It had been around two whole years since I last used Beautifully Matte and I only stumbled back into it's glory after noticing I had zero foundation whilst on my way to a wedding (I know, sacrilegious). So without too much hesitation I decided to throw myself into the nearest Boots store and hunt down a much needed power foundation!
Now, what do I mean by power foundation? You may have a different name for it but I'm talking about those foundations that you only save for nice occasions. For instance, I'm talking about your Estee Lauder Double Wear, your Nars Sheer Glow, your Makeup Forever HD Foundation etc. You know the ones, your good foundation.
(It's basically the equivalent of the 'good china' our mums used to have when they were our age but ohhh how times have changed!)
Coming in at a total of £14.50, I'd say it was in the mid price range for foundations. It doesn't break the bank but it is slightly more expensive than a lot of other high street brands and it's definitely one of my high street power products.
Coverage
It's a fuller coverage foundation but it doesn't feel too heavy. It sets quite dry which almost looks as if it's been powdered, yet it does have a teeny tiny sheen to it, so you don't look too flat.
One note I would make, if you have dry skin anywhere on your face this foundation will cling to it. This is no different from any other matte foundations but just be aware that any breaks or dryness in the skin will be slightly more accentuated with use.
As you can hopefully see from the below pictures, with one application it creates a perfect flawless base. The redness on my cheeks has been covered and the large pores near my nose (in the top right of each photo) have nearly disappeared.
Overall, I'm completely satisfied with the coverage and the results it gives.
Shades
I can only comment on the lighter shades they provide because...well, look at me. I'm Casper's paler cousin. What I can say is they have a nice selection of shades with pink and yellow under tones. Even though I'm pale and have a bit of redness, I'm much more suited to yellow under toned products. I purchased the shade 'Calico' and thoroughly loved the results it gave.
Longevity
I think any foundation that says it has the ability to last 15 hours or 'All Day' are just big ol' liars. I'll be completely honest, Beautifully Matte does not last 'All Day' (which is a very wishy washy term anyway) however, it does last a good 4-6 hours with zero touch ups.
I have fairly oily skin, so my foundation moving throughout the day is a real problem (#firstworldproblems), yet I can leave this foundation for several hours and not be too worried about the results. Yes, you will probably need to touch up and yes it does get slightly oily (that's if you have naturally oily skin) but it's in no way the worst I've seen. Quite frankly, I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it come to foundations anyway, so I do expect a lot from my makeup.
Final Verdict
Perfect for people with oily skin
Be aware it will cling to dry skin
Coverage is fantastic for a high street brand
Price is a good reflection of the products capabilities
Great lasting foundation
Great all year round but a necessity during the colder months
No 7 Beautifully Matte Foundation you are definitely a TREASURE.
Have you ever tried Beautifully Matte before? What did you think of it? Can you recommend any other matte foundations? Let me know in the comments below!
