"I've tried hundreds of foundations as a beauty writer, but this is my favourite of all time – and it just got a glowy upgrade"
Hi, my name is Charlotte and I have a foundation problem. It’s so bad, my complexion stash could take up a whole episode of Hoarders, with 26 bottles (and counting) currently open. I know, it’s a sin but I just can’t stop collecting foundations. Thank God it’s my job, ey?
Despite the ghosts of foundations past and present, there is one I will never break up with. Considering I have a candy shop of tints, creams, lotions and powders to choose from, you know it’s got to be good if I’m still going through bottles of the stuff.
Launched back in 2017, this foundation not only shook up the beauty world forever (not being dramatic), but it also changed my makeup game for the better. That’s right, I’m fangirling over Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filtr Soft Matte Longwear Foundation (£30).
Back in 2017, I was a wannabe Beauty Journalist getting up at 6am so I could catch a train to stand in line at Harvey Nichols to get my mitts on Fenty Beauty the day it launched. The line was so long, that I then had to leg it to the Cosmo offices where I was interning with the beauty team at the time – true story.
As someone who can camouflage against whiteboards, it was the first foundation I had ever used where I didn’t have to mix the shade with lightening drops to ensure I didn’t resemble an orange cheese puff.
Its thorough shade range set the standard for beauty brands everywhere that diversity and inclusion weren’t optional, it was necessary. No matter what you think of the founder herself, you have to give credit where credit is due, and Rihanna did that.
My Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Foundation review
When I first read “soft matte”, I was dreading it. Did I still spend my money on it anyway? Hell yes. For someone with dry, sensitive rosacea-prone skin and an oily T-zone (I know, I really am a full bingo card for problematic skin), it’s a constant juggle trying to find a formula that makes all areas of my face happy. Somehow, this foundation did just that.
I’ve worn it to sweltering summer weddings, enduring music festivals, under a paintball mask (don’t ask) and in tropical 40-degree weather – and it hasn’t budged. Riri really wasn't messing around when she said 'Longwear Foundation'.
Full disclosure: I have dry skin, but I’m a very sweaty person, so it all mixes together to resemble a flustered appearance. If you have super dry skin, I’d definitely go in with a hydrating primer first (I do this in winter during colder months) to help create the perfect base. Otherwise, I was impressed with how well it didn’t cling to dry patches and just how full coverage, yet comfortable, it was to wear.
I’m certainly not the only one to go through bottles of the stuff, as it’s racked up an impressive 9,000 5* reviews on Sephora US alone. It’s safe to say, you should believe in the hype.
My Fenty Beauty Soft’Lit Naturally Luminous Foundation review
During my many years of being in an entanglement with this foundation, I’ve gone through oily breakout phases and found it covered my mini volcanos like a champ. One thing it is not though, is glowy (not that it even claims to be).
As I’ve grown older, dryer and questionably wiser, I’ve found I needed to up the wattage. I used to use a blob of my trusted Fenty and mix it in with a few stripes of Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter (£39) (AKA, my glowy genie in a bottle). However, Fenty have taken it upon themselves to fix my little conundrum and put it into one bottle. Say hi to their newest launch, the Fenty Beauty Soft’Lit Naturally Luminous Longwear Foundation (£30).
When I first heard about it (FYI, I have been wearing it for months to give it a real test drive), it sounded too good to be true. It claims to be oxidization-proof and reduce "the appearance of shine and gives a whole new kind of radiance. This is just-right, notch-above-natural luminosity in a bottle". Would it replace my beloved OG though? I put it through the biggest test I could think of: an all-day wedding – here's how it wore.
Like my holy grail, I applied this with a makeup sponge to get maximum coverage. It really is like mixing the original with a glow-booster and I was so impressed with how well it covered up my redness, without leaving my dry patches looking flaky. The first picture is just after I applied it at 7am and the second is my worn-out face at just gone midnight, with zero powder touch-ups, so I really did put it through the ringer.
Putting my frazzled appearance aside, it wore slightly around my nose but apart from that, I'd say the Soft’Lit Naturally Luminous Foundation does have the same long-wear powers as the Pro Filtr Soft Matte. The glow it delivers is flattering, rather than sweaty, so if you're on the oilier side, I'd say this is a great way to look glowy sans the grease.
Will it replace my holy grail foundation? Only time will tell (I'm currently being fickle and switching between the two), but I would say the new Soft’Lit Naturally Luminous Foundation is giving it a run for its money.
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