IL MAKIAGE

Ok... I'll admit it... After seeing one too many posts about how IL MAKIAGE is the perfect foundation, I bought it. What can I say? Facebook ads know too much about me and curiosity killed that cat.

When you go to their website, you take the foundation finder quiz. It asks you questions like what are your skin concerns, what finish would you like, and shows you pictures for to match your skin tone. Before it finds your shade, it asks you what current foundation brand you wear and how you apply it. Then it takes you to a page to enter your email to get your perfect shade match.

My shade was #20. I wanted a luminous finish to fit my fair-light skin tone with neutral undertones (yes, I miraculously figured out my undertones). I have combination skin which, for me, means that my cheeks can get pretty dry and my T-zone can get oily. I tend to stay away from straight matte foundations during the winter months as they can be pretty drying and highlight dry patches even more. Also, I just love the dewy, luminous skin look.

The email I received about my "perfect" shade

The shade I got versus the shade I had entered

So I got the foundation in the mail a little over a week after I took the quiz. The foundation bottle is sleek but kind of basic. It also did not seem to have a lot of product for a foundation that cost $44 plus shipping. However, I was having high hopes as it promised my money back after two weeks (they have a try for two weeks deal just pay shipping- if you hate it, send it back).

IL MAKIAGE sends you an email saying that you should probably use this with a brush (of course they have their own special brush you can buy for extra). I decided to do half of my face using my Morphe 439 buffer brush and the other half using my beauty sponge.

Skin before apply the foundation

So on first glance, the color is okay. It is a little bit warmer than what I was anticipating. Sometimes I can make this work to counteract the redness in my cheeks. However, I am disappointed in the finish. Like I said earlier, I love a luminous and dewy kind of look. This fell pretty flat to me. It was actually pretty similar to the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation. They both have a demi-matte finish that is supposed to mimic skin. Plus, once I put on setting powder I looked like I had caked on layers and layers and layers of foundation which is not how I roll.

Applied with brush in natural light

Applied with beauty sponge in natural light

Applied with brush in vanity lighting

Applied with beauty sponge in vanity lighting

The side with the brush definitely looked better than the side that I used the sponge. I did experience some creasing and some patchiness in my first round of using this foundation a few hours in. I was expecting a more luminous foundation so I did not go in as hard with the hydration and moisturizer as I usually do with a matte foundation. The second time I tested this foundation, I knew a little bit more about what I was dealing with so I used better fitting products. It still lasted but I eventually ran into the same creasing and patchiness problems.

Long story short
Pros: easy to use pump, initial coverage
Cons: matte finish, drying, creasing, should use brush, price, too warm

Since I have my perfect shade in the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation (120) and IL MAKIAGE is very comparable to it PLUS it promised to be the perfect foundation when it was clearly too warm, I am going to have to give this product an Oh Kel No! It did not live up to its hype. If you're on the fence, I would maybe skip this product, especially if you have dry or dry-combination skin.




***Disclaimer: just because it did not work for me, does not mean it won't work for someone else. These are just my opinions and experiences.