Our Honest Reviews Of The Latest Foundations To Hit Sephora

1. Nudestix Tinted Cover foundation, $52
2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation, $68
3. Tarte Babassu Foundcealer multi-tasking foundation SPF 20, $60
4. Stila Hide & Chic Fluid Foundation, $56
5. Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation, $100
6. Zoeva Authentik Skin Natural Luminous Foundation, $42
7. Kat Von D Beauty Lock-it Powder Foundation, $55

1. A Dewy Finish

We keep hearing about “lit-from-within” and “dewy glow” — but what do they mean? You may think about this in two ways. One, a hydrating formula that keeps makeup fresh for longer and your skin plump, so more of your healthy skin shines through; or two, something that evens out your skin tone, often with pigments that reflect the optimal amount of light so your skin’s less sweaty and more naturally luminous. The second one’s harder to perfect, but when it does work, that buoyant feeling of good skin can keep you confident for days.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation, $68

3 / 5

ADELE CHAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“I was expecting a shiny finish considering this has “luminous” in its name and nothing else, but it didn’t glow as much as I anticipated — which is good (whenever a foundation starts out “glowing” when I apply it, it usually ends up an oily mess by 4pm). The glide on is nice and smooth, and the product sinks in and disappears into skin quickly. The texture is definitely buildable but coverage is truly medium, as the box says; even several layers of foundation can’t do the job of a cream concealer. Anyway, I’m not expecting a foundation to cover flaws, just even out the skin tone and texture, which this one does. I was a bit worried this wouldn’t last the day, and the final finish when I’m done isn’t an “airbrushed” look if that’s what you’re looking for; but at around 4pm, my skin had just a little shine on the cheeks area, but otherwise still looked as fresh as the morning. The box also claims the formula is vegan, gluten-free, suitable for sensitive skin and has “no flashback” (doesn’t shine when camera flash hits the surface of skin). Bonus points for it having completely no fragrance. I’d recommend this if you need a foundation with a very “clean” formula that will unlikely cause a reaction for those with sensitive skin.” 

AMELIA TAN, DEPUTY EDITOR

“After a full week of trying foundations — and switching them up everyday — I’m now accustomed to point out the most minor differences, which is why I felt that the Anastasia Beverly Hills foundation was… alright. In the words from Chernobyl: not great, not terrible. First, the good news: it’s medium-coverage and blends out smoothly, very buildable too, so for those who like more coverage, this one’s a good pick. However, I’m not one of those people. Compared to the rest, this wasn’t very lightweight; the formula felt more viscous, and I noted a distinct compact smell. The finish is decent — giving off a natural radiance while still matte enough to blur imperfections and mask unevenness or shine. One of its best features though, has to be the vegan formula and its wide shade range (50 in total), so you’re bound to find something that suits you.”

SHAZRINA SHAMSUDIN, WRITER

“Otherwise known as one of the few cult beauty brands that I swear by, you can imagine how high my expectations were when it came to trying this new product. High coverage? Check. Great staying power? Check. But besides that, sadly, the foundation actually came off a little patchy when applied with a foundation brush. Of course, with such a staying power (and a thick consistency — with an almost paste like texture), it’s understandable why it stands up to the job. But if you were to ask if it was a good foundation? It’s pretty basic — it’s what you’d expect from any other foundation, but it’s definitely not the best.”

Zoeva Authentik Skin Natural Luminous Foundation, $42

4.5 / 5

AMELIA TAN, DEPUTY EDITOR

“Call me impressed! I definitely didn’t expect this to do as well as it did — but it outperformed its looks, alright (my only minor gripe is the drugstore-looking bottle and dispenser). That said, it’s what’s inside that counts. This formula blended out beautifully and seamlessly, felt lightweight, yet managed to even out my complexion for a natural, skin-like finish. Dewy and luminous, just so, and not obvious. Fresh. That effortless finish — especially impressive since it’s a medium-coverage foundation. Even at the Sephora counter, when this got blended into my skin, it all but disappeared. As for how well it fared at the end of the day, I’d say, better than usual. The formula controls shine well, even without any setting spray or powder, and still looks enviously dewy past the first part of the day. I haven’t even got to the best part — the day I wore it, I got an unsolicited compliment by a (kind) friend who said my skin looked amazing. So yes, it ain’t just me!”

