There’s been a few really big foundation releases recently, the hype surrounding 2 in particular…the Fenty Pro Filt’r Foundation by Rhianna and the Faux Filter Foundation* by beauty guru powerhouse Huda Beauty! I’ve been wearing and testing out the Fenty foundation since it’s launch early last month, so keep an eye out for a full review of that, but first…
As you’ve of course gathered by the title, I managed to get my hands on the new offering from Huda beauty…the Faux Filter Foundation*. Following it’s highly anticipated global launch on Friday (13th October) and subsequent selling out very soon after! Seriously (as with any launch with this much hype and at cultbeauty at least…) the 5 lightest shades where the first to go, followed by the majority of other shades a few hours later! They’re obviously a permanent fixture in the HB line, so worry not they’ll be re-stocked. Will link all the places you can get it/ sign up to wait lists etc at the end anyway! (Keep an eye on all their social channels too for exact re-stock info!)
So yeah, I didn’t dilly-dally (I’m level: expert at this stage at life dilly-dally…not when it comes to snagging sought after makeup though!) and ordered my shade straight away! Well…lets just take a second actually to talk about that! I say my shade, but I didn’t know for sure it was my shade and pretty much had to order blind! I know that’s a standard really with foundation/ skin tone dependant products, especially new launches that might not be available to swatch in store yet or if you yourself can’t get to a counter/ store. The thing is with the Faux Filter launch, apart from the very lightest and one darker shade which were shown swatched on models there were no real on skin and true to colour swatches anywhere! That aside there was a lot of other information to help you figure out your closest shade match.
Firstly…here’s the way the Huda Beauty Faux Filter shades work:
• They each have a shade name (named after sweet treats)
• A number which groups them in to groups of fair (100’s), light (200’s), medium (300’s), tan (400’s) and rich (500’s).
• There’s then 6 shades in each of those groups, lightest being the lowest number, darkest being the highest number in that group…fair for eg. (lightest) 100, 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 (darkest).
• Each shade name and number is then followed by a letter which denotes the shades undertone…
COOL: B – beige (pink based with blue tones)/ R – red (pink/ red based with red undertones)
GOLDEN: G (golden base/ yellow undertones)
NEUTRAL: N (neutral)
There’s also HB’s ‘ultimate Faux Filter brand shade comparison guide’ blogpost which sees the HB team compare their Faux Filter shades along side some other popular brand shades (including Fenty, Kat Von D Beauty, MAC etc etc). While good in theory, in my opinion it was compiled with the greatest intentions (and kudos for that) but it’ll confuse things no end. It definitely needs tweeking! Coming from someone who has experience/ knowledge of a lot of different brands/ formulas/ shades, not only from a personal point of view with my own shades in things, but from using them in my pro kit/ on many other skin types/ tones…some of their comparisons are ok but others are way off!
So…
I went for the shade Panna cotta 130G*…it’s the lightest golden tone, which is what I generally need to go for in most brands although I can wear a neutral shade too but anything too cool (with too much pink) looks super weird/ very unflattering on my skin tone! HB’s Faux Filter shade comparison chart doesn’t actually have a direct comparison with the Panna Cotta shade, but they have it down as kind of close to Too Faced’s Born This Way in Snow and Fenty Pro Filt’r in 120 Neutral…grand, but they also have it closely matched to Estee Lauder Double Wear in 2C4 Ivory Rose which has pink undertones rather than golden and would be way too dark for me (for reference I ‘d wear either a 1W1 Bone or 1N1 Ivory Nude!).
If you can’t get in to a store to swatch/ get shade matched…instead of focusing on the HB v’s other brand shade comparisons too much, with this look out for your general shade range (are you fair, light, medium etc) and the natural undertone of your skin and then try and search swatches of specific shades that people with a similar skin tone to you have posted online (they’ll be way more of these popping up now it’s been launched!). With me an educated guess paid off and I could make a shade or so either side work, but Panna Cotta is an exact match for me!
Bellow are some comparison swatches against Panna Cotta and some similar shades of popular foundations…even if you are lighter/ darker it might give you more of starting point to go from!
What Huda Beauty have to say about their new Faux Filter foundation…
• Full coverage (packed with a higher level of ultra-refined pigment)
• Velvety formula offering a flawless radiant matte finish (bottled Insta filter)
• Long wearing
• Hydrating
• Suitable for all skin types
• Intelligent seamlessly blendable HD liquid that works with your skin to make it look it’s best
• Stipple brush application for full coverage
• Damp Beauty Blender for medium coverage
• Mixed with primer or moisturiser for a dewier finish and set with powder for oily skin all day wear
• Available in 30 shades (Huda has spoken about adding to this asap!)
