If you're a fellow beauty fanatic, I'm sure you've heard of the internet's buzziest brand of the moment, Caliray. For those who might not be in the know just yet, Caliray is a relatively new, laid-back type of beauty brand that effortlessly fuses skincare with minimalist makeup. Don't be fooled, though. Minimal doesn't equal boring in this case. The Just Add Rays Drops are packed with a nourishing triple oil blend and deliver a serious bronzed-up glow while the Freedreaming Skin Tint provides coverage, hydration, and antioxidants. And I can't forget about the Glazed & Infused Gloss—it's a treat for the lips that comes in the most flattering of shades.
The brand currently offers a small (but mighty) selection of products that are the perfect summer makeup essentials. There's truly no better way to ensure you've chosen the right seasonal staples than by putting them to the test on a hot summer day. So we did just that so you don't have to. If you're curious about our thoughts on Caliray's offerings, keep on reading.
Shawna Hudson, Associate Beauty Editor
Full disclosure: This was my first time trying any of Caliray's products. I'd had the Come Hell or High Water Mascara lying around for quite some time, but just now decided to make a whole review out of it and try it along with the brand's other current offerings. I started by applying my Slurp Laboratories Hydromer Perfecting Skin Liquid. This is another new product I recently received and have been loving. It creates the perfect base for your sunscreen and makeup to grip onto. I then mixed Caliray's Just Add Rays Glow Booster Drops with the Freedreaming Skin Tint, and all I can say is, wow.
Upon opening the Glow Drops, they immediately smelled like the beach during summer. It definitely made me want to chuck on a suit and head out to get some actual rays. The glow is also realer than real when you apply the drops. It adds a natural luminosity to the skin and made me look extra sun-kissed. I loved mixing it with the skin tint which offers only very light coverage. If you've read any of my other writings, you know I'm not usually huge on skin tints for this reason. But Caliray's offers a nice dewy finish that I can definitely get on board with for a beach day or lunch with a friend. I paired these with the brand's Glazed & Infused Lip Plumper Gloss and Come Hell or High Water Mascara.
After giving all of the above a wear for the day, I noticed that my skin still had a glowy, dewy tint to it but wasn't oily. I think this was partially due to using Hydromer as a base (I'm obsessed), but using both the glow drops and skin tint together really made my skin feel soft and hydrated without it looking greasy. I am also officially losing it over Caliray's lip glosses—particularly the shade Taco Tuesday.
Summer is the perfect time for a juicy lip, and this gloss is literally all I will be wearing for the season. I'll admit that the mascara wasn't quite as impressive for me, but I did love that it wasn't the slightest bit clumpy when I applied it. Overall, I'm totally in love with Caliray and its current offerings. The brand provides the perfect natural summer beauty staples to me, and I genuinely can't wait to see what it comes out with next.
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Katie Berohn, Associate Beauty Editor
"I cannot say enough good things about Caliray. It's one of my absolute favorite newer brands! Everything I've tried from Caliray is fabulous, but the mascara is out of this world. It's tubing, so it makes my lashes look extremely long, and it stays all day without smudging or flaking—even in the heat! I also love the gloss, which adds the perfect amount of color and shine while keeping lips hydrated."
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Erin Jahns, Senior Beauty Editor
"Let me just say that I'm really not a minimal makeup person. … Either I'm wearing a full-on foundation or nothing at all, thanks. That said, the way this one effortlessly blends and sinks into your skin (while delivering a subtle yet dreamy skin-blurring effect) is pretty exceptional. If you're into the tinted moisturizer and skin tint movement happening right now, you'll love this one.
"I added a few drops of the bronzing oil to it before I applied both to my face, and I was actually shocked by how naturally dewy and healthy the duo made my skin look. I also have to take a second to fawn over the eye products because the mascara and easy-to-glide liner are two of the best I've ever tried and will 100% be in my regular rotation. The mascara adds length, lift, and a nice bit of bulk without turning your lashes into clumpy globs. I also like that it dries quickly which makes it easy to add a few coats without sacrificing curl and lift. (Wet, heavy formulas that make your lashes droop are my absolute nightmare.)
Last but not least, this gloss! I am truly depressed I only have two shades (Likely Story which I'm wearing here and Orchid Ranch) because I've already become super-attached to the lightly plumping, non-sticky formula. It delivers a light burst of color that enhances your natural lip color while simultaneously infusing your pout with lots of hydration and other yummy ingredients like biomimetic peptides. I'm a tough critic, but I'd easily recommend every single Caliray product to anyone who's curious. Plus, everything stayed put despite the fact that my tiny L.A. apartment reached 90 degrees on the day I tested out the products."
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