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Let’s talk foundations for a minute here. We’re all constantly on the hunt for the perfect one.
Believe me, I know. I’ve tried dozens of foundations, and while many are good, there is always one bitty detail that overshadows all the positives.
If you follow me on Instagram, (if you don’t, you totally should –> Follow @themmaven here,) you may recognize this particular foundation.
The Too Faced Born This Way Foundation made a glowing appearance sometime around November of last year. At the time, I had worn it about three times and decided it was my new favorite. It was a premature judgement, for sure.
Now, after wearing the foundation for close to nine months, I can confidently say that I know just about everything there is to know about how this foundation performs, and who it will work best for.
So if you are in need of a new foundation, and are considering if Born This Way is the one for you, then click through to read the full review!
Born This Way is widely available, and so is the price point
First things first. Unlike some other foundations, Too Faced Born This Way is very easy to come by. Stop by any Sephora or Ulta, not to mention numerous websites, and it’ll be right there waiting for you.
Too Faced Born This Way is priced competitively at $39.00 for 1 fl. oz (30 mL) of product. $39 is a popular price for foundation according to Sephora’s website, and most fall in the $37 to $45 range. While this isn’t cheap, it is a fair price.
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation >> Purchase at Sephora
Shade range is recently improved & is relatively comprehensive
You might have noticed something funky when you examined the shade range in the past. Up until a few months ago, Too Faced basically offered 12 shades of beige in the collection. The lightest shade was not light enough, and the deepest shade was not deep enough. Recently, Too Faced released six new shades, included two lighter colors and four deeper colors.
Now, I think most people should be able to find a shade that works, as there is a variety of different undertones within each range. If your skin tone is within the light to medium range like mine is, then you are especially in luck! This mid-range of colors is easily the most comprehensive, and so someone in this range should be able to find a near perfect match.
For me, this is a major plus. Sometimes it’s difficult with my very yellow-undertones skin to find just the right shade. That isn’t a problem here. As you can see in the photo below, the shade match is absolutely perfect, and it is definitely my best shade match out of all my other foundations.
Packaging is beautiful and functional for at-home use
The product is packaged in a pretty, frosted glass bottle. It feels smooth and velvety to the touch. The labels are kept to a minimum, and are printed on the bottle in a gold-leaf style. The overall look is clean and elegant; something you’d like to display on your vanity.
The pump has a nice, smooth feel to it, and the spring works well giving you total control over how much product is dispensed. If all you want is half of a pump, it’s easy to achieve with this pump.
The product isn’t necessarily bad for on-the-go usage, but some drawbacks do exist. The frosted glass, while beautiful, is quite heavy, which will add unnecessary weight to your bag. Also, glass is fragile. But I’m sure you already knew that. On the plus side, the lid snaps on securely, so if you decide to take this traveling, a makeup bag disaster resulting from the lid running away is unlikely.
A smooth formula with no concerning ingredients
I would say this product has a medium viscosity. When applied to the back of your hand, the product runs slightly, but it is thick enough that it’s easily managed without making a total mess. It’s what you’d expect from an average foundation- not too thick, and not too thin.
Too Faced claims that Born This Way is oil free, and is also free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. Of course, the less harmful ingredients, the better. However, I did notice that the ingredient list includes alcohol, albeit rather low on the list. If you like to avoid alcohol in your foundations, then this may not be for you.
The scent is very mild, and is not at all offensive. The lightly perfume-y scent is noticeable when you first pump the product and apply it to your face, but it doesn’t linger. Unless you are extremely sensitive to scents, this one likely won’t bother you.
Application method and tools make a difference with Born This Way
When testing the product, I skipped primer because I really wanted to see how the foundation would hold up against my combo-oily skin.
I applied the product on the left half of my face using a dense foundation buffing brush. I did the right half of my face with a Beauty Blender.
Using the brush gave me a much more natural finish, without diminishing the coverage. It smoothed the product over my pores and concealed them, while keeping the product out of any fine lines.
Beauty Blender Original >> Purchase at Sephora
E.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush >> Purchase at Elfcosmetics.com
Formula is finicky and sometimes difficult to work with
The formula is inherently thick and full-coverage, so it can be prone to looking cakey. On the Beauty Blender side, my pores are pretty visible, (remember, I’m not wearing primer,) and so are some fine lines I didn’t know I had. The Beauty Blender applies a more concentrated dose of pigment in any given spot than the brush does, which causes the product to build up and look cakey.
Even with the brush, I found that I needed to be careful not to add too much product to avoid caking up. Though once the product dries, adding another layer to boost coverage works well.
Instead of using a Beauty Blender to achieve full coverage on the first pass, try using a brush to blend the product on in light layers until you get to the coverage you want. I promise, it will look much better this way.
The finish is flawless, though it looks like makeup
There is no doubt about this being a full coverage foundation, and it performs that way no matter what you do. This can be a good thing and a bad thing.
Even when applying a light layer, you still end up with a good medium coverage. For me, this is enough for average days. When applied like this, the foundation looks pretty natural on the skin. It also doesn’t stick to dry patches, or fall into pores or wrinkles. (Assuming it is applied with a brush, as mentioned above.)
After building up a second layer, the skin looks all the more flawless, though the makeup is no longer as invisible as it was with only one layer. You can’t really expect a full coverage foundation to not look like makeup, so I can’t fault Too Faced for this, but it is something to note. Though, this is still one of the most natural looking full coverage foundations I have ever worn.
The foundation holds up well against my oily skin
I check in periodically over the course of the day and evaluate for touchups. With Born This Way, I find that I can go about six hours (without primer) before my face oils begin taking over. That in itself if a pretty great amount of time, but for me, the real benefit is in how the product holds up after touchups.
Most of the time, touchups mean the beginning of the end for my makeup. Once I reach the point of needing a touchup, the makeup is usually deteriorating beyond repair. Blotting oil and adding powder slows the process for a short while, but it makes the finish look worse in the end. However, I find that even after touchups, the Born This Way foundation does not look any more cakey than it did to begin with.
Also, this foundation is very resistant to breaking up on my oily skin, which is one of the biggest issues that causes me to have to remove foundations prematurely. After leaving the product on for 10 hours with no touchups, I was shiny, but the coverage was still there. I’ve never had any separation or cracking resulting from oil on my face, which is very rare for me.
It’s not an everyday foundation, at least for me
This is a great foundation. It covers imperfections very well, it is long lasting, and it takes a stand against oil. All these things are great, but it’s just not necessary for me for every day. I’ve had this bottle for around nine months now, and I am barely 1/4 of the way through it since I wear it so sparingly.
Will I repurchase? I’m not sure. I do like having a full coverage foundation around for special occasions, but by the time I finish this, I’ll likely have another foundation in mind to try. If I don’t repurchase, it will have nothing to do with the quality of the product, but rather the swiftness of the makeup industry. Like I said, I think it’s fantastic.
Fast summary: Born This Way is a great foundation best for those who like long wearing full-coverage, and have combo to oily skin.
If you fit any of these criteria, I definitely recommend you check this one out. Try it, and let me know what you think!
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation >> Purchase at Sephora
That’s all for today!
Liked this post? Check out this one –> Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Review.
If you found this post interesting, informative, or just plain entertaining, tell me about it in the comments below. And don’t forget, sharing is caring. Share this post!
Till next time. ♥︎
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FTC- This post is not sponsored by any brands mentioned. I purchase all products myself. All opinions are my own. Some links may be affiliated.
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