REVIEW AND SWATCHES: Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation

ITEM: Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation (U.S. Link and Price HERE)

PRICE: $68AUD (Price at sephora.com.au)

Last year, I was lucky enough to receive the entire colour selection of the new Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation prior to it's launch to the general public. I remember walking downstairs, seeing a big box, opening it and literally screaming!

Becca is known for the amazing glow that their products can provide (from the backlight primer to the shimmering skin perfectors). Plus I have dry dull skin. SO.... you can only imagine the excitement and anticipation that I felt when I saw the package and the name of the product!

I have now tried and tested the product so I feel confident enough to give you all a thorough, honest and in depth review. So keep on reading guys!

So as I mentioned, my skin is a normal to dry and is very dull. It is also sensitive considering that I have eczema. I will also mention that I tested out this product on my face when I had texture forming on my face, when I had a slight rash that was slightly inflamed, when my skin was showing a lot of redness and when my skin was overall not looking or feeling well. 

Okay, so let's start with the basics - the packaging. It is a gorgeous frosted glass package with a gorgeous lid. It is heavy - but that to me indicates that it isn't "cheap" feeling or "cheap" looking. But as always, heavy packaging means that the product is not travel friendly. The glass package also renders the product "not-travel-friendly". But this does not in itself cause me to dislike a product...ever. 

Now the colour range. I think the colour range that they provide is quite substantial and really caters to a wide range of colours from very fair skin to very deep skin. The lightest shade being "fair" and the deepest being "deep bronze". 

To give you a good idea of the shade range - I was originally "light". Then I tanned - going to the Sydney beaches on scorching hot days and spending a week in the Gold Coast can really do that to you. My tan line was insane and everywhere I went people couldn't help but comment on the fact that I was "so dark". But despite this, I was still only sitting in "medium" as my perfect shade. So this (plus the swatches) should show you that the colour range really does cater for a lot of people. 

One other thing to note is that I have very yellow skin. I always say this, but I think I look like I belong on the Simpsons. That is how yellow I am. And I think that this really gives us yellow undertone ladies a good selection of colours. I think that it will also work well for those with neutral undertones. However, I don't know how well it will suit more pink undertone ladies - so I would suggest going in store to test them before you buy, or look at reviews by those with more pink undertones.

This is the entire shade range in order. The frosted glass obfuscates the actually colours in the bottle, but they are much darker when you use them than what it looks like when you simply look at the bottle.

Swatches of the Colours. L-R:
Fair - Light - Beige - Medium - Tan - Warm Honey - Dark Golden - Deep Bronze
Please note: I got very sunburnt/tan the day before taking this photo so my skin colour is quite orange/tan.

SO moving onto how to apply the product. This is where it already starts to get interesting. Firstly, you really need to shake the product well. It does say that on the package (it comes with a little sticker that you can remove that says "shake well before use"). But... if you use half your brain before using the product, you will notice that the product 'separates' inside. Now that sounds really bad but it isn't. It's just that you will notice at the top of the bottle (as pictured below), begins to form a layer that is not the same colour as what's in the rest of the bottle. This is obviously very easy to rectify - simply shake the bottle. But I do think that it is important to remember to shake well before use. 

(Apologies for the bad quality of these photos. Just wanted to show you the cap!)

When the button is yet to come up.

Then, in order to dispense the product things get super interesting. You twist the cap and a little button pops up at the top. (Pictured below). This is a button for the dropper. 

After the button has popped up.

Then I like to press the dropper button about 2 or 3 times and then pull it out of the bottle. You then just simply use the dropper to dispense the foundation where you wish. I personally like to put foundation on the back of my hand and then use a brush, sponge or my fingers to put it on my face. 

So already, I found the process of using the product quite unique and interesting. But now moving onto the formula. Okay so I am going to start by letting you know that I really love the foundation. And I want to make sure you understand that this is not because they sent it to me. It is genuinely what I have been looking for in a foundation that I was struggling to find. 

The dropper

So the formula itself is a more thin and water-y formula. On the skin, you can barely feel that it's there because it's so thin. It also looks like skin on your face - you can't see the foundation! It's amazing. It is also a rather hydrating formula. I have super dry skin so many foundations just make me feel like I have had the life sucked out of my skin! But this one doesn't do that for about 5-6 hours of wear which is very good for my skin type. 

The finish is extremely glowy. Imagine the Shimmering Skin Perfectors (liquid) mixed in with your foundation - and voila! That's what this baby looks like. I love it. The glow is gorgeous and whenever I am wearing this foundation, people are commenting on how gorgeous, healthy and flawless my skin looks. I seriously cannot get over how gorgeous and perfect the finish is. It isn't wet looking like some foundations are, and it isn't just a simple satin finish. It is a gorgeous glow that is created all over the face. 

The coverage is also really good. I think that this is a solid medium coverage foundation. Now, different people have different perceptions on the coverage, but I tend to use a fair bit and really pack it on with a flat top brush rather than using a beauty blender or a buffing/stippling brush, so naturally I will be getting more coverage. So for me, it covers all my spider veins and my redness, which suggests a medium coverage to me. So I love it. I love that this foundation offers a gorgeous glowy look but isn't that thin or light coverage but it provides a very decent coverage.

I will say however, because it is a more glowy finish, it doesn't set the same as a matte foundation. So I always have to dust a light powder on top (I like to use the MAC Mineralise Skin Finish because it's very thin and natural looking so it doesn't just get rid of the glow that the foundation provides). This way it will minimise transfer of the foundation and it means that the contour, blush and highlight powders that I put on top can glide on rather than go all muddy. The foundation stays pretty tacky even after a substantial amount of time (and I have dry skin), so if you're oily normal combo you will definitely need to powder the foundation. 

It does also oxidise ever so slightly. That means that the foundation does change colour (a little darker) over time. So when I first used the medium shade it seemed a bit light for my skin, but then over time as I was finishing my makeup it oxidised and seemed like a better colour match. So bear that in mind when you're purchasing the shade that you want.  

Photos of me wearing the foundation. (Follow me on Instagram @mnh.beauty for more!) 

I have heard that this is also amazing on oily skin. I cannot speak about this from experience because my skin is dry. However, I have read comments by multiple people that say that this foundation also works amazingly on oily skin people. I would just recommend that you set it with a powder because otherwise your oil and the glow may create.... too much glow. ;) 

Compared to Ellis Faas

If you have read my Ellis Faas Foundation Review (link HERE), you will know that I have been on the hunt for a foundation that is full coverage and glowy. Although the Ellis Faas was amazing, it has a hefty price tag and has a very limited colour range! So I have still been on the hunt for something that is more suitable to a greater number of people. Now, I don't think that this foundation is full coverage - it is medium coverage, but the glow factor, colour range and coverage altogether is really amazing. So I honestly think that this is a great alternative to that foundation. It doesn't have the same hydration has the Ellis Faas, but everything else, it is either better or on par with it! 

Overall: I love the packaging. I love the finish. I love the colours. I love the formula. I love the coverage. I love the colour range. The only downfall for me is the fact that you have to set the foundation and the fact that it isn't travel friendly. I also find it ever so slightly inconvenient that I feel the need to really shake the product HARD before using because the separation is palpable. But these are all minor things and to be honest, I truly love love love this foundation. It is definitely what I have been searching for.

Rating: 9.5/10