About Subtl Beauty
Subtl Beauty is a cosmetics brand that seeks to enhance that understated yet undeniable glow that every woman has. Its clean products are packaged in stacks that give you all your makeup essentials in a compact, conveniently carryable form.
The brand’s innovative packaging and quality products has won it spotlights in such notable media outlets as Real Simple Magazine, Buzzfeed, Beauty Independent, Allure, Shape, and Beauty Insider. Our Subtl Beauty review also scoped out its social media channels, where the brand has 38.8K followers on Instagram and another 10.5K on Facebook.
Are you looking to maintain your glow while reducing the hassle of your makeup regimen? This brand could be the solution you’re looking for—but how will you know for certain unless you can be sure that it can deliver? This Subtl Beauty review will give you an overview of the brand and its products, customer reviews, and more so that you can make a properly informed decision.
Overview of Subtl Beauty
Subtl Beauty was founded in 2018 by entrepreneur Rachel Reid, who had divined that women were too often coming up with their own makeshift solutions for portable makeup containers. Noting that most beauty products are still packaged in oversized containers intended for home use, she set out to design a compact container system for women on the go.
The result was the Subtl Beauty stackable makeup system: thin, disc-like makeup containers that can be slipped into a pocket individually, or screwed together to let you transport all your essentials in a small, compact cylinder. This makes giving yourself touch-ups or even a full-on application in non-makeup-friendly locations approximately 1,000 times easier.
The 100% female-run company is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and manufactures its products in San Diego, California. Its cosmetics are paraben- and fragrance-free, and several are also vegan-friendly.
That’s the big picture—now it’s time to go in for a close-up. We’ll get into the fine details of the brand’s products below, but let’s kick this Subtl Beauty review off with a glance at the company’s most notable pros and cons.
Pros
- Convenient, travel-sized makeup containers
- Good range of products for all skin types
- All makeup is cruelty-free, paraben-free, and fragrance-free, and there are some vegan-friendly and gluten-free options available
- Quiz on website gives you directions on how to build your stack, and there are also other helpful online tools like the Shade Finder
- 100% female-owned and -run brand
- Lots of perks for members, such as discounts, rewards, etc.
- Free shipping on US orders of $55 and up and international orders of $85 and up
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Not very many shade options
- Prices could be considered rather high, given the size of the products
Ready to start stacking your way to stunning makeup looks? Time for this Subtl Beauty review to get down to business and give you the lowdown on this brand’s bestselling products. Onward!
Subtl Beauty Review
From eyes, lips, and cheeks to highlighters, concealers, and bronzers, Subtl Beauty has all your must-haves covered. Without further ado, here are our closer looks at some of this brand’s signature products.
Subtl Beauty Eyeshadow Duos Review
Two shades are always better than one! These dynamic Eyeshadow Duos pair a matte shade with a corresponding shimmer shade, both of them vegan, talc-free, and long-lasting. Made with hyaluronic acid, chamomile extract, acai berry extract, and vitamin E, these formulas are as nourishing as they are stylish.
These duos come in five different shade combinations, as per below:
- Sunset—rose gold (shimmer) + brick red (matte)
- Crush—mauve (shimmer) + lavender (matte)
- Jelly—pink champagne (shimmer) + dusty pink (matte)
- Dune—bronze taupe (shimmer) + brown (matte)
- Nectar—golden brown (shimmer) + cinnamon brown (matte)
Choose your combo and start getting glam! Each Subtl Beauty Eyeshadow Duo will run you $16.
Subtl Beauty Cream Concealer Review
Do your undereyes start getting shadowy around midday? Is that blemish just refusing to stop drawing attention to itself? Not to worry, the lightweight Cream Concealer has got you covered (literally). With its handy packaging, this is the perfect tool for on-the-go cover-ups if you happen to see a little somethin’ somethin’ on your chin during the workday or before an event.
With almost 20 shades to choose from—from pale-pink “Brookline” to dark-chocolate “Highland”—this product is impressively inclusive for a small, indie beauty brand. You can use the helpful Shade Finder on the product page to find the color that’s right for you. Cruelty-free, gluten-free, fragrance-free, and paraben-free, the Cream Concealer is $14.
