I was very excited to recently receive the Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF15* (phew!) in the mail recently. This is described as having full coverage and oil-free shine control which is basically everything I want in a foundation.
The Bobbi Brown website describes the foundation as
“… water-based, oil-free formula delivers undetectable coverage and a fresh, hydrated glow for the most natural skin-like finish. In addition to weightless, long-wearing coverage and hydration, the formula minimises the appearance of pores, conceals imperfections, and delivers broad spectrum UV protection. Buildable formula goes easily from light to medium and is available in wide range of shades for all skin tones.”
This foundation comes in 19 shades and my shade is Porcelain, Shade 0. Are we surprised? Absolutely not. However it’s the first time I’ve been a shade 0 in anything and it’s a very strange feeling to have.
Let’s first chat packaging – I love it. It has a frosted glass bottle that doesn’t feel too heavily and it comes with a pump built in. It is simple with the black details and the foundation shade peeking through the glass and it’s everything I want in a foundation bottle – as weird as that sounds.
Swatches L-R: Bobbi Brown Skin in Porcelain, Too Faced Peach Perfect in Swan, Urban Decay Naked Skin in 1.0, Revlon Colorstay in Buff 150.
As you can see from the swatches the shade works really well with other foundations that I own that match me well. Each of these is obviously different but the shades work for me so I’m really happy about that! I match to MAC N4 (more neutral than NC15) for a more ‘common’ shade comparison.
The formula took me a little while to get used to. I found this more a medium-full foundation rather than a full FULL coverage that looks like a second skin. I tend to use three pumps of product first spread all over the face and then another three to build up the coverage more on my cheeks, nose and chin. I feel like I’m using a lot of product but it doesn’t cake up on the face at all. I’d say this gives a satin finish – it’s not fully matte but also doesn’t leave the skin looking dewy and radiant. (Stay tuned for a post all about my favourite way to wear it!)
What took me time to get used to was how the foundation sets. It sets almost feeling tacky – even after powder and setting spray. That effect lasts all day – you almost expect when you touch your face to see makeup having transferred off. I’m happy to confirm that it definitely doesn’t transfer at all but the feeling might take a few uses to get used to.
The lasting power of this foundation is really nice. It doesn’t keep my nose matte all day (nothing ever does) but rather than separating because of the oils it just slowly lets them seep through – meaning that a quick dust with powder settles the product back down looking as if you’ve just applied it. While I haven’t worn the foundation for 16 hours at once just yet, the longest I have done is 12 hours and I have to say it holds up really really well throughout the day.
If you’re looking for a higher end foundation with SPF (that hasn’t flashed back when I’ve tested it) that is a medium buildable coverage perfect for Spring and Summer weather I highly recommend checking this out! It retails for $72 and is available from Bobbi Brown or Mecca.
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