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Welcome to Skimm Tested, where we put products to the test and then give them a report card. (Check out all of our tried-and-tested faves here.)
The assignment…
To see if the buzzy, Instagram-famous skincare and makeup brand Summer Fridays lives up to the hype and is worth the price. My colleagues Lisa and Karell and I tested four of the brand’s headlining products. For more context, I have sensitive skin, Lisa has normal skin, and Karell has dry skin.
What we tested…
Dream Oasis Deep Hydration Serum: A milky nourishing serum with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and squalane. ($44)
Sheer Skin Tint: A lightweight tinted moisturizer that color corrects and imparts a sheer glow. ($42)
Lip Butter Balm: The brand’s most popular product. A vegan lip balm that offers a light wash of color and glossy, moisturized lips. ($24)
Dream Lip Oil: The newcomer. Vitamin E softens and vegan plant oils make lips supple and shiny. ($26)
Dream Oasis Deep Hydration Serum ($44)
Straight A's in…
Texture. All our testers agree, this serum is not what we thought it would be…it’s better. I assumed it would resemble the same watery consistency of other hyaluronic acid serums that I could take or leave, but this one is different. It comes out like a milky moisturizer and is much thicker than most, in a good way.
Long-lasting hydration. Lisa said, “Other serums soak in, moisturize in the moment, and then don't seem to be doing anything. This feels like it's working for me all day.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. When I used this serum at night, I woke up feeling like my skin barrier was not only intact (which is a struggle for my rosacea-prone skin), but my skin also looked plumper. When I used it again in the morning, my skin was hydrated, primed for makeup, and protected for the day ahead.
Plays well with others. Across the board, the consensus was that we all found a new staple for our skincare routine. The best part is the ingredients — the powerhouse hydrating trio of glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and squalane, plus niacinamide for barrier support — mesh well with all the products we currently use.
Room for growth…
Price. While we’d love to use this serum forever, we admit it’s pricier than some of our other serums. However, we do feel like this one actually improves our skin over time, so it’s worth it.
Sheer Skin Tint ($42)
Straight A's in…
Color match. It’s rare to find a skin tint that matches your skin tone almost perfectly, but this one was just right. Karell said, “The color match on me was great. Other skin tints sometimes pull yellow or orange, and this one didn’t do that. It looks really good on camera and Zoom calls.” I have really fair skin, and sometimes I need a shade lighter than what’s available. But somehow shade 1 was light enough to match my skin tone, and gave it a subtle wash of color that made me look a little less vampiric.
Natural look. This is truly a “your skin, but better” product. I’m a staunch skin tint girly, since I hate the feel of foundation and prefer lighter coverage, so this one is a dream come true. Both Lisa and I think it reminds us of a beloved Chanel tinted moisturizer that was unceremoniously discontinued. It definitely doesn’t cover up any major blemishes, but it tones down redness. Karell said it has “an overall blurring and glowy effect.”
Room for growth…
Lack of SPF. The biggest downside here is that this skin tint doesn’t contain any sunscreen, so this can’t double as your daily SPF. Luckily, the accompanying Summer Fridays sunscreen does work for my sensitive skin, so if you still haven’t found your favorite daily sunscreen, I’d suggest giving this one a go. Plus, the two products layer beautifully.
Application. We found this doesn’t apply very well with a brush, but spread more evenly using our fingers. It’s also not very buildable. What you see is what you get, so if you’re looking for a full-coverage product, this is not the one for you.
Lip Butter Balm ($24)
Straight A's in...
Hydration. Before now, I was *marked safe* from spending more than $20 on a lip product I wasn’t sure was better than my mini tub of Vaseline. Well, they finally got me. This tube of gloss/balm is good enough to make me want to spend my cash. It’s glossy, nonsticky, and hydrating, and lends such a pretty sheen.
Wearability. I was nervous to put on the Cherry color just to make a quick errands run, but I found that the pigment was not too overwhelming. Once I rubbed my lips together a few times, the shade was a sheer kiss of color that complimented my natural lip color. Karell and Lisa had the same qualms but with similar results.
Room for growth…
Price. Yes, this is more than we’d ideally like to spend on a lip product. But you’re really getting two products in one: a hydrating balm, and a gloss that gives your lips a pop of color suitable for everything from a Pilates class to a fancy dinner.
Scent. Karell found the cherry scent a little overpowering, but I love it. And I loved that the pink one smelled like buttercream icing. If you’re fragrance-averse, it might not be for you. Although there is a mint version that I think smells better than your classic Burt's Bees.
Dream Lip Oil ($26)
Straight A's in…
Texture. I’ve tried my fair share of lip glosses, oils, and balms, and have often been disappointed by how dry my lips feel after applying several coats. That wasn’t the case here. I was delighted on the very first application — the silky, cushiony texture feels like butter. I also felt a slight tingle, likely because it contains a derivative of menthol, which has a cooling effect. I reapplied throughout a marathon day on a girls’ weekend, from brunch all the way through late-night drinks, and the layers never felt like they were gunking up, peeling, or drying out my lips. I was a woman possessed by lip oil.
Plump look. While there are not any ingredients proven to plump your lips, my lips definitely looked juicier than they did with my other favorite glosses. They also looked way smoother, which gave me a “lip filler” look, if that’s what you’re going for. (Someone asked me if I had gotten my lips done.)
Room for growth…
No notes. I love this lip oil. I’ll mention here that I was the only tester who tried this one. But for me, when I find something that really works and cannot stop using, it’s definitely worth the price.
More about the brand…
Works best for…
Those new to skincare and want simple yet effective products to build a routine.
Any skincare junkies looking to try something new.
Those who love multipurpose products that actually improve their skin over time.
Gets extra credit for…
Jet Lag Mask. We’d be remiss not to mention the first Summer Fridays skincare product released, which is a super-hydrating mask with niacinamide, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid that you can leave on overnight. We have applied this on an overnight flight and arrived with still dewy skin.
How we did our homework…
Three testers with different skin types — one dry, one sensitive, and one normal — tested the products consistently for more than two weeks, except the lip oil which was only tested by me. We tested on different skin tones (shades 1, 2, and 5 in the skin tint). We applied the skincare products at different times throughout the day and evaluated how they interacted with other products in our lineups. We considered how likely we were to incorporate these products into our regular routines after the testing was over (very likely).
Footnotes…
Shop Summer Fridays products at sephora.com, revolve.com, and select Sephora locations.
Dream Oasis Deep Hydration Serum, $44
Sheer Skin Tint, $42
Lip Butter Balm, $24
Dream Lip Oil, $26
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