I fell in love with this formula at first touch. The formula comes housed in a glass pot, and when you twist it open you are met with a plush, mousse-like delicacy. The whip-thick foundation feels like a luxe face cream, both as you are scooping it up and as you pad it onto your face. From a purely sensorial standpoint, this is a feast.
And while texture is a huge part of any beauty product’s appeal, it can’t be the only driver. Well this foundation smooths onto skin, gently covering up any concern, from big to small. I personally love to apply products with my fingers (I’m a makeup-as-fingerpaint sort of gal), and this is perfectly suited for such a technique. Dare I even say: It’s fun to apply with your fingers! For the sake of experimentation (I’m a thorough beauty director, after all), I also played around with a sponge and brush. Each method worked incredibly well with this lush texture, which isn’t always the case.
When using any foundation, I always start on my cheeks, where most of the redness is concentrated. The rich cream texture melts into the skin so easily, leaving a soft wash of color that hides patchy skin. As I work out to the borders of my face, I tend to use less and less product — and there’s no dreaded line. Like magic, this diffuses color evenly across the skin so it’s a natural finish.
While this does provide a natural finish, a sheer tint this is not. The WTF (as Jones Road refers to it lovingly on their site) is a proper foundation, and builds to a solid amount of coverage, if that’s what you’re after. After applying my base layer, I like to go back in an tap on extra pigment on the areas I need it most: under the eyes to hide dark circles, around my chin where most of the acne scars are concentrated, and double-layer on the apples of my cheeks to hide any redness that peeks through. Essentially the coverage is whatever you want it to be: work in a pea-size amount of a light wash, add on some more for medium coverage (a la my routine), or go full-face and grab your foundation brushes and sponges. This number does it all.
But we wouldn’t be mindbodygreen if we didn’t talk about the ingredients. Considering how much surface area a foundation hits, you really do need to look for ingredients that can support skin health throughout the day. This is made with a botanical blend full of lipids, humectants, and antioxidants. Jojoba oil conditions the skin (and is similar to your natural oils, so it compliments your skin perfectly). Sodium hyaluronate is a form of hyaluronic acid that drives hydration into the epidermis. And a cocktail of antioxidant-rich plant oils and waxes provide the cushy texture.
But let’s talk about wearability. I got my samples delivered in the spring. I live in New York City. I’m loath to carry an umbrella. What does this mean? I get caught in the rain a lot. And this formula stayed with me, even if my mascara wasn’t so lucky. And the hydrating, pillowy texture means it’s not as likely to settle into fine lines (granted, a little bit of settling is inevitable and to be expected — it’s just the outcome from using your facial muscles and living your life. Try not to get hung up about it.)
I am using Porcelain and Fair at the moment (which may change as the summer progresses), but they have a collection of 12 diverse hues. They provide several swatches on models on the website, so you can find an option that works best for your skin tone — or if you’re like me, grab two shades and play with both to get your most natural finish.