Bobbi Brown Long Wear Even Finish Foundation Spf 15: Review, Swatches and FOTD

Long Wear Even Finish Foundation SPF 15 in Natural 4 by Bobbi Brown Review

 By Contributor: Ritam 

Don’t ya’all love the Ugly Duckling story, or Cinderella? Well, No, don’t worry, I’m not going to be narrating fairy-tales here. But I will review and swatch a foundation, many in the beauty industry have deemed as a must-have and magical. Bobbi Brown-the iconic make up artist was one of the first ones to introduce foundations with yellow undertones to answer the needs of the non-Caucasian skin types in the world. Bless her for that! I’m someone whose had quite a bit of difficulty getting a perfectly matched foundation, as my skin tends to be dull, with yellow undertones and still has a redness to it (at least that’s how a SA in Chanel once diagnosed my skin) Well, in search for the perfect foundation, I turned to Bobbi Brown Long Wear, after having heard so much      about the natural looking foundation with yellow undertones which are considered perfect for the Indian skin tone.

Bobbi Brown Claims: Finally – a natural-looking and long-wearing foundation. Comfortable and hydrating, this medium to full coverage oil-free formula never looks cakey or masky. Glycerin and Shea butter keep skin feeling moisturized while a gel base creates a lightweight finish that stays color-true. Lasts for up to 12 hours even in the most humid conditions. Protects skin from future damage thanks to broad spectrum SPF 15 with antioxidant vitamins C and E.

Awarded the “Best Base for Women of Color” – Brides Magazine (April 2013).

My skin is extremely oily and acne-prone, and quite susceptible to breakouts as well. Plus I need a lot of coverage for blemishes and acne-scars on my face. So all in all, I was looking for a natural, long-staying, good coverage, oil-free foundation, which wouldn’t break me out. I know I’m asking for a lot from one product, but hell I’m breaking my bank over this, so why shouldn’t I?

So, now the question is did Bobbi Brown answer all my prayers and did it turn me from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan? Well, the answer is not that simple. But, yes, I think most of the things that I was looking to get with this foundation; I did manage to get, more or less. So let’s elaborate a little bit more on the results it provided. But before that, a little about the box and the bottle it comes in. It comes in the typical understated black box that all Bobbi Brown products come in. It comes in a pump bottle, that doesn’t lead to wastage of this pocket-burning foundation. One and a half pumps of this foundation are enough to give a good coverage for the entire face.

The shade that I use is Natural 4 and it’s a close match for my skin-tone, and compliments the yellow in my skin perfectly. My one big problem with this foundation, something I have with almost every foundation I’ve ever used is that none of them match my neck. Funny enough, my neck is at least a shade and a half fairer than my face, so whenever I buy a foundation, matching my face, it always looks like I’m wearing a darker foundation on my face as my neck doesn’t match unless I use a darker bronzing powder on my neck to match it to my face. I’ve been suggested by some of my make up artist friends to buy a foundation that matches my neck instead of my face, but I’m still on the fence about that.

So leaving my peculiar neck problem aside, I think the foundation matches very closely and the yellow in it diminishes the little redness that I have in my face as well.

Swatches in natural light

The foundation really does live up to its claim of being natural- that it almost looks like skin. The texture of this is very soft and smooth, and it does not have a thick consistency at all, and glides smoothly on to the skin.  I use this foundation mostly with a foundation brush and it works quite well, the only thing is it does tend to dry up fast, so it’s best advisable to blend it in quickly. Once the foundation is blended in, it is absolutely weightless and not cakey even a bit and it really makes you feel like you’re not wearing foundation at all.

It’s not a matte foundation, but gives a very oil-free and natural finish, to even somebody like me. It makes my skin look hydrated, without adding any sheen to it at least in the first few hours of applying it.  Although, it does contain lavender and does have a faint lavender smell, it doesn’t break me out. Hasn’t broken me out even once, and I’ve used it quite a few times in the past six months. Especially, given the fact that I have super sensitive skin and break out almost at the sight of anything, even Clinique breaks me out!

left: unblended, right: blended

It’s a medium coverage foundation, although Bobbi Brown claims that it can be built up to a Full coverage one. I find that the coverage this foundation provides is quite acceptable and decent, along with a concealer for blemished skin like mine. Those who have a clearer skin can use this foundation to get a higher coverage without necessarily needing a concealer .

About the staying power of this very self-stylized long-lasting foundation, which claims to last up to 12 hours. Well, in this case it doesn’t live up to its claims. I always use a primer under my foundation and a mineral veil powder to lock in my foundation and make it more durable. On my oil slick of a skin, it does last up to 7-8 hours, depending on the weather, and the amount of physical activity I’m engaged in. Oh, get your minds out of gutter; I’m primarily talking about dancing here!

On my face after 2hs

On very cold days it has lasted up to ten hours as well. But mostly after the 7 to 8 hour bracket, I need to touch up my face, which is okay with me, as most foundations don’t even last this long on me. It does get oily though after about 5 to 6 hours, even if it doesn’t wear off and I generally use blotting sheets to control the oil or I just powder it then, which subsides the oiliness. So those of you out there, who don’t have an oil-mine for skin, this foundation should give you 10 hours at least.

How it looks on me in sunlight

Hits about Bobbi Brown Long Wear Even Finish Foundation:

• Very natural, feels like second skin on application, not at all cakey. The yellow in the foundation works very well for Indian skin tones, which mostly have yellow undertones.
• Does stay for 7 to 8 hours on very oily skin as well, so it might stay up to 12 hours on normal skin.
• Provides High Medium coverage with little product, and does not make the face look oily, even though it’s not a matte foundation. Also has SPF 15, offering some sun protection.
• The foundation comes in about 20 shades, and almost any Indian skin tone can find their perfect match.

Misses about Bobbi Brown Long Wear Even Finish Foundation:

• Very Expensive. There are other foundations out there that provide higher coverage, stay longer and are cheaper than this one.
• Has SPF 15, may not photograph very well, especially in Flash, though I haven’t personally noticed it.

 Price: Rs.3010 (It’s definitely one of the most expensive foundations out there, with a mere 30 ml of product)

VNA Rating: 4/5 (-1 mainly because of the price tag) I think I would repurchase this foundation, but I think since so little is needed it should last me a long time.

Conclusion: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Even Finish Foundation SPF 15 is a soft natural looking foundation. So, yes, I do like it a lot as it gives me a very natural feel and does not weigh down or break out my skin. But, yes it’s not an entirely magical or fairy-like product, which can be an answer to all your problems, but at least it leaves me satisfied.

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 Have you tried the Long Wear Foundation? Share your views with us.