When it comes to foundation, it’s a universal plight trying to find our perfect match. As brands constantly raise the bar, the list of requirements that we want from a foundation continues to grow as well. Not only do we want a natural look with good coverage, but we’re also checking out if our base products offer benefits beyond a traditional foundation, such as skincare and sun protection. Luckily for us, the latest offering from Clinique has all of the above in spades.
The Clinique Even Better Clinical™ Serum Foundation, £34, gives a natural-looking base that’s buildable up to full coverage without looking cakey. Perfect for combination and oily skin types, the finish is matte but without looking flat. Your skin still looks like skin but even better.
“I need a foundation that is longwearing and looks natural,” says Kelly Horrigan. Horrigan’s ideal base gives a no-makeup makeup finish, something that she easily achieved with this base. Using the shade WN 46 Golden Neutral, she applies it with a beauty sponge.
“It’s really easy to blend out this product and get the exact coverage you like,” she notes. “A little goes a long way, so I only need half a pump for my everyday look.” This is something Marisa Martins echoes. “It’s great that the bottle has a pump that allows for easy application and no product waste. I tend to apply it with the Foundation Buff Brush. It buffs the foundation perfectly into my skin,” Martins says.
We all love the impressive skincare ingredients listed in the formula. “It has some of my favourite ingredients like vitamin C, salicylic acid, and hyaluronic acid,” says Martins. These three ingredients help to give the skin a bright, even-toned and plump appearance. For Martins, the combination of coverage, skincare and SPF has made the foundation a go-to for her routine. The shade range, which is easy to pick from via the virtual try-on service, spans 42 shades across all complexions, making it simpler than ever to find the best match for you. “I usually have to blend a few colours to get the right shade for my complexion, so it’s time-saving not having to do that,” says Martins, who wears shade WN 122 Clove.
The ease of building the coverage means that the foundation is suitable for any event. “It really does adapt to your preferences,” says Horrigan. “It wears really well, so it’s really low-maintenance.” Completing your makeup look is streamlined with this foundation because the base is so easy to work with. Horrigan matches her look with a gentle contour. “I love adding the Chubby Stick Contour and Blush for some definition and colour, a wash of brown on my eyes, some mascara, and I’m good to go,” she says. For Martins, a slick of the Clinique High Impact Mascara and the Even Better All-Over Concealer is the perfect duo to complete her look.
For my look, I opt for the same as Martins but also for an extra flush of colour on my cheeks with the Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm in Plumped Up Peony. The textures of the Chubby Stick range and the Even Better Clinical™ Serum Foundation (which I wear in the shade WN 122 Clove) layer seamlessly. To finish, I swipe on the Even Better Pop Lip Colour Foundation in Tender, a pretty nude-pink for deeper skin.
