Today I'm coming at you with a good ol' foundation review, and throwing my thoughts on a primer in for good measure too! I'm reviewing The Ordinary Coverage Foundation and High-Adherence Silicone Primer. The Ordinary's foundations (Coverage and Serum) were subject to a lot of hype not too long ago. Do you remember that long-ass waitlist? I think that in and of itself created a lot of hype, but was probably due to the fact that they couldn't keep up with the demand! Both of their foundation offerings have been touted as incredible bases for such a low cost! Since the initial rave reviews, I've been seeing some mixed and negative ones - particularly of the Coverage Foundation so here I am to give you guys my own take!
I'll start out with the primer, which is packaged in a simple tube. Part of The Ordinary's whole spiel (along with using scientific, proven ingredients) is that they keep their costs low by having basic packaging and marketing. I really like their packaging - it is very basic but it's got a cute minimal vibe and is still highly functional. The primer comes in at a cool $8.80 (aud) though you can get it cheaper in different places - I purchased my bits from Victoria Health, a UK site that ends up a good bit cheaper than Aus suppliers.
As the name suggests, this is very much a silicone based primer that claims to mattify, hydrate and blur the skin, as well as help makeup adhere better. Despite it's silicone base, it doesn't have the typical silicone texture that I associate with pore fillers. It is more of a lightweight gel-cream consistency that has a smoothing, slightly satin-matte feel. I feel comfortable using this all over the face (you don't need much), as opposed to typical silicone primers that I relegate to porous areas of my face. This primer reminds me a lot of the Max Factor Face Finity primer which is one of my favourites. They have a similar texture and feeling (MF is a little more matte feeling I'd say), and both slightly mattify, slightly blur and prolong the wear of makeup. I would say that MF is slightly more effective in longevity but there's not a huge difference! When using the High-Adherence Silicone Primer, foundation glides on easily and looks pretty good, but most importantly it does last better and longer. I don't have as much oil coming through at the end of the day (though there is still some) and foundation stays in tact better - there's no patchiness or weird gathering.
Again, to mention the packaging - I really like it! It is very compact - yet still contains the typical 30mL of product. Its lightweight plastic bottle and lockable pump make it great for travelling. This foundation rings up at a low $12.90aud (though I only paid ~$9!) which is its main selling point. When a foundation is that affordable, you can usually forgive minor flaws because "it's so cheap!". Thankfully though..I didn't find many (if any) flaws with this foundation which makes it all the more a steal!
The texture of this foundation is a light, but thick liquid - it won't run down your hand. I find initial application of this foundation to be amazing. It glides on so easily with a brush and really blends into the skin with little effort. The Coverage Foundation is supposedly full coverage which I would disagree with. I would say it's a good medium, but definitely builds to full. I find a small amount goes quite a long way and I have a good amount of coverage for everyday wear. The finish is a satin in my opinion, not matte but does have a slight natural sheen to it. In terms of application, coverage and finish, I honestly have no complaints!
I have seen a couple of reviews now (Tati and Sharon - I'm sure there are more) that have criticised its wear time. On both of them, oil came through easily and they just ended up really shiny. Now, I have oily skin myself and I rarely ever go without a primer and powder - I just know I'll be greasy by the end of the day so I take the extra step to avoid having to touch up later. For me, over either The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer or the Max Factor Face Finity Primer, and set with any face powder, the Coverage Foundation holds up excellently. In fact, it holds up better than most of my foundations. Oil does obviously come through throughout the day, but it's a bearable amount that I often like to give me more of a dewiness. I would say by the end of an 8 hour day, I am definitely shiny - but still a bearable amount (for me). At that point I could do with a blot, but often I'm lazy and I'm typically okay with it. I know everyone's skin is different - and obviously it depends on what other products you are using, but for me this slots into my usual routine easily and has become an amazing foundation for days I want slightly more coverage than light and that I know will last me through the day. This should suit most skin types - I don't find the satin finish to feel or look at all dry, so I can't see dry skins having major issues with it (but that's just me speculating!). From what it looks like, drier skins tend to prefer the Serum Foundation which has less coverage and is more dewy.
Ultimately, I'm a big fan of both of these products. The primer is really solid and great for the price - not the greatest primer ever, but a great affordable everyday option. I really like the foundation and honestly can't see anything I dislike about it. It's definitely in my top 3 current favourite foundations! Given the mixed reviews (and no access to samples here in Aus), it is a bit of a gamble to try it out, but at that price - it's worth the risk!
S H O P T H E P O S T >>
No comments:
Post a Comment