Have you seen Il Makiage featured in an Instagram Story or are unaware of its existence altogether? Regardless, this New York City-based company is quickly making waves in the direct-to-consumer sector.
This beauty startup stands out with an online quiz designed to select the appropriate foundation shade based on your skin tone, according to its founder. And according to him, this method really does work!
1. Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation
Direct-to-consumer beauty company Beautycounter has made quite the name for themselves with their foundation that features an integrated shade-matching algorithm, known as Power MatchTM, which ensures an exact shade match to their foundation and concealer for every user based on factors like complexion, eye color and preferred coverage preferences. Their quiz also takes these factors into consideration for best results.
The brand boasts that their algorithm matches are accurate more than 90% of the time. Their algorithms continue to refine themselves based on customers who take the quiz and buy products; their aim, according to CEO Oran Holtzman, is to make online shopping simpler for consumers; particularly difficult with more niche beauty items like foundation and concealer.
IL Makiage’s foundation was the first of its kind to employ an algorithm to find your perfect shade, but other brands have since followed suit. Too Faced’s Born This Way Matte Foundation uses coconut water and hyaluronic acid for an all-natural matte finish and offers 35 shades – although its only drawback lies in not offering as extensive of a selection as IL Makiage’s 50 shade collection.
Though the hype surrounding this foundation is real, we wanted to put it through its paces to see if its hype was justified. First we completed a shade matching quiz–it took less than two minutes each–before applying foundation directly onto bare skin with light dusting of pressed powder applied afterwards.
Each editor utilized the IL Makiage No Filter Poreless Base Smoothing Primer, which smooths pores and fine lines for a more even complexion. We then blended foundation for an authentic-looking result using makeup brushes.
Overall, our editors were delighted by this foundation’s performance. Offering lightweight yet buildable coverage that quickly covers blemishes and redness without leaving an oily or patchy appearance behind, most editors found themselves wearing it through to evening without needing reapplication or fadeout – we highly recommend this foundation to add extra glow to their daily look!
2. Woke Up Like This Liquid Concealer
Il Makiage foundation has quickly become one of the most coveted products on Instagram and TikTok, and its popularity can be easily explained: its formula lives up to all of its promises.
The formula features “PowerMatch,” an algorithm to assist with finding your ideal shade through an online quiz that asks about skin type, desired coverage level and uploading a picture of yourself. They’ll send a sample directly to your door so that you can try it before committing to purchasing the full-sized product.
Melinda was amazed that Hip team member Melinda found them extremely transparent about their ingredients, with free returns and exchanges without question – not to mention cruelty-free foundation and concealer products!
Hyaluronic acid-packed foundation was an instantaneous hit for her! Offering medium to full coverage with a natural matte finish and medium moisture retention properties.
3. No Filter Poreless Base Smoothing Primer
This primer is an absolute essential for those with oily skin, thanks to its light formula that works beautifully under makeup to keep it looking fresh all day long. It tames shine, absorbs excess oils and prevents foundation from shifting throughout the day – the hyaluronic acid present really stood out for me; this sugar derivative holds moisture longer by binding to water molecules allowing longer-term hydration as well as anti-ageing benefits that could reduce fine lines and wrinkles over time.
This primer helps blur pores and fine lines, smooth skin, and keep foundation in check for an almost photo-shopped effect. Hip teammate Editorial Team Lead Kat recommends layering pressed powder over this primer to increase wear-time and coverage.
At $45 this foundation falls in the midrange price point for foundation, but is definitely worth every penny. Particularly with their “Try Before You Buy” program which sends out full size products at just the cost of shipping with 14 days for trialing, exchange or returning if necessary – perfect for anyone hesitant about ordering online without testing first – plus, should it come out the wrong shade, they’ll take it back.
4. No Filter Foundation Brush
Have you seen “Il Makiage” Instagram posts or their viral marketing campaign on TikTok before? Perhaps even have one of their Woke Up Like This foundation bottles in your makeup bag – with over 464,734 five-star reviews on their product page alone it’s evident this base product has taken off in popularity!
Oddity–the parent company behind Il Makiage cosmetics and Spoiled Child skin care–has developed its PowerMatch quiz in 2020 in order to identify the ideal foundation shade for any individual through an online questionnaire, taking into account factors such as skin type and desired application method before scanning their face to find an exact match.
No Filter Natural Matte Foundation and Concealer from this company boast a full range of shades to meet the needs of all skin tones, from very fair to deep dark. Their lightweight formula can easily be applied using brushes or sponges; plus it contains skin-soothing ingredients and hyaluronic acid which binds moisture back onto the skin for increased hydration and fresher looking skin.
No Filter Foundation comes packaged in an easy-to-use glass jar with black pump, while its concealer comes in a clear plastic tube with felt applicator. Both products are cruelty-free, paraben-free and phthalate-free; available in four shades including Fair 05 (my skintone was light beige) and Fair 15 (very pale skintone). I found an ideal match in these shades as well as with its foundation brush – a wide flat one featuring standard synthetic fibers that I actually preferred over its performance when applied – for application of coverage.