REVIEWSDAY Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Fluid-Touch Foundation

Everyone loves a new kind of product, right? Fluid foundations have been pottering around for a little while now, and I was super excited to finally try one out. The idea behind them is a much finer liquid than a normal foundation that still offers the same amount of coverage. A few high-end brands have had these for quite a long time, but in the last few months they’ve finally reached the high street (i.e. within my product-testing budget).  

Maybelline’s Dream Flawless Nude is £8.99 from Boots and available in the UK in seven shades (I think it’s twelve in the US). I’ve got the palest shade, Ivory.

My first overall impression of the product was straight-up confusion, and that’s because of the packaging. It comes in a pretty little curved bottle, which is all very lovely, until you open it. Attached to the inside of the lid is a very strangely shaped, er, thing. The Maybelline website refers to it as a ‘dropper’ although it’s not the kind that you squeeze; it’s just solid plastic. They suggest that you hold this and allow the product to drop onto your hand before application.

If I’m honest, that seems like a total waste of your life. I don’t think you’re losing anything by just dabbing the foundation off the stick/dropper/THING onto your fingers or palm and then applying from there. Equally, it actually takes quite a while for enough of the product to drip off, so that really does seem like a bizarre instruction.

Also: don’t even think about applying this product (or, I can only assume, others like it) with anything other than your fingers. It’s so thin that a brush or sponge will just eat it up and you’ll be left with nothing. I learnt that lesson the hard way.

Weird application rituals aside, the actual product is also confusing, but this time in a good way. On the skin, it feels like absolutely nothing. It seems to disappear completely, except also making it look like you have better skin. Like witchcraft. The coverage, I would say, is light-to-medium when you first apply it, rather than the medium-to-full it suggests. Because it’s so thin, though, it’s easy to build up into fuller coverage in the areas where you need it. The finish is very matte, and although I’ve seen some reviews suggesting it clings a little to dry patches, that wasn’t a problem for me at all.

Now that I’m over my fear of the unknown, I actually quite like this. It’s not going to be an everyday product for me, because I do prefer more of a glow with my foundation and, especially in the winter months, something that nourishes the skin a bit more, but I can see this being great for the gym and super useful in the summer, when I generally want as little on my skin as I can humanly stand. If you dislike thicker foundations or you’ve been after something more natural-looking, I definitely recommend giving this a try. Just don’t listen to the mad application instructions.

Let me know if you’ve tried any fluid foundations, or if I’m missing a trick with the dropper thing. I really can’t get over that.

N x 

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