• Cruelty free.
My thoughts…as always, lets start with the packaging! The bottle itself does look sleek and expensive thanks to the black ombre design. The fact that it’s a plastic bottle was a bit of a surprise (and I have heard other people saying for the price the bottle should be glass/ heavier) but I’m not mad at it…the lighter the bottle the better in my opinion, way better for travel. You get 35ml of product which is 5ml more than a standard foundation bottle size. I thought maybe with it containing a higher level of pigment, you might need to use a lot less hence the bottle (especially being a bit bigger) would possibly last longer than other standard foundations. You do only need to use a small amount, but still a similar amount to equivalent full coverage foundations as apposed to the super concentrated smaller bottle versions like the ReMarcAble from Marc Jacobs for example…so it looks like it would last a similar length of time as pretty much anything else you might pick up. I’ve been using one pump and find it’s enough for my full face and with a buffing brush for a fuller coverage (the Morphe M439* is my usual) or a damp beauty sponge for a more natural medium coverage finish (I like the NYX one* or the Beauty Blender Pro*). The Faux Filter foundation was also launched with a primer Complexion Perfection* and a synthetic Face, Buff & Blend Brush*, neither of which I picked up just as I have more than enough of each already nor did either particularly appeal. Plus you do get a primer sample when you order from Cult Beauty* so I’ll still get to try it.
The Faux Filter foundation applies really nicely, blends well with brush or blender (just depending on the level of coverage you want) and does buff out to a perfected and flawless finish with ease. It does set to a radiant matte finish (not flat at all), although with my skin being more on combo side I’d pretty much always set oilier areas with a bit of powder anyway (usually the Kat Von D Setting Powder [UK* / IE*]) to make sure everything stays put and relatively oil free. It lasts really well, it’s on all day until I take it off…KVD Lock It still fares slightly better in my opinion, as in it’ll look fresher at the end of the day but overall I’m happy with the longevity of this. The staying power is comparable to the Fenty Pro Filt’r although the Pro Filt’r seems to keep oils at bay longer and with more time between touch ups, but then hardly surprising with this being the more hydrating formula.
My one issue with the Faux Filter foundation…it’s scent! I’m not a fan of added fragrance in makeup products (I can cope if it’s just the scent of the ingredients/ product itself though)…this one has a lot of fragrance going on! I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly it is, but the thing I can compare it too the most is floral old lady esq perfume…really synthetic and yeah, I’m sure some people wouldn’t be bothered by it/ might even like it, but safe to say I’m not a fan! Just worth a mention as I know a lot of you can be equally, if not more, bothered by overly scented makeup. The good news is…is doesn’t hang around. Sure you can smell it the whole time it takes to do your face (eye roll), but once done you really can’t notice it. Another important thing to note…although mucho added fragrance, this didn’t irritate my skin/ cause any breakouts which after smelling it I pretty much expected!
Apart from the assault on the nostrils when you first apply it (eye roll again but can overlook that) I really like the Faux Filter Foundation so far! It has a gorgeous finish and is lasting way longer on my skin than expected which is good. It does make your skin look flawless, plumped up and yes like a real life filter for your face. Surprisingly (after all the shade matching guess work!) the shade I have (Panna Cotta) is probably one of the best shade matches to my skin I’ve ever had too! Definitely adding this to my regular foundation rotation!
Have you tried the Faux Filter Foundation yet??
Get the Huda Beauty Faux Filter Foundation now from…
➕UK –
In store: Harrods and Selfridges, London.
Online: Cult Beauty* (you can actually sign up for re-stock alerts for specific shades @cultbeauty too!), Harrods, Selfridges, Brown Thomas, shophudabeauty.com and US Sephora.
➕IRELAND –
In store: Brown Thomas Beauty Lounge, Dublin.
Online: Cult Beauty*, Brown Thomas and shophudabeauty.com.
➕US –
In store: Select Sephora stores (check with your local store)
Online: Sephora and shophudabeauty.com
➕SAUDI ARABIA –
Online: Sephora.sa
➕UAE –
Online: Sephora.ae
In store: Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre and Yas Mall.
➕ Coming to the rest of Europe and Australia mid November, so a little longer to wait for those of you elsewehere and if you can’t wait that long…most of the online places to get it above ship globally too!
Lyd x
PLEASE NOTE:
I’m now based in Cork, Ireland. Although I do still take select bookings for North Wales/ Cheshire and Dublin (get in touch for more info) and am available to travel country wide…I’m mainly taking makeup bookings for Cork City and surrounding areas.
