In my quest searching for what seems to be the holy grail of face makeup – a naturally dewy, but blurring and long-lasting base, I have stumbled upon this surprising new favorite.
Table of Contents
What I enjoyed about it
- Natural looking medium to high coverage foundation
- Beautiful, slightly glowy finish
- Smoothes and blur
- Versatile product which can be used for events or for everyday wear whenever you want a polished look
- Suitable for dryer skin tones
- More resistant to transfer than most dewy base products
What I disliked about it
- Expensive
- Touch up with powder might be needed if you are oily
- Perfumed
The Dior Forever matte foundation seems to have been around since the dawn of time. When I was just a bare-faced teen, I would spot it sometimes in my older cousin´s makeup collection, after which it would be hastily replaced in the drawer that it came from. I always thought this was because of its price and therefore a desire to not overuse the product. What I realized later though was that my cousin, whose skin could get really dry, did not enjoy its matte texture. It made her skin look mask-like and she only kept it because she felt it was a shame to throw it out. Since then I have not really felt like trying any Dior base products.
Right until I heard of the relatively newer version, the Dior Forever Skin Glow! A highly-perfected look, a foundation with smoothing and blurring powers, long-lasting AND glowy? Had you told me ten years ago that such a thing could exist today I would have called witchcraft.
Product claims
Highly-perfecting effect: claims to even and smoothen the skin´s appearance.
There are ingredients in this formulation which can definitely help blur skin and this makes it a suitable product not only for people with enlarged pores (like me), but also for maturing skin, where fine lines and texture issues may appear. I feel like the Dior Forever Skin Glow makes my skin luminous, but at the same time doesn´t highlight my pores or make my fine lines or acne scars stand out, which is different from what I have been getting to expect from glowy base products. Despite its coverage, it looks quite natural on the skin. I would wear this foundation on my wedding day, at work or in school, but it is a bit too much for laid-back days.
Long-wearing: it can last up to 24h, even in hot and humid conditions, without the need of touching up.
This is where your mileage might vary, depending on your skin type. My combination skin sets me right in the middle – I need something not too matte and drying, but also not too hydrating, otherwise it will start to look greasy on me. The Dior Forever Skin Glow lasts well on me, doesn´t transfer, but it does get a little bit dewier around the T-zone after around 6 hours of wear. I usually wear it on top of a moisturizer and my Beauty of Joseon sunscreen, but I also have tested it without the sunscreen and can say that it has not made that big of a difference. To combat the aforementioned greasiness I set my nose area with a little bit of powder.
Skincare benefits: it CLAIMS to visibly hydrate and plump the skin after just 1 week of use and to make skin appear more beautiful and radiant after 1 month.
As I am regularly using evidence-based skincare which helps improve my skin, it is hard to say what effect (if any) a product like foundation would have. In general I do not apply it in large quantities and I also do not use it every day. I do not think that the skin caring effects should be taken into consideration when it comes to this foundation. Do not expect to rely on it if you have skin concerns like texture or dryness and always use a skincare routine suitable to your needs.
”Clean” formula:
This claim is meant to signify the lack of ingredients which are sometimes deemed as harmful. But in many cases these claims are used as a marketing strategy. For more information on this subject I recommend reading Lab Muffin Beauty Science´s article about “clean beauty”.
Protects against UVA, UVB and blue light:
See ingredient list for more information about the sunscreen filters and the level of protection provided.
Ingredients (in detail)
- octinoxate: organic (or chemical) filter very commonly used in the skincare industry. Protects against UVB (fraction that causes sunburns), but not against UVA (main culprit for photoaging and discoloration). While it is more cosmetically elegant, it requires to be mixed with other sunscreen filters in order to mitigate its lack of stability and to provide a more broad-spectrum approach;
- titanium dioxide: inorganic (or physical) filter, highly stable and pretty good at protecting your skin too (screens against UVB and some of the UVA rays). Can help protect against blue light. Not very cosmetically elegant (especially if not in the form of nanoparticles), apply a lot of it and it can be hard to spread and can leave you with a white cast.
- Various floral extracts, such as wild pansy, hibiscus, nasturtium and iris, which claim to boost skin hydration and luminosity and to improve texture in the long term.
- Alcohol: more precisely, ethanol (the same one that is found in beverages). In this product it is listed as one of the first ingredients. Has many properties that make it beneficial for a formula (creates light, cosmetically-elegant products which set more easily onto the skin, can help with active ingredient penetrability and makes for a great overall solvent). Can be drying in high concentrations. I personally combat any possible drying effects by adding plenty of moisturizing products to my skincare routinr.
- Varying types of silicones: some, such as acrylates/dimethicone copolymers help create a film on the skin which improves the wear time of a foundation. Others, like dimethicone smoothen skin and help blur the appearance of fine lines and pores.
- Glycerin: natural skin moisturizing molecule that is very good at hydrating skin and helps retain skin barrier function.
- Tocopherol (also known as vitamin E): fat-soluble antioxidant which protects against free radicals and UV-induced damage.
- Perfume (parfum, limolene, linalool and citronellol): they make a product smell nice, but some can be irritating/allergenic to some people.
About my skin type
- Acne prone
- Combination skin type – oily around nose and normal to dry everywhere else
- Sensitive
- First signs of aging starting to appear
Wear test
This foundation comes in 42 shades and I found it quite easy to find the one that matches me (I wear 2N). I find that it has a buildable medium to high coverage, but I usually don´t mind letting my imperfections shine through so I only apply about half a pump. It has the texture of a thicker gel but spreads out easily, even when I am using just my fingers. It sets beautifully after application, giving a smooth, satin finish. It doesn´t feel sticky or greasy, on the contrary, it is quite comfortable on the skin. This foundation works well with the other products that I have layered it on top of, including different sunscreens, my Charlotte Tilbury Holywood Flawless Filter and all the different skincare products in my rotation.
I would say that if you want a really dewy base you need to mix the Dior Forever Skin Glow with a glow booster or look for another foundation (honestly, it not making me look like an oil slick is what makes it a winner for me).
It does have a noticeable, flowery scent and I find that it persists for quite a while after application. I would definitely prefer Dior not to put perfume in their foundations, but it doesn´t cause me any skin reactions. Perfume-free products are definitely favored, but if a product is really good and has perfume I will make an exception.
After around 6 hours is when the true nature of my skin starts to come out. Slowly I start to get oily just on my nose but it is not nearly that much that it would make my foundation separate, slide or look badly on my skin. It actually continues to look very nice, though it starts to feel a bit greasy. I find that this problem happens to me with most natural finish foundations and can very easily be combatted by a little powdering. A good powder in small amounts will keep your makeup look fresh, without making it look powdery or cakey. Honestly, knowing how to sparingly apply coverage and powder, placing it just where you need it, is something that I am learning more and more and feel has improved my makeup game so much.
Conclusion
I really like this foundation. There is a reason why most people rate it highly, and that is because it’s such a multitasker. It smoothes and blurs, so it is perfect for aging or textured skin. It has a good staying power, especially for a glowy foundation, which makes it a good option for events, but it is not matte and drying, so it can easily suit dryer skin types too. I definitely think it is worth the investment and it is a product you can get so much use out of! You can build it up or use it sparingly to achieve a lighter, medium coverage. If you are in any way oily you might need to touch it up after some hours (especially in warm or humid conditions) with a little bit of powder, but that in my opinion is no trade-off. A good powder can work wonders and this way you can get the best of both worlds: luminous skin without grease.