SHAZRINA SHAMSUDIN, WRITER

“Hands down, one of my favourite foundations I’ve used so far.
ZOEVA never came across to me as a brand that would do well when it comes to foundations — yes, I may be a little quick to judge but I’m pretty fond of sticking to my HGs — but boy, was I pleasantly surprised with this one. Good coverage, an amazing satin matte finish and it stays on so well throughout the day — what more could you ask for? This underrated foundation surely deserves the attention. In fact, I’m considering getting one of my own once I’m done with my current bottle.”

2. Weightless & Breathable

Foundation’s meant to cover right? Yes, and no. The best ones do that without attracting attention to itself — kinda like the most effortlessly chic friend you know — and these give just the right amount of coverage while not feeling like you have anything on. It’s good if you’re not a fan of too much product on your face, so your skin can “breathe”, or for that no-makeup-makeup-look. People just starting out on makeup would love these too.

Nudestix Tinted Cover Foundation, $52

3.5 / 5

ADELE CHAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“This is a super light and sheer foundation; it has a gel texture that disappears when swiped over skin. First you see it, then you don’t — it’s like I’m not wearing any foundation at all. Even layering it on doesn’t increase the coverage, so this is really a product for good skin — meaning no breakouts. If you just want a hint of coverage on your face, this tinted foundation actually has pretty decent ingredients in its formula: including lavender oil, aloe, Camellia Japonica flower extract, tea tree leaf extract, peppermint extract, rosemary extract, grape fruit extract, coffee seed extract and other plant extracts. I’m actually surprised by the formula considering this looks, feels, and almost smells like… nothing (even though lavender is high up on the ingredients list, the scent of it is very faint). Note that a lot of people are allergic to essential oils and there are a lot in this formula. Patch test first.”

AMELIA TAN, DEPUTY EDITOR

“The most lightweight of the bunch, it’s so lightweight I forgot I even had it on. To be fair, this one’s more of a skin tint than a foundation, so I’m going to review it as such. The formula’s weightless and sheer, and evens out the skin very naturally with a slight brightening effect; yet, is buildable and doesn’t cake on parts that need more coverage, say, around the nose or on minute blemishes. That said, you’ll either have to be confident in your own skin, or have decent skin to begin with — Nudestix is going more for an invisible, breathable formula than high-pigmented or long-lasting coverage, achieved by “lightweight minerals that blend with your skin tone rather than mask it”. Good to note: natural active ingredients care for your skin and protect against environmental skin ageing too. I’d be happy to use this on weekends or beach holidays.”

Stila Hide & Chic Fluid Foundation, $56

4 / 5

AMELIA TAN, DEPUTY EDITOR

“A good contender for the throne best of the lot, Stila’s liquid foundation was one of the better ones we tried, and stands out for being more lightweight than the rest. In fact, I’d go on to say, weightless. I was surprised to later on read that this one’s touted as a full coverage foundation! The formula dispensed thin, but manages to cover up well. I like how it looks on the skin too — it smoothed and blurred my complexion for a satin finish, presenting a soft-focus effect that’s as good as an Instagram filter. And yes, this filtered look lasted most of day. As for that unusual ‘shake-to-activate’ formula, it’s probably to unleash its serum-infused properties; a Plant Collagen Extract plumps skin and improves its elasticity, so right on track with the good-for-you makeup trend then. Good stuff.”

ADELE CHAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“Before trying this foundation, I read its description on the Sephora website and Sephora paints it out to be… how shall I say this… the perfect foundation. It claims all the usual benefits of a good foundation — long-wearing, healthier-looking skin, more even-toned complexion, smooth, breathable, etc. etc. — but what stood out to me in the description is that it’s humidity-proof (so necessary in Singapore) and comes in 30 shades. My first impression after smoothing it across my forehead — it has that “blurring” effect. And true enough, it made the pores on my cheeks “disappear”. I don’t understand the box’s instruction to “Shake to activate”; I understand the need to shake liquid foundation before dispensing it, but to “activate” it? Anyhow, this is an overall decent liquid foundation with a decent list of ingredients in its formula (Baobab Seed Extract, Irish Sea Moss, Plant Collagen Extract), and that offers decent coverage (slightly more than medium). Decent.” 

Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation, $100

2.5 / 5

SHAZRINA SHAMSUDIN, WRITER

“When I first heard that Pat McGrath was launching their new Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation, I was absolutely psyched! Everyone was raving about how amazing Pat McGrath’s products were and obviously, with so much hype around the brand (and especially for the price that you’re paying for each product), you’d expect a few beauty staples that people do actually swear by. But sadly, this wasn’t one of them.

In my opinion, this foundation was one of the most lightweight options amongst the other foundations that I’ve tried — which of course, isn’t a bad thing because it doesn’t feel heavy on my skin. On top of that, I really liked how it gave my skin this three-dimensional finish when I first applied it, it felt like I was using one of those superficial face filters on Instagram.

But after a few hours of wear, I felt like it didn’t stay on my skin as long as I thought it would. Basically, it felt like it was sliding off of my face and it would stain my top if I took off/put on any piece of clothing. So was it worth the hype? Not really. But if you’re really curious of how it will look like, then I’d much recommend for you to do a patch test before investing in one.”

ADELE CHAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“I couldn’t help myself and read the reviews on Sephora’s website before trying this — and they are polarising. Users either rate this 5 out of 5 stars and call this their holy grail liquid foundation, or it gets 1 star with claims that it seperates on the skin and becomes super shiny after only two hours. What everyone can agree on is that the bottle is beautiful… and I’m glad there’s only a simple box packaging that it comes in (unlike other makeup from this brand that has excessive, unnecessary packaging that includes ziplock bags and sequins).

First impressions: the texture is very runny; really like a liquid and not creamy at all. I applied it to the back of the hand and used a brush over the face — one and a half pumps covered the entire face with one coat. The finish is sheer and I found myself using a bit more concealer than usual. Once the product settles down on the skin, it really does feel like there’s nothing there at all; but my complexion does appear more even toned and smoother. I do like this product but I won’t gush about it; it looks nice on my skin but I can imagine this sheer and runny formula won’t work for everyone.

Price doesn’t seem to deter fans of the brand though; this foundation only recently launched and the lighter shades are already sold out on Sephora’s website. And it’s easy to see why — again, just look at the beautiful bottle. Out of all the foundations I reviewed here, I’d keep this one because of the pretty bottle.

UPDATE: This foundation lasted just two hours on my face — and I was in office that entire time. There was no lasting power at all for me; so if you insist on parting with $100 for this beautiful bottle, hopefully it’ll last longer for you.”

AMELIA TAN, DEPUTY EDITOR

“Being the most pricey of the lot, and with this luxe of a bottle design, I expect top quality. This dispensed very fluid, which was nice since it should blend well — however, the first time I used my fingers to spread it all over my face, it became rather patchy. Still, after going in with a brush, I saw it for what it was: an impressive formula that glides smoothly, truly like silk, sheer and weightless. It managed to even out my complexion quite nicely, you won’t even notice the foundation at all! I would think it’s good for those who’d like to even out fine lines and wrinkles too. However, I’m not a fan of the matte finish — it’s not as dewy as I like — while I have to say, this one did not last. It starts to transfer on areas like the forehead and around the nose, and looks more oily, less fresh, even after a couple of hours. Overall, great for its blending prowess and lightweight coverage, not too great on its lasting power, which is too bad for such an anticipated launch!”

3. Skincare-Infused

Oddly enough, this trend caters to both the savvy perfectionists who demand the best of their makeup, and the more lazy demographic (no shame!) who want their beauty items to do everything for them. Enter, the multi-tasking foundation — both complexion makeup and skincare, with ingredients that’ll look after your skin, nourish it and keep it healthy, while giving you the coverage you need.