As a bridal makeup specialist, I do get booked up well in advance so if you’re looking for wedding makeup in Cork contact me asap to check availability, secure your date and avoid disappointment! I’m freelance and travel to your home/ venue of choice.
Also available for makeup for any occasion/ event, lessons and master class makeup…find more information and a full list of services here.
Contact us for enquiries/ bookings and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Cruelty free.
Hi can you help me? I’m 1.0 of all nighter foundation, I was thinking of the shade Vanilla or Panna cotta. Which is the best match? I saw your swatches but panna cotta looks more yellow than all nighter. What do you think? Thank you
Hi! I’ll try my best! 🙂 Ok, so Vanilla has more of a beige/ pink tone to it than Panna Cotta, it’s also (from swatches I’ve seen) a bit lighter than Panna Cotta. I do wear 1.0 in the All Nighter but that works with the natural undertone of your skin (it’s more of a neutral base rather than too yellow or too pink), in anything else I’d tend to go for a more golden undertone even with being fair. The Panna Cotta shade does look more yellow than the All Nighter in the swatches, but it doesn’t look too yellow once it’s on and I use a bit of bronzer to warm up. If your skin is more neutral to golden fair (MAC nc10/15), Panna Cotta may be a better choice. Possibly Vanilla if you’re a MAC nw10/13. I think Vanilla would have been slightly too pink and too light for me. There’s a foundation matching tool online (I’ll link it for you)…it might be worth referencing that too, you can input shades/ other brands you already use and then which foundation you want to try and it will suggest the closest match.
https://www.temptalia.com/foundation-matrix/
Hope this helps 🙂
Hi Lydia!
I just purchased Panna Cotta but I have seen a girl who also wears Fenty Beauty 120 buy Shortbread. How does the Fenty 120 and Panna Cotta match up? I wear Gobi in Nars.
Hi can u help me I wear Barcelona in nars sheer glow and nw35 in Mac sculpt what Shad would u suggest in huda
Hi! I haven’t swatched all shades, but possibly Macchiato 400G? Your NARS Barcelona has a slightly more golden tan tone and your shade in MAC, the NW35 is a pinker toned tan. Macchiato looks more neutral so may sit between the two? There’s an online foundation matching tool (will link that bellow for you) which tends to be pretty accurate in my experience…you can input shades and formulas you wear already and the formula you want to try and it matches up shades for you. Maybe check that out and then google some swatches of the shade(s) it suggests to see which is closest 🙂
Hope this helps!
https://www.temptalia.com/foundation-matrix/match
Hi Lydia!
How close are the fenty 120 to Hudas Panna Cotta?
Thanks!
Hi Anna! They’re pretty close in shade/ depth actually but just a different tone. Fenty 120 is neutral so has more pink, while Huda Panna Cotta has a more fair golden undertone. I have on skin swatches of them together along with some other similar shades/ brands that you might want to peep in my Fenty blog post (have linked bellow). Hope this helps 🙂
blog post
Hi wear Nw13 or nw10 in Mac, what would be the best shade for me? Im very pale and obviously don’t want to spend so much on a foundation for it not to match,
Thanks
Hi Gemma…Yeah I get that, foundation can be an expensive mistake if you go for the wrong shade!
I’d say either Milkshake 100B for an NW10 equivalent or Vanilla 120B for an NW13. Both have a beige base, so fair with pink undertones.
Depending on which shade you are a closer match too/ prefer in MAC, I’d say either could work for you.
The Temptalia Foundation Matrix is a great online tool for checking/ matching up a new formula of foundation from your existing shades…I’d check that out to be sure and maybe even search tutorials/ live swatches of Milkshake and Vanilla to see which might suit you you most. Hope this helps and happy shopping 🙂
God bless you for all these comparison swatches! I am super fair but with yellow undertones. Just ordered the same Huda shade you have & now I feel super confident in my choice. Thank you again for showing us your shade!
