Full coverage foundation is like marmite, you either love it or hate it, but sometimes it can be an absolute blessing.
Take for example, if you’re attending an all day event like the Grand National next weekend, you’re going to want to find a good strong foundation. It can be a long day at the races, and with unpredictable British weather you never quite know how long your makeup will stay intact.
Finding the perfect balance between a good strong foundation that doesn’t feel or look cakey is difficult, and it’s a challenge I’ve been faced with many times. Especially when it comes to a big event, you want to make sure your skin looks flawless as the hours pass.
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When I think of ‘full coverage foundation’ I immediately go back to the old classic of Estée Lauder double wear , but priced at almost £30 on LookFantastic, it’s a little steep for a foundation. So, I decided to test four other foundations and compare them to my holy grail product to see if price really matters.
Round 1 - Maybelline Superstay Active Wear Full Coverage 30H Liquid
I’m a big fan of Maybelline, so I was really intrigued to try this foundation considering it’s supposed to last for ‘30 hours.’ Described as leaving a ‘smooth and even natural-looking base’ the foundation is said to conceal the look of ‘imperfections’.
Suitable for all skin types, the full coverage foundation claims to be ‘water-resistant, transfer-resistant, sweat-resistant and oil-free’ which is perfect for a day like the races. I pumped the product onto my fingers and was pretty shocked at how thick it was.
I was worried that because it was so thick it wouldn’t blend properly, or collect on my face, but it actually blended perfectly with my beauty blender. However, after wearing it for a few hours and topping it up with powder, it did become patchy.
It’s such a shame because if we’re basing this off first impressions this foundation was amazing, but as time went on, it stuck to my fine lines and dry skin on my face and made me feel a bit self conscious (however, that doesn’t bother everyone!)
Purchase the foundation here.
Price: 10.99
Rating: 3/5
Round 2 - Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup 30ml
This is such a popular foundation and when I was younger I used it religiously, but I’d pretty much forgotten how it looked and what it felt like. Nevertheless, I used this foundation last weekend because I had a wedding to go to and wanted to make sure my foundation lasted.
Let’s just say, I slightly regretted it. At first, the foundation looked absolutely flawless and amazing, but it seems to be the topping up of powder that completely ruined it.
Because the product was so thick, I couldn’t go over it with anything extra without it collecting and layering under my eye. It began to cling to my dry skin around the nose and cling to my fine lines.
So, if you want perfect coverage for a few hours without needing to top it up, this foundation is amazing. But if you’re wanting to top it up, you have my warning.
Purchase the foundation here.
Price: £29.75
Rating: 3/5
Round 3 - Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless Foundation 30ml
I was actually really pleasantly surprised with this foundation, I haven’t used a Max Factor product in years so I wasn’t too sure what to expect. This particular foundation is water based, which is always key to a nice dewy finish.
Instantly I found that this product didn’t cling as much to my fine lines, however, I will say that the coverage definitely wasn’t as flawless as the previous rounds. In this case, it really is down to what finish you prefer, but I was thoroughly impressed with this foundation.
It dried a really nice matte consistency but still didn’t sink into lines, even after topping it up with powder.
Purchase the foundation here.
Price: £11.19
Rating: 4/5
Round 4 - Revolution Fast Base Stick Foundation
Despite reviewing this foundation before , I couldn’t quite recall how strong the coverage was, but I was blown away instantly. I will admit, the particular shade I went for was a little too pale for me, but let’s just ignore that for now!
It gave a really nice almost airbrushed finish, and it was easily blend-able with a beauty blender. I think because it was more of a dewy consistency it didn’t cling to lines or dry skin and lasted a lot longer than some of the other foundations I’d dried.
One thing I will say is I did have to top it up with a bit of powder after a few hours because it felt a bit sticky, but it still looked flawless after doing this.
Purchase the foundation here.
Price: £5.99
Rating: 5/5
Round 5- L'Oréal Paris Infallible 24hr Freshwear Liquid Foundation
This was actually my holy grail foundation a few years ago, and now I remember why. It’s absolutely perfect for me. The water based consistency makes it feel quite refreshing and almost moisturising on my face, but it still manages to dry matte and flawless. It’s a really buildable product and doesn’t collect on your face like the Estée Lauder, but still lasts for hours.
I wore this foundation all day at work, and although I got a slight shine to my nose after five or six hours, it still gave my face that airbrushed appearance. If you choose this foundation for the races, I’d recommend bringing some powder with you for a top up to stop that shine from happening.
Purchase the foundation here.
Price: £9.55
Rating: 5/5
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