First Impressions: 'The Ordinary' Coverage Foundation

I don't usually do a first impressions review, but there's a reason behind this one. I ordered a shade of The Ordinary's Coverage Foundation, and when it eventually arrived, I found it a bit too light to wear alone. Not wanting to have it sitting collecting dust, I am currently mixing it with another brand while waiting for the darker shade to make an appearance through my letterbox.

As there is so much hype currently surrounding the launch of this foundation, not to mention a waiting list of 25,000, I thought I'd do a quick post about my first impression of the product and whether I think it's worth the buzz.

The shade I purchased was 2.0 YG in the coverage version, a light-medium shade with yellow and golden undertones. The tone of the foundation is spot on for me, no pink in sight, hooray! However, the shade is a tad too light especially since I wear tan on a daily basis.

The foundation comes in a plastic bottle, and includes a handy pump. It's quite minimalistic, but it fulfills its purpose and is great for travelling as you can deactivate the pump to stop it leaking. This foundation also contains SPF 15, which is a great added bonus and ideal for everyday wear.

On the day I received my bottle, I did apply it with a flat top buffer brush and it provided more of a medium coverage with one layer. I do have a couple of little red marks from previous blemishes that needed extra coverage but I find that with any foundation I use. The finish was more of a natural one, and it didn't feel too greasy which can be the case with sunscreen containing foundation.

One pump of 2.0YG

The bottle describes the product as a 'high coverage foundation formula' and I do agree with this, although in order to achieve this you would need to apply two layers and probably use a brush as opposed to a sponge which can tend to sheer out any foundation.

I usually mix two shades of Too Faced Born This Way (Warm Beige & Light Beige), so I have been using this foundation mixed with the darker of the two. I cannot comment on the wearing time of this foundation alone just yet, as mixing it with my Too Faced is not a fair test, however, I will do a follow up when my darker shade arrives. Generally, this wore well when mixed with my other foundation, and it definitely blended well the first time I applied it alone. I'm very pleased that The Ordinary have made such a wide array of not only shades, but undertones. It's hard to find a brand that is affordable and doesn't assume everyone who is fair has a pink undertone.

At first I thought the shade labelling was a bit too confusing, but they've created a shade chart (available here!) that helps you decide on your own shade, and whether you would like a pink, neutral, or yellow undertone. And if you can't whittle it down to just one, at £5.90 per bottle they are cheap enough to buy two.

Available here! I must add, there is also a serum foundation that can be purchased on The Ordinary website. As it suggests, it's lighter coverage and probably best suited to those of you with a slightly dry complexion.