Ilia Beauty’s New Glow Collection Launched With A Waitlist Of 25,000 Customers And Yes, It Is That Good

It's hard to think that there was a time when we were reluctant to use any liquid-based make-up that wasn't a foundation or eye liner, for fear of not really knowing what to do with them. We've sure come a long way, though, as our beauty kits now boast all manner of finishes and textures across the make-up category, including creamy blush, liquid bronzers and balmy highlighters. From them, cream-based products have emerged as the expert-approved must-haves to keep within reach and if you needed any proof of the demand, look to clean brand Ilia Beauty's latest offering. Ahead of launching this week, it had already amassed a cool 25,000 person waitlist.

The Ilia Beauty Sunshift Cream Bronzer, £41, andLightshift Cream Highlighter, £41, may appear to be essentials for contouring, the likes of which Kim Kardashian and her long-time make-up artist Mario Dedivanovic put on the map in 2012, but Ilia's take on the not-so-secret secret way to define and 'snatch' your face like the professionals is far less extreme, heavy and complicated than traditional methods.

The 2024 approach to contouring has its roots in all that is soft and seamless. Take celebrity make-up artist Mary Philip's undercontouring hack for example, which offers up a natural-looking glowy sculpt by laying down the 'bones' of your make-up (contour and highlight) before your foundation. If, like me, you were quick to start implementing Philip's technique into your make-up game, you'll find Ilia's duo to be the perfect partners.

Formulated with skin-loving ingredients like antioxidant-rich green tea, microalgae and squalane oil to promote hydration while protecting against free radicals, this duo puts skin first which all makes sense when you consider the finish they boast. The Sunshift Cream Bronzer imparts a featherweight golden-hour glow that melts into skin, transforming from a silky cream to powdery wash that lasts, while the Lightshift Cream Highlighter boosts a lightweight radiance and blends out with ease from soft cream to sheeny glaze. Together, they make the skin look healthy, luminous and summer-ready.

Ilia developed the products with careful consideration to renew the category which often lacks high-performance contour buys that aren't heavy or harsh in colour pay off. Leaning into this gap in the market through her own personal experience, founder Sasha Plavsic explains, 'I always struggled with cream bronzers and highlighters—they feel heavy and dense on my skin, are oily or greasy, and move around on my face. I can always feel them there. But I really wanted one to work, because I love how, when they do, cream products really embed that natural glow into the skin whereas powder can sit on top.'

A hybrid between cream and powder, the duo brings together the best of both finishes to provide an upgraded alternative. They are light and silky, words which I would have never previously used to describe contouring products, they are easy to use (again traditional products can feel intimidating) and most importantly they provide a soft sculpt which is far more covetable by today's standards. Looking for an easy way to glow this summer? This duo has you covered.

Shop: Ilia Beauty Sunshift Cream Bronzer & Lightshift Cream

Sameeha Shaikh is Grazia's beauty writer, working across all categories to bring you insights on the latest trends, industry news and the products you need to know about, viral or not (most probably viral).