First thing to note is that it’s water-based and oil-free, meaning it won’t clog your pores. A little tip: Make sure that you’re using a water-based primer or a moisturizers, otherwise the product might separate. It also features optically-corrective powders, aimed to blur fine lines, redness, and blemishes. As for the ingredients, the 100% cruelty-free formula is enriched with high-grade skincare components, including vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, both of which will keep your skin nice and hydrated throughout the day (and as a dry skinned gal, this is music to my ears).
I found that, upon application, the Il Makiage foundation feels incredibly weightless and non-cakey. Seriously, not the slightest sign of caking whatsoever. The consistency is somewhere in between liquid and cream, which is definitely a win in my book. But most of all, I appreciated the buildable coverage: I love when I have the room to experiment, and having the option to go for a lighter base vs. full glam is a must. Personally, I found that one pump is more than enough for everyday wear, and if I was going for an out-out look, I would add a few extra pumps.
To be completely honest, going into this review, I was a teeny bit sceptical about the matte finish. As someone who has dry skin, I normally opt for foundations with a dewy and radiant finish so as to avoid getting those dreadful dry patches. But against all odds, I was impressed. Yes, it’s a bit more on the matte side, but it also helps your skin look super natural and not appear dry at all. If anything, it genuinely has that “your-skin-but-better” effect.
Shade matching
It wouldn’t exactly be an Il Makiage foundation review without discussing the virtual PowerMatch shade-matching quiz now, would it? In case you’re unfamiliar, it starts by asking you what your skin type is (dry, combination, oily skin and so on) and what sort of coverage and finish you’re looking for. The foundation match quiz then gets you to select pictures of your nearest skin tone.
Next, it will help you figure out your undertone by getting you to determine the color of the veins on your wrist, before asking whether you burn or tan easily, how you prep your skin and how often you wear makeup and gets you to select the brand of foundation you’re currently using before getting you to select any skin concerns that you may have. After all that (phew), the color match quiz finally shows you the perfect shade to purchase. See? I told you it was thorough.
To be honest, my initial reaction was also “ugh, seriously? This is so unnecessary; just let me eyeball it!” Not to worry, it actually only took a couple of minutes (if even). Although I wasn’t sure about the results, my mind was absolutely and wholeheartedly blown once I tried to swatch the product for the very first time. Speaking from experience, when it comes to complexion products, online shopping almost never results in a perfect match—always a few shades darker/lighter or more yellow/pink-ish than you’d prefer. Considering that the quiz only took a fraction of my time, the final result was so worth it.
