Foundation
Make Up Forever
Makeup
MUFE
Reviews
REVIEWS || Make Up Forever Mat Velvet + Mattifying Foundation in 55
Thursday, December 01, 2016
It has been ages since I last did a foundation review. Ages. In fact, the last one I did was on NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in March 2015. Holy fuck. That really is a long time!
Well, Make Up Forever recently launched a counter at Debenhams in Manchester and they invited me down there to take a little look around. I was pretty excited to be fair, I'm a big fan of their HD Foundation and Smoky Lash Mascara, so I felt it was about bloody time they opened a store in the barren wilderness that the residents call the North of England.
They were also kind enough to give me the opportunity to test out their *Mat Velvet + foundation. I was quite intrigued by this prospect, as I have oily/combination skin that requires powdering after applying foundation and throughout the day. The word MAT suggested to me that this might be the kind of foundation that might keep that oil at bay.
Here's Mat Velvet + in MUFE's own words:
"Mat Velvet + provides a flawless result that lasts for hours. Its smooth texture is water resistant and long lasting. Great for combination to oily skin, this full coverage formula mattifies with a velvety finish. Mat Velvet+ can also be customized to your needs. Applied lightly, it gives a natural, matte look. Applied with several layers to help conceal blemishes, it creates a velvety finish. This
oil-free and non comedogenic formula is suited to sensitive skin."
TONE, CONSISTENCY AND APPLICATION
I went for shade 55, which I felt to be the closest match for my skin tone. Just for reference, if we're using MAC as the benchmark (and everyone does, it seems) I'm somewhere between an NC37 and NC40, though in summer I creep up to an NC42. MUFE describe 55 as a 'Natural Beige', and upon applying I have to say this description seemed pretty accurate. It's hard to describe, but I don't detect much by way of tone and the colour makes my skin look a little... flat? Contrast this to NARS Sheer Glow in Barcelona, with its peachy undertones that make my skin look alive, MUFE's 55 doesn't do that at all. Weirdly enough, as I start to apply the rest of my makeup, it's as if it comes to life and the shade adjusts to my skin tone much better.
The consistency is pretty thick, which gives the impression it's going to be a drying foundation, however after dotting it all over the skin and working it in with my buffing brush, I found that it blended in beautifully well. It certainly didn't feel drying, which is great, because that's the one big negative that I associate with matte foundations. Not so with Mat Velvet +.
FINISH AND LONGEVITY
The finish of the foundation is quite natural looking and it does cover acne scars to a certain extent, which is fine by me as concealer was made to finish that off anyway. As for the claims of a 'full coverage foundation', I don't actually think it is, unless you build it up. I'd rather say it gives a medium coverage, particularly when compared with something heavy like Estee Lauder's Double Wear. As for matte? Well, I would actually say it's semi-matte. It does have that velvety finish that MUFE promise, but my skin doesn't look fully matte, there's a certain sheen to my skin when wearing it. But actually, I quite like this. My skin doesn't look flat-out matte, it still has some dimension to it.
The longevity is the most impressive thing about this foundation though. This stuff lasts for hour upon hour with negligible fade and it doesn't settle into any of the creases in my skin. I did notice that the oiliness of my skin begins to peer through in the T-zone, and I had to roll out the powder, but I'm not going to hold that against MUFE - I've yet to encounter a matte foundation that truly keeps my natural oils at bay. The squeezy bottle it comes in looks really small at first glance, but it does contain the standard 30ml of product, and you don't need all that much so it should last just as long as any other foundation.
OH - one more thing, it doesn't contain SPF, so when you're out at your Christmas party or breaking free from the daily grind on a Friday night and your BFF snaps you, you won't be horrified by flashback photo face. Nope, you'll look gorgeous- well, depending on what kind of state you're in by that time... ;)
Overall, I think this is a good foundation. It doesn't quite deliver on what Make Up Forever have promised in some areas, but it comes in 20 shades, it lasts throughout the day and gives you medium, semi-matte coverage. If that's what you're looking for in a foundation, the £29 price tag is quite reasonable.
Make Up Forever Mat Velvet + can be purchased from the Debenhams website HERE, or if you're lucky enough, your local Debenhams may have its very own MUFE counter!
*PR Sample
10 comments
Ooh did someone say longevity?? Gorgeous pics as usual! I have just repurchased EL DW but always on the lookout for something that will last well on my oil slick face! xx
ReplyDeleteOh this sounds like a good investment for the party season I mean I normally go for the dewy look during the day but I definitely need something more matte to last on nights out when I'm drinking alcohol and the likes. Beautiful make up btw! x
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thechinadolldiaries.com/
I just love your eye make up! I just ran out of foundation, so I will have to take a look at this one.
ReplyDeleteThe longevity that you have reported is enough alone to make me want to buy this foundation. Annoyingly I have dry skin, so matte foundations always look horrendous on me, but this one sounds like it has some good pros! Always love how honest your reviews are ☺️
ReplyDeleteHeather Xx
100waysto30.co.uk
This is my holy grail foundation but only during summer when I'm after more matte and my skin tone is abit deeper! I wish they had more shades and I'd be set. One of my favourite foundation though for sure. Love this make-up look on you though!x
ReplyDeletedaneyellasays.wordpress.com
This foundation looks like a brilliant base for your fabulous makeup skills! When you mentioned the name I'd also worried it'd be matte, and so it's great to hear that wasn't the case - especially after some blending :) On a different note, I LOVE the turquoise and pink colour combination around your eyes!
ReplyDeleteaglassofice.com
x
ooooof dat highlight doe!!
ReplyDeletethanks for this review, MUFE's shade range is extensive and hella confusing sometimes so I prefer to see them in person, this is definitely helpful in terms of the MAC benchmark lol.
P.S. totally second that comment about your eye makeup, your creativity with eyeliner never ceases to amaze me 😍😍😍
I find it really difficult for any foundations to really keep my oils at bay all day and night but I'm glad to hear this one holds up so well! I also prefer more of a satin-matte finish over an all-out flat matte, so this might be one for me to look into a bit more.
ReplyDeletelittlehenrylee.net
THE GRAPHIC LINERRRRRRRRR!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of this foundation from oily skinned bloggers and it seems like a good one, but I don't think it can compare to the ultra HD for me personally as I only have a slightly oily t-zone. That colour doesn't look as yellow/golden as my beloved NARS :P Its a good thing it manages to adjust though, I do find that with some of my bourjois foundations too!
Iqra | The Blushing Giraffe x
Looks great on you! Love your eye makeup so much. Wish I could be that artistic with my makeup. I can't even apply eye shadow properly. lol..
ReplyDeleteRegina
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