No problem at all! And I’m glad it helped you pick out your shade. From my own experience, fair with yellow undertones can be so difficult to match, so I try and swatch as much as possible! Thanks for reading 🙂
hi lydia,
just needed a bit of help with the huda beauty foundation. i’m the shade nc20 for all mac products and for urban decay im in the shade 3 so where would i roughly be for huda x
Hi Hannah, so you’re a little darker than me, but still with a more golden undertone…I’d say possibly Creme Brulee 150G (which is the deepest golden tone in the fair shades). The next golden tone after that is Cheesecake 250G, you could maybe go for that (it’s the only golden tone in the light range) but I feel like it may bit a bit to deep and in my opinion Creme Brulee with contour/ bronzer or whatever you like to use to warm up could be a closer match. Check out the Temptalia Foundation Matrix online foundation matching tool (you can input existing shades of formulas you have to find a match in something else), but I’d also search some swatches for Creme Brulee/ other people applying and wearing it as I think that might be your best match. Hope this helps 🙂 X
HI! Mac nc15 is my perfect foundation shade and wet n wild photofocus in soft ivory maches me pretty good. I think panna cotta will be the best shade for me, but i´ve seen many videos and because of the light, sometimes it looks good and sometimes it seems to be too light for me. Which faux filter shade do you think it would be the best for me? (sorry if anything is wrong, i´m not from the us)
Hi Sarah! It’s so hard isn’t it, especially as lighting is so different in pictures and videos! I agree though…especially if you are a MAC NC15 and wet n wild soft ivory, I think Panna Cotta would be a great shade for you. I found anything deeper, even by a tiny bit was too dark for me…I could get away with a few other shades in the range lighter and darker and they would look ok, but I’d have to blend right down my neck! I’m the same shades as you in MAC/ wet n wild and panna cotta is an exact match for me and blends perfectly in to my neck. I use a bit of bronzer to contour/ warm up and it looks perfect! Hope this helps 🙂
Thank you so much! You helped me a lot!
By the way: your other foundation comparisons are amazing and helped me a lot too!
No problem! And that’s so lovely of you to say! Glad I could help 🙂
Hi! Could you please help with shade. I’m in the shade NC 40 in M.A.C studio sculpt. I am confused with 350G and 340G????
Hi Ravali! I’ve just had a look at those specific shades for you…there’s not a massive difference between the 340G (Baklava) and 350G (Dulce De Leche) so I can understand your confusion…if anything even though both have a golden undertone, the 350G has slightly more pink/ warmth to it. 340G has a more definite golden tone to it. I feel like 340G Baklava may be a slightly closer match for your MAC Sculpt in NC40 and 350G Dulce De Leche might be closer towards an NC42 (golden but with a tiny bit more warmth).
I’d search each shade anyway just to check on Instagram/ youtube if you can and that way you can hopefully see someone wearing it/ a live swatch to see if they have a similar skin tone to you. Hope this helps 🙂 Lyd X
Oh my gosh I love your swatches! Hearing that this is a more hydrating full coverage foundation makes my dry skin THIRST for this foundation!!
I’m not at a location where I can swatch this foundation sadly, so would you recommend Panna Cotta for someone who’s right inbetween Nars Sheer Glow Siberia and Gobi? I use Gobi right now (bit too dark in the winter) and lighten it up with my Radiant Creamy Chantilly concealer, which works good for me. I have weird cool yellow undertones (sounds counterintuitive but that’s what I’ve been matched as) so finding foundation matches that have yellow undertones but aren’t overly warm is a challenge!
Hi Sofia!
Thank you! Yeah, it’s pretty unusual to find a full coverage foundation that doesn’t make your skin super dry isn’t it! I’d still recommend using an hydrating primer with it but yes, it stays looking smooth and doesn’t cling to dry areas.
I’d say Panna Cotta could be a really good match for you if you sit between those two Nars shades. The undertone is yellow, but it’s fair enough and has a lovely creamy tone to it…not too yellow/ warm. It sounds like it might work for you, hope it does! 🙂
Hi,
I was wondering if you could help. I wear Kat Von d light 44 cool and i just don’t know which faux filter to go for. It’s pretty much a perfect match for me if a tad too dark, but only slightly! I really hope you can help, I’m desperate to try the faux filter but don’t live anywhere near a stockist!
Thanks!
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for getting in touch. Faux Filter’s the foundation people have the most difficulty in finding a good match for and the one I get the most questions about for that very reason (and the fact that the online shade comparisons are so off)…you’re definitely not alone!
With you wearing the KVD Lock It in light 44 cool, I’d say your closest matches for both shade and tone (cool) in the Faux Filter are Vanilla 120B and Shortbread 200B. With you saying that KVD L44 is a tad bit too dark, I’d say FF Shortbread might be similar in depth/ even a bit darker still. With any foundation, if in doubt I’d go for the lighter shade as it’s way easier (and more natural) to warm it up a bit if you need to. You could probably go either way, but I’d google swatches of both and see which you prefer.
Hope this helps, let me know how you get on! 🙂