For those who may have missed it, nearly 5 years after it’s initial launch, About Face has finally made itself accessable to Australian shoppers. Well, kind of. Earlier this year, About Face launched their entire range at Space NK. That included their Eye Paints, their best selling blushes, and most relevant to this post, their The Performer Foundation. Which has been on my wish list since before I could remember. I placed a sneaky little order a little while ago to get my hands on it. And I’ve spent the last few weeks putting it through it’s paces. So, is it worth the considerable hype? Just keep reading!
ABOUT FACE THE PERFORMER FOUNDATION – $40.00 – spacenk.com
*45 Shades Available*
Starting with the packaging, the The Performer Foundation is housed in a sleek, rectangular, hard acrylic bottle with curved edges. The bottle is clear with minimal silver detail. The cap (which is also the handle) is a mirrorised silver. The use of acrylic is interesting. As I don’t see it all that often anymore. In any case, the packaging is very lightweight and bounce proof (ask me how I know!). The The Performer Foundation is vegan, cruelty free, and contains 30ml of product.
The product is dispensed via a large doe foot that sits inside the foundation. I have to say, it’s been a while since I last came across a foundation that had a doe foot (The Rare Beauty one is the last one I remember). I know that this style can be divisive. I tend to lean in the camp of people who like it. But I completely understand why people don’t. The doe foot itself is a good one. Very large and holds onto a good amount of product. One thing I will say though is that the stopper inside the bottle is a little stiff. And sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes the product can splurt off the doe foot as it’s being pulled out. Long story short, open this foundation over a table.
The The Performer Foundation has an impressive 45 shades in the line. Halsey didn’t fuck around here (oh yeah, About Face was created by singer and actress Halsey). We have a massive range of shades and undertones here. We even have a solid mix of olive undertones for the lighter shades. Do you know how rare that is in a foundation range? The lightest shade is even said to have pinkish-blue undertones. Which I’ve never seen before. This might be one of the most well balanced shade ranges I’ve ever seen.
As for myself, I went with shade L2 Neutral. Described as being light with neutral undertones. I’ve gotten pretty good at being able to pick my shade online these days. And I did give myself a pat on the back when I swatched this for the first time. Because the match is damn near perfect. I will say, the swatch does look a little warm initially. But once it’s blended out, it settles very nicely.
As far as application goes, I would swipe the foundation across my face. Mainly focusing on my cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose. I would then blend that out and go in with a little extra where necessary. For blending, I tended to prefer using my hands. This is a very fluid foundation. And it’s the kind of formula that my sponge drinks up. I also only tried this with a brush once. I liked the finish enough. It didn’t go super streaky like I expected it to. But I greatly preferred using my hands. It just looked more even to me.
As is usually the case with foundations these days, the The Performer Foundation is predominately a skin loving formula. And there are a few standout ingredients in the mix. We have Blue Algae for hydration, Wintergreen to help soothe blemished skin (apparently Wintergreen Extract can mimic Salicylic Acid), and White Chlorella, a form of white algae that can assist in healing and supporting the skin barrier.
The The Performer Foundation is described as being a medium buildable coverage foundation with a natural, skin like finish. I would agree with both. It’s certainly not full coverage by any means. But my complexion does look more even. The scarring on my chin is hidden, but my freckles and sun spots are still visible. I will also note that the finish of this is so comfortable and lightweight. It feels like nothing on the skin.
Next up, wear test. And let’s address the elephant in the room. Boy, is my forehead shiny! While this foundation is touted as being an oil controlling formula, my oil was definitely beginning to make an appearance around the 7-8 hour mark. Interestingly though, when I blotted this shine off, the foundation was still intact. It hadn’t broken down at all. As you can see from the rest of my face, it held up extremely well. Particuarly around my nose and chin. Which I would consider my trouble areas. For shits and giggles, I actually put this through a 15 hour wear test and were it not for the rainstorm that I walked home in, I wold have given this a pass with flying colours (sadly, this isn’t waterproof).
All in all, I do give the About Face The Performer Foundation a thumbs up and my recommendation. I know that buying a foundation online is dicey. But we can only pray that Priceline or Chemist Warehouse brings this brand on board one day. Because this foundation is absolutely worth the hype. Have you tried the About Face The Performer Foundation? Let me know in the comments.
Cheers and love
Emily xo