Friday, July 6, 2012

Review: Face Atelier Ultra Foundation

Since I got my skin under control, I noticed that I have been drawn to foundations a lot more than in the past; definitely, long gone are the days when I owned one liquid base and one powder. So to go along with my 'Arabesque' Facade lip & cheek stain, I also purchased the Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in the 'PRO' size (20ml plastic travel-friendly bottle, $32). I obviously went for the lightest cool-toned shade in the line-up, Porcelain, which is a great match for my NW10/15 skin.
Just to give you the idea how small the bottle actually is for the price you're paying, here it is being held between my thumb and the rest of my digits. I understand the idea behind this, especially for professional make-up artists on the go, but still I was a little bit underwhelmed - even more so when after just a handful of applications, I've noticed the level of liquid going down rather quickly. Oh well; maybe at least it'll be the first foundation I'll be able to use up before it expires?
But, getting back to the nitty gritty: the Face Atelier Ultra Foundation is a medium but buildable coverage foundation with a natural dewy finish (no shimmer). Due to the significant amount of silicones in the formulation, it's one of the primer + foundation 2 in 1 type of bases, and the effect on the skin is truly flawless - it simply glides over fine lines, pores and imperfections without settling and emphasizing any unevenness. It's barely noticeable once it's on, and it stays on without fading for about 6 hours on my oily skin.
And here's where the cons come into play - it's definitely not the longest wearing foundation for me. Also, as you can see in the face shot, the initial finish is way to dewy on me; the shininess just emphasizes my pores, even though there's no product sitting in them, so setting with powder is definitely a must for me.
Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in Porcelain, Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Ivory, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation in BR10
Overall, it's a beautiful foundation, even if for just a couple of hours. I think for the price, I will probably not repurchase; my next venture into the world of multitasking foundations might be a BB cream instead, I'm quite tempted by Lioele. Have you ever tried Face Atelier Ultra Foundation? What is your favorite multitasking base?

8 comments:

  1. Yup, it definitely looks too dewy. Like what you would look like at the end of the day if you haven't blotted your skin. It's a shame, because the coverage looks lovely. :)

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    1. That's exactly how I do look by the end of the day... even with blotting! :)

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  2. it looks so pretty on you, shame it doesn't last the whole day :)

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  3. I find that it's a foundation that works beautifully for shoots, especially HD, and not so well in real life except on dry and mature skin. I'm always baffled when I see it recommended for bridal.

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    1. A spot on description, as always, Maggie! Now that I think about it, my mum would probably love it - shame I'm a completely different skintone than she is :(

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  4. Yup, I agree with your review. Even for my normal skin it was too dewey and didn't last all day. I just ordered the sample size to try. You do look lovely in it!

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  5. I absolutely love it! I am so fair and a strawberry blonde. I am just glad that there is something that I can wear that doesn't make me look orange or like I have pigment in my skin. I put a lightweight sheer powder over mine and it works just fine.

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  6. I am very happy with the foundation, though it doesn't take a lot to please me since this is the first foundation I can match to my skin tone (I use zero minus and porcelain). I am very fair and have strawberry blonde hair, freckles and blue eyes. My skin is sensitive combination with an oily t-zone and dry cheekbones. I purchased samples to see if I liked it and then purchased the bottles (from White Rabbit Beauty). I did notice some shininess, so I put on a sheer powder halfway through the day and was fine. I love your skin tone and features by the way!

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