Long overdue product review, pretty much haha. The Pro Filt'R Soft Matte Longwear Foundation is the staple for Fenty Beauty as a brand, and its inclusivity of 50 shades was what made them stand out from other large beauty brands.
💖 To-know before you read my makeup reviews 💖
- I live in Malaysia (tropical, humid and hot af climate)
- I have dry to very dry skin
Product Keypoints
🖤 Shade - #190
🖤 Color - Light medium with warm yellow undertones
🖤 Texture - Comfortable matte, soft powder finish
🖤 Coverage - Medium to full, buildable
🖤 Scent - Close to none
🖤 Price - RM165
Packaging
A solid unit carton box with simple abstract patterns that do not feel cheap at all. The product itself sports a heavy frosted glass bottle with a white pump.
First Impressions
I made my purchase at Sephora after eyeing it for some time. The staff there helped me match my shades, because apparently this foundation's shades tend to differ after they dry down, or in other words, they oxidize. The shades will turn slightly darker after application compared to the color you see at first sight.
On application, the foundation dries down pretty fast. Its finish is just like its name - soft matte. For the first few hours, its finish is pretty flawless, but I notice that it becomes a little more powdery around the T-zone after around 4-5 hours, particularly between the brows and around the nose area.
I have very dry skin and I normally apply makeup after my skincare routine. And because I don't want to look too dry, I don't wear powder on top of my foundation. Using setting spray prolongs the staying power of the foundation, though I feel like the blemishes that surface in the T-zone area is still noticeable even with setting spray. Its probably due to my dry skin though that it turns powdery, I don't think you'll have a problem if you have normal/oily skin, it handles oil pretty well, but let me know your experience too!
Here's a before and after photo of the coverage -
It covers up the blood vessels without much of a problem. Coverage is definitely buildable by layering thin layers of foundation.
Another issue I faced was actually with the pump. It broke after half a year or so (and I don't wear makeup regularly, only for shoots and outings). I looked it up on Google and realized a lot of other people face the same issue. I heard that some Sephora outlets will replace it for you, but in some cases you may need to repurchase the pump from them.
It was quite a hassle to work around this because you would need to twist the entire cap open to get the product since the pump broke. And application then becomes a little messier, and you tend to drip too much foundation out at a time.
TL;DR - Good performance, a little drying.
Here's my personal ratings for the product!
(8/10)
💖 Good, buildable coverage - versatile use for both natural/glam moments.
💖 Flawless soft matte finish for 4-5 hours.
💖 No scent!
😶 Slightly drying for my skin, but shouldn't be a problem if you do your skincare and use a moisturizing primer before application. You can make it work with some effort.
😶 Powder starts floating up around problematic areas after prolonged wear.
🤔 Issues with the Fenty Beauty pump.
It's still a long journey to find a holy grail foundation, but for normal consumers like us, we can only take it one at a time. What's your holy grail foundation? Need some recommendations for super dry skin!
Disclaimer: Please note that my articles are written according to my own personal experience. All opinions stated are my own and I tend to keep things as honest as possible for my readers. There will always be varying experiences and opinions from others, what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. As a consumer, the choice is ultimately yours to make. Feel free to go ahead and test products at your nearest outlet before making a purchasing decision.