If you’ve struggled to find the perfect foundation that’s appropriate for your skin type and doesn’t leave you looking cakey, you’re not alone. The endless choices can feel daunting and confusing when you’re seeking a natural, smooth look.
Too Faced claims their Born This Way Foundation “masterfully diffuses the line between makeup and skin.” The brand promises that their use of ingredients like hyaluronic acid — an ingredient you’ll see in other Too Faced makeup products — will give skin a smoother, more youthful look. Too Faced says Born This Way also helps replenish moisture, making it suitable for multiple skin types.
We wanted to see if Too Faced Born This Way Foundation lives up to its promise of giving skin a smoother appearance, so we put it to the test. Here’s what we found.
Our tester used Too Faced Born This Way Foundation for several weeks in place of their usual liquid foundation. They kept their daily makeup routine the same, which includes moisturizer, liquid foundation, liquid concealer, powder, bronzer and blush, followed by setting spray.
Our tester has naturally dry skin, so finding a foundation that is hydrating without looking too thick is essential.
Too Faced claims their Born This Way Foundation gives a naturally flawless finish and coverage that’s undetectable. The long-lasting formula is buildable, allowing you to choose between medium and full coverage.
Born This Way Foundation is a liquid, which is the most common foundation type. However, there are multiple types of foundation, including creams and powders, that are suitable for different skin types.
You can apply Born This Way Foundation with your fingers, a makeup sponge or a foundation brush.
Using your fingers allows you to warm up the product and spread it evenly, but it doesn’t always give the smoothest application. If you want medium to full coverage, a makeup brush is helpful for concentrated application. However, this method can leave streaks if not fully blended. A makeup sponge tends to provide the smoothest result, which is why it’s such a popular choice among makeup enthusiasts, but it does require considerable blending and patting.
Starting in the center of your face and working your way outward will allow you to spread the Born This Way Foundation evenly and slowly build up your foundation if you want more coverage. Too Faced instructs users to apply one pump for light coverage and two pumps for medium coverage. The product is lightweight, so you can add more foundation for a full-coverage look.
A few special ingredients are key to the Born This Way Foundation. Alpine rose helps support skin’s health and resilience, coconut water aids in delicately replenishing the skin’s moisture levels and hyaluronic acid gives a smoother, more youthful appearance. This foundation is also oil-free and non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores.
With 35 Born This Way Foundation shades, there’s an excellent chance any person will be able to find their perfect match. The pump bottle deposits a precise amount of foundation with each push, making it easy to use for beginners or professionals.
If you like to snap the occasional selfie, you’ll be glad to know that Born This Way Foundation is photo-friendly and won’t cause flashbacks that ruin your pictures. Additionally, it’s free of parabens and is vegan, gluten-free and cruelty-free.
Here are a few other Born This Way products to complete your makeup look.
Too Faced Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder
This powder sets your foundation for a perfect, luminous finish. It also has hyaluronic acid to give a smoother, more youthful appearance.
Too Faced Born This Way Turn Up the Light Highlighting Palette
Add a highlighter to enhance your complexion and create the perfect amount of glow.
Sold at Sephora, Ulta and Macy’s.
Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
These metallic, shimmer and sparkle shades are highly pigmented, have a creamy texture and are easy to blend.
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation retails at $40 for 1 ounce of product.
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation is available at Sephora, Ulta and Macy’s.
After testing for a few days, we were impressed with Born This Way Foundation. The pump bottle made it easy to use, and the thin consistency allowed us to use less product while still achieving medium to full coverage. Full-coverage makeup can often appear cakey, but Born This Way Foundation looked smooth and natural.
We opted for a makeup sponge when applying and appreciated how well the foundation blended. It gave us an even coat and didn’t require extensive blending time. Even though the formula is oil-free, our naturally dry skin felt hydrated. We applied our foundation in the morning and noticed we still had full coverage well into the evening. The color didn’t change throughout the day, and there were no dry patches or flaking. Additionally, it was straightforward to remove at the end of the night and didn’t linger on our face.
Overall, we were impressed that Too Faced Born This Way Foundation could give us a full-coverage finish while feeling lightweight on our skin. When using foundations in the past, they either left us looking oily and unfinished or dry and patchy. Born This Way Foundation provided a light and smooth application.
We noticed our Born This Way Foundation rubbed off on different materials throughout the day, but that is true of many foundation products. Finishing your foundation with a strong-hold setting spray can help the foundation not to rub off.
Some users felt this oil-free formula wasn’t hydrating enough for their dry or combination skin, and even left dried-out patches. Another issue some users reported is that the shade can change when exposed to air over the course of the day.
Based on our experience, we feel Born This Way Foundation lives up to its promise of giving skin a smoother appearance. It’s easy to apply and long-lasting, and the thin consistency means you can use less product.
We recommend Too Faced's Born This Way Foundation to anyone searching for a medium- to full-coverage foundation to provide an even finish without looking cakey. It’s oil-free and hydrating, making it suitable for all skin types.
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Breanna Richey writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
