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I tried Fenty’s new foundation – here are my honest thoughts

Rihanna is back at it again with a dewy finish twist on an old favourite

Lauren Cunningham
Friday 26 April 2024 10:49 BST
There are 50 shades are available
There are 50 shades are available (iStock/ The Independent)

It’s no exaggeration to say Fenty Beauty (founded by the one and only Rihanna) pushed the make-up industry to make a real change. Focusing on wide shade ranges, long-lasting formulas and often refillable packaging, the celeb-backed beauty brand has certainly encouraged competitors to do the same, and, excitingly, there’s a brand new product that has piqued my interest.

Named the Fenty Beauty soft lit naturally luminous longwear foundation – a long but incredibly detailed title – it’s the latest face base addition to the Fenty Beauty brand. Claiming to be the glow-enhancing version of the brand’s famous pro filt’r soft matte longwear foundation (£34, Fentybeauty.com), which was also named best for oily skin in our expert-backed guide to the best foundations, I had high hopes.

Unsurprisingly, I got my hands on it first and after a few weeks of wearing it every day, I’m pretty excited to share my thoughts and feelings. So if you’re a dewy make-up fan, best pay attention as this could be your new go-to. Plus, it’s packed full of skin-boosting ingredients that do much more than just conceal. Keep reading to find out my full thoughts.

How I tested Fenty’s new foundation

I trialled the foundation ahead of launch
I trialled the foundation ahead of launch (Lauren Cunningham)

I’ve been testing Fenty Beauty’s new foundation for three weeks, applying it each morning with a foundation brush, filling in areas I’d like a little extra coverage (under the eyes, spots, around the nose) with concealer and adding blush on top to finish. Staying power, finish and feel were all top of my list when working out how much I liked it. Keep reading to find out how it fared.

Fenty Beauty soft lit naturally luminous longwear foundation

Fenty Beauty soft lit naturally luminous longwear foundation.png
  • Number of shades available: 50
  • Shade tested: 210
  • Key ingredients : Kakadu plum extract and Cyperus papyrus leaf cell extract
  • Size: 123g
  • Why we love it
    • Long-lasting
    • Skin-boosting ingredients
    • Wide shade range

A new Fenty foundation is sure to garner great attention. After all, if it’s good enough for Rihanna, it’s definitely good enough for us, and as a dewy foundation fan, I expected big things.

The formula

Claiming to be for all skin types, the foundation has definitely been built with skincare in mind. Not only does it help conceal and even skin tone, as any good foundation does, but it actually feels more like a skincare serum offering a good hit of hydration at the same time. The formula meant that I often found myself forgoing moisturiser underneath.

Kakadu plum extract and cyperus papyrus leaf cell extract are the two core ingredients helping to boost moisture levels and brighten the skin from the inside. The more you wear it, the more your skin should start to reap the benefits and become even in tone, offering very similar results to a vitamin C serum. Although, I haven’t used it quite long enough to see a noticeable difference yet.

Plus, it feels incredibly lightweight on the skin, similar to a moisturiser or serum.

The finish

With a dewy finish, I have been keeping a small powder in my bag for quick tops up throughout the day just to help stamp outshine.

Thanks to the hydrating texture, there’s no cakiness and it doesn’t settle in fine lines or wrinkles. Instead, it offers a medium buildable swathe of colour that helps add a little luminosity to the skin while slightly concealing uneven tone, texture and redness.

As with most foundations though, it will also benefit working alongside concealer if you’d like to truly do away with dark circles or redness as well. Plus, it lasted all day on the face as well as through sweaty gym sessions which was incredibly impressive.

Back to top

The verdict Fenty Beauty soft lit naturally luminous longwear foundation

Fenty foundations have built up quite a loyal following and for good reason. I’m sure plenty of people are going to love this luminous take on the brand’s famous pro filt’r soft matte longwear foundation not only for its make-up-like properties but also the fact that it helps hydrate and improve skin underneath as well.

For me, the new foundation is so hydrating that I often forgo a morning moisturiser when wearing it. And the wide shade range and buildable dewy coverage kept me coming back thanks to the natural-looking finish. Many may prefer to finish off with a powder to take the luminosity down just a touch, or if it’s matte foundations that make you more confident, the classic pro filt’r soft matte longwear foundation may still be your best port of call.

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