Review: Graftobian Hi-Def Glamour Creme Foundation

Graftobian Hi-Def Glamour Creme Foundation seems to be all the rage these days and has been rumoured to be worn by Kate Middleton on her big day. I actually ordered it some time before the Royal Wedding on Wayne Goss' recommendation and have been testing it for a while now to see whether it lives up to the hype.

Grafotbian claims this foundation is 'arguably the number one HD creme foundation on the market [...] being used and loved by professionals throughout the makeup artist industry across the globe'. It promises ultra-light application and there are 64 shades in the range to cater for every shade and skintone. The foundation comes in a compact 1/2 oz. dish with a clear screw-on top ($9-$14.99), as well as undertone-coordinated palettes ($19.99-$23.99).


I ordered mine, along with some La Femme blushes (review coming soon) from MakeUpMania, who seem to have the lowest prices on Graftobian and La Femme products online. Initially I was very happy with the customer service, who responded promptly to my request to alter the order and include something extra. But then... I waited 2 weeks and my parcel was still not shipped. No one replied to my message. Just when I started thinking my order might not be happening, it was shipped with a tracking number and arrived a couple days later along with some freebies to (I guess) make up for the wait. I also got a follow-up message from the company saying they were sorry for the delay and giving me a discount coupon code for my next purchase, which I used soon after. My second order was shipped within 2 days. What I'm trying to say is basically that while there were some issues with my order, I'm happy with how the company addressed and resolved them. All in all, I can definitely recommend their website.

Online ordering aside, I really like the Graftobian Hi-Def Glamour Creme foundation. It has quite a dry consistency that melts upon contact with the skin, making it very easy to apply - no streaks and even coverage that can be sheered out to almost nothing, which I enjoy since I don't like wearing foundation on the sides of my face. The finish is semi-matte and the coverage medium but buildable. Set with powder (MAC Blot Powder), it lasts extremely well on my oily skin. I wore it for over 12 hours yesterday and by the time I removed it around 1 am, my nose was a bit shiny, but the rest of the face was basically intact. It's the longest wearing foundation I've ever tried and the best at controlling the oils, though it's not waterproof. Although it makes my skin look a bit drier than it really is, it still looks and feels very much like healthy, smooth skin and not at all mask-like.

On that last note, its biggest drawback is the fact that it WILL accentuate every bit of dryness you might have on your face. It will cling to dried out blemishes and unexfoliated skin, making them more prominent. I've tried it with a primer, I've tried applying with a damp sponge, I've tried setting with a hydrating mist - the dryness is still there. For this reason, I would not recommend it to people struggling with dryness and dehydration or active breakouts (but then, my dry bits are being pretty nasty at the moment).

I initially ordered Buff, the lightest cool shade they used to make before the introduction of extremely light shades. Buff is slightly too pale on me, which makes me think it must be somewhere around MAC's NW10 range. Since then I also got Aurora, which is 2 steps up and somewhere around MAC NW20-NW25. The mix of predominantly Buff with a touch of Aurora is perfect for me this time of the year, and I love how easy it'll be to customize my shade throughout the summer. While Buff is a very pink based shade, Aurora seems to have more peachy tones, which makes sense as it's exactly the color my skin tans to naturally. Here's a shade comparison for you:


Overall, I'm very happy with the product and will most probably repurchase. You'll see me wearing the Graftobian HD Glamour Creme very soon in an upcoming bright make-up look, so stay tuned for that!