Hi babes! You know one of my fav things to blog about is foundations. I do not have a flawless complexion, and to me, a good foundation is probably the most indispensable part of my makeup routine (except perhaps brow products). I'm always going back and forth between different foundations, mixing them to get a good colour match and to satisfy whatever needs my skin has at the moment - more or less coverage, moisturizing or long-wearing. Today I will be reviewing a full coverage, long wearing product by Clinique: the Beyond Perfecting foundation + concealer in the lightest available shade, 02 Alabaster.
Alabaster has a mostly neutral undertone that leans slightly warm. This is definitely not as light as I'd like it to be - I'm currently at my fairest, and Alabaster is just a tad too dark for me. I can make it work if I mix it with a lighter foundation, or if I blend it down along my jawline. This will be a perfect match for me in spring/summer/fall, though. The formula is creamy and highly pigmented, fragrance free, and comfortable to wear despite being quite thick.
Let's see how it performs on my face.
Yessss, medium to full coverage foundations often get a side eye because people associate them with a cakey end result or mask-face, but a GOOD medium-full coverage foundation on skin that is adequately prepped does not pose any of those issues. You just get the kind of flawless complexion that looks so good with a full face of makeup. Of course, you do "see" the foundation a bit on the skin, but that is not an issue to me. I like that made up look from time to time.
This foundation's selling point is that it functions as a concealer as well as a foundation (duh), and while you could expect the same type of result from other medium to full coverage foundation, the Beyond Perfecting foundation/concealer sets itself apart from the competition in four ways:
- the doe foot applicator makes it easy to use very precisely for spot correction
- the formula doesn't set too quickly, giving you ample time to add more coverage to those areas that need it without getting a patchy end result
- the formula sets semi-matte, dewy nor drying, making it a flattering finish for most skin types and all areas of the face
- the extensively tested, hypo allergenic, fragrance free Clinique formulas do their very best to guarantee an end result that won't leave you breaking out, despite wearing a full coverage foundation. Just be sure to remove everything at the end of the day.
I usually use the doe foot applicator to apply some stripes to my face, finishing one area at a time with my beautyblender, and then I go back to those patches that need some extra coverage - my cheeks, generally. This foundation does a great job covering my redness without becoming too heavy, and my under eye circles are also smoothed out. I do recommend setting the foundation with a translucent powder underneath the eyes and wherever you tend to get oily to help its longevity. If you do (or if you have drier skin), you can get a rather impressive 8 hours of semi perfect wear out of this baby.
If you see how stunning this foundation looks with a full face of makeup, you know why almost every makeup lover should have a medium to full coverage foundation in their arsenal. There's nothing quite like it to get that flawless red carpet look. I mean, I don't walk many red carpets, but for a night out I like to go the extra mile, and a light BB cream just doesn't hack it.
In sum: I completely LOVE the formula of the Clinique Beyond Perfecting foundation + concealer and the only con I can think of is its shade range. Bring out some more shades, please! A full coverage foundation should match your skin perfectly or it just won't look right, so an extensive range of shades is a necessity. Oh, and this foundation contains no SPF, which is understandable because most people choose full coverage foundations for nighttime events and SPF can cause flashback with flash photography. Otherwise, this foundation is a gorgeous home run.
Available at Clinique counters at Inno or Ici Paris XL and at Clinique's own webshop (which has the largest shade selection) at about €33.
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