Is IL Makiage worth all the hype?

Okay so Instagram ads worked! I purchased the IL Makiage foundation and wanted to rank it with the foundation holy grails.

I mean iL Makiage foundation is pretty alluring because they give you a free trial on the foundation ...with a full bottle. First you have to take a foundation quiz that best describes a what's best suited for your skin; so not only are you looking for your tone you're building a base. There's a variation to finishes, coverage and undertones. You best match the tone via some photos and you're prompted on that quite a bit. Then you discuss your undertone, foundation application, products applied before your base, the daily use of it, then you select your latest and greatest foundation, longevity of your current fave, skin concerns and age range. Then BAM, your color is selected and sent to your email (super impressed with how they snabbed your email so kudos). Like the quiz completely caught my attention.

My power match was the WOKEUP LIKE THIS in shade 60 it's the flawless face foundation-I know I felt super special because of this claim to fame. As per IL MAKIAGE,

Woke Up Like This is a powerful, streak-free foundation that smoothes and evens the skin with an advanced, innovative formula for a flawless, uniform natural matte finish. Available in 50 shades for all skin tones.

Also, it's lightweight and has buildable coverage. It contains vitamin E for anti-aging benefits Hyaluronic acid for hydration, protection and filling wrinkles (also pores). There's a natural-matte finish and optically-corrective powders (which corrects imperfections to the eye). It also, has an ultra- fluid like texture that helps the base blend into the skin better and makes it traceless on the face. Plus you get to test it out for 14 days and if you hate it you send it back. If you do it'll be $44.00 charged to your account.

So how does it match up to your favorite foundations?

Seems pretty difficult to one up but let's try.

I wanted to compare it to our faves. We're going to cover color matching, durability, bottle(I love a good pump) and coverage.

Anastasia luminous foundation $38

Is kind of a favorite as well. It does copy a similar foundation quiz to IL makiage which helps one navigate the best color suited for one (the quiz was available on the Anastasia Beverly Hills site.) My shade was "240N" which is described as light with a neutral warm undertone which it's an idyllic shade for me. Because neutral tones tend to have an underlying greyness to it or a one note color that cancels out all other colors to the skin.

It has a medium coverage type but feels full. Like not too much pumping is needed to create some full coverage. I think the coverage type makes it easy to blend and that helps blur out any uneveness to the skin. As far as luminosity goes, I'm pretty darn happy I''m not glowing like a crystal ball. It has a boost of radiance, similar to Nars, but nothing too overbearing or glittery. This ABH foundation did kind of make me fall in love a bit.

Born this way foundation by Too Face $39

Is another favorite of mine because it's actual full coverage and navigating my shade was rather easy. No quiz needed because the color shots were pretty specific. The neutral part doesn't overwhelm my skin and obviously matches and hold onto my skin in a pretty wonderful way. Also, it's a match for all skin types.

I purchased shade "light beige" I did re-purchase get this base because Jackie Aina helped upgrade the formula. The first batch was once super greasy like slid off my face after 2 hours. Well, the new finish absolutely doesn't do that and I think it's because of the coconut water that helps add moisture to the skin. The finish is actually natural and the coverage is medium but because it's oil-free a little goes a long way. I adore it because it packs it all on with a punch like 1.5 pumps gives a full face base. I love to use it when creating a full face for Ig because it photographs so beautifully. Specifically because it has a noncomedogenic formula which prevents flashback. Plus, the bottle I love because it pumps a good quantity on the first try.

NARS Radiant longwear foundation price $49

Is a full coverage base with a natural finish that compliments all skin types. The formula is said to "mimics the skin's natural undertones" and is transfer proof/sweat resistant. Also, it copies the skin texture and adds a boost of radiance.

I purchased the Nars foundation in shade" sahel" and felt that it was a bit more peachy to my liking. I did get the color matching done via the Sephora site. I wanted the same shade I purchased I the fenty and used that as my model but realized the shade didn't follow suit. The coverage is full but I feel like the shade only works out well with the Nars booster (as seen above). It balances out the peachy tones and makes the color seem a bit more suitable. Normally in Nars, my shade is rarely found so I'd have to go lighter or deeper never my tone.

