If you're into beauty I'm sure you have seen ads for this foundation pop out on your Facebook or Instagram feeds. Ad video looks great and the comments are all positive. I was trying to ignore it, but it kept coming back, so one day after couple of drinks I decided, fuck it, let's give it a go. They have good return policy, the comments are raving, what have I got to loose, right?! I have completed the quiz, answering a lot of questions that made me feel like I'm getting a tailor made product perfect for my skin. I paid £33 and happily poured myself another drink (it was my birthday, so I was allowed :P). A few days later I received a parcel.
Was it worth it?
TL;DR: Nope, it's shite and I can't recommend it.
Proper review:
The parcel arrived quickly, it was nicely packed and I got two freebies: foundation brush and an eye-liner. Nice! The foundation looks great, rectangular frosted glass bottle, very minimalist, modern and classy feeling. I was so excited to get my paws on it I didn't took any unboxing photos.
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| Quiz assigned me shade 20, which was matching my skin tone very well |
The next day I'm getting ready to work and put my make up on. I'm not changing anything in my routine - same cleanser, same lightweight moisturiser, same primer. I'm getting to the foundation. The colour match is perfect - cool, because the only negative comments I've seen were about poor colour match. So far, so good. I'm applying with my favourite Real Techniques brush and... wtf?! This fucker does not blend. I'm trying to brush, blend and buff, but my efforts are fruitless - it just moves around my face leaving streaks. "Medium to full coverage" - forget about it! There is no way you can layer this stuff. Eventually I managed to apply it to my whole face with beauty blender, but it does not look good. The coverage is not buildable, so my acne scars are still on display, it sits in my pores and looks cakey af. I'm secretly grateful for bloody face masks and I'm leaving to work with my really bad make up on, as I don't have time to start again. At work I took photos of my cakey face, so this is what it looked like 2 hours after application (excuse the poor work toilet lighting):
The Il Makaige website and a little guide we get in the parcel both say to try the foundation for a week before you decide it's not for you. So the next day I decide to try the Il Makiage brush and skip my primer. Maybe this foundation doesn't like my primer? I was applying and hoping for a miracle. Miracle did not happen. Still cakey af. There was no third attempt, I returned the motherfucker and got my money back.
I got a refund, so what's my problem?
I will explain.
First of all, the quiz is misleading. It asks you about your skin type, preferred coverage level, if you prefer matte or dewy finish.
Then it's onto the shade questions. You pick pictures that most resemble your skin, you say if you have warm or cool undertones. You get asked what skin issues you have, what's your usual foundation and how old you are.
At the end there is loading bar and... ta-dah! "Call us matchmakers, here is your perfect match".
All of this makes you think that you're getting a custom product, picked/made for you based on your answer, perfect for your skin, exactly what you need! Then you look at their website and turns out they only do one foundation 😂
Second of all, I feel like they tamper with the reviews. On Facebook or Instagram the only negative comments you will find will be about wrong shade, but never anything about formula, lasting power, how cakey and patchy it is. On the website when you click on the reviews it's automatically five stars reviews that show up in random order.
You need to set the filter to be able to see negative reviews and they are added with a massive delay. It's August when I'm writing this and the last negative review is from June. I wrote a one-star review in July, it's nowhere to be seen. Also if you just go on the website and leave review there is no option to add photos. Only when you receive an e-mail asking for a review you can post review with photos. I received my e-mail last week, so I left another one-star review with photos this time and of course, this review is nowhere to be seen on the website. There is only one, ONE! one-star review with photos on their website, from 2019 and yes, you guessed right - it only criticises the shade.
There is A LOT of video reviews on YouTube, but a lof of them sponsored. So yeah, their marketing team is on ball.
I found this video review to be similar to my experience:
Once I returned the foundation, I got my money back and a gift voucher for £40. It's a nice gesture, but I must admit - I don't know what to do with it. It would be good to try another foundation, but they only do one and it's shite, so what shall I buy? The products are expensive, blush £29, four eye shadows £33... I can get one, max two products, while in my beloved Kiko Milano I could go crazy for £40.
Ah, I forgot to explain the subscription thingy. After we complete the quiz we can buy the foundation as a one-off for £36 or choose subscription for £33 per shipment. The subscription is automatically set to deliver every three months, although I'm not sure if it depends on your quiz answers (it asks you how often you wear foundation). You can change the delivery frequency or cancel the subscription any time. The little guide that comes with the foundation advises to use two pumps for the entire face, so if it really lasts three months of almost daily use, the price doesn't seem that bad. Although my favourite foundation lasts longer and costs £15 😎
That's all I got to say about this hyped product. The customer service/return policy is good, the foundation itself is not.
What shite have you happened to buy after a couple of drinks?
