I tried very, very hard to make it work. I pretty much tried every way I could think of applying it, including:
- fingers
- Real Techniques Buffing Brush, both dry and with water sprayed on it beforehand
- mixed with Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè to form a tinted moisturiser, applied with fingers
- Real Techniques Essential Foundation Brush
- Real Techniques Stippling Brush
The only method I haven’t tried is with a sponge or Beautyblender, because I can’t be bothered with sponges and I’m not completely sold on the Beautyblender given the cost and how fiddly it seems.
The first few days trying this foundation were real disappointments. It looked unnatural, cakey, clung onto dry patches of skin that I didn’t even know I had, and basically I wanted to give up on it. I also hated the fact it dried matte and not glowy or semi-matte. It’s often been compared to Revlon PhotoReady (a foundation that I loved, until it randomly started caking on me), but I find PhotoReady much, much glowier and brightening. HD could be classified as semi-matte, but is definitely more on the matte side for me, especially when first applied. But it's one of those rare breeds that actually looks better as the day goes on and it settles into your skin.
I found the trick to making this foundation work is MOISTURISE LIKE CRAZY. I don’t even think my skin is dry, but maybe it’s because it’s winter, or I haven’t been drinking enough water, or the air conditioning in the office is drying my skin out, but the foundation sat on my skin horribly. It was only after I more or less slathered my whole face in Nivea Soft the night before, concentrating on the dry areas at the tops of my cheeks and around my mouth, then washed my face with only water the next morning and moisturised with my Dove Essential Nutrients Protective Day Cream with equal zeal, that I found results. I used about 3/4ths to 1 pump of the foundation on the back of my hand, dipping my Real Techniques stippling brush lightly into the product and working it into my skin as gently as I could in circular motions.
I never use the stippling brush for my foundation, but it was literally the last resort after trying everything else. And it worked the best, though coverage was on the sheer side. Minimal clinging to dry patches, natural finish, lasted the whole day without oiliness or caking around my nose (an issue I've experienced with almost every foundation I've used), looked good under every lighting condition. However, the next two days I tried the same method, and found my skin increasingly start to flake off weirdly as I was applying the foundation. Almost like the brush was exfoliating my skin, forming little shavings that stuck to my face and were impossible to wipe off completely without making it worse. So, back to square one.
At best, this foundation is natural looking, long lasting, doesn’t cake, a good colour match for me, and gets slightly glowier as the day goes on. At worst, it’s the worst foundation I’ve used.
It takes a lot of effort to make work. It's temperamental. I haven't found any rhyme or reason to why it works one day, and fails spectacularly the next. I don’t recommend it for those with dry skin. But when it works, it really impresses, and while I haven’t worn it to an occasion where I've been photographed, I’ve heard that one of its primary selling points is that it photographs beautifully.
I’m feeling like I have the foundation bug now, because I’m really curious to try some other very popular foundations that are on the pricier side, like Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and NARS Sheer Glow. Even with mixed results, Make Up For Ever HD has had the unexpected side effect of elevating foundation a few notches up the ladder of my makeup interests.
