Reviewed: Too Faced's Born This Way Foundation Makes Full Coverage Look Natural

We put the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review.

As the weather is slowly getting warmer, I’m embracing more vivid hues on my eyes, cheeks, and lips; bolder makeup like this is a spring and summer staple of mine. To me, the greatest backdrop to this type of look is healthy, fresh, and hydrated skin. Wanting to take my foundation routine to the next level, I decided to give Too Faced's popular Born This Way Foundation a go. Would it live up to the hype and deliver the natural, skin-like finish it claims? Keep reading below for my honest, unfiltered thoughts.   

About My Skin: Sensitive, acne-prone combination skin

I’ve navigated having reactive, sensitive skin and acne for many years, and as much as I love makeup and skincare, I have to be selective about the types of foundations I wear. After tons of research and products tested, I now know what my skin likes—and how I prefer it to look—and I try to stick to that as much as possible. I love wearing products that give my skin a healthy, glowing appearance. One I reach for often is the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Tahoe; with its buildable coverage and natural finish, my hyperpigmentation is covered well without looking thick.  

How to Apply: Use a brush or beauty sponge

I prefer to use both a brush and my damp Beautyblender to apply foundation. I pump a little foundation onto my brush, blend it onto my face, and then go over the application with my sponge to smooth out any harsh lines and press the product into my skin. This is a personal preference of mine, and you definitely don’t need to do the same thing—any foundation brush or beauty sponge will do the trick just fine. Too Faced's Born This Way Foundation is a liquid product that comes with a pump, so you can easily control how much product you dispense. The texture is quite thin as well, which makes it easy to build the product to get your desired amount of coverage. After about five minutes and two thin layers, I was satisfied with the look and finish of my skin, and I set the foundation with a little powder.

The Results: An even complexion with a natural finish

I found Too Faced's Born This Way Foundation to be really impressive: it didn’t take much to achieve even coverage, the product felt comfortable on, and my skin had a natural finish that mimicked its best days. I’m not a huge foundation person—I opt for concealer and powder most of the time, but this foundation concealed my hyperpigmentation so well and felt so lightweight that I totally understand why many beauty lovers wear foundation daily when they find the right one. 

Part of what I loved about this foundation is that my skin looked hydrated but not greasy, and the foundation smoothed over textured areas of my skin, creating an even base. My skin also looked fresh and supple, which is always a plus for me since I love when foundation I wear has a natural-looking, soft glow. This effect was, in part, thanks to the nourishing ingredients in this product: hyaluronic acid helps to plump skin and provide a hydrated appearance, alpine rose makes skin look radiant, and coconut water restores moisture levels. Another element of the foundation that I enjoyed was its ability to last on my combination skin for several hours despite my oily T-zone. Throughout the day, even as my T-zone became oilier and needed a touch of translucent powder, Born This Way didn’t budge; it stayed in place and maintained its finish. In sum, Too Faced's Born This Way Foundation is buildable and leaves your skin feeling comfortable while looking like skin.

The Value: Great for the quality and amount

Too Faced's Born This Way Foundation is, in my opinion, a good value. It’s a product from a prestige brand that is formulated with great ingredients, and at $40 for 1 oz., you can actually consider it to be one of the more affordable prestige foundations on the market. It’s also worth noting that Born This Way requires very little foundation in order to achieve an even complexion; one bottle could easily last you for several months before you’d need to restock.

Similar Products: You've got options

Maybelline New York Fit Me! Dewy + Smooth Foundation: Great for those with balanced or dry skin, this Maybelline foundation ($8) is a drugstore alternative that will smooth over texture, cover imperfections, and help give your skin a hydrated appearance. With its buildable coverage and SPF 18, this product won’t just even out your complexion, but it’ll provide sun protection as well.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Skin Foundation SPF 15: A beloved foundation among pros and the beauty-obsessed, this foundation from Bobbi Brown ($50) is a sheer, buildable product that creates a skin-like finish. Hydrating skin while still managing to stay in place, this foundation can give you a great makeup base if you’re all about looking refreshed and natural.

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation: The nourishing alternative to the fan-favorite original, this foundation from Fenty Beauty ($36) provides medium to full coverage while somehow managing to still appear incredibly skin-like. Sweat and humidity-resistant as well, you won’t have to worry about this foundation slipping and sliding if you’re on the go or in warmer temperatures.