Have you heard the buzz on Instagram and TikTok about Il Makiage’s foundation, Woke Up Like This?, receiving 464,734 five-star reviews? It promises a natural-looking glow in a matte full coverage formula with matte finishes for all skin tones.
PowerMatch quiz from L’Oreal helps customers identify their ideal shade, with each customer who takes part providing valuable insights for its improvement.
Flawless Base Foundation
If you are an admirer of beauty products, chances are you have seen il makiage makeup products all over social media. Since relaunching online last year, their most favored item–Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation ($44 at il makiage)–has garnered over 125,000 five-star reviews and offers shades to match every skin tone.
This foundation comes packaged in an eye-catching monochrome cardboard box and glass bottle fitted with plastic pump. Though I can’t be certain whether either component is recyclable, its eco-friendly packaging certainly stands out among mainstream prestige brands.
Il Makiage stands out from other cosmetic brands by using a machine learning algorithm created over an entire year to match customers with shades through photographs. Instead, their quiz asks questions about your skin tone, desired coverage level and more before suggesting an ideal shade match based on these questions alone. It’s a unique approach to online foundation shopping that eliminates guesswork by suggesting exactly the shade needed!
Stylist editors took the quiz and received results that were generally similar to their skin tone, although there were a few discrepancies. When team members became confused, they took it again with slightly different results. When confused again, they took it again with slightly different results. When confused again, the team took another attempt. Additionally, this brand offers a try-before-you-buy program in which full-sized foundation can be tried for $5 before being returned uncharged (including with free shipping label) before Project Beauty Share donates it back out in return.
This foundation is lightweight, buildable and boasts a smooth finish for ease of application. It claims to cover blemishes, discolorations and uneven skin texture while remaining sweat and humidity proof while not flaking, shifting, cakeing or creasing during wear.
Although this foundation delivers on some of its promises–providing buildable medium to full coverage with a natural matte finish that controls excess oil and shine–I’m less fond of some ingredients it contains, such as alcohol denat (an ingredient which acts as both solvent and penetration enhancer, yet can dry skin), fragrance/perfume which may irritate sensitive skin, fragrance/perfume which could irritate it further, etc.
Flawless Base Concealer
This makeup base concealer is an innovative cream formula that works to cover dark circles, spotty areas and hyperpigmentation. Packed with vitamin E to soothe skin conditions and offering five different shades to match different complexions; hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive skin as well.
This full coverage concealer and foundation combo is made with bamboo powder, baobab fruit extract, kakadu plum extract, Quandong and desert lime to cover imperfections like lines, wrinkles and dark spots without feeling cakey or dry on your skin – ideal for on-the-go use thanks to its convenient makeup stick packaging!
This supercharged concealer contains hyaluronic acid and antioxidant ashwagandha for healthy-looking skin. Ideal for covering dark undereye circles, blemishes and redness as it delivers a soft matte but hydrated finish without cakeing or fading throughout the day, plus being vegan-friendly as well as cruelty-free and oil-free!
Il Makiage concealers may be slightly more costly than others, but their tech-driven beauty brand Il Makiage takes an innovative approach with online shade matching and their Try Before You Buy guarantee for trend-inspired foundations, concealers, lip and eye products. You can take their quick (90 second, I timed it!) power match quiz on their website to identify your perfect shade of Woke Up Like This foundation as well as get matched for their concealers and other products as well.
For optimal results, the Flawless Base Foundation and Concealer should be applied using either a brush or your fingers for best results. Furthermore, make sure that any concealer applied doesn’t appear patchy or cakey by thoroughly blending it out so as to achieve smooth coverage.
Flawless Base Lipstick
Lips are the finishing touch to an effortless base makeup routine and an excellent lipstick can transform it from basic to bold in an instant. A great shade could mean the difference between Olivia Pope-inspired bold red lips or something more muted that complements your personal aesthetic.
This creamy matte lipstick offers soft comfort against lips while offering great pigmentation with one swipe. Our tester loved how different from other liquid lipsticks she’d tried, this formula did not feel drying on lips and worked wonderfully for her dry-prone skin type. She found its color lasting through most of the day but experienced transfer when drinking from cups; for optimal use we suggest using straws or avoiding greasy food while wearing this lipstick.
The Flawless Base Lipstick contains natural antibacterial ingredients like Eucalyptus oil and Shea butter as well as non-comedogenic shea butter and candelilla wax, while ceresin may cause allergic reactions in some individuals. With an impressive shade range including nudes, pinks, reds and purples – there’s sure to be something suitable!