Our Beauty Writer’s Review of K-Beauty Makeup Brand Hince

This is my favorite product from my favorite Korean makeup brand. Not only is it an acceptable alternative to Chanel’s stick highlighter but it also comes in a variety of colors, including fuschia, brown, and bronze. There are shades that have a translucent, glasslike glow, and there are others that boost the shine with fine shimmer particles. Who says you need a $300 facial for glass skin? What’s most surprising is that it isn’t as tacky as similar products I’ve tried, yet it outshines them all.

I’m not the best candidate for priming products — I like to focus on hydrating and prepping my face with skin care rather than adding another layer underneath my complexion products. However, I plan on keeping this on my vanity purely because it’s a pleasure to use. It has a silky, gel-like texture that feels cool on the skin; as it settles, it develops a slight tackiness that grips onto the makeup I layer on top but isn’t so sticky that it interferes with blending. And while this isn’t a glowy primer à la Charlotte Tilbury’s (which has actual shimmer particles), it does add some natural-looking radiance that makes your skin look juicy.

This primer has a thicker consistency that reminds me of the Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional Primer: Both have silicone-packed formulas that fill divots in the skin (like scars and pores) and smooth out texture. However, the Hince primer feels lighter (I can barely tell I’ve applied it) and doesn’t pill on my skin like some other silicone-based primers do. Also, even though I have dry skin and therefore avoid mattifying or pore-filling primers, this one provides more of a soft matte finish and doesn’t suck the moisture out of my face. I don’t like to look too dewy when I’m not wearing makeup, so I might keep this one for subduing the glow I get from my morning skin-care routine. With that said, if you have very oily skin, I’m not sure this on its own would be enough to keep excess sebum at bay.

I’ve been on a cream-blush kick, and I tend to lean toward desaturated browns, beiges, and pinks. Hince has these adorable cream-to-powder ones, and the shade options are perfect for me. I’m wearing the shade Trench, a ginger brown, in the photo above, and I love how the color looks native to my face. Hince gets another point for how buttery and foolproof the formula is; no matter what tool you use, it almost feels like the blush is blending itself.
My biggest gripe with the product is that many of the shades would be unsuitable for medium skin tones, let alone those with deeper complexions. Because they seem to have a white base, while they look natural and lovely on my skin, the shades would look chalky and off on many of my friends — and I’d love for them to be able to enjoy this formula too.

I know that for some of us, liquid lipsticks trigger flashbacks of cracked, wrinkly skin; sharp edges; and that weird ring that would form on the inside of your lips. Hince’s version is a mousse-y stain that smooths texture, keeps things hydrated, and has a finish that’s somewhere between satiny and flat matte. Also, if you’ve wanted to try blurring out your lip line (a popular K-beauty trend), these kinds of products automatically create that effect. The trade-off is the tint doesn’t totally set down, so it’s not bulletproof, smudge-proof, and impossible to remove like the liquid lipsticks of yore.

If you’re already a K-beauty devotee, you know about glowy lip tints — liquid lip products that have the finish of a gloss but the staying power of a stain. This one from Hince is the winner in my book; it’s the most comfortable and nonsticky one I’ve ever tried, and the shade range is full of beautiful nudes and pinks and reds. If I had to nitpick, I’d say it’s not as long-lasting as others on the market and I have to reapply after meals. However, the more longwear formulas I’ve tested are more drying and can feel like a layer of film on your lips, which precludes me from wearing them at all. Here’s my secret to getting the prettiest finish out of the tint: When you apply it, try not to smack your lips together. If you let it set on its own, it develops a translucency and shine, candy-apple style.

On the other hand, the gloss is on the stickier side. But to me, that’s the price you pay if you want extra-shiny lips. This product also isn’t as pigmented as the tint and doesn’t leave as much of a stain, but you can certainly layer it to make the color pop. I’m not a gloss girl, so these won’t be joining my everyday lip rotation, but I can see people in my life loving them — all the ones I have will go to a happy home.