MINNIRELLA MAGAZINE
The Ordinary Foundation Review
The Ordinary Foundation Review
Ever wondered how budget foundation brands match up to high-end foundations? I recently tested some of the products by The Ordinary, including their two types of foundation. I also tried out some of their skin products for combating pigmentation, acne and tired looking skin. Their foundation range is said to be as good as Chanel Vitalumié which retails at ten times the price, I wanted to find out if this budget foundation could match a high-end foundation such as Chanel? Here are my opinions...
A question I get asked frequently is: is high end make-up really worth the price? Generally speaking, yes it is. But I’d first like to insert a small but significant fact that applies to photography as well as make-up. Many new bloggers ask what the best camera is for creating professional quality pictures. The answer is: “the one you are able to use”. The same applies to make-up products. Luxury make-up contains better quality ingredients which make their application and longevity far better than their drugstore counterparts. That being said, if you’ve yet to master the basic techniques, high end make-up won’t perform the miracles you might expect. Luckily, there are many budget make-up brands which perform incredibly well considering their low price point. The Ordinary is one of those brands! For a budget brand The Ordinary’s skin care and foundation range are impressive. Generally speaking, I would be very surprised if anybody was disappointed at the quality of the products for the price you pay. Below I go into more detail about the separate products I have tried and my thoughts on them.
This cruelty-free cult brand made headlines a couple of years ago when they released their foundation collection, which claimed to match the quality of designer foundations costing ten times more money. After the initial launch, the products quickly sold out and you had to join a waiting list to be in with a chance of getting your hands on either of their two types of foundations. I decided to wait until the hype had died down before testing them out to see what all the fuss was about. It’s easy to fall for a newly released product because it’s the “latest big thing”, “a trending product”. The Ordinary foundation may have been the cult make-up product of 2016, but not all cult brands stand the test of time. The Ordinary is still fairing up well not only for their foundation, but for their entire skin care collection too. This cruelty-free skin care brand offers a vast choice of high quality skin care products, all of which have excellent reviews! It’s rare to find a brand that is consistent with quality when they offer a wealthy choice of products.
The Ordinary foundation comes in 21 different shades. There are two types of foundation available. One is the Full Coverage Foundation and the other is the Serum Foundation. As the names suggest: The Ordinary Full Coverage Foundation is thicker in consistency, offering more coverage and a slightly heavier finish. Meanwhile The Ordinary Serum Foundation is lighter and is a great budget dupe for Chanel Vitalumié or similar. The serum foundation is ideal for those who “need something” but only want a light coverage so that their skin still looks like skin. I currently have the Full Coverage Foundation in 1YG (shade 1, yellow and gold undertones) and 2N (shade 2 neutral). I also have the Serum Foundation in 1N (shade 1 neutral) and 2YG (shade 2 with yellow and gold undertones).
Are they any good? I have a neutral to cool skin tone with some redness from acne scarring. Shade 1 is the lighter shade and shade 2 is slightly darker. The letters after the number indicate the type of undertone they suit best. Usually I have a neutral skin tone but decided to test out the yellow and gold undertone option too just in case the neutral tone wasn’t enough. Admittedly, I prefer going into a store and testing a foundation prior to purchasing because it can be difficult to tell what suits you when ordering online. What I love about The Ordinary’s foundation is that each shade is very forgiving and is versatile enough to suit skin tones that are slightly lighter or darker. I think the neutral undertone suits me best although I can easily wear both the full coverage and the serum foundation with the yellow gold undertone too. I love both foundations. The serum is lightweight and reminds me of Chanel Vitalumié or MAC Face and Body – but cruelty-free, vegan and much more affordable of course! The Full Coverage foundation gives better coverage and conceals blemishes easier, but it’s not a heavy foundation either. I need a heavier coverage at the moment but I don’t like to look like I am plastered in make-up, which is why I love this foundation! They do oxidise a little, but not as bad as many budget range foundations.
Are they worth trying? YES. Absolutely. Obviously there are slight differences between high-end foundations compared to these, but for the price I think these are fantastic. They boast a lot of the benefits you get from a high-end foundation but for a much more modest price. Additionally, there are some luxury brand foundations that I have tried that are far worse than these, so they are definitely worth trying.
The Ordinary are well known for producing amazing skin care that rivals products and even cosmetic treatments at a much higher price. The Ordinary Buffet is an anti ageing serum that plumps out your skin to make it look hydrated and refreshed. If you suffer from adult acne like me or other skin conditions, you may notice that the skin treatments you use to combat your skin condition can leave your skin looking tired and dehydrated. This is why I decided to try The Ordinary Buffet and I have seriously noticed amazing results after the first use. My skin looks really healthy and the fine lines on my forehead look less visible. Although I am going to carry on using a normal skin moisturiser as well, I will be layering this serum with my day and night cream to improve the appearance of my skin. I have combination skin so my skin isn’t really dry, but I must add what a difference having well hydrated skin makes!
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin is another serum but this one corrects pigmentation and acne scarring. I had heard excellent reviews on this product and I have been using it on/off for the past couple of weeks. Has it made a difference to my skin? This has been the one product that hasn’t given me desired results after just a couple of uses however; I haven’t been using it religiously. Now that I have a couple of their skin care products designed to treat my type of skin, I may start to see noticeable results.
Last but not least, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid – a toning solution to deeply cleanse the skin. I use this after removing my make-up each night. I have only been using this one for a couple of days but I am impressed with it so far. Don’t be put off by the word “acid” in the title. I have had bad reactions to harsh acne-treating toners before but this was rather mild by comparison. It doesn’t sting my skin and it doesn’t dry out my skin either. This solution combined with the Buffet serum has helped to really improve the appearance of my skin lately.
