The Sarah Creal Beauty Line Is A True Gift For My 40-Plus Skin

After entering my 40th decade on this planet, I’ve noticed some things more or less stay the same while other things change — immensely. I may be reverting back to my high school fashion sense by purchasing a pair of Delia’s pinstripe overalls, but my skin? It’s definitely not the same as it was in my 30s. Experiencing an increase in dryness after being historically combination, oily, and acne-prone nearly sent me into an existential crisis. I was suddenly faced with the concept of my mortality, all due to the changes in my skin. It was a major physical mark (alongside menopause) signifying that I was, indeed, getting older.  

Thankfully, technological advances in the skincare industry have helped soothe my vanity and now-thirstier skin. But with such an oversaturated market, it’s dizzying trying to figure out what will actually work. It also doesn’t help that the majority of brands (even ones that are launched by women over 40!) are hyperfocused on Gen-Z and younger audiences. While I won’t hesitate to do the same Euphoria-esque eye as a 25-year-old editor (though my frame of glittery reference is 1996's Showgirls), she probably isn’t dealing with the same skin concerns as I am. 

In recent years, there have been a number of brands focusing on my demographic, such as Stripes, Meaningful Beauty, and Jones Road Beauty. The latest is Sarah Creal Beauty, the eponymous brand founded by Sarah Creal. The industry veteran was behind some of the most iconic beauty brands, including Victoria Beckham Beauty, Tom Ford, and Prada. Creal realized that the beauty products she once loved (and even created) weren't working the same way as they did before. “Blush was drying, concealer was creasing, mascara was smudging, and lipstick was either too dry or ‘traveling,’” she tells R29. 

Creal knew that she wanted to focus on women who were 40 and older with similar experiences, unlike other brands that try to appeal to a broader audience. This started with surveying over 2,000, 40-plus, women luxury beauty shoppers, then formulating to their specific concerns (wear, repair, and moisturization). Educating their customer is another key aspect, as well as using only 40-plus women to model the product. “I see a lot of brands that are for ‘everyone,’ and it’s just not been my experience that what worked on me at 30 is working at 54,” she says. 

The debut collection features a mix of skincare products deemed foundational to the brand. Creal says that deciding on the mix was an organic process that stemmed from learning about the biggest concerns — one being that women were “quiet-quitting” mascara. (As someone who frequently "forgets" to put on mascara, this speaks to me.) “From there we understood that we needed to solve the whole eye area dilemma — to create an instant-benefit eye cream that put moisture into the skin, not on top where it can interfere with the wear of her eye makeup, and a thin-film concealer that would float and flex on the delicate skin around the eyes without accentuating lines,” says Creal. “We really felt we needed to address her underlying skincare concerns of hydration, protection, and repair before we could get into makeup.”

The result was six extremely stylish products: an essence, eye cream, concealer, mascara, sunscreen serum, and lip balm. Keep reading to find out how Sarah Creal Beauty worked on my over-40 skin.

I'm not going to waste any time — this review is kicking off with my 2024 holy grail. Essences are my favorite skincare product, and this one is unlike any other one I’ve tried. This dual-phase essence contains peptides, niacinamide, and squalane that pack a massive punch when it comes to hydration. I'd describe it as more of an essence/face oil-hybrid. I’ve already recommended this product to a woman who slid into my DMs asking for skincare recs. “This is my new obsession, and it makes my skin feel like MORNING DEW,” I replied. 

Something that really stood out to me about Sarah Creal Beauty was the innovative and absolutely stunning packaging, especially for the cleverly named Firm Offer. “We wanted to create a line that had an artisanal feel where every product is its own hero, but when they are assembled together you say, oh, that looks kickass!” says Creal. "It is also designed from a woman’s perspective — we know what it’s like to be blindly rummaging around in your makeup bag, and you don’t want to confuse your mascara with your lipgloss with your concealer!"

Some of my other eye creams are a hassle to use, as they come in a tub with a twist-off lid that I NEVER fail to drop on the floor of my bathroom (always gross). Not to mention, the formulas can feel greasy, requiring more time to settle into my under-eyes before I can put on my makeup. The sleek pump makes this one a breeze to apply (great for travel, too) and the cream works quickly, too — no greasiness, and it's quickly absorbed. Along with peptides and hyaluronic acid for firmness and hydration, this eye cream contains caffeine and jasmine flower extract to help with puffy eyes and dark circles.

During this season of my life, I’ve become very picky about my base makeup. Sometimes, I skip concealer and pray that my foundation does the job. I love that this is another dual–purpose product, as it’s described as a high-coverage brightening concealer and moisturizing foundation in one. It camouflaged the hyperpigmentation on my cheeks without feeling heavy or stiff. A combination of hyaluronic acid, aloe leaf, and green tea keeps the formula flexible and forgiving, even on my worst mornings!

As I mentioned, mascara is something I tend to forget or, honestly, deprioritize. It's not one of my favorite makeup products, mainly because I hate getting that smudged, raccoon-eye look. Creal had her own issues with mascara transferrence, so it was the first product she set out to create for the brand. This black tubing mascara lengthens and lifts my super-straight lashes with ease, and I didn’t experience any transfer, even when I was on a rooftop in 90-degree weather. 

Creal designed Brilliant Repair's packaging to resemble an orange sun. Go ahead and try imagining anything else more chic to throw in your beach bag. Now, I’m not too big on sunscreen serums; I usually prefer a more traditional mineral sunblock, so I probably wouldn't use this as my main sunscreen. That said, I love the glow it gives my complexion with just a few drops, and without feeling oily or heavy. 

The brand calls this the Goldilocks of lip balms, and I couldn't agree more. Made with capuaçu butter and peptides, it feels nourishing without feeling greasy, waxy, too stiff, or too soft. All I need now is a tinted version from Sarah Creal — or better yet, some red lipstick! (Hint, hint.)