Fashion and Beauty 15th December 2021 by Amie Edmonds

Your Go-To Guide To Next Generation Foundations

Can your base really do it all? Amie Edmonds investigates.

 

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I find foundations in general to be a bit of an odd beauty product. In the sense that they can be quite personal, but there are also certain options that almost everybody seems to love and can’t be faulted for. NARS All Day Radiant Longwear, I’m looking at you. MAC Studio Fix Fluid has been in my top three since I was a teen, and Irish gals still adore Estee Lauder’s Double Wear.

And for a good reason – they are classics, but foundations are now at the next level. It’s almost as if something shifted in the beauty industry (HD camera, social media and technology concerning we think), resulting in a big bang and boom! Next generation foundations were born.

So, I’ve taken it upon myself to test some of the potential life-changing foundations that were released in the past year – I know, it’s a tough life I have.

Just to make sure it was the foundation working its magic than any powder or setting spray, I’ve tried each foundation with no primer, not setting the foundation and certainly not using a trust setting spray.

Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation, €34

 

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For a quick breakdown, this is the kind of foundation you’d wear when you’re in a hurry, but want your skin to look as if you’ve given it plenty of time and attention. With medium to full coverage, it works beautifully with both oily and dry skin, although for those with dry skin, I’d recommend just a little extra moisturiser or a hydrating primer.

It lasted perfectly all day long, even without priming and setting. Plus, with skincare ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid, it feels as if it’s some TLC for your skin too.

Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint, €28


To be brutally honest, this left me with the same feeling you get when you order the massive pizza your hangover deserves, but they forget the garlic dip. Any product I’ve tried from Fenty I have adored (their cream blush in the shade petal is simply to die for), but this just didn’t do it for me. It settled on the skin just fine, but didn’t live up to expectations.

If you love the au naturale look and want a product to enhance your skin this may be a contender. But for me, it didn’t deliver the promise of smooth, instantly blurred skin in just a few easy drops. It’s not on my must-buy list, but I’ll certainly be using it up. So all in all, it’s grand.

Urban Decay New Stay Naked HydroManiac, €32

 

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Ah, Urban Decay, the must-have brand of my teens. There’s still a few Urban Decay products that I swear by, the All Nighter Setting Spray is one product that I’ll never be without. But their latest foundation has now gone straight to the top of my list too. Described as a long-wear, tinted glow foundation, this is the perfect day time foundation for when you want a little extra coverage.

It’s light on the skin, leaves you with that perfectly balanced amount of coverage and glow, while not looking as if you’re ready for a night out at 12pm on a Thursday. It lasted pretty well, even without primer and setting. But like with most foundations, it worked better when it was prepped and primed. A solid contender, coming in at 8 out of 10.

Too Faced Born This Way Matte 24 Hour Undetectable Super Longwear Foundation, €35

 

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This updated, matte version of the original Born This Way foundation came out in the summer of 2020, and it’s another one that I’ve been pleasantly surprised with. I was always one for a full matte finish until the past couple of years, so I had the thought in my head immediately that this wasn’t for me. But yet again, I was left a little shook at how much I enjoyed it.

My sister, who has much drier skin than I have, also gave it a go and she gave me a call only recently just to rave about how good it is. While it’s matte, it doesn’t cling or cake in drier areas like I expected it would, but rather it leaves you with an even, gorgeous base that you don’t have to worry about slipping or sliding off your face.

KVD Beauty Good Apple Skin Perfecting Foundation Balm, €36

 

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Never have I ever seen a foundation that received so many mixed reviews. It basically broke the internet with its amazing claims, before people started to debunk these claims, saying that it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be. Well, let me tell you, I am surprisingly impressed with this foundation. I applied it early in the day, worked away at my desk, went for a walk, made dinner, did a sweaty 20 minute workout and it held up better than I would have imagined. It clung to the drier areas around my nose, but after the day I put it through I wasn’t mad.

I then tried it with a full base, setting with powder and with setting spray, I must say, I did not know who was looking back at me in the mirror but she was *snatched*. Out of ten, I’d have to give it a solid 7. I’m not a massive fan of the packaging, and the coverage is a bit too intense for me right now. But it feels amazing being applied, it almost glides onto the skin and lasts pretty much all day long.

Sculpted by Aimee Tint & Glow Skin Enhancer, €25


Okay, so I’m slightly cheating with this one as it isn’t technically a foundation. But, saying that, as so many of us have gotten used to going about our day to day lives sans a full face, this sort of product will now be a go-to for many. A multi-use skin enhancer with fab ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, SPF 30 and gives blue light protection from screens – I was pretty excited when it launched.

Long story short, it’s beautiful on the skin. If you want something light, skin-like and fresh feeling, you’re going to love this. If you’re like me and prefer to have a bit more coverage than the bare minimum, the good news is that this builds and blends like an absolute dream. An ideal summer go-to.

No7 Protect & Perfect ADVANCED All in One Foundation, €23.50

 

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Usually, No7 wouldn’t be at the top of my list when it comes to foundation shopping, but I got big IT Cosmetics CC Cream vibes off this one. It’s a blend of foundation and skincare ingredients, with Vitamins E & C and SPF50. With medium coverage, you can build this up to get your desired look, without feeling as if you’ve piled on too much foundation.

It’s lightweight, blends seamlessly and leaves a gorgeous glow on the skin. It didn’t last through the same conditions as the KVD pick, but worked a lot better once prepped and primed. A good go-to that won’t break the bank.

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