That’s right – you read it properly! After what feels like an eternity (probably pushing the 4-year mark) I finally edged out of my comfort zone and tried a new foundation. The photo gives it away – I’m currently obsessed with the Too Faced Born This Way foundation.
You lot know that I’m a MAC enthusiast. They’re not the most popular brand given that they’re not cruelty-free – but I do like their makeup. A friend of mine worked for MAC many moons ago, and when I was considering dipping my toes in the non-drugstore pond, she recommended MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid. I got colour-matched in store (which I later ignored) and have been faithfully using it ever since.
That is, until I started worrying about my skin.
Over the past year or so, I’ve become increasingly frustrated at the fact that my skin often resembles a 15-year-old approaching their period. I’ve tried different skincare products, which have been making a difference (that’s another post entirely!) However, I’ve heard some people say that MAC foundation can cause their skin to break out. I’ve heard those tales for ages, but I’ve never been able to shake the doubt from my own breakouts – yet simultaneously having the fear to deviate from what I know and love.
I mean, when it all comes down to it, where do you even start with foundation? Every brand has about 5 different ones, and of course there’s a billion different brands. I spent ages looking at blog reviews and YouTube videos on pretty much every foundation you can purchase here in the UK. I ruled out Kat Von D’s Lock-It foundation, because various people have said that it clings to dry patches (and my skin is combination af). Most super-matte foundations sing from that same hymn sheet, so I decided to try one that was a bit more dewy. I do like that glow, after all!
The most popular one seemed to be Too Faced Born This Way – there were a million reviews on it, and the vast majority were pretty positive. Those with oily skin weren’t a fan, but my skin verges more on the dry side than the oily side of combination. I was also really impressed with the coverage that I saw in the videos – one pump covering an entire face?! That’s unheard of for me!
Although I can be hella awful with money when it comes to makeup, I’m actually pretty cautious when it comes to more expensive stuff. Born This Way retails at £29 for 30ml – not breaking the bank, but a wee bit pricey, especially when you don’t know if it’s gonna suit your skin! Smart people would let the sales assistant apply it to their full face then go back and purchase once they know how it works for them, but I’m a bit awkward at counters. Besides, I always feel like I should have a good face of makeup already on when I’m shopping at counters – I just feel a bit more confident, yknow?
The sales assistant matched my shade – from looking online, I was guessing the shade Pearl. I wasn’t too far off, actually – Pearl is a little too pink-toned for me, so I’ve gone for Snow. I was really quite impressed with the shade range – 24 shades isn’t bad at all, and a lot of brands don’t have many super pale shades. In fact, I think I’m the palest MAC shade in their collection. I picked up a bottle, and since I was on a roll, I picked up the Better Than Sex mascara as well. I think I also ended up buying some Urban Decay products as well…
The first couple of times I tried Born This Way, I liked it – although I found that it would start to separate on my skin relatively quickly. Most foundations will have a degree of separation at some point – and although I loved the coverage, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t have that flawless skin that I saw online. That being said, it wore really well otherwise – I had to powder reasonably regularly, but no big deal.
Then I discovered a couple of tips online.
After another crazy amount of time watching videos on how to stop foundation separating, I decided to try my everyday L’Oreal Infalliable Mattifying Base primer instead of my Benefit Porefessional one. I also used a smaller amount than I would use under my MAC foundation. GAME CHANGER. Between that and cutting down the amount of foundation I actually use, I now have pretty much no separation unless I’m wearing my makeup for 12-14 hours. It’s crazy! I used to use around 3 pumps of MAC foundation (to be fair, I think their pump was smaller) or just take some direct from the bottle. With Born This Way, a single pump genuinely covers my entire face, with a tiny wee quarter pump extra for the areas where I need a bit of extra help. I’ve also found that I don’t have to use a setting spray with it, which again might help avoid separation. And because there’s less product on my face, there’s less need to powder. Winning situation all round!
But the coverage. Oh my God, the coverage. It’s unlike any other foundation I’ve seen (maybe apart from Huda Beauty, but that shit was crazy). It’s a very buildable foundation, and it classes itself as medium to full coverage – despite feeling incredibly lightweight. I’ve been raving about the Born This Way coverage to anyone who’ll listen, but it outdid itself recently. I got sunburnt whilst on holiday in Tenerife (as in swollen red nose and half a red forehead that my fringe couldn’t quite protect. My own fault, factor 30 wasn’t a good shout). In fact, that’s possibly the only downside to this foundation – there’s no SPF in it. But each night, I would get ready to go out for dinner with my sister – and Born This Way would work its magic. Sunburn? What sunburn?! I’d have covered my entire body in it if I could.
If you haven’t tried Born This Way yet, it’s definitely worth a go. And if you have, let me know your thoughts! Xx
