In Spenny vs Penny we compare the products we love, with those following in their (sometimes pricey) footsteps. Are they worth the cash? Here, we try to find the best full-coverage foundation, seeing how they compare to Fenty Pro Filt’r.
Full-coverage foundation is a daunting concept, isn’t it? With the promised benefit of covering pretty much anything you wish to cover, as well as producing potentially glowing, valiant club photos; if it’s done incorrectly, you might be left with a cakey situation, or a look that only lasts a couple of hours, or a spotty t-zone, or, my personal nightmare: an obvious, orangey case of a mismatched shade.
My medium/dark skin (the description shifts depending on how inclusive the brand is to people of colour) changes from summer to winter, and has a yellow undertone that a lot of brands just don’t seem to cater to, so I’ve mostly steered clear.
But when looking for full-coverage, is dishing out the big bucks a sacrifice makeup-wearers like me will just have to make? I pitted the top-of-the range against a couple of high-street alternatives to find out.
Spenny: Fenty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, Harvey Nichols, 32ml, £26
First up, the big hitter in the arena of foundations. I have questions about the title of this product – most pressingly, why is there an apostrophe in “filt’r”? What’s been removed? Perhaps it’s my apprehension about trying the holy-grail makeup brand, as before giving it a whirl, I felt it was simply impossible that it could live up to the hype.
But Fenty really did filt’r like a pro. This product’s coverage was strong, probably stronger than any foundation I’ve used before, so it was crucially important that the colour matched, otherwise we’d be looking at either a streaky mess, or a classic face-neck colour juxtaposition. Luckily, it’s a hallmark of Fenty that its range is almost unparalleled for darker complexions – I was able to choose a colour that matched both my undertones and my shade.
The product lays on thick, but wasn’t dull, giving my skin an unreal glow. Any blemishes I had were rendered virtually invisible. And at the same time as avoiding cakiness, the product also didn’t budge. After an evening of this product, my skin felt great and remained clear as ever. Full marks for Fenty.
Penny: Sleek Crème to Powder Foundation, Boots, 9g, £7.99
Growing up mixed race, I spent lots of my Saturdays in Superdrug looking for something to cover my acne-speckled cheeks, and finding nothing that even remotely matched my complexion. When Sleek trickled its way onto the high street, I was past my acne-days, but was happy to see an inclusive shade-range that was friendlier to buyers’ wallets.
Picking up its full-coverage Crème to Powder Foundation, as a long-time liquid user, I wasn’t familiar with the consistency; it was chalky, and you’re supposed to dampen the sponge that comes with to get it into a creamy, more liquid state. When I actually managed to get the foundation onto my face, it definitely worked – good coverage, and the consistency added the benefit of creating a soft, flawless, matte look that would likely be harder to achieve with liquid. What’s more, similarly to Fenty, it didn’t wear off throughout the day and produced really strong, long-lasting coverage.
If pushed, I’d say that while my skin was more matte, it was simultaneously duller – there was something about the dewiness of the Fenty that was impressive – but ultimately this is down to personal taste and how you feeling on the day.
Sleek also wasn’t quite as full coverage as Fenty; I had to apply more of it to achieve the same look that I got with the first product. But this is nothing that a good fixing spray couldn’t tend to. Overall, Sleek gives good – but not quite as good coverage – and ultimately a slightly different glow.
Penny: NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat, 35ml, £7
Back to familiar liquid foundation. The shade range of NYX, a brand also known for catering well to people of colour, is equally impressive as both Sleek and Fenty, providing me with a good match.
The consistency was true liquid, a little thinner and smoother to go on than Pro Filt’r.
I was impressed with the results of Stay Matte – it was indeed matte and actually also produced a fairly similar result to the first product. Again, I had to pile it on to get there, actually doing a little layer of foundation, allowing it to set and then applying a bit more.
In terms of dewiness, this product matched the dewy glow of Fenty more closely than the Sleek foundation, with a slightly more studio, photo-ready look. Coverage lasted all day too.
We all work hard to earn our money – so it shouldn’t feel like hard work to spend it well. At HuffPost Finds we’ll help you find the best stuff that deserves your cash, from the ultimate lipstick to a durable iron to replace the one that broke (RIP). All our choices are completely independent but we may earn a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase.