I promised you a full review of the Face Atelier foundation after last week’s FOTD and my recent re-discovering of it. Face Atelier Liquid Foundation offers medium/high coverage without looking like a traditional, high-coverage foundation. On my dry/combination skin, it takes about 20 minutes to warm up, at which point it begins to look less like a foundation and more like naturally good skin. It’s one of those foundations where you look in the mirror part-way through the day and say “Woah, good skin day!” Followed by a fist-pump.
However, I do have a caveat with this foundation. To get the best from it, you need to apply it on well-moisturised, not-too-dry, not-too-oily skin. If you’ve got good skin texture but with a little discolouration or redness, you should be chomping at the bit to purchase. If you’re prone to dryness or oiliness, you’ll probably be in love with this 65% of the time. Does that make sense?
The bottle comes with a great pump that dispenses the perfect amount for a full-face application with a single squeeze. The brand state that you do not need to wear a primer underneath this and indeed you can feel the silicone in the fomula. If you like your foundation to feel completely weightless, you may not enjoy the feel of this one (though in no way does this feel like a heavy foundation).
It also sets fast, so work quickly!
Personally, I ignore the brand’s recommendations on primer and mix it up with a blob of moisturising primer (non-silicone) or Maqpro Make Up Mixer to give me a sheer(er) finish that doesn’t set as quickly. To combat the additional dewiness this pairing provides, I set the foundation on my t-zone with a touch of powder. I don’t find that it wears any less well and have been surprised by how well it performs mixing it into all different kinds of bases! I like to buff it in with a flat-top kabuki… working it in to the skin in light circular motions, both back and forward.
* my hair looks two different colours in the above photo – the sun had come out from behind the clouds in time for the 2nd shot!
The shade #2 Ivory is spot on for me, a little too yellow technically, but I like this because it tones down my redness more effectively. If you’re just slightly darker or lighter than the official range, you can also purchase their 0-/0+ to lighten and darken any of their shades.
Overall, on good skin days (or if you’ve got skin prep down to a fine art), this is show-stealing foundation. It’s pricey, but what price beautiful skin fakery?
Face Atelier Ultra Foundation is priced at £32 and available to buy online from Cult Beauty
What fortuitous posting – I’m wearing this foundation today. Most of my other foundations are more matte, and my cheeks have been dry lately so I reached for this. I use a few pumps of the foundation though, and use my fingers because I hate washing brushes & I like the finish when it’s a bit thicker. Glad you love it too 🙂
OOh, might have to give this one a go when I sort all my dryness out.
I do like a summer appropriate medium/heavy coverage foundation!
I have this foundation in porcelain and LOVE it !!!!. I just use my fingers (no way I’m wasting any of this product by using a brush). I love how it covers effortlessly but feels like nothing on the skin. I use MAC msf natural to set, a little blush, mascara and then lipgloss and I’m all done, brilliant. It’s the most natural looking foundation I’ve used so far.
This foundation looks really lovely, unfortunately I’m a bit afraid of buying foundation over the internet. Can I as which flat-top kabuki is your favourite?
Alice, you can buy samples of this foundation online from a few sites. Just search “Face Atelier samples”. There are sites in the UK and the US that do that service.
Thank you Mary! I had no idea they were so easily obtainable, but those are great news.
Hi Alice,
As Mary says – it’s really easy to get hold of a sample of this one!
Not really kabukis, I don’t know why I said that .. but flat-top brushes for liquid foundations?
For the price? I love the ELF flat top Powder Brush… but ultimately, my favourites are the ADesign Flat Top Foundation and the… ooh, I dunno – maybe the Shiseido Perfect Foundation brush or a Lancome Precision Cheek brush (#7) that I bought from eBay a while back thinking it would probably be a fake! (it probably is)
Sorry, too many answers. I’ve also seen lots of people rec the Sigma F80, so I’d like to try that too!
Oh, thank you very much. I think I’ll opt for the Shiseido brush, I’ve only read raving reviews about it.
I would say this is one of the best ever foundations out there. I have dry as a bone skin but luckily I manage to keep it from being flakey. The range is all yellow toned but still ok for cool toned skin. I have Wheat it gives a bit of warmth. Love this stuff !
If I remember well, Coco Beau also sell it, or at least they did at some point, and you could purchase samples to make sure you had a match before ordering. So I did try this a couple of years ago and was not impressed, I don’t know what I was expecting because of the hype, but I remember I found it too thick and heavy for my liking 🙁