I wanted to get this foundation for the longest time ever because of all these great reviews I had read online, and I finally got around to buying it (in JB). I know some people have spent much more money on UD Naked palettes and SKII, but this has been my most expensive purchase thus far, so you can imagine all my expectations, hopes & dreams for this product (jk).
Product Description
24-hour staying power. Flawless all day. This worry-free, long-wearing makeup stays fresh and looks natural through heat, humidity, nonstop activity. Won’t change color, smudge or come off on clothes. Feels lightweight and comfortable. Now the flawless look you see in the morning is the look you keep all day. Oil-free. Fragrance-free.
Official Retail Price in Singapore: SGD 70
Ingredient List
Water\Aqua\Eau; Cyclopentasiloxane; Trimethylsiloxysilicate; Peg/Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone; Butylene Glycol; Tribehenin; Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate; Magnesium Sulfate; Tocopheryl Acetate; Polymethylsilsesquioxane; Methicone; Laureth-7; Xanthan Gum; Alumina; Sodium Dehydroacetate; Disteardimonium Hectorite; Cellulose Gum; Propylene Carbonate; Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate; Phenoxyethanol; [+/- Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499); Mica; Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891)] <ILN39010>
Main ingredient is water, and no trace of oil, as promised! This is good news for people who have oily skin and pores prone to clogging (aka me).
This foundation has the lowest SPF I have seen in any of my base products – I thought SPF 15 in my Innisfree foundation was the lowest you can go, but clearly I thought wrong.
A quick guide to SPF: If your skin would normally burn after 10 minutes in the sun, applying an SPF 10 sunscreen would allow you to stay in the sun without burning for approximately 100 minutes (a factor of 10 times longer).
Review
Packaging
So. Classy.
Okay but classy feels aside, I feel that this packaging definitely has its cons. It’s a little heavy due to the glass packaging, but what really irks me is that THERE IS NO PUMP! I read online that apparently you have to buy a separate pump for this, but why!! All the foundations I’ve used so far come with a pump, and even BB creams have tube packaging to make it easier for users to squeeze an appropriate amount. How could this not have a pump??? My heart bleeds every time I pour a little too much than needed on to my brush 🙁 It can also get a little messy, so I often get slight dabs of foundation on the cap and other parts of the bottle – so wasted!
Colour
I was initially very overwhelmed by the number of shades available. You must understand that as a consumer who’s been mostly using K-beauty products, I am used to going either one shade lighter or one shade darker than I would like – there is hardly any in between. I took some time to swatch and went with 1W2 because of my warm undertones. Even though it is a very good match, I feel that maybe I would try 1N2 next time instead, because I didn’t really like how much my warm undertones were showing through.
The colour applies evenly, in fact it gives the most even application that I’ve ever gotten from any base product. I really like how my skin immediately looks smoother, brighter, and the colour is more even.
Staying power
These were the promises made by the brand on its website:
- OIL-FREE
- TRANSFER-RESISTANT
- DERMATOLOGIST-TESTED
- NON-ACNEGENIC; WON’T CLOG PORES
- FRAGRANCE-FREE
- WON’T LOOK GREY ON DEEPER SKINTONES
I definitely agree about the lack of oil. When I use other types of products, I tend to get this oily sheen on my face after a few hours. However, my face has never produced a lot of oil even after more than 6 hours with this Estee Lauder foundation! In fact, my makeup stays on so well that it can survive more than 12 hours in any kind of weather you can think of – hot, rainy, humid, anything! I never found the need to touch up again when I apply this foundation, and always have my base makeup nearly fully intact at the end of the day.
Final Verdict
This is DEFINITELY holy grail material. I dislike having to call any product ‘holy grail’ so I avoid it as much as I can, but this is honestly the stuff that dreams are made of.
The one problem with this (besides the lack of a pump) is the price point. I know many of us struggle with daily expenditures and it doesn’t help that makeup is such an integral part of our lives (at least for me, it definitely is). I think that if you have the money and are willing to invest in a great foundation, this is the product you should get. A good foundation will really go a long, long way, especially if you struggle with skin issues (discolouration, acne, etc.).
Individual Rating
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Overall Rating