So that is it. Have you tried any products by The Ordinary? Do let me know in the comments section below or feel free to get in touch. I am very happy with these products and would certainly consider repurchasing them again!
Should You Invest in a More Expensive Foundation?
A question I get asked frequently is: is high end make-up really worth the price? Generally speaking, yes it is. But I’d first like to insert a small but significant fact that applies to photography as well as make-up. Many new bloggers ask what the best camera is for creating professional quality pictures. The answer is: “the one you are able to use”. The same applies to make-up products. Luxury make-up contains better quality ingredients which make their application and longevity far better than their drugstore counterparts. That being said, if you’ve yet to master the basic techniques, high end make-up won’t perform the miracles you might expect. Luckily, there are many budget make-up brands which perform incredibly well considering their low price point. The Ordinary is one of those brands! For a budget brand The Ordinary’s skin care and foundation range are impressive. Generally speaking, I would be very surprised if anybody was disappointed at the quality of the products for the price you pay. Below I go into more detail about the separate products I have tried and my thoughts on them.
The Ordinary Cruelty-Free Brand
This cruelty-free cult brand made headlines a couple of years ago when they released their foundation collection, which claimed to match the quality of designer foundations costing ten times more money. After the initial launch, the products quickly sold out and you had to join a waiting list to be in with a chance of getting your hands on either of their two types of foundations. I decided to wait until the hype had died down before testing them out to see what all the fuss was about. It’s easy to fall for a newly released product because it’s the “latest big thing”, “a trending product”. The Ordinary foundation may have been the cult make-up product of 2016, but not all cult brands stand the test of time. The Ordinary is still fairing up well not only for their foundation, but for their entire skin care collection too. This cruelty-free skin care brand offers a vast choice of high quality skin care products, all of which have excellent reviews! It’s rare to find a brand that is consistent with quality when they offer a wealthy choice of products.
A Review of The Ordinary Foundation
The Ordinary foundation comes in 21 different shades. There are two types of foundation available. One is the Full Coverage Foundation and the other is the Serum Foundation. As the names suggest: The Ordinary Full Coverage Foundation is thicker in consistency, offering more coverage and a slightly heavier finish. Meanwhile The Ordinary Serum Foundation is lighter and is a great budget dupe for Chanel Vitalumié or similar. The serum foundation is ideal for those who “need something” but only want a light coverage so that their skin still looks like skin. I currently have the Full Coverage Foundation in 1YG (shade 1, yellow and gold undertones) and 2N (shade 2 neutral). I also have the Serum Foundation in 1N (shade 1 neutral) and 2YG (shade 2 with yellow and gold undertones).
Are they any good? I have a neutral to cool skin tone with some redness from acne scarring. Shade 1 is the lighter shade and shade 2 is slightly darker. The letters after the number indicate the type of undertone they suit best. Usually I have a neutral skin tone but decided to test out the yellow and gold undertone option too just in case the neutral tone wasn’t enough. Admittedly, I prefer going into a store and testing a foundation prior to purchasing because it can be difficult to tell what suits you when ordering online. What I love about The Ordinary’s foundation is that each shade is very forgiving and is versatile enough to suit skin tones that are slightly lighter or darker. I think the neutral undertone suits me best although I can easily wear both the full coverage and the serum foundation with the yellow gold undertone too. I love both foundations. The serum is lightweight and reminds me of Chanel Vitalumié or MAC Face and Body – but cruelty-free, vegan and much more affordable of course! The Full Coverage foundation gives better coverage and conceals blemishes easier, but it’s not a heavy foundation either. I need a heavier coverage at the moment but I don’t like to look like I am plastered in make-up, which is why I love this foundation! They do oxidise a little, but not as bad as many budget range foundations.
Are they worth trying? YES. Absolutely. Obviously there are slight differences between high-end foundations compared to these, but for the price I think these are fantastic. They boast a lot of the benefits you get from a high-end foundation but for a much more modest price. Additionally, there are some luxury brand foundations that I have tried that are far worse than these, so they are definitely worth trying.
The Ordinary Buffet
The Ordinary are well known for producing amazing skin care that rivals products and even cosmetic treatments at a much higher price. The Ordinary Buffet is an anti ageing serum that plumps out your skin to make it look hydrated and refreshed. If you suffer from adult acne like me or other skin conditions, you may notice that the skin treatments you use to combat your skin condition can leave your skin looking tired and dehydrated. This is why I decided to try The Ordinary Buffet and I have seriously noticed amazing results after the first use. My skin looks really healthy and the fine lines on my forehead look less visible. Although I am going to carry on using a normal skin moisturiser as well, I will be layering this serum with my day and night cream to improve the appearance of my skin. I have combination skin so my skin isn’t really dry, but I must add what a difference having well hydrated skin makes!
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin is another serum but this one corrects pigmentation and acne scarring. I had heard excellent reviews on this product and I have been using it on/off for the past couple of weeks. Has it made a difference to my skin? This has been the one product that hasn’t given me desired results after just a couple of uses however; I haven’t been using it religiously. Now that I have a couple of their skin care products designed to treat my type of skin, I may start to see noticeable results.
Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
Last but not least, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid – a toning solution to deeply cleanse the skin. I use this after removing my make-up each night. I have only been using this one for a couple of days but I am impressed with it so far. Don’t be put off by the word “acid” in the title. I have had bad reactions to harsh acne-treating toners before but this was rather mild by comparison. It doesn’t sting my skin and it doesn’t dry out my skin either. This solution combined with the Buffet serum has helped to really improve the appearance of my skin lately.
So that is it. Have you tried any products by The Ordinary? Do let me know in the comments section below or feel free to get in touch. I am very happy with these products and would certainly consider repurchasing them again!