Looking for the right Il Makiage shade? I was matched to shade 35, designed for lighter skin tones. In this review I put it to the test on my acne-prone skin, with dark circles, an oily forehead and hyperpigmentation – sharing my real before/after photos and how it wore through the day.
Be warned - jump scare! No filters have been used on the images in this article!TL;DR (quick summary)
Pros: long-wearing on oily skin & all skin types; buildable coverage; shade 35 suits light skin with yellow-neutral tones; good returns policy.
Cons: can cling to dry patches if skin isn’t prepped; price is relatively high for an unknown brand; no shade samples available. Hard retargeting – I visited the site once, and I was then inundated with ads. Customers have been caught out with the subscription.
4/5!
I’ll preface my review by saying I absolutely hate wearing foundation because of my oily skin. I feel like it’s a second skin by the end of the day and not in a good way. This Il Makiage foundation and the Estee Lauder foundation are the only ones I enjoy wearing.
How does shade 35 look?
Shade 35 is under the ‘light’ skin tone with ‘pink’ undertones. I don’t think this is accurate; my skin is definitely more yellow than pink.
The foundation has a buildable matte finish, so it’s easy to layer. I usually use one to three pumps, depending on the coverage I want. One pump gives light coverage and evens out most areas, two pumps gives a solid medium coverage, and three pumps takes it to full coverage – hiding my dark circles, hyperpigmentation and acne.
It lasts all day on my skin, especially on my oily forehead.
This is what we’re working with – acne, hyperpigmentation especially on my forehead and sides, and a red nose.
This is after using one pump. You can see it’s done a good job of smoothing out my skin.
The photo above shows the coverage on my face except for my forehead. This clearly shows a big difference, and the coverage I’ve used is still ‘light’ and isn’t what I’d consider ‘full’. Full to me would be three pumps.
My acne is still visible but the redness has been covered.
The above photo is after a 17-hour day including sweating and walking in the rain. The foundation is still intact, but has worn off on my chin and forehead (likely places I’ve touched!).
How much is it?
Buy it from the Il Makiage website: ilmakiage.com. The foundation is £36, my shade above is 35. You have to spend over £50 to get free delivery, otherwise it’s £3.95. Use the voucher code ‘welcome10’ to get 10% off 🙂
Returns
Il Makiage have a really great returns policy. If you answer the questions in their POWERMATCH which helps you find your colour, they offer a 60-day returns policy (normally 30 days).
In general, any product purchased through our shade-matching quiz(s) is eligible for a sixty-day return period.
see their FAQs here https://www.ilmakiage.gqce.net/EaN1On
Match your shade
They have over 50 shades to choose from, split by skin tone (medium, tan, etc) and undertone (yellow, pink, etc)
If you’re not sure which shade to pick, Il Makiage has a shade matcher on their website called PowerMatch. You answer a series of questions (and yes, you do have to give your email), but I found it worked well. It matched me to shade 35, and I’d say the result was pretty accurate.
It’s pretty common from companies that sell foundation to have a tool to help, because it’s very difficult to find the right shade first time. It would be easier if companies let us buy small samples but I guess that would help us buyers out too much.
I did their powermatch quiz, link below, and got 35 which is pretty accurate.
Get matched using their tool ‘powermatch’ or get your money back (they will literally refund you and by using the tool, you have longer to return)
Il Makiage have a pretty good returns policy, where you can return the foundation if it’s the wrong shade. I’ve not used it, so I can’t say if it’s good or not. You get so many days to return it and even longer if you took the quiz.
Coverage & application: how many pumps?
It’s buildable so you can either go for a light coverage (like I normally do – pictured above) or a heavier if you want that fuller coverage. It doesn’t feel heavy or look cakey when I go for a heavier finish.
On the photo above, I’ve got 2 pumps on which doesn’t feel heavy. If I was to want to cover my blemishes and hyperpigmentation fully, I’d need more pumps but it still wouldn’t feel heavy on my skin. One of the reasons why I don’t often wear foundation is its weight and how it feels after a few hours of wearing it.
I’ve got really oily skin so I always notice whenever I’ve got foundation on, but Il Makiage ‘woke up like this’ lasts all day and I’m not desperate to take it off at the end of the day.
Why doesn’t my foundation last all day?
If your foundation is sliding off or looking cakey, it’s often due to skin prep. A good primer makes a big difference.
When I was younger, I never used a primer. Now I’m 38, I wouldn’t leave the house without it if I’m wearing makeup.
It smooths the surface, helps the foundation grip, and controls oil so your base stays in place longer. I’ve found that when I use a primer, especially on my oily T-zone, any makeup (not just foundation) looks fresher for much longer.
If I don’t use a primer, concealer, and foundation instantly looks flaky. It’s literally instantly – as soon as the makeup touches my skin. I prep my skin and leave it to dry for 10 minutes with primer, and Saie Glowy Super Gel, which gives my skin a lovely glow. One to watch is that primer can be expensive, but the Il Makiage one I use (it’s £42) lasts years. I’ve had my current one for about 2.5 years now and it’s still going strong. The same with the Saie gel – it’s £24 upfront but it’ll last a long time.
If you’re not sure which one to try, I’ve reviewed the Il Makiage No Filter Poreless Base Primer.
Il Makiage’s Returns Policy
Other Il Makiage products
I’ve used several Il Makiage make up products including the concealer and primer. See my full reviews here:
Il Makiage FAQs
What undertone is Il Makiage foundation shade 35?
On me, shade 35 didn’t noticeably oxidise. The colour stayed pretty true from application through to the end of the day.
Does Il Makiage foundation oxidise?
Il Makiage lists shade 35 as ‘pink’ undertone, but on my yellow/light skin it matched well and looked more neutral-to-warm.
Is Il Makiage good for oily skin?
Yes. I have an oily forehead and with primer it lasted really well. Without primer, it still held up but I needed a quick blot during the day. It’s an oil-free foundation.
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