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Since the inception of Tower 28 Beauty, the brand has stuck to its mission of creating products that will make your skin look better without irritating it in the process. Working closely with the National Eczema Association, they’ve expanded into skincare too (and won a lot of Cosmo beauty awards in the process). But one product has always been missing: foundation.
Launching today, Tower 28’s first foundation is finally here (and with a more than 8,000-person waitlist). The Swipe Serum Foundation was created with acne, eczema, and sensitive skin in mind. But does it pass the test of five picky Cosmo beauty editors? Before launch, I got the chance to chat one-on-one with Tower 28 founder Amy Liu to uncover all the details. And I shared a few product samples with the Cosmo staff to get their takes on how it fares on dry, oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin types.
About Tower 28’s Swipe Serum Foundation
Making a foundation felt like a “capstone project,” says Liu. “From the very beginning of starting Tower 28, I really wanted to make complexion products; I didn't really actually set out to make skincare product, that kind of just happened,” she says. Liu has eczema and wanted a way to make her skin look instantly better without clinging to dry patches or further irritating her skin. So when she set out to make a foundation, she wanted something that would actually be good for your skin.
Liu brought in makeup artist Delina Medhin to help consult on the shades from an artistry perspective and the formula (she has acne-prone skin and wanted a product that would suit those needs while also being gentle for eczema). “We really are confident that this type of foundation doesn't exist, where it's creamy and moisturizing enough for a person with eczema, but it dries down enough for a person who typically has oily skin or acne,” says Medhin. The foundation is mostly made up of skincare ingredients, and they diligently ran it through AcneClinic’s pore-clogging checker to make sure it wouldn’t cause breakouts either (the same one Cosmo uses to determine our annual Acne Awards winners).
The formula
The formula itself is marked more by what it doesn’t contain than what it does. There are no silicones, alcohol, or oils. Instead, Swipe Serum uses a mix of anti-inflammatory purslane extract, soothing lactobacillus ferment, and hydrating glycerin and squalane. It was inspired by the brand’s best-selling Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer. It’s not the exact same texture by any means, but they’re meant to play well together, says Medhin. Swipe Serum offers a medium, buildable coverage, but it’s not meant to cover up everything with complete opacity. In that case, if you have spots you want more coverage, dab on some concealer (Tower 28’s or your go-to pick; the formula is easy to mix with others).
The shades
Swipe Serum comes in 36 shades ranging from very fair to very deep in a mix of olive, cool, neutral, and warm undertones.
Application methods
“This really plays nice with every way that you want to apply it,” says Medhin. Your fingers or a makeup sponge will give you a quick, light application. Or if you want a bit more coverage and control, try a brush, like the new one Tower 28 just launched to match this foundation. Medhin suggests dispensing some product on the back of your hand, then working the product into the brush before buffing it into your skin.
Our reviews
Beth Gillette, beauty editor
Skin type: Oily, acne-prone
I am a tough critic when it comes to foundation because I have two very conflicting goals: I need a formula that won’t break out my extremely acne-prone skin but that also somehow looks glowy and natural. And if it’s possible, I need it to dry down to some extent to help reduce the likelihood of my skin getting too oily. It shouldn’t be that hard, but it is!
Upon first putting this on the back of my hand, though, I had a feeling this might meet my expectations. It’s extremely lightweight (it is a serum, after all), but it has just enough body that it doesn’t feel greasy or like it’d slip and slide all over my oily skin. After applying with a brush, my suspicions were confirmed. I wore it for a week straight, loving how well it covered my acne scars and made my face look smooth and glowy. But the best part? No breakouts. I get the exact coverage and feel I want without compromising how my skin will react after the fact.
Anvita Reddy, shopping editor
Skin type: Normal, acne/rosacea-prone
Tower 28’s new foundation genuinely impressed me, thanks to its weightless, gentle formula and impressive shade range. As someone with dark-tan skin, neutral undertones, and a tendency to tan easily, finding a foundation that actually matches me can be difficult. I’m wearing shade 16, which is basically my perfect summer match; once my vacation tan fades, I’d likely reach for 15 instead.
