Matte Foundations are front and center and on trend right now. Nearly all of the major beauty brands have included a matte formula foundation in their collections. They all look and sound fabulous but let’s face it, the models wearing them are normally twenty something with perfect skin! I recently picked up No.7 Beautifully Matte Foundation and put it to the test to see how it would perform on Over 40, less than perfect mature skin.
Ready for the results? Let’s take a look.
The Claim
No7 describes their Beautifully Matte Foundation as “all day velvet matte perfection with a lightweight feel.“
“Achieve the appearance of flawless matte skin with a velvety soft finish and no powdery flatness. Oil free, this unique foundation containing fine oil-absorbing powders, minimizes the need for touch ups by controlling shine all day long. Developed to glide effortlessly onto the skin and instantly transform the appearance of your complexion. Blemishes and flaws are concealed and pores appear minimized, leaving you with even-toned skin that looks perfectly smooth and velvety soft all day.”
Formula & Packaging
No7Beautifully Matte Foundation is a liquid foundation that comes packaged in a glass jar with a pump. Although it is considered a liquid, the texture is not thin and runny but rather a thicker gel-like consistency. The formula is oil free, hypoallergenic and includes an SPF15.
Ingredients
✔ Cruelty Free
No7 Beautifully Matte is a silicone based Foundation with several of the top 10 ingredients being silicones (Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane & Phenyl trimethicone). Other notable ingredients rounding out the top 10 are Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate & Titanium dioxide (active sunscreen ingredients) and Alcohol Denat.
Alcohol Denat is considered one of the “bad” alcohols. It can cause dryness, skin irritation and breakouts. I try to avoid it as much as possible because generally, on Over 40, mature skin, we want to avoid ingredients that are drying. If it is way down on the ingredient list (beyond #7 is the general rule of thumb), then it probably isn’t a high enough percentage to have any effect on the skin. Unfortunately, it is #4 on the list in No7’s Beautifully Matte Foundation. This is a con for me right off the bat.
On a more positive note, all of the products in No7’s line are cruelty free which I always appreciate!
Shade Selection
Beautifully Matte Foundation is available in 14 Shades ranging from the lightest shade, Cool Ivory to the deepest called Chestnut. Shades are broken down into five categories – Light, Medium, Deep/Tan, Tan and Deep. I purchased this foundation in the shade Cool Ivory and it is a perfect match for my fair to light skin tone.
Application & Coverage
I started with 2 pumps of No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation which I applied with a BeautyBlender sponge. The foundation is a velvety texture and blends very well. 2 pumps gave me light to medium coverage. It covered most of my redness and did a good job of evening out my skin tone. True to its claim, it quickly dries to a matte finish and didn’t settle into pores or fine lines and wrinkles. To bring this foundation up to full coverage, you would need 3-4 pumps.
No7 recommends dotting the foundation onto your face and then blending into the skin with a foundation brush. I tried applying with a foundation brush, beauty blender sponge and my fingers. The BeautyBlender sponge worked the best for an even, smooth finish.
The Wear Test
I tested this foundation on two days, one day without a primer and the second day with a primer. I used my go to Elta MD UV Clear SPF46 Sunscreen on both days and applied the foundation using a BeautyBlender sponge.
On the first day, I applied sunscreen and NO primer. Since this foundation does dry to a matte finish, I did not use a setting powder over top. The wear time was about 6 Hours before I started noticing it was becoming a bit patchy on my nose and chin. At 6 Hours, it was also starting to appear a little shiny in the t-zone areas. There was no settling into pores or fine lines on most of the face. By the end of the day (around 12 hours of wear time), the coverage had worn off on my nose and chin. It was patchy in several areas of the face and still shiny in the t-zone.
On Day 2, I applied sunscreen and a primer. I used Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer the Original which works well with this foundation as they are both silicone based. Using the Primer provided a very smooth finish with no cakiness and no settling into fine lines or wrinkles on most of the face. I applied a light dusting of setting powder to my t-zone to see if it would eliminate the mid-day shine. I used Cover Fx Perfect Setting Powder in Light which has become one of my new favorites!
After 6 hours, the Foundation was looking good with no settling into lines or wrinkles, no visible pores and little to no shine. Apparently the primer & setting powder made a difference! After 12 hours, it had worn off on my nose with some redness showing but everywhere else still looked good.
TIP: On both days, I noticed a small amount of settling into fine lines under the eyes. I would recommend using this foundation sparingly in the area around and underneath your eyes to avoid it looking dry or cakey. If you need additional coverage in this area, use a concealer or brightener.
Price
$17.99 USD for 1 oz.
Final Verdict
Overall, this is an above average foundation with a good shade range for a drugstore foundation. It is lightweight, blends easily and provides light to medium coverage. It dries to a matte finish and doesn’t settle into pores, lines or wrinkles. Let’s have a look at the Pros & Cons!
Pros:
- True to the Brand’s claim of a Matte Finish
- Does not settle into fine lines or wrinkles on most of the face
- Provides smooth coverage that evens out skin tone and covers redness
- Shade range is pretty good for a drugstore foundation
- Includes an SPF15
- Wears well over sunscreen
- Wears well with other products
- Pump bottle packaging
- Price is affordable
Cons:
- Requires a Primer to achieve 12 hour wear time
- Alcohol Denat high on ingredient list
- Settles into fine lines under the eyes
- Requires a setting powder to prevent shine in t-zone
- May be drying for those with Dry Skin
If you have normal to oily skin and prefer a lightweight, light to medium coverage foundation, this may be a good one to try. While it won’t make it onto my holy grail list, I will continue using this foundation on days when I’m going for a lightweight, natural look. This is one of the better drugstore foundations that I’ve tried.
Update 8/2022: Sadly, No7 has discontinued the Beautifully Matte Foundation in the U.S. Lorac Pro Soft Focus Longwear Foundation and Rimmel Lasting Finish 25H Breathable Foundation are two good dupes. The formulas are very similar to the Beautifully Matte Foundation.
Have you tried No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation? What foundation would you like to see me test and review in the Foundation Over 40 Series? Let me know in the comments! As always, I really appreciate you stopping by and I would love to hear from you!
Until next time…
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I am a big fan of No7 have been for years. I don’t like Matte makeup personally but I use two No7 foundations and i like the fact you can get colour matched for foundation and blusher to your skin tone. I also use No7 skincare religiously. The products are a good price point and I usually repurchase when it’s 3 for 2.
Yes, I agree! Love the color match and their serums! Thank you so much for sharing & stopping by!??