little white truths

I received a sample of this foundation in one of my Mecca Beauty Loop boxes and I was thrilled to see it because I'd been itching to try the product as soon as it arrived at Mecca: 'no foundation foundation' sounds like exactly my kind of base! 

I do prefer tinted moisturisers and BB/CC creams because I like lighter bases, so few foundations previously existed on the market that are sheer enough for me - although lately there's been a flood of these more lightweight, serum-like bases that are more watery in texture, so I've got a few on my wishlist now and this was top of the list (ignoring the $80 price tag - yikes!).

Verdict

Errmaahgawd, I love the pants off this foundation. 

You know how sometimes you feel like a particular song was written for you or a makeup product was made for you? This is one of those products for me, and it went straight to HG status from the first use and stayed there over the last couple of months while I've been testing it and comparing it to other bases I have on hand.

Once you start getting on a bit I reckon that heavy makeup can age you even more - or at least it does for me. That's why I prefer a minimal look and often don't love pigmented products, so this foundation is exactly the kind of base I'm looking for.

It's sheer but buildable so two layers is exactly the right level of coverage for me: when I say 'buildable' though, you're never going to get any more than light coverage from a product like this, but one layer is almost non existent on my skin so two layers is perfect.

This foundation is the first product I've used that I can really call 'undetectable'. Even my tinted moisturisers don't look as natural as this, so Perricone MD has really nailed the formula and 'no foundation foundation' is indeed what you get.

The 'light to medium' colour is perfect for me - even when I first used it and I was paler, and now when I'm hitting my tanned summer colour. That's of course because it's sheer and forgiving, but it should work for anyone in the light/medium to medium end of the spectrum. And for paler lasses, the brand has happily produced a lighter colour, so more people will be able to find a colour match.

What I love about this is that it indeed makes your skin look radiant and dewy as claimed, and although I sometimes need to add a dusting of powder over it on warmer days so I don't look overly dewy, I'd expect that with a product that contains this much sunscreen so that's no big deal.

Another thing I love about this is that it doesn't sit in pores or fine lines, and I've had so many issues with coloured products sitting in pores so this foundation gains extra points for avoiding that problem.

It also provides great hydration for my dry skin, and I don't need to add moisturiser over the top as the day wears on because this is nourishing enough that the hydration lasts throughout the day.

I reckon this does meet its claims, except for the usage instructions (at least for me): two or three drops of this stuff isn't nearly enough to even out my skin - it might be for some, but it's not for me.

And there's the sting in the tail: there's no way in hell I would pay $80 for a foundation that I need to slather on like a tinted moisturiser to get enough coverage. Indeed, I need to use more of this than my other tinted moisturisers to get it to show up, and I reckon I'd burn through the full size product in around two months.

While I don't mind dropping as much as $40 or so on a tinted moisturiser or BB/CC cream that's going to last me three months, I'm not going to spend $80 on something I'll get through in even less time.

So while this is definitely an HG product for me, it's not one I'll be buying. Having said this, if I do purchase a bottle of the Cover FX Custom Cover Drops (on the wishlist!) or if I owned a colour-correcting primer, that might be a way to get around needing to use so much of this product to get it to show up. I'd want to test the products together first though, because I wouldn't want to change how natural this Perricone MD product looks on this skin.

An amazing foundation.