The first thing I noticed was the thin, serum-like consistency. It feels incredibly lightweight on the skin, and I love that I can start with a sheer layer and build up the coverage wherever I need it without the formula ever feeling heavy. I applied it with a dense, angled foundation brush, and it blended out super smoothly with a silky feel.
Once the foundation had a chance to settle, it left my skin looking seamless and very skin-like. The finish does lean a little dewier than I typically prefer, so I dusted on a light layer of setting powder to tone down the shine and help lock everything in place. As the day went on, I noticed a little separation around my mouth (mostly in my laugh lines and on my chin), which is probably due to talking and eating. My skin also became noticeably dewier throughout the day, but considering this isn’t meant to be a mattifying formula, that wasn’t exactly a surprise.
Overall, I’m a big fan of how lightweight and buildable this foundation feels. It’s especially great for hot-weather days when the last thing I want is a thick layer of makeup sitting on my skin. It never looked cakey or felt heavy, and, most importantly, my skin still felt like it could breathe.
Jasmine Hyman, 26, assistant beauty editor
Skin type: Dry
I'm the resident makeup hater here on Cosmo’s beauty team, so getting a foundation to enter my vanity signals a major stamp of approval, and Tower 28's was one of the rare winners. I had high hopes that the formula would be lightweight thanks to the word "serum" in the name, and it definitely delivered. Just two pumps covered my entire face (neck included), and the foundation spread out nice and thin, while fully evening my dark under-eyes, blemishes, and hyperpigmentation.
While the smoothness and lightweight feel were impressive upon application, the real winner was the wear time. I applied this at 7 p.m. before heading to the Olivia Dean concert (on the humid NYC subway, mind you), spent hours dancing, then proceeded to go out until 1 a.m. (that's very late for me, okay), and my foundation was still perfect once I got home. This and my Armani Luminous Silk Foundation are officially the only two I trust during hot summer months, and I'm sure my dry skin will appreciate the foundation’s lightweight feel well into the winter.
Sam Olson, 27, assistant news editor
Skin type: Oily/combination
As someone who's really intentional with the way I layer makeup, I've been on a real "your skin but better" kick lately. Not in a clean girl way—because, let’s be real, I’ve never really fit that bill in the beauty world—but in a "I don't want my face to look like I'm wearing 45 pounds of makeup way.” That being said, I am a true believer in a full-coverage foundation that still looks realistic, and Tower 28’s does just that.
Though my skin is fair, it leans on the redder side, and this product evened out my skin tone. It's buildable and blends like a dream with my beauty sponge and layers beautifully with other cream and powder products. It lasts nearly 12 hours with minimal touch-ups, but I did still have to touch it up for longer-wear days. All in all, I think this is a great base product for anyone who wants a minimal look with maximum results.
Aiyana Ishmael, style editor
Skin type: Dry, sensitive
The Tower 28 foundation surprised me. I'm usually very particular about foundation, since I only wear it a couple of times a month. My skin is so sensitive and dry, so I’m always into foundations that feel lightweight and won’t cause more harm. I naturally over-prep my skin because of that dryness, using a few serums, then moisturizer, sunscreen, and then a primer. I was thoroughly impressed with how light the product felt even though it was incredibly full coverage. It’s a bit thicker than the foundation I currently use, but it didn’t make my skin feel trapped underneath it.
I have hyperpigmentation on my neck, and it completely covered that up brilliantly, too. It was also a perfect shade match, which is usually rare for me as a dark-skinned woman. I wore it all night to an Olivia Dean concert, where I sang my heart out and sweated so much. But no worries, because my face was still intact by the end of the night. Overall, I will be adding this foundation to my rotation.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair, makeup, nail, and fragrance stories. For this review, she asked multiple Cosmo staffers to test Tower 28’s new foundation on a range of skin types (dry, sensitive, oily, combination, acne-prone, etc.) and tones.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
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