What's The Deal With The IL Makiage Foundation Everyone On IG & TikTok Loves So Much?

With thousands of beauty brands crowding virtual shelves and influencers touting a new product every day, how do you decide what's actually worth a shot? You leave the trial and error to the pros. In Elite Daily's new beauty review series, What's The Deal With..., we'll sift through and test the buzziest products to give you an honest, no-bullsh*t look at how it works IRL, from the price and packaging all the way to the actual results. From there, you can decide which ones deserve a coveted spot in your beauty arsenal.

While the rest of my makeup collection expands, my search to find the perfect foundation has never ended well. First, the lack of inclusivity within the beauty industry for darker skin tones prevented me from finding a decent shade at all, but when Fenty Beauty came on the scene, that soon changed. Still, though, I’ve struggled to find my shade match while sifting through an ever-growing list of brands and undertones, to the point where beauty professionals have recommended I mix several foundation shades to find a good match for my yellow-y undertones.

Now, many hours of TikTok scrolling has now saddled me with the world’s longest beauty wish list. Some purchases, I can admit, were *unnecessary*. (Anyone remember that mini washing machine for Beautyblenders?) Some purchases helped me find products I now consider my holy grails. When I first came across IL Makiage’s Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation, which many TikTok users claimed was their perfect color match, I knew I had to see what all the hype was about, lest I pass up one new holy grail that could turn me on to foundation for good.

IL Makiage relaunched digitally in 2018 with one of its most notable products to date: the Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation ($44 IL Makiage), which has over 125,000 five-star reviews. If you’ve been on Instagram for a while, you’ll remember the constant stream of IL Makiage ads popping up every second, touting the foundation’s seamless coverage and color matches. The foundation is packaged in a super sleek 30ml frosted glass bottle, which mimics the same smooth feel as the foundation’s texture when applied. It comes in 50 shades from light to deep, making for an impressively inclusive product on the surface. Of course, true inclusivity means attention to undertones, too. The Woke Up Like This Foundation takes into consideration three levels of undertones: neutral, yellow, or pink. Even more, the formula includes hyaluronic acid, which helps to lock in your skin’s moisture. Overall, the product boasts a lightweight consistency with buildable, medium-to-high coverage.

After taking the brand's PowerMatch foundation shade quiz and testing the product on myself for two weeks, here’s how I scored IL Makiage’s Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation:

In order to find your perfect color match, the brand recommends you take its 90-second quiz, convenient if you’re short on time. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about uploading a picture of yourself, especially since lighting can sometimes make all the difference. Rather, the results are all based on self-reported questions regarding your skin type and what kind of coverage you’re after. Personally, I knew I wanted my foundation to be buildable, offer light-to-medium coverage, and have a luminous finish. (I love foundation that gives me “your skin but better” vibes, and with my dry skin type, I knew my skin would thank me for the added hydration.) Whatever your preference, you can also choose between a more natural or matte finish.

Next, you’ll be shown a selection of skin tones, from fair-light to deep-dark, to compare to your own skin tone. The quiz also allows you to choose your undertone, although if you’re unsure, the mechanism can help you to figure it out by asking you a series of questions, like the color of your veins, how your skin reacts to being out in the sun, if you feel look better in silver or gold jewelry, and whether your skin tone tends to lighten or darken in the winter months.

After you’ve answered the 15 questions, IL Makiage presents you with the shade it suspects will best suit you. One of the most convenient parts is that, if you end up ordering your recommended shade and feel as though it’s not the right match, the brand offers a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Once I used the foundation, it was obvious to me why it’s so hyped. From taking the quiz to holding the product in your hands, the entire process is straightforward. Whether you apply it with your fingers, a brush, or a Beautyblender, you’re left with a streak-free application which feels dewy and lightweight. The foundation has a similar feel to a BB or CC cream, as if you’ve only got a moisturizer on. The only downfall was the slight smell of paint in the first few moments of application. But once applied to the skin, the odor completely disappears. Considering I find all the other factors perfect, this isn’t a dealbreaker for me.

Despite the fact that I hadn’t used foundation for about three years prior to this purchase, I found it’s extremely easy to use. I mixed between a brush and Beautyblender each time I used it, and the resulting finish was always identical. I also found it to be super long-lasting. I’d put it on at 9 a.m. and take it off in the evening while doing my nighttime skincare routine — and it barely looked different from when it was first applied. The only catch I would mention is, if you know you’re going to be wearing a face mask after applying the foundation, be sure to use a solid primer and setting powder to prevent it from transferring to your mask.

Overall, this foundation deserves to be raved on about. It has become a key staple in my makeup routine. It’s a total “does what it says on the tin” kind of product and one I think can be worn in any season and for any skin tone or skin type. This is yet another example of TikTok making the right products go viral. Want in on the hype? Take the quiz now and find your perfect color match.

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