Bobbi Browns Face Base Is 22 Years Old and Still Going Viral

If Bobbi Brown’s best-selling priming moisturizer, Face Base, were a person, it would have been able to drink legally last year. It’s two years older than Olivia Rodrigo, and just as popular on TikTok. It’s rare that a beauty product’s popularity would continue to climb decades after its inception. It’s even rarer that a formula would stay the same all these years, as the beauty industry is constantly making tweaks to legacy formulas to include new technologies and help to reclaim the products’ fame. But Bobbi Brown’s Vitamin Enriched Face Base is the exception.

A first of its kind, the moisturizer-meets-primer quickly became the blueprint for skincare-infused makeup. When it launched in 2001, the brand positioned it as a skincare product first—dosed with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and shea butter, plus vitamins B, C, and E—and a makeup product second. The thick cream not only hydrates beautifully, it also primes the face and helps grip any makeup applied on top. It’s no wonder a jar is sold every 24 seconds globally, according to the brand, or that it’s a favorite of pro makeup artists and TikTok beauty enthusiasts. There just isn’t anything else like it.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Face Base

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Face Base

To expand the Face Base universe, Bobbi Brown released a priming base for the eyes in 2020, the Vitamin Enriched Eye Base, that helps concealer set like a dream. The brand also just released a skin tint and tinted powder under the Vitamin Enriched line, carrying on the original Face Base’s skincare-first ethos.

Ahead, we test out and review the new Vitamin Enriched products, and dive into what we love about the original formula.

Jenna Rosenstein, beauty director

Courtesy Jenna Rosenstein

Courtesy Jenna Rosenstein

Vitamin Enriched Face Base

I can’t remember the first time I tried Face Base, but I was probably in high school. I rediscovered it recently and I’m totally obsessed—but only on the days I am wearing foundation or a skin tint. I think that is the key. Because it doubles as a primer, it leaves a slight tacky film on skin that feels a bit funny unless you apply makeup on top. But now that I have a toddler, I need two-in-one products that speed my whole routine along. Every single time I wear this, I am amazed at how beautifully my foundation wears on top. I never have a bad skin day when I use Face Base. I truly hope Bobbi Brown Cosmetics never changes this formula—it’s perfection.

Vitamin Enriched Pressed Setting Powder

I have dry skin, and that’s why I love Face Base so much. It’s rich and really helps seal in all the moisture from my serums, so my skin looks glowy all day long. I also don’t use setting powders often, because I don’t want to accentuate dryness, but this new Vitamin Enriched Pressed Setting Powder has become a favorite this summer. I love that it’s infused with vitamin B5 to help retain moisture. I only tap the littlest bit on my T-zone to help color-correct, mattify, blur pores, and set my makeup, and it just helps everything come together flawlessly. If you’re not usually a fan of powders but want to help your makeup stick around this summer, it’s definitely worth trying.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Pressed Setting Powder

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Pressed Setting Powder

Jamie Wilson, beauty editor

Courtesy Jamie Wilson

Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint in Golden 2

For the last couple of years, I’ve been firmly in my skin tint era. Although I use SPF every day, I still like that this product is SPF 15. Before applying, I like to prep with the Vitamin Enriched Face Base Primer Moisturizer. I’m a sucker for a light, dewy finish. This skin tint doesn’t give me as much coverage as others have, but I do like how easily it blends into my skin and leaves a natural-looking result.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Hydrating Skin Tint SPF 15 with Hyaluronic Acid

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Hydrating Skin Tint SPF 15 with Hyaluronic Acid

Vitamin Enriched Eye Base

My eyes are a dead giveaway for how little or how much sleep I’ve gotten, and I naturally have dark circles under them. I really wasn’t really blessed with the best under-eye genes. On the days I’m feeling a little self-conscious about it, concealer has become a close confidant. To get a crease-free application, a hydrated and moisturized under-eye is nonnegotiable. This enriched eye base is nourishing, plumping, and illuminating—everything you want in an eye cream and primer. I don’t have to worry about cakey concealer and can carry on pretending I’m well rested.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Eye Base

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Eye Base

Katie Intner, associate beauty editor

COURTESY KATIE INTNER

Vitamin Enriched Face Base

Before I even knew the value of a makeup primer, I was using the Vitamin Enriched Face Base as an extra level of moisturizer. I was first drawn to the product because of the clean, citrusy scent, courtesy of geranium and grapefruit. Years later, I still love the hydration and bounce it adds to my skin before applying any complexion products. Similar to a typical primer, the formula leaves skin slightly tacky so that any following products can grip to the face—but it doesn’t feel sticky. Without a doubt, I will be using the Face Base for years to come.

Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint in Golden 1

I am a skin tint connoisseur. Year round, I reach for lighter formulas that give my complexion a wash of color without feeling heavy. Again, the first thing I noticed when using the new Bobbi Brown skin tint was bergamot-like scent. The formula also has a nice cooling effect upon application. I gave this formula the ultimate wear test: a 10-hour workday in 90-degree weather. At the end of the day, my makeup was nearly intact (with the exception of my T-zone, due to sweat and humidity). I did prime first with the Face Base, which gave the skin tint a bit more staying power. The formula is infused with cactus flower to support the skin barrier, hyaluronic acid for hydration, and vitamin C to brighten, so I feel good about wearing it even during hot summer temps.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Hydrating Skin Tint SPF 15 with Hyaluronic Acid

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Hydrating Skin Tint SPF 15 with Hyaluronic Acid

Shop the Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Vitamin Enriched Pressed Setting Powder and Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint SPF 15 at bobbibrowncosmetics.com and sephora.com.

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