Subtl Beauty Lip and Cheek Review
Nothing says “convenient” like this Lip and Cheek multitool. These little pots promise 60 applications of non-greasy, vegan, cleanly formulated tints that are enriched with hydrating jojoba oil and skin-conditioning coconut fruit extract.
There are six shades for you to choose from:
- Plum
- Riveting Red
- Coral
- Dusty Rose
- Mauve
- Perfectly Pink
Enhance your pout and glow up your cheeks with the Subtl Beauty Lip and Cheek for $14.
Subtl Beauty Espresso Stack Review
The aptly named Espresso Stack is designed for those deeper skin tones that are often neglected by a lot of cosmetics lines. This threefer Subtl Beauty stack gives you a trio of products:
- Cream Concealer in your choice of five shades
- Lip and Cheek in “Plum”
- Highlighter in “Rosé”
The concealer shades you can choose from are Hays (warm), Ellsworth (cool), Beechview (cool neutral), Overbrook (warm rich), and Highland (neutral rich). The Espresso Stack can be yours for $38.
Subtl Beauty Starter Stack Review
If the idea of customizing your makeup regimen gives you unwarranted anxiety, not to worry: the Starter Stack will get you going on the right foot. This five-product stack includes Subtl Beauty’s bestselling products in its most popular shades—the only one where you’ll have to select the shade yourself is the Cream Concealer, and surely you can handle that!
The rest of the set includes the Shine Control Powder to reduce oiliness, the Bronzer (in “Latte”), the Highlighter (in “Champagne”), and the Lip and Cheek tint (in “Mauve”). Stacked together in an easily stowable cylinder, this is the definition of on-the-go beauty.
The Starter Stack is $60, representing a 10% savings on a customized stack.
Is Subtl Beauty Cruelty-Free?
All Subtl Beauty products are 100% cruelty-free, and all of them are manufactured in the US so that the brand can maintain this commitment. The Highlighter, Bronzer, and Shine Control Powder are also vegan-friendly, and the brand states that it is currently working on vegan formulations for the Cream Concealer and Lip and Cheek tint.
Every individual product page on the brand website includes a detailed, impressively transparent list of ingredients that indicates their respective properties. There are also notifications of elements that the products may contain.
Who Is Subtl Beauty For?
Subtl Beauty positions its cosmetics as suitable for people of all ages, from teens to those aged 70 and up. Its formulas are applicable for all skin types, including aging, acne-prone, sensitive, and everything in between.
That said, the company does recommend that you consult a dermatologist or healthcare worker before starting a drastically different skincare regimen and that you do a patch test of each product before you apply it liberally. Allergic reactions or irritations are not as cute as light pigment on your cheeks, so it’s always best to cover your bases.
The brand provides information about which skin types each product is suitable for on the website’s FAQ page. For instance, the Shine Control Powder and Lip and Cheek tints are suitable for all skin types, but Subtl specifies that the Cream Concealer is friendlier for dry or combination skin.
Comparison: Subtl Beauty vs. RMS Beauty
Rose-Marie Swift founded her namesake brand in 2008 with the goal of providing cleaner alternatives to mass-produced cosmetics, many of which continue to include potentially harmful ingredients. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, the brand’s products have been used by celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Chrissy Teigen, and Emma Stone.
Both Subtl Beauty and RMS Beauty purport to have the same dedication to clean, no-B.S. cosmetics, offering products that are cruelty-free and do not include harsh chemicals. Both also claim that their items are suitable for all skin types, including aging, oily, acne-prone, dry, etc.
When it comes to dollars and cents, though, it’s clear that RMS Beauty comes with a higher price tag. For instance, the Subtl Beauty Lip and Cheek tint, Cream Concealer, and Highlighter compacts are priced at $14 each. This is much lower than the comparable RMS Beauty “Un” Cover Up concealer and Lip2Cheek products, which sell for $36 each.
In fact, none of the core stackable products from our spotlighted brand sell for higher than $20 each. So it’s pretty easy for this Subtl Beauty review to conclude that, when it comes to price, our little beauty brand that could has the edge.
Subtl Beauty Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
As Subtl Beauty is still a young, relatively small-scale company, it has yet to be reviewed on the Better Business Bureau or Trustpilot. Also, as its products are currently only available through the brand website itself, there are obviously no customer reviews on the sites of third-party retailers.
