check out the video above to follow along, and shop my desert-island Kosas products, below—which are all 20 percent off from now through Friday, October 15.
Kosas Tinted Face Oil Foundation — $34.00
Originally $42, now $33
When this tinted face oil launched back in 2019, it was unlike anything the makeup world had ever seen. At heart, it’s a skin-nourishing face oil comprised of six natural oils that offer soothing, brightening, reparative, and moisturizing benefits. But because of its tint, it provides light, dewy coverage that evens your skin tone and makes your complexion look lit from within.
“We actually created skin care and added tint to that, so it is a skin-improving makeup,” says Yaitanes. It’s equally great to use during warm weather since it won’t clog your pores and cold weather, since it aids in hydration, and comes in 16 blendable shades to match 48 different skin tones.
Kosas Revealer Concealer — $22.00
Originally $28, now $22
Traditionally, you’ve needed a concealer collection for different parts of your face—one for covering blemishes, one for highlighting, and one to use under your eyes—but this one does it all.
It has a natural, skin-similar finish, so much so that it’s tempting to use it all over your skin. “It looks radiant, but it doesn’t have any sparkle in it, and it’s crease-proof,” says Yaitanes. “It’s like *chef’s kiss* in how much coverage and hydration it has, and the peptides, arnica, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5 in the formula will improve your bare skin.”
Kosas Cloud Set Setting Powder — $27.00
Originally $34, now $27
For those with dry skin, like me, setting powder has historically been a beauty routine no-no. This one, though, is chock-full of hydrating ingredients, which allow the formula to mattify your makeup without flattening it out or drying your skin. It’s like an IRL filter and looks equally gorgeous worn on its own or as the finishing touch on top of other Kosas complexion products.
Kosas The Sun Show Bronzer — $27.00
Originally $34, now $27
This bronzer is nothing like the sparkly orange stuff I used to coat my face with in middle school. It’s the perfect shade of golden bronze and gives a radiant finish instead of a glittery one.
“It’s almost like a highlighting bronzer,” says Yaitanes. “It’s very warm, and really mimics that golden hour glow, which is what it was named for.” Because of this, it takes the place of your blush and highlighter, cutting those parts of your routine down to a single step.
Kosas Brow Pop — $18.00
Originally $22, now $18
The bald spot in my eyebrow is endlessly grateful for the creation of this product, which is meant to be used to fill in sparse spots in your brows. “The tip of this pencil is a micro-triangle tip, which is very fine and makes it easy to control,” says Yaitanes. And she’s right: Not only does the small tip make the pencil easy to apply, but it also creates fine, hair-like lines that actually look like real eyebrows.
Kosas Air Brow - Tinted — $18.00
Originally $22, now $18
This tinted brow gel is like a pro-grade lamination treatment in a bottle. It coats each individual hair, adds color and volume to make your brows look like blown-out versions of themselves.
Kosas Air Brow - Clear — $18.00
Originally $22, now $18
Once your brows are filled in and laminated, this clear gel conditions them and sets them in place. And what’s more? Using it over time will help amp up their natural appearance. “Both the tinted and the clear brow gels are formulated using a hair-care serum, and they both have super-high levels castor oil, panthentol, and biotinyl tripeptide, so you will notice your brows coming to life more and more after a few weeks of using it,” says Yaitanes. “The clear brow gel also has hyaluronic acid, which is really strengthening for the brows.”
Kosas The Big Clean Mascara — $21.00
Originally $26, now $21
I can say with full confidence that my lashes have never looked better than when they’re coated with this mascara. The secret, says Yaitanes, is all in the brush.”We call it the ‘squirrel tail’—it’s a big, fluffy, twisted-wire, curved brush, so you get all that volume and that curve and lift.”
It’s a “more-is-more” mascara that lengthens and lifts your lashes (without clumping, ever), and the brand just reformulated the product to make it more long-lasting so you can be sure it will stay all day.
Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss — $18.00
Originally $22, now $18
Part lip gloss, part lip oil, this stuff will nourish your lips while gracing them with the perfect amount of natural-looking color. It’s got a wet finish, but doesn’t feel sticky or tacky, and it’s become one of those products I can’t go anywhere without.
It’s made with hydrating avocado oil and hyaluronic acid, skin-protecting evening primrose oil, and konjac root, plus plumping peptides that make lips look up to 249 percent fuller.
Want even more beauty intel from our editors? Follow our Fineprint Fineprint Instagram account) for must-know tips and tricks.
Sign up for the Well+Good SHOP Newsletter
Get exclusive deals on wellness, beauty, fitness, and food products that have been hand-picked by our editors.
Got it, you've been added to our email list.
