It was a foundation review last week…and here’s another! There’s just been so many new ones launching recently and even with that, you should know that I’m a foundation addict. Base products in general actually, I can’t get enough and am always on the hunt for something better than the last. Along with the Kat Von D True Portrait Foundation (read last weeks blog post review on that one here), this new foundation offering from Anastasia Beverly Hills was one of the launches I was most excited about. ABH is one of my favourite cruelty free/ vegan brands anyway and they’ve only ever had a stick foundation out before (I use and really like the contour version in the shade Fawn, but I’m not a big stick foundation fan in general) so I was excited to get it on my face, especially with ABH’s Luminous Foundation* claims!
Speaking of…
✖️ available in 50 natural shades/ undertones.
✖️ water resistant liquid foundation with a luminous natural finish.
✖️ long wearing medium coverage, weightless feel, looks radiant and ultra fresh.
✖️ blurs imperfections without caking or masking the skin.
✖️ no need to set with powder, easy to blend formula.
✖️ suitable for all skin types including sensitive.
✖️ no flashback or oxidisation.
✖️ cruelty free and Vegan.
Starting off with the packaging…the Luminous Foundation comes in a sleek glass bottle with a built in pump with a black plastic lid. On one side there’s ABH’s logo and the name of the foundation and the opposite side, the word FOUNDATION in bold black along the whole length of the bottle. Apparently ABH decided on the design to make it easier for us Pro Makeup Artist’s to find the product in our kits…for something like foundation…it’s pretty obvious what it is, maybe the shade number printed more prominently would have been better? I actually really like the packaging though, it’s simple and works great.
Between their social channels and Norvina’s, ABH are normally pretty good in terms of swatches but as with most things if you’re ordering online/ can’t make it in to a store…it still takes a bit of guess work and I’d recommend looking for someone with a similar skin tone to you and hitting up google/ YouTube/ Instagram for a wider variety of swatches. There’s actually way more out there now than at the very start when I was looking! I decided to go for the shade 110C anyway described as very fair skin with a cool undertone and I have to say…I don’t think I’ve ever had as good a match as this shade is for me…ever! I was a little worried at first because I had heard people struggling with getting the undertones right with this and I feel I know the main reason why! So if you think of KVD foundation for example…their ‘cool’ has a pink based undertone and their ‘warm’ has a golden undertone. It confuses things because this varies between all brands. MAC for example is the other way around…their NC shades are ‘neutral cool’ and have a golden undertone while their NW or ‘neutral warm’ shades have a pink undertone. Basically, to cut a long story short…ABH’s undertone ‘system’ if you like is more along the lines of MAC. Obviously neutral is self explanatory (neither too cool or too warm) but their C (cool) shades have a golden undertone and their W (warm)…so just bear that in mind when you’re figuring out your shade!
So yeah, the shade 110C is perfect on me…it blends seamlessly in to my skin. I feel like there’s minimal to no oxidisation at all. The Luminous Foundation* was launched with the A30 Pro Domed Kabuki Brush*, basically a medium sized firm synthetic brush which it does apply nicely with…but if you’ve been here before, you know I’m all about a damp beauty sponge. I just tend to prefer everything applied this way, I find things sit better and really works product in to the skin rather sitting on top. I build coverage up this way too if I need/ want too (a sponge won’t give as much coverage straight off the bat as a brush does). I’d say the coverage is medium to medium full, the formula itself is super smooth but a bit thicker than I expected and you can build it up really well. I’m not sure I’d agree on weightless (although the KVD True Portrait might have spoiled me for everything else, because that’s incredibly lightweight!) but it definitely doesn’t feel heavy or anything on…it’s comfortable. It does blend on to the skin beautifully and instantly makes your skin look unreal. It takes down redness and imperfections but still does look luminous and healthy with it, not mask like at all.
You maybe wouldn’t need to set it if you had normal to dry skin, but if you’re combo skin folk like I am you’re going to want to. It’s luminous alright, but not overly so which is nice and it does look beautiful and radiant on but…I find that I definitely do need that bit of powder to stop my oils breaking through. I’ve actually been loving the new ABH loose setting powder* and then I usually carry the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish powder compact* with me for any touch ups throughout the day. I only use a bit of powder and don’t bake or anything, but in my opinion this foundation does need it.
The rest of my makeup applies really well over the top of this and lasts too, especially cheek products…bronzer, blush, highlight etc but then I don’t get oily there at all. Even though I’ve got combo skin, I usually like to use radiant primer (I love Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter*) just to give myself a healthy glow and a bit of a boost but I find it’s too much with this. It applies well just over skincare (I don’t always prime, but do always wear skincare/ spf50) but I’ve found it lasts the longest if I wear my Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer* which gives it more grip (as the name suggests) underneath and my nose does need a blot or two throughout the day which would be standard with most foundations on me.
I love how it looks and it lasts pretty well (I’d say 6 hours with a powder blot) but it does break down a little around my nose and chin after that so if I had a really busy day I probably wouldn’t reach for/ rely on it, but would choose it for a night out/ event for sure. It’s a lovely foundation…I feel I hyped this up to myself far too much more than anything haha thinking it would be the best thing ever when in reality do I have formulas that last way longer. For £40 I’m not sure it’s worth it and unless I find a combo that makes it last longer, it makes me a bit sad to say it but I’m not sure I’d repurchase it. I love ABH as a brand and pretty much everything of their’s I’ve tried…in theory the Luminous Foundation is everything I’m looking for, but I’m going to have to work harder with it to see if I can get more staying power on my oilier bits. It looks so beautiful on, I’m definitely willing to try! Maybe it’ll be my Winter foundation of dreams when my skin goes a little drier??
Have you tried the Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation* yet and what did you think??
Lyd x
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