thebeautyholder

I have become a bit of a foundation junkie recently. My base or ‘foundation’ is super important because nothing I do after that will have that WOW factor if I don’t get this right. Underneath that base, skin is the priority but this is not a skin care post. My other foundation review was a department store, high-end product. This is the opposite end of the market, well almost. This is a drugstore foundation, which does not break the bank. Is it the right FIT for you? Read on for my unbiased, non-endorsed, all me, review. All opinions as always are my own.

This blog post is dedicated to a couple of my beautiful friends Glemma and Liliana. Glemma because she bought it recently and didn’t quite get the colour match. Liliana because she says I haven’t blogged about a ‘cheaper’ foundation. 🙂

My pet peeve with most drugstore foundations in the UK is that they don’t have enough of a colour range for the various shades of beautiful women that make up the UK. If you are a woman of colour then you really don’t have much to choose from with the major companies such as Rimmel, Maybelline, Max Factor and the rest. This issue alone sends us to the department store and that is still no guarantee that you will find your shade. Let me say also, this does not just affect my ebony toned women but also Asian, Indian and those of mixed race. All in all, we are still fighting that battle and believe me I am right up at the front. Even some brands that say they specifically cater to the above, don’t always (if at all) get it right.

The Maybelline FIT ME range says the following: ‘Gel Foundation’ with ‘No waxes and fillers’. The coverage should look and feel ‘100% you”. It has 12 natural shades and allows you to find your ‘perfect’ fit by first choosing your shade family. Fair (100’s), Medium (200’s) or Dark (300’s). You then chose your undertone. Are you Pink or Yellow?! Final stage is possible matches. At least they are honest. They are possible matches. No doubt there is a match for a majority of people who currently wear Maybelline foundations but that means there is still a minority that will not find a match which is shame as it is a great foundation. It is a set of foundation, corrector/ concealers and powder. It is pretty new on the market so I am hopeful they are working hard behind the scenes to bring out more shades. Here is a link to their site to find out more information according to Maybelline.

I love that the site/ in-store advertisements have a guide to helping you chose the right shade. Issue is it is not always as simple as are you yellow or pink. Many of us feel we are both. Following the guide (I’m a yellow undertone) the foundation shade it chose for me is ‘too light’ and I ended up choosing the direct opposite and that for those with a pink undertone. This was the same for a couple of friends of mine. With only 3 shades to choose from (1 if pink toned and 2 if yellow) for black women it limits your options. That information is important to note as not all the stores carry those 3 shades. I went to both Superdrug and Boots and struggled to find all 3 shades at one time. I still aim to get them all so I can show you some swatches. According to Maybelline,my foundation shade is 350. Concealer shade is 35 and powder is 315. There is only one powder choice for the dark skin tone family. What I chose was the Foundation in 355, concealer in 30 and powder as standard 315. I disagreed with their guidance because their colours would have had me looking a couple of shades lighter than I am.

If you feel after following the guide your shade is not correct, try the other options in your colour range. Match the foundation against the side of your face looking at your chest. Get someone to help you if needed and also check it in natural light. So very important! Cant stress that enough! I chose according to my tones and I know it best.

Why I love this foundation!

I am all about sheer and light coverage. Foundation that lets the skin show and shine through. Foundation that doesn’t feel funny on the skin. That smells good too and is affordable. It is not going to be for everyone and in a strange way almost feels like a tinted moisturiser or a BB cream with a lil more coverage…just a little more. It is dewy and fresh and makes my skin glow. It blends into the skin really well because it doesn’t have the waxes or fillers. If you want more coverage this is not the one for you. It builds a little but you would have to put something heavier on top. I love the idea that there is a family of products from concealer to powder to make it a little easier for you to get all the products in one place- if the match is right. My skin type is dry. This product does leave a glow which may translate as ‘shiny’ or oily against your skin type so if you have oily skin be cautious.

Beauty Holder Roundup!

Price: 5/5

It is under £10 and you can’t go wrong with that. I paid £7.99 for the foundation and £5.99 for the concealer. The powder was £5.99. Superdrug have 3 for 2 across all cosmetics and Boots are offering buy 1 and get the 2nd half price on selected cosmetics.

Packaging: 4.5/ 5

Glass bottle with plastic lid. Simple design that is 100% recyclable. We like environmentally friendly make-up.  With all glass bottle foundations there is always a little left in the bottle and you have to take extra care. Pump dispenser and comes in 30ml. No external box. The concealer is in a plastic tube with sponge tip applicator. Powder comes in a black square and clear plastic casing. Pressed powder with a powder puff in a compartment under the powder.

Product: 3/5

I have rambled on above in my very long intro (apologies) but I do like the product a lot. I like it because it suits my needs. It is a easy blend foundation with good coverage. I have extremely dark circles under my eyes, no secret, and the concealer does a good job of covering them. The foundation alone doesn’t do that like my NARS Sheer Glow does. I knew it was sheer so I can’t fault it that. If it had more shades to choose from (foundation, concealer and powder)  then it would get a perfect score. If the guides weren’t so confusing with just a simple pink or yellow choice it would score higher. Don’t rely on that guide without testing it first would be my advice. Because it is so sheer you could really buff it into the skin if you are at least one shade out (darker or lighter) and it is likely to work. You would need to make sure the powder you use to set it (if you do) is right. I don’t like the powder shade  as it is way too ashy looking on me but if you like a very highlighted- a la Kim Kardashian et al- then this could work for you. I will be using my MAC mineralised Skin finish in Deep Dark with this when I use it again.

The concealers are fantastic. I have used them on clients and the consistency is light and airy so if you have a little to cover then this works well. It doesn’t just sink into fine lines either under the eyes. It looks fresh and youthful. If there is a lot to cover you will have to work with layering it. An affordable investment for sure.

For my male readers who use foundation and concealer and thinking of a new product it is worth checking out depending on the coverage you want. I don’t like my concealer to highlight, so I don’t do the couple shades lighter trick on myself. I like it to look like the rest of my skin. Even with the numbering system, you can mix and match if you like. This is useful if you like to highlight and contour.

A misconception with foundations that are light or sheer in coverage is that your skin must be perfect to wear it. I can’t say I agree because no one has perfect skin. Your skin should be well looked after and as long as you are treating any issues then there is no reason you can’t try this foundation. The only person stopping you is you, not being able to find the right shade or wanting more coverage.

I have some pics below with the foundation on alone and with the concealer alone. The powder was a no pic zone. I hope this helps and that you have enjoyed this review.

Foundation but no concealer.

Here I am with the concealer under my eyes only- no foundation. Blush and lips.

The products:

iPhone 4S quality only! I will start using my camera to take pics in the future.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog if you want to be the first to know when I blog some more. All you need to do is click on the link in the side bar and give your address. Now is a good time to subscribe as I will be doing my first giveaway just before Christmas to celebrate blogging since March this year! Yay!

You can also follow me on Twitter @TheBeautyHolder

All other contact details above.

Thanks for reading!

Besos! TBH! xoxo