But don’t worry, this Subtl Beauty review won’t let you down. We surveyed the feedback on the brand website, the Subtl Beauty Facebook, and consulted independent reviews in order to give you a rounded picture of this up-and-coming cosmetics company.
Let’s start at subtlbeauty.com itself, where an overwhelming 85% of the total 1,483 customer reviews award the brand 5/5 stars. When we break it down to individual products, that score doesn’t sink much lower. The Lip and Cheek tint pulls in 5/5 stars from 173 reviews, with customers particularly appreciating the product’s two-in-one convenience.
“I bought the Lip and Cheek in Perfectly Pink. This is such a great color on me. I love that it is buildable and easy to apply. The formula is buttery on the lips yet doesn’t feel oily on the cheeks. I’ve since ordered the Mauve and can’t wait to receive it,” wrote one satisfied customer.
Only slightly below that winner on the scoreboard is the Cream Concealer, which receives 4.5/5 stars based on 197 reviews. Buyers appreciated how the brand’s personalized approach to customers helped them find the shade that was right for them.
“I love how flawlessly Subtly was able to give me the perfect concealer match based on my previous products,” wrote one reviewer. “I love this concealer for summer – it’s weightless and I only need a little to make me feel more confident in my skin.”
This Subtl Beauty review also found some user feedback at the company’s Facebook page, where 36 reviews result in an average score of 3.4/5 stars for the brand as a whole. Many commenters love both the products themselves and their portability.
Is Subtl Beauty Worth It?
I think back to the times that I would have really appreciated a truly convenient way to transport my makeup, and it makes me happy to know that this brand has set out to find a solution to that all-too-common problem. This Subtl Beauty review is also pleased that the company is making strides to make all its formulas clean, ethical, inclusive, and all that other good stuff.
At the end of the day, this Subtl Beauty review is of the opinion that, for convenience alone, this brand is worth a try. Maybe try a Starter Stack, see how the various products work for you, and go from there!
Subtl Beauty Promotions & Discounts
The brand’s rewards and referral program, “Subtl Stash,” lets members earn points that can be redeemed for coupons, free shipping, exclusive products, and more. Every $1 spent gets you 1 point, and you can get larger increments through other activities, including:
- Celebrating a birthday—200 points
- Leaving a review—100 points
- Following Subtl Beauty on Facebook or Instagram—15 points
So what can you use these points on, you ask? Good question! Here’s what you can get when you build up your Stash:
- 100 points = free US ground shipping
- 150 points = $5 off coupon
- 250 points = $10 off coupon
- 350 points = free “Rosé” Highlighter
- 600 points = limited-edition branded baseball cap
You can also refer a friend to the brand, which will get you both a $5 off coupon to apply to your next purchase of $30 or more.
Where to Buy Subtl Beauty
At the time of this Subtl Beauty review, the brand’s products are only available through its website, subtlbeauty.com. Given its slick stackable packaging, though, it’s entirely possible that it may soon become available through other major cosmetics retailers.
FAQ
Where is Subtl Beauty located?
Subtl Beauty has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company is headed by founder Rachel Reid, and all of its top employees are female.
Where is Subtl Beauty made?
The brand’s products are manufactured in San Diego, California. By keeping all of its manufacturing in the US, the brand is able to guarantee that its products remain cruelty-free.
What is Subtl Beauty’s Shipping Policy?
Subtl Beauty offers shipping to the US and internationally, excluding the UK, UAE, and India. Shipping rates and times are as follows:
US
Standard (5-9 business days)—$4 or free for orders of $55 and up
Rush (2-3 business days)—$12
Canada
Standard (7-10 business days)—$6 or free for orders of $85 and up
International
Standard (14-18 business days)—$9 or free for orders of $85 and up
What is Subtl Beauty’s Return Policy?
Unused or gently used products are eligible for return within 30 days of purchase. Return credits will be issued to the original form of payment. The returns must be sent in a sealed package to the following address:
Subtl Beauty
39 Terminal Way
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
As of right now, only the Cream Concealer is eligible for exchange if you are unhappy with the shade you have purchased or it is not the right match for your skin.
How to Contact Subtl Beauty
Do you have any questions that this Subtl Beauty review didn’t address? You can contact the brand directly via the following methods:
- Email: hello@subtlbeauty.com
- Contact form on brand website
The Subtl Beauty customer care team should respond to your query in 24 to 48 hours.
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