The Ordinary is HUGE right now!
Their amazingly skincare line is suuuuuperΒ affordable and gives you the results of a product 5 times the price. At Β£5.90, this is the cheapest foundation I’ve ever bought, so I thought I would test it out.
If you are someone who is conscious about the brands you use, The Ordinary does not test on animals and this foundation is vegan.Β It’s also worth mentioning that this product is also free of soy, gluten, oil, alcohol and nut free. SPF 15 is included. I’m not sure whether all of their products is free from all of these, but you can check on their website.
When I saw they had come out with two foundations (the Coverage and Serum foundations) I was a little sceptical, despite being a brand super fan. I’m not used to finding my shade in more affordable foundations and thought the shades wouldn’t be pale enough more my skin. There is a fairly wide shade and tone range for a foundation that is new to the market. According to their website, there are 3 numbered shade categories: 1 for fair to light tones, 2 for medium tones and 3 for darker tones. The second digit from 0-3 indicates the depth within each category. Then the letter indicates the undertone: P (Pink), R (Red), N (Neutral) and Y (Yellow).
It looks quite a bit darker than my skin tone here, and also pulls much warmer.
I bought the lightest shade there isΒ – 1.0 N (for very fair skin according to their website) it’s a pretty good match for my skin when blended in. In the picture above, it looks slightly darker/more orangeΒ than my ideal shade, but it’s certainly workable when used with lighter concealers. It does howeverΒ pull much warmer than I would expect from a ‘neutral’ shade, but for me that’s no issue as I like more yellow foundations to balance out the redness in my skin. I wouldn’t necessarilyΒ say this foundation is for those with ‘very fair skin’. I am certainly not paper white and this is darker than my ideal shade, so there is room to expand the shade range to fit paler people.
Despite it being the more full coverage of the two foundations (the other being the Serum foundation which is a light coverage), it’s not what I would call ‘full coverage’ at all. It’s more of a medium/buildable coverage that gives you a ‘your skin but better‘ kind of look. To get the most coverage out of it, blending in with a brush was better than with a sponge. A sponge gave a more natural coverage, which was more similar to the Serum foundation. I set this with powder and went on my merry way.
Certain products I would usually use didn’t work with this foundation. I love to use the Fenty Beauty Match Stix in Trippin’ for blush, but this just took the foundation straight off my cheek, even though I don’t apply the stick straight to the skin. I warm up the product first, and then apply it with my fingers, starting at the apple and moving it backwards towards the ear. So keep it to powder products when using this.
This foundation is definitely dry skin friendly. I have been struggling with a few dry patches around my mouth, which it didn’t highlight, and it didn’t look super dry when powder was applied.
Β Β Β Β Β In a rush to leave the house but skin is looking good xo
If you’re going to have a fairly lazy day, then this foundation will stay pretty well. However, if you plan on being a bit more active, it will break down. I’ve tested this for aboutΒ two weeks, and it will be one of the foundations I wear regularly. However,Β I’m really not sure how great this is for long wear. I’ve worn this to work (at least 12 hours of wear)Β and the break up around my mouth is pretty bad. I walk to and from the station and get a really hot tube to work and it does break down when you get a little bit sweaty. I was basically wearing no foundation between my nose and mouth by 10am. I’m not really someone who brings their make upΒ bag wherever they go, but I do touch up my face with a concealer pen throughout the day if it’s looking a bitΒ sad. IΒ had to touch it up every time I wear it or else I look likeΒ I have a little red moustache.Β It is important to emphasise that it was only between my nose and mouth where I noticed breakdown. My cheeks and forehead stayed perfect throughout the day, which is a major plus. Also, I’ve tested my commute out on my more expensive foundations too and my Nars Sheer Glow and Charlotte Tilbury Magic foundation haven’t survived it either. So really, the fact that it breaks down is totally normal.
I’m not going to stop wearing this foundation because of the break down. It’s a great price and gives a lovely dewy finish.Β For the price that it’s at, you really can’t go wrong.Β I’d much rather wear a cheaper foundation for my day-to-day make up and save my nicer, more expensive foundations for best or when I’m not sweating it out on the tube. If they have your shade, I’d definitely give this a go. For Β£5.90, why wouldn’t you!? Good luck finding it though, it’s sold out eeeverywhere. If you can, get yourself to a Deceim store (I got mine from the Spitalfields store in London) and you can get colour matched there. If you’re feeling brave enough to guess your shade, check out ASOS, Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay or go straight to theordinary.com.
Have you tried this foundation? Let me know your thoughts!
Xo
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