The bottle is by far my favorite because it's so sleek but I feel as if NARS makes bases that suit their line not necessarily for their clients. It does last long on the skin and for a natural finish it seems more matte-natural on my oily skin which I adore. I love the finish, dislike the shade range and the bottle is best for anyone.

---

HUDA beauty #FauxFilter Full Coverage Matte Foundation $40 is a full coverage foundation with a natural finish and works best for combination to oily skin. For my oily skin I was elated to have one that was tailored to my summer skin type to winter skin type but this one was at best mediocre. This base is full coverage with a natural finish that erases blemishes and skin imperfections in order to create an airbrush finish. Additionally the base is pretty full and I think the added argan oil makes it feel as if it's sitting ton the skin. For it to be a product made for combo to oily skin, I never feel like it truly settles into the skin and you'll feel the weight throughout the day.

The bottle I absolutely despise because you never know how much is left in the bottle. I don't know if the bottle is painted with your selected color match or what but you only know it's over when nothing comes out.

Fenty beauty foundation Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation $35

The color match is by far not what I expected. At first my match wasn't available so I had to wait for the release of the shade 235 and that changed my world. This color match is by far the best because it doesn't change by the hour like it stays true throughout the night. The shade is described as medium skin with warm undertones with a full coverage and a matte finish. It's suitable for normal to oily skin types but I would hesitate on this one if I'm prone to dryness.This one pairs well with any sort of contouring because it holds up well with all the colors without washing out the foundation. Furthermore, it's transfer proof and has a weightless feel on the skin. I think I love the oil-free part about this product and it focuses on pore diffusing.

The bottle maybe the worst one yet, I know it's a glass bottle so you'd think you can tell when you need to re-up but that's not the case. The bottle can lie to you and you'd think everything is over than three months later (if you still have the bottle) foundation comes out and enough for a full face. I just tend to make a note not to toss any bit of it out.

BAREMINERALS BarePRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation $34

Now this one is full coverage, has spf, matte finish and long last-wear. Needless to say its been a super favorite of mine because of all these factors- oh and it's perfect match. I purchased shade "18 Pecan" which is described as medium-tan neutral skin with peach undertones and that's super specific. Their naming is a bit off because medium to tan sounds a but bronzier than I am-but this shade worked the shade name didn't.

It contains bamboo extract which gives a soft focus effect, papaya enzymes which evens the look of skin while product is on and in due time. It's photo-friendly, oil-free and gives full coverage minus the cakeiness. It improves the overall texture of your skin while giving you a flawless finish. Perfect product for anyone with normal to oily skin and I think it's because it has a matte finish but once on your skin it doesn't dry you out.The bottle is pretty classic and super easy to know when times up. The only thing s that I feel as if this product is overseen because there's no quirky gimmick just a great base that makes your skin feel good.

SMASHBOX Studio Skin Full Coverage 24 Hour Foundation $36

Holy grail of full coverage and this tube is a typical squeeze tube so every inch of this can be used. It's sweat-proof, water resistant and has shine control(an oily girl's dream). A little does go a very long way with this one and when selecting your color I'd go one shade warmer. I purchased shade 2.18 which was described as a light medium with a neutral undertone but the "sephora comparison shade game" gave me one that was a bit lighter. For this one I went in store to figure out which worked best because its heavier and there's little wiggle room when a base carries more weight.

It contains kaolin clay with bamboo powder which controls oil and shine, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E oil. This base has weight and is heavy but doesn't appear as though it does. Like your skin won't crease and look as if your base is ready to peal off; it photographs so well (similar to too faced). I love to use it for all night affairs because little touch-ups will be needed.

Final thoughts

Il Makiage did do something that ABH copied and made me give my email address in a fun way. They had a quiz that appeared as if they hand crafted a base for me and that level of personalization made me feel super special. But let's be real- they didn't. Their formula has an Ultra-fluid like texture that molds into your skin creating your perfect match. That definitely explained why I used 3-5 pumps to give full face when I asked for full coverage. That feature is kind of cool but it's annoying to think you're building something that you aren't. But overall the match was perfect and you do feel like you're apart of the process or have your own personal shopper when grabbing your base. But I'd recommend it because of the matching but the coverage wasn't my favorite and it has a lot of the same ingredients that your faves have just not the texture. It felt more light to medium than medium to full.

Like, comment and share. Thank you all again for reading it through!