I thought I’d forever resist clichés about aging and beauty, but I must admit that, now that I’m in my mid-thirties, my makeup routine is largely about picking products that feel light, comfortable, and hydrating on my skin. For the past few years, that’s meant skipping traditional base makeup entirely unless I had to be on camera for work. Full-coverage foundation was definitely out, and even lighter products like skin tints weren’t thrilling me.
So when I got the opportunity to test Drunk Elephant’s new Kamo Triple-Peptide Cover Drops, I almost didn’t take it. But perhaps because the green cap perfectly matches the paint on my office walls, I ultimately decided to give them a go.
About the formula
The brand is calling this product a “multiuse complexion drop,” but I feel confident in calling it a skin tint. Since it’s Drunk Elephant, the formula is, of course, skincare focused, with hydrators like peptides and marula oil and squalane that really make the ingredient list sound more like a moisturizer than makeup. It comes in 25 shades that, at least based on the website, seem pretty evenly spread across skin tones.
How I tested
Of the three shades I received, Fair 4N was the best match for me. I applied Kamo Drops using a handful of application techniques to test the brand’s claim that it can be used in several different ways. I also tested it in late July/early August, peak heat and humidity season where I live.
For my first attempt, I mixed it into a moisturizer with SPF, which the brand recommends for “more customizable coverage.” This did not go well. I think that, because I follow the two-finger rule for sunscreen, it was just too much product: I spent at least five minutes trying to get it to all blend well and then when it did finally blend it just sort of… went away? At this point, my hopes for liking this stuff were not high.
On the second try, I applied it like I would any base product: By putting a couple of drops on the back of my hand, priming a foundation brush in it, and swirling it onto my face in a thin layer. This worked much better, though I still wasn’t obsessed with the finish. It was a bit streaky, and I had some patchiness, especially around my hairline.
Before I tried again, I spoke with makeup artist Mali Boykin, a Drunk Elephant ambassador who’d been testing the product for a few months, for some tips. When I told her how my first attempts had gone, she recommended I try a flat foundation brush and only start with one pump of product—you can always add more, after all. “I would suggest really priming or moisturizing the skin, waiting to allow that product to settle for one to two minutes, and then go into application,” she advised. (Boykin also said she doesn’t love mixing Kamo Drops—or any product—with her moisturizer, which made me feel vindicated about my failed first attempt. That said, if you are going to go this route, she recommends mixing it on the back of your hand before applying, rather than trying to mix it on your face like I did.)
Reader, this flat foundation brush was the key. The drops melted into my skin, providing medium, glowy coverage. It layered so well with my other makeup, too; I felt like my blush blended in even better than usual, which Boykin said she experienced as well. “I’ve used it with my cream blush. I’ve used it with powder blush,” she says. “It just doesn’t break on the skin.”
Boykin pointed out that you can also use Kamo Drops as a spot treatment by packing it onto a dense brush, letting it dry down a bit, then blending it out. I tried this too, but honestly preferred the way it looked when I applied the drops all over.
My review
Packaging
Kamo Drops come in compact-but-sturdy packaging that would make it ideal for travel. At only 0.6 fluid ounces, it contains only about half as much product as other popular skin tints, but since I really only need half a pump to cover my whole face, I still think it’ll last me for a while.
My only beef with the packaging is that the single pump dispenses too much product for me—but as long as I remember to only press the dispenser down halfway, this is no big deal.
Finish
The finish is what I’m most obsessed with. It covers up all my redness, but doesn’t completely hide my skin texture, which I prefer in a base product. Plus, I love a product that makes me look so glowy that it’s one step away from seeming sweaty. Everyone keeps threatening that a matte makeup finish will come back in style, but I’ll be the last one on that train if it does.
Longevity
This is a skin tint, so longevity is not really the point. That said, I felt like it stuck around at least until my post-lunch walk with my dog—and nothing’s really lasting through the 90-degree heat I encounter on these midsummer strolls. That said, the way it faded was quite nice; it seemed like everything vanished essentially simultaneously, so I wasn’t left with weird patches.
Final verdict
This has officially become my everyday skin tint… or, at least, as “everyday” as any makeup can be for a freelancer who works from home and often goes days without seeing another human up close. As good as it’s been this summer, I think it will be even better when winter rolls around, and my skin hits Spongebob and Patrick under that heat lamp levels of dryness.
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Kara McGrath is a writer and editor with over 15 years of experience covering the beauty space. That job includes testing as many makeup products (and interviewing as many makeup artists for tips on how to apply them) as possible.
Kara McGrath is a writer and editor with over 17 years of experience covering the beauty industry, women’s health, and a wide range of other lifestyle and wellness topics. After most recently serving as content director at Allure (2019-2025) and executive editor at Bustle (2014-2019), she is now fully freelance. In addition to Cosmo, her writing has appeared in Allure, The New York Times, Marie Claire, Business of Fashion, Playboy, NH Magazine, and more. Kara lives in New Hampshire with her dog, four cats, and a rotating cast of foster animals. You can find more of her work at karamcgrath.com.
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