My opening post for September was a foundation review (the All Hours from YSL), let me close the month with another from the budget world. There's no denying that launching The Ordinary was a little touch of genius from Deciem. Now they not only offer no-frills, no-nonsense, active ingredient-led skin care for a low price but they have ventured into the world of colour cosmetics with two foundations: the Serum with light coverage, dewy finish and the Coverage with high coverage, satin finish. This is not a new launch by any means, the reason for my belated review is the insane amount of interest in the foundations. The beauty industry and beauty junkies all over the world collectively went bananas over the launch and created waiting lists with tens of thousands of names. My shade (1.2N) hasn't been available for months on end, it still isn't actually but I thought it is high time to review it. I was mainly drawn by the sound of the Coverage Foundation so I went with a slightly darker shade, 2N just to see how it works.
The foundations come in 21 shades and in different undertones (P -pink, R-red, Y- yellow, N-neutral and some shades have S-silver or G-gold highlights in them for a more luminous effect). Wayne Goss has done a great video reviewing them and he attached a chart of Mac foundation shades with the corresponding The Ordinary shades. This is a great reference point when you order online but if it's accessible for you can pop into the London store in Covent Garden to find your shade.
Coverage claims to be an affordable foundation with a high-end formulation, this sounds incredibly exciting so let's see how it performs.
Please note that I have normal to combination skin with a typical t-zone oiliness.
The promise: "Coverage Foundations are full-coverage formulations available in a comprehensive shade range across 21 shades. These foundations contain higher pigment levels than our Serum Foundations but still offer a smooth finish that avoids the heavy makeup look that can make skin appear more aged. The texture is that of a lightweight, non-oily cream.The pigments used in these formulations are treated for a rich, highly-saturated effect. These pigments are suspended in our proprietary spreadability system that allows pigments to look natural on the skin, resist collecting within fine lines and stay on for longer. The foundations offer a semi-matte finish and are compatible with most primers and are designed to work exceptionally well with the primers offering from The Ordinary".
The Packaging: Paired-down, minimalist bottle typical for The Ordinary and it comes with a pump! Hurrah! The reason why I'm glad about this is that I have to admit I am still hurt by the fact that the Double Wear Water Fresh Foundation from Estee Lauder doesn't come with a pump.
Who is it for? I can see this could work on all other skin types, the key is good preparation
Coverage: medium, buildable
Finish: satin, natural
Longevity: up to 6 hours without touching up, longer with a quick blot and a bit of powder, even longer with a primer underneath.
Fragrance: none
Sun protection: SPF15, not a chemical sunscreen but physical, achieved by using Titanium Dioxide. No nano-particles are used in creating this sun protection which is quite unique when it comes to foundations. If you are outside the EU you will notice that despite getting the same product you won't see the SPF15 claim just because regulations are very different in other countries.
How it worked: On application (I have found a damp sponge or fingers worked best)it felt smooth, creamy, moisturizing, light-weight, it blended in beautifully. A little goes a long way so you don't have to dab it on the skin for hours to achive a decent finish. During the day it lasted pretty well, wore off a little within 5 hours but this is not claiming to be Double Wear so it's absolutely fine. I tried wearing it with and without a primer and I can say it lasts much better with a primer. During the day I had to touch up at around the 5-hour mark but a quick blot and a swoosh of powder later it was as good as new and was ready for the next few hours of wear. At the end of the day using a cream cleanser was enough to completely remove it.
Before and after:
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| Before foundation After foundation |
Suffice to say, if you prep well, this is a pretty impressive foundation for the price point. I will definitely order the lighter shade for the winter, all I have left to do is find a good SPF day cream to use underneath because let's face it, SPF15 is very little sun protection even during winter time. The Ordinary is planning to introduce individual enhancers to the existing foundation shades so you can customize all shades to your own individual needs. I cannot wait to experiment with them!
The Coverage Foundation is alcohol-free, oil-free, nut-free, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, cruelty-free.
Value for money: Excellent! You get a decent 30ml for £5.90.
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