True Skin Radiant Priming Serum

ILIA True Skin Radiant Priming Serum is a primer without silicone in it — which is unusual, since silicone is what most primers rely on for slip. ILIA goes a different route: a breathable serum texture that changes as it dries, and a formula meant to sit between your skincare and your makeup as a shield against pollution.

Format	Serum-textured primer, applied in drops
Finish	Silky, soft to the touch, radiant
Key actives	Beta glucan · hibiscus · mastic
Where it goes	After moisturiser, before makeup
Free from	Silicone · oil · fragrance · parabens · phthalates · sulfates SLS and SLES · gluten-free · cruelty-free · recyclable packaging

What it actually does

• Tightens visibly as it dries. The silky base transforms once it touches skin, per ILIA. Radiance is the end result they describe; along the way pores and fine lines read as more polished, and the skin itself reads as firmer.
• Beta glucan on lines. Included to reduce how visible fine lines and wrinkles are.
• Hibiscus for defence. Credited with protecting against free-radical damage.
• Mastic to keep shine down. It is the ingredient responsible for mattifying and refining across the day.
• Breathable instead of occlusive. The silicone-free, oil-free build is described as ultra-breathable while still forming a natural barrier against pollution.
• Fragrance-free. Stated outright, alongside a long list of excluded ingredients.

How to use

1. Shake the bottle properly before anything else.
2. Three or four drops go on once your moisturiser has been absorbed and before any makeup.
3. Pat it in with your fingers, treating it like a serum rather than spreading it like a cream.
4. Watch it change. The tightening effect shows up as it dries down to that silky finish.
5. Give it a minute or two to set before you start on foundation.

Is it right for you?

Questions

Does it go on before or after moisturiser?

After. Moisturiser first, then three to four drops of this, then your makeup once it has had a minute or two to set.

Why is the tightening sensation there?

That pull is the mechanism, not a fault. As the serum sets, the brand says the surface it leaves behind looks tauter and the small stuff — creases, visible pores — gets blurred, which is what makeup then sits on.

Will it control shine?

Mastic is in there specifically to mattify and refine the skin as the day goes on, though the overall finish is described as radiant rather than flat matte.

Is it fragranced?

No. It is listed as fragrance-free, with under one percent of synthetic fragrance in the formula, and it is also free of oil and silicone.

Delivery, payment and returns?

Delivery takes 3 to 21 working days, depending on availability. Payment is by credit card, debit card, Instapay or mobile wallet — no cash on delivery. Returns cover defective, damaged or expired items only, reported within 1 day of delivery, refunded to the original payment method within 15–30 days.