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This $41 Foundation Made People Stop to Compliment My Skin

I also convinced two colleagues to try the foundation.

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Finding the perfect foundation can feel impossible.

Beyond finding the right shade match, landing on a formula fit for your skin type (and coverage preference) can feel like a quest for the Holy Grail. I was looking for a foundation that offered buildable to full coverage, with a second-skin finish that wasn’t too dewy or too matte.

I also love a multi-tasking formula (especially one that eliminates the need for a second step), so when I discovered the Smashbox Dual Filter 2-in-1 Concealer + Foundation, I had high hopes that I’d finally found the one.

Spoiler alert: this two-in-one base did not disappoint. With just one thin layer, my skin’s appearance completely transformed. In the mirror, my skin tone looked even and glowy without looking greasy. It gave me the results so many foundations promise but rarely deliver: my skin, but way better.

And I wasn’t the only one who noticed the difference in my complexion.

The full-coverage foundation comes with a pump and a doe-foot applicator, so you can apply it all over or use it as a concealer for spot correction. It’s lightweight, doesn’t crease, and stays put all day.

In fact, Smashbox claims it stays put for up to 16 hours. While I don’t wear makeup for 16 hours straight, the filter-like foundation looks the same at 6 p.m. as it did when I applied it at 8 a.m.

Smashbox

$41

Smashbox Dual Filter 2-in-1 Concealer and Foundation

The multi-purpose formula delivers sheer-to-full coverage and feels weightless on the skin.

Shop Now Smashbox

Shop Now Amazon

I had been undergoing laser treatments at Skin Laundry, so I knew my skin looked better than it did a few months back, but the sudden increase in compliments was still noticeable.

The first time I wore the foundation, I received several compliments for my “great” skin from people around me, including a professional makeup artist. One stranger even stopped me at an event to compliment my complexion.

The next day, I wore it to the office. I was talking with The Daily Beast’s Executive Assistant, Heather Passaro, when she asked what foundation I was wearing.

“Your skin looks like porcelain!” she exclaimed.

I told her about my new foundation, how impressed I was, and that I’d get her a bottle to test, too.

Finding Heather’s perfect shade match was easy. The Dual Filter 2-in-1 Concealer and Foundation comes in 36 shades, with a variety of different undertones.

On Smashbox’s website, she entered details about her current go-to foundation, and Smashbox virtually shade-matched her. If it’s not a match, you can send it back for free within 30 days.

The day after the product arrived, Heather messaged me on Slack.

“OMG, this Smashbox foundation is fantastic!”

Heather later messaged again, saying she found the formula a tad sticky but didn’t care because “the coverage is amazing.”

Heather also got compliments while wearing the long-wearing foundation.

Smashbox

$41

Smashbox Dual Filter 2-in-1 Concealer and Foundation

The hybrid complexion-enhancer is also sweat-proof and humidity-resistant.

Shop Now Smashbox

Shop Now Amazon

The Daily Beast’s Chief Creative and Content Officer, Joanna Coles, stopped to compliment her skin.

“Your makeup looks great. What are you wearing?” Joanna asked.

As Heather and I discussed our new favorite base over lunch, another fan of the foundation overheard the conversation and revealed themselves.

The Looker’s Senior Editor, Sam Escobar, had just tried the foundation too—and it’s been a daily staple ever since.

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Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

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