Have you ever looked something up on the internet, and then you start seeing ads on your social media feeds about it? Well that’s how I heard of Il Makiage. I did one search for “best makeup foundation” and then I started seeing these ads for Il Makiage’s WOKE UP LIKE THIS foundation. I was a bit skeptical because it has been a struggle trying to find a liquid foundation that matched my skin tone. The video ads got me, and I decided to give it a try for the sake of my blog.
The process started with a quiz on their website asking my skin type, the type of coverage I wanted, the kind of finish I wanted, and then it got into my skin tone. There were seven photos of different skin tones ranging from fair-light to deep-dark. After you click on the first skin-tone color, it asks you to choose five more times which skin tone is yours (from other skin tones within your category) – kind of like how a tournament bracket works. After you narrow down your skin tone, the quiz asks you what your skin undertone is. Don’t worry though, I had no idea what to choose but the quiz will help you out. It asks a few more questions about how often you plan on wearing the foundation, how you usually apply foundation, and how you prime your face before applying foundation. Then it’ll ask which foundation brand you’re currently using to do a final comparison of your skin tone color. The payment is $4.99 for the initial shipping. If you like the product, then you’ll pay $44 after 2 weeks of trying it! I ended up with #105 as my skin tone.
Within 2 weeks I got my foundation, and I was so excited to try it out. I did not have high hopes for the product and I was ready to be let down and buy a shipping box to send it back. But boy was I wrong! I tried it within the first couple days of getting it, and I wore it out to see some friends. Initially I was nervous that the color was too tan for my skin. But after I applied the rest of my makeup it matched my skin tone! I took a selfie in a dark car with front flash, and there was no flash-back which was very surprising. When a photo is taken with flash, I feel like that is a true test to see if the foundation matches your skin. If your skin looks a lot more pale because of camera flash, then it is not a match. It wasn’t until later in the night that I mentioned to my friend that I was wearing the Il Makiage foundation, and she was shocked! She said that she couldn’t tell that I was wearing any foundation until I pointed it out. Some of my acne scarring was still showing a little bit through, but that night I didn’t put on my full coverage look. The first night of wearing the foundation was a success!
I decided to write a blog post about my experience with this foundation with some before and after photos to truly see the coverage and finish of my foundation mix. The right side of my face has been breaking out pretty bad during quarantine because I have to wear a mask all day during work. I’ve always had clear skin with the occasional pimple once every couple of months, but it has been really bad during quarantine. Look up “mask-ne” (mask + acne), it’s a real thing! I even have a pimple coming through, which is a good test to see the amount of coverage that this foundation gives. Here are my before photos:
I decided to do a normal day-to-day look so that I could comfortably wear my makeup as I stayed at home for the day. I started with my base: Neutrogena oil-free moisturizer with sunscreen, Morphe Equalizer primer, Maybelline Master Fix setting powder, Dr. Jart Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment (I’ll definitely do a review on this soon!), Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser concealer, and then the Il Makiage WOKE UP LIKE THIS foundation. I filled in my eyebrows, added a bronze color from Colourpop’s Give It To Me Straight pallette, and added in my favorite It Cosmetics Superhero mascara. Finally to finish the look I used Morphe’s Debutante bronzer and Becca Cosmetics highlighter in Champagne Pop. It sounds like a lot, but it took me about 10-15 minutes in total. Here’s my final look!
FINAL VERDICT:
As you can see, the foundation did a good job of matching my skin, covering my blemishes, and leaving a natural finish. I like a more dewy finish so that it looks more like natural skin rather than it being obvious that I’m wearing a matte foundation. I’m no makeup expert, so as someone who puts on natural makeup occasionally, and a full face on a night out, I like this foundation a lot. I was on the hunt for a good liquid foundation that wasn’t going to break my bank, and with Il Makiage’s 14-day trial, what’s to lose?! I don’t mind spending the $44 for this product because I know that I’ll make use of it. If you’ve tried it, let me know what you think!
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