Tarte Babassu Foundcealer Multi-Tasking Foundation SPF 20, $60

2 / 5

ADELE CHAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“When I received this bottle, I was divided about the name — Foundcealer. It implies that this is thick, high coverage foundation, so high it can be a concealer as well. And I wasn’t so sure about using concealer all over my face. Is this going to be a thick, cakey mess? Name aside, right off the bat this product does a few things right: it’s presented in a twist and dispense hygienic pump bottle, the bottle is clear so you can see your product (who doesn’t love that?), the pump gives incredible dispense control — I can pump out as little of the foundation as I want, and finally, the actual foundation comes out surprisingly smooth, like a serum (I was expecting a much richer, creamier texture). 

And that’s where my nice comments end.

For a $60 foundation, I didn’t love it — I’ve tried better, cheaper ones. The application did not give me the smooth and even finish I’m always after with any liquid foundation; it didn’t “brighten” my complexion or offer any proper level of matte-ness or radiance. Overall, I’m also confused by the “cealer” in its name, because the coverage was medium and definitely did not conceal flaws like a small breakout and sun spots. Buy if you LOVE this brand because it’s vegan and what they call “plant-powered”. Having said that, the Anastasia foundation is vegan too — go for that instead.” 

AMELIA TAN, DEPUTY EDITOR

“I liked this… at first. The medium-coverage blend went over my blemishes without a hitch, and blended smoothly to match my exact skin tone. The way it evened out my complexion made it a natural fit! However, this definitely wasn’t as lightweight as the rest. I can’t say this is the most long-lasting formula too — it definitely doesn’t look half as fresh as when I started out, which makes for a middle-of-the-pack rating. The part that might interest you is its hybrid formula though — nourishing superbalm babassu, antioxidants, and other skincare ingredients help hydrate and plump the skin so you won’t have to worry whether your moisturiser’s doing enough work, or if your skin’s going to dry out. While that serum-infused factor is very enticing, it might not be enough to sway me.”

SHAZRINA SHAMSUDIN, WRITER

“One thing that I like about this foundation is the fact that it’s formulated with SPF — and by now, you should know how we’re big about sun protection. But that’s not all. Although it’s stated to give a natural finish upon application, this foundation actually gave me really good coverage. The setback: with high coverage, you’ll tend to expect a foundation with a very thick consistency and this Tarte foundation was one of them. It didn’t really blend in well when I was applying it with my foundation brush — that left some stroke marks on my face — so I’d definitely recommend using a damp beautyblender to buff it into the skin.”

4. Long-Lasting Formulas

This one’s less of a trend than an evergreen expectation — we want our base makeup to last as long as possible, and beauty brands are always out to improve on the amount of hours their foundations will last, while still retaining their high-performance abilities. Something that doesn’t fade, wear off, or oxidise, that’ll last from day to night.

Kat Von D Beauty Lock-it Powder Foundation, $55

3.5 / 5

AMELIA TAN, DEPUTY EDITOR

“I have to make a disclaimer: I’m not a fan of powder foundations, and neither is anyone I know really. A Sephora Beauty Advisor mentioned that most people under the age of 35 also go for liquid foundations. That said, I do see the appeal of this Kat Von D compact. The powder is completely weightless, and when lightly brushed over my t-zone, worked instantly to get on the shine, without looking like there was anything on my skin. No caking, no creasing, nothing! Very subtle. Even better? It’s budge-proof and sweat-proof coverage that lasts around the clock. I’m quite surprised at how well it manages to cover imperfections — granted, you’d still want a concealer underneath, but a combination of rice powder extract and kaolin helps for a diffused matte finish. I still feel like this would be more suitable for oily complexions, and those who’d like a matte finish, which is why it’s so important to approach a Beauty Advisor so they’ll know your skincare concerns.”

SHAZRINA SHAMSUDIN, WRITER

“I’ll be honest: I’ve always considered myself to be pro-liquid foundation and less of an avid fan of powders. Sure, I love myself a matte look every now and then but I’ve always found liquid foundations to be the best products to go for when it comes to achieving a seamless matte base. While it may not give you the best natural-looking coverage, this powder’s approach to concealing imperfections does live up to my expectations. Best applied with a sponge, the powder doesn’t look patchy on the skin and gives an ultra matte finish that will last you a few hours before your next touch up.”