The sceptic in me is sometimes a little dubious about how real product reviews are*. Do these reviewers work for the company and been roped into upping product reviews or are they really just fabulous products purchasers want to shout about?
To really work out if the bestselling foundations are worth the bucks I’ve enlisted the help of well, myself to test and trial five of top bestselling foundations to really see what all the fuss is about.
I scrolled through many a beauty online retailers and tallied which foundations kept repeating in the top ten highest rated, bestselling foundations, to work out which foundations I would be putting to the test. I have to admit I wasn’t too surprised by my findings.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
Here it is, seemingly everyone’s favourite full coverage foundation, yet I’ve never actually got around to giving it a go and seeing what all the fuss is about. Surely all those raving reviews can’t be wrong .. can they?
My only worry was the extremely full coverage reputation of this foundation. I’m more of a light-medium coverage girl who still likes their foundation to resemble skin, but I’m going in with an open mind.
I’ll admit, I was gearing myself up to have a controversial view on this foundation. I was sure I wasn’t going to love the formula, assuming it would be a thicker consistency to live up to its full coverage status but, actually it surprised me. Long story short, this foundations is fabulous! I love it and I can see why so many others do too.
The Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation sells a full coverage dream but as it turns out, this foundation isn’t just for the full coverage lovers. It’s a buildable coverage with a little going a looong way. I only applied a small amount and ended up with the perfect coverage that still looked natural while evening my skin tone out beautifully.
The beauty of this foundation is if you want a more extreme coverage then you can have it. Just keep building until you’re skin looks just how you like it. I now know why so many people love this formula; well done Estee Lauder you’ve managed to make it on to the list of my all-time favourite foundations.
NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation
I wasn’t surprised to see the NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation up there again and again in the best-selling foundation category. I’ve personally used this foundation for years and it’s never let me down.
If you’re skin is on the dry side, then I’m sure you’ll love this formula just as much as me. It gives a medium but buildable coverage – still keeping your skin feeling hydrated while covering any problem areas and redness beautifully. It lasts wonderfully to the point that it’s still looking pretty flawless even when I’m stumbling to bed after a long night of dancing and drinking cocktails.
There’s not too much more to say about the NARS Radiant Foundation – It’s just fabulous. If you’re looking for a medium-full coverage foundation that illuminates the skin then I really do recommend you give it a go.
Huda Beauty #FAUXFILTER Luminous Matte Liquid Foundation
This is perhaps the foundation that surprised me the most. I know that since Huda Beauty made its way onto UK shores it’s been a well-regarded brand, but having not tried too many of their products myself I wasn’t aware of just how loved the foundation actually is.
Before even getting my hands on the foundation its Luminous Matte description threw me off slightly. How can a foundation be both luminous and matte? I’m not sure but, I’m pretty excited to find out…
Fast forward to the foundation being delivered and it turns out you really can have the best of both worlds. If you have combination skin and still long for a radiant makeup base, then this foundation may be your saving grace. It makes your skin look naturally bright while mattifying the oilier facial t-section.
When I say this foundation is full coverage, I mean its FULL coverage. I used the tiniest dollop and it covered up every blemish and freckle instantly. As I’ve previously discussed, I don’t tend to reach for full coverage myself, but I can definitely appreciate how good the Huda Beauty Luminous Matte foundation is at creating an airbrushed, flawless foundation base.
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin
This foundation may be new but it’s sure taken the makeup world by storm since it’s 2022 release. I was one of the many who rushed to buy this foundation when it was first released and even though it was a challenge to find my shade in stock, I managed to bag myself a decent colour match and give this new Charlotte Tilbury foundation a go. If you are lucky enough to stumble across your shade in stock then make sure you grab it while you can.
‘Beautiful Skin’ is a big claim to make but, honestly, I have to agree, my skin did look pretty beautiful after application even if I do say so myself. I looked naturally radiant and my skin appeared super healthy. This foundation is a light-medium coverage, so I would recommend it for those who are just looking for a subtle foundation base over anything too full beat.
It makes for fabulous day-to-day wear and feels super lightweight on the skin. I personally hate being able to feel the makeup on my face, so this foundation is perfect for me.
If I had to moan about this product in any way, it would have to be its ability to last. I have definitely worn more budge-proof formulas in my time but due the nature of more radiant, lightweight formulas it is often the case that they don’t last as long. Just keep in mind, if you’re looking for a foundation that will take you from the early AM right to the evening without having to top up, then you may want to reach for something a little more budge-proof.
Final Thoughts
So, are the top rated, bestselling foundations really worth it? I’d have to say, yes. This has honestly been one of the most positive foundation testing experience I have completed and now I have a heap of favourite foundations I can’t choose which to use .. I love my job!
Turns out that those foundations with the highest four-to-five-star reviews are actually winners after all, who knew? Of course, finding a foundation that you love will highly depend on how well it works with your skin type, so keep this in mind when searching for your foundation match.
