The First Long-Wear Foundation I've Tried That Makes My Complexion Look Glowy, Not Dull
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
If you have a scroll through some of the Beauty IQ articles I've written for Adore Beauty, you'll find a common theme: That glow.
From a brightening vitamin C product and probiotic skin care to luminous concealers, radiance face mists and shiny hair serums, I have a penchant for vibrant products with a dewy, glowy AF finish.
But it hasn't always been that way. In fact, it was only the other night while watching a re-run of an old reality show that I remembered I only ever used to wear powder foundation. Watching the woman on TV covering her skin with powder using an old makeup sponge (remember those??), it reminded me of how I hated the way powders sat on my skin and never quite blended in.
But that's what I wore all through high school, and most of the time, in the wrong shade, too. Not because I wanted to, but because that's all that was available to me. It was the 90s and shade ranges for olive skin were abysmal.
Reading [Adore Beauty's Head of Campaign & Strategy] Shanthi's own personal story of growing up as one of the only ‘brown girls’ in her primary school really resonated with me. In high school, I'd go shopping with my friends and feel so embarrassed and disheartened that I couldn’t grab a foundation or concealer shade that matched my skin tone off the shelf like they could. It felt very isolating.
But I didn’t want to feel 'different', so I'd buy the darkest shade available for me at the time, which was almost always a powder compact and still too fair for my skin tone. And for someone with noticeable dark circles, it was pretty frustrating not to be able to buy concealer. I was probably 25 before I was able to wear concealer for the first time, when beauty brands started to diversify their shade ranges a lot more.
When liquid and cream foundations from big beauty brands began popping up in my shade, it was life-changing. It made me feel less 'different', like an equal who can buy the same makeup brands from the same stores as everyone else.
Rather than categorising people, closing that gap and treating everyone the same, no matter their skin tone, is so important.
Everyone deserves to feel included. We pride ourselves on being a multicultural country, so to see that reflected in our beauty products would be a beautiful thing.
So, What's My Global Shades Foundation?
What: Bobbi Brown Skin Weightless Long-Wear Foundation SPF15 - A 16-hour wear, full coverage foundation with a natural, multidimensional matte finish that’s comfortable, breathable, and weightless.
Why I love it:
I’ve been a pretty committed dewy finish foundation-wearer for a while now. Many matte foundations I've tried in the past have made my olive skin look quite dull, but not this one.
This Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation has me a changed woman.
True to its name, I found it to be a lightweight formula that delivered more of a matte finish, while simultaneously leaving a subtle luminosity (visible only in the sunlight). It actually enhanced my own complexion. Kind of genius, really.
The oil-free, buildable texture worked kind of like a skin corrector, I noticed right away how it softened the appearance of my pores.
Best of all, I discovered the ‘long-wear’ claim was more than just clever marketing. I applied the foundation at 10am, went for a jog at 7pm (weather was hot and humid) and at 10pm, my makeup still looked fresh.
If you have oily skin and want a matte foundation that doesn’t compromise on radiance, this one’s for you.
If you believe beauty in Australia should include everyone, sign our Global Shades digital petition today and share it using the hashtag #StockAllShades. Together, let’s commit to elevating the voices of Black, Indigenous and people of colour.
Read more experiences of beauty, identity and Global Shades foundations in these stories below:
