Review : Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

Hello loves!

Sooooooo... I bought the much talked-about foundation for the past few weeks,

the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation.

I don't get swayed to buy makeup by celebrities easily and I do not listen to American pop music lately so when I heard news that Rihanna was launching a makeup brand, I was, well, indifferent. However, I do notice her from time to time when it comes to her makeup looks and her bold fashion choices. She's really a beautiful woman! 

So what made me buy this? Well, I was scrolling my Facebook Timeline and came across the news wherein one albino woman praised this product for having a shade that matches her skin. As I read the article, I liked the idea that the line has forty shades available. And so, my interest to learn more about this product rose and I read and watched more reviews. I was impressed at how good the coverage of this product was and the matte effect that it provides on the skin of the beauty vloggers I've watched on youtube. As someone who looks for coverage and a matte finish on my foundations, this made me want to purchase it and try it out for myself. 

It was easy for me to just click the Sephora website and order because not only was I impressed with the reviews, I also ran out of my favorite foundation, the Estee Lauder Double Wear... plus, September is also my birth month, so I thought I could spoil myself with a new foundation. Hihihi.

And so, I purchased one from Sephora.

Buying online can be tricky because you can't see if the shade suits your skin tone. I relied on the widget on the Sephora website where you can input the shade you use from other brands and it suggests the Fenty Beauty shade for you.

So I entered my shade when I use the MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundation, which is NC25, and the widget suggested that I get the 210 shade Medium Neutral. BUT I didn't get that shade because I saw from other reviews that this foundation turns shades darker when it dries. So I jumped two shades lighter and bought 190 Light Neutral. I have a neutral skin on my face but warm on the rest of my body so I didn't get the cool neutral, which is the shade next to what was suggested. My decision to skip shades was just a wild guess. That's why I was so nervous and was really hoping that I get the right shade. The price is not something that I can take lightly so I don't want to get this wrong.

But before I proceed, see below the labels on the packaging so we can get to know the product...

Info from the website:

Give it to me quick:

A soft matte, longwear foundation with buildable, medium to full coverage, in a boundary-breaking range of 40 shades.

Tell me more:

Finally — the ultimate photo filter in foundation form.  Born in 40 boundary-breaking shades, Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation gives skin an instantly smooth, pore-diffused, shine-free finish that easily builds to medium to full coverage. The oil-free formula is made with climate-adaptive technology that's resistant to sweat and humidity, and won't clog pores so that wherever you are, it's going to work on your skin. Best of all, this longwearing, light-as-air texture is undetectable on skin — so you always look like you. 

How’d we do it?

• Obsessive research to create the perfect range of shades for all


• Exclusive insights from the world’s top makeup artists
 
• Extensively tested for real life, on real women

We figured out that it takes the right balance of tone and texture to make foundation work on every skin type. We obsessed over custom pigment levels to capture your truest tones with a soft matte finish that’s just right—not too matte and not too shiny. The result? A comfortable longwear formula that lets skin look like skin. Made for all women to love.

Shade-Finding Tips:

• Always shake before use to activate.
 
• Pro Filt’r’s rich pigments need a moment to dry down to their truest color, so when you're testing shades, remember to let the formula dry completely to find your perfect match.


• Deciding between two shades? Try the lighter shade.

Rihanna’s go-to shade? 340. She also wears 330, 360, or 370, depending on the time of year.

Fenty Beauty is 100% cruelty free.

Ingredients:AQUA/WATER/EAU, DIMETHICONE, TALC, PEG-10 DIMETHICONE, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, POLYPROPYLENE, ISODODECANE, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE, NYLON-12, HDI/TRIMETHYLOL HEXYLLACTONE CROSSPOLYMER, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM CHLORIDE, HYDROGEN DIMETHICONE, GLYCERIN, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, METHICONE, BENZOIC ACID, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, SILICA, BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-4, ANANAS SATIVUS (PINEAPPLE) FRUIT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA (PAPAYA) FRUIT EXTRACT, PAULLINIA CUPANA SEED EXTRACT, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SORBIC ACID. MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR (+/-): TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).

I really appreciate that Rihanna created a foundation with as many as forty shades. According to the brand's website, makeup has become her tool for self-expression and that she wants everyone, wherever they are in the world, to enjoy it and be creative with it. I have tried foundations and BB creams and CC creams that have too limited shade selections. Some of them gives too orangey finish, sometimes ashy, sometimes becomes pink; and that is why I really appreciate this kind of approach.

So now, let's get into the review proper! Wiiiiieeeeee!

The packaging is beautiful. I love the simplicity of it. I like the matte clear bottle and the easy to read fonts they used. The shape (it's like a cylinder but the back portion is flat) makes it even more unique and makes it stand-out from my foundation collections.

I also appreciate that it's a pump bottle for easy dispensing of the product.

Even the deluxe sizes have pumps, guys! Woooot!

And I was able to get three samples when I bought the full-size one.

I have the 180 Light Warm, 190 Light Neutral, 210 Medium Neutral, and 220 Medium Light Peach.

I'll be providing you swatches of all four shades. I've indicated which one they are by labeling the shade number next to the swatch.

I placed them according to the shade from lightest to darkest. I noticed that these are very mildly scented and not thick in consistency compared to those with medium to full coverage foundations that I've used. They actually feel creamy, but not sticky, and they really are lightweight!

You might find that all the shades look darker on my arm. My face is quite darker I swatched them on the inner area of the arm. FYI

Anyway, I know that many are concerned with the oxidizing of this foundation, so I waited for the foundation to fully dry and applied a fresh swatch so you can see the change in color. See photo below.

The lighter shades' change in color are more noticeable for me. All got a shade or two darker. Just click the photos for a larger view of the photos.

And here's how it works on my face:

Bare face

I've been having breakouts at the jaw and neck part. I have yet to figure out if it's my hair products (that's I've already changed) that's been causing them or the detergent we use for laundry (pillows and blankets). This area has always been a problem for me though. I have issues with hormones. Anyway, I badly need coverage to hide these scars and pimples.

First, I put a swatch of the 190 Light Neutral. I want to see how much it oxidizes first so I let that swatch set. As you can see, it's shades lighter than my skin color.

A couple of minutes later, it blended on my skin... it almost looks invisible if you ask me. I'm amazed that it matched my skin pretty well and at the same time understood why people were so concerned with the oxidation. It really got darker. I applied a fresh swatch next to it so you can see how much it changed.

And here's how it looks when I apply it all over my face. This is just one coat of the foundation, I didn't build it up yet on the areas that needed more coverage (my jaw area).

It dries pretty quickly so try your best to blend it as soon as you can. I've seen reviews that says it dries faster when you have dry skin but I can't verify that because I have oily skin. I don't have difficulty applying and blending this on me to be honest. I like using a paddle brush for this when I want more coverage and a beauty blender if I want it sheerer.

Here's a photo where I only applied the foundation on one half of my face.

You can see the matte finish and it can make the face appear a bit flat because of the "matteness" and the medium coverage, but it did a good job evening out the discoloration around the eyes, nose, and mouth. It also made the appearance of my pores look smaller.

Here's another side-by-side look of my problem area, the jaw + neck so you can see the coverage.

It has a medium coverage that's buildable. What's great is that since it's lightweight, even if I add more layers to cover the blemishes, my makeup doesn't feel heavy, at least compared to the foundations I'm used to.

Here's are side-by-side photos of my bare face and one with full makeup on.

I didn't use any concealer and no primer as well for a more accurate review. I didn't have to use under eye concealer because I already like how it was able to conceal most of the dark circles. I also just added a couple more coats of the foundation around the problem areas to completely hide them. I think I was able to use around 6 pumps all in all.

 With the right contour, color, and highlight, I was able to add dimension to my face and give it an extra glow.

When it says Pro Filt'r, it really looks like I have a filter on! The blemishes were hidden and my pores look smaller. My skin looks amazing even without primer nor face powders. No need for concealers too! I am definitely amazed by this.

It feels so lightweight that I don't feel like I'm wearing makeup. It's also long wearing as it can last the whole day even without blotting. However, my face do get shiny after five hours. And there was also one day that I noticed some caking at the areas where I layered the product. It only happened one time so I'm not sure if it was the weather or what I ate. I'll update this part if it ever happens again. 

I let my officemate try one of the deluxe samples I got. She used 210 Medium Neutral, and she said it lasted the whole day on her too. I believe she has normal-combination skin. She applied the makeup at the office (air-conditioned room) around eleven o'clock and left to commute at twelve noon from Manila to Pasig City to attend a civil wedding of a friend. That's an MRT ride and an hour-long jeepney ride during the middle of the day while the sun was at its peak. She also commuted to her home in Paranaque after the ceremony and when she saw herself on the mirror, she was surprised that her makeup was still intact. No creasing nor caking and very little fade away. She also didn't use any primer but added finishing powder on top.

I've used the product everyday for one week now and I haven't encountered any breakouts nor irritations.

So to summarize...

What I LIKE:

- Medium to full coverage

- Lightweight

- Mildly scented (almost unnoticeable)

- Beautifully packaged

- Semi-matte finish

- Long wearing

- Pump bottle

- 40 shades! Yay!

What I am NEUTRAL about:

- The price is at PhP 1,950.00 at Sephora PH. It's not as expensive as the Estee Lauder Double Wear that I was planning on buying, but it's also not affordable for the usual budget I have.

- Application for others was difficult according to some reviews, but I didn't have difficulty. I use a paddle brush for more coverage and a beauty blender for a sheerer coverage.

- Unlike other foundations, this one doesn't state any SPF. It's not a problem for me because I always wear sunscreen underneath even when I use foundations that says they have SPF.

What I DON'T LIKE:

- They don't have a physical store in the Philippines yet so deciding what shade to get is pretty difficult.

Would I repurchase?

I am open to repurchasing this foundation. It works well on my oily skin and gives an amazing, filtered-like finish. I like the coverage and how the shade I have is pretty close to my skin tone. So if you have oily skin like I do, you might like this as well.

And that is my review of the popular Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation. If you're planning on buying this, I hope this review was helpful. Let me know what you think of it on the comments section! 

UPDATE: So just three days ago, I used this foundation when I went to a wedding. I've been wearing it for five hours when I decided to use a blotting paper to get rid of the shine off my face. My face isn't really that oily, but I want to get good photos. After blotting, I noticed that I did get some caking, especially at the areas where I "baked" using my Ben Nye Banana Powder. I had to use my face mist to re-blend my foundation and fix my contour and blush again. The coverage was still there after the fix. :)


SECOND UPDATE: Okay... So I was using this foundation a day ago. I did two-three pumps then closed the cap. After I blended the product on my face, I thought I needed another pump for my neck. So when I opened the cap again, the pump was loose... like it was pushed forward. It won't pump any product anymore. I tried putting it back in place but I have no idea how! I've tried everything I could, even taking the pump out (there was no spring inside) and putting it back. It's really frustrating! It was just working a while ago! Ugh. I've tried googling and I don't see any solutions. There were a few that encountered the same problem but they had it while the product was new so they can return it. I doubt I can still do that because I've already used a quarter of the product. Ugh. Sooo... has anyone encountered this? Any solutions?

Cheers,

DAWN