Dupe: YSL Foundation

Make-up Artist, and blogger, Isabella, has found us the perfect High Street dupe for high-end, and high-priced,Yves Saint Laurent Fusion Ink Foundation..

As a Professional Makeup Artist, I am passionate about finding that perfect foundation. A little bottle of perfection must provide flawless and build-able coverage, longevity, and a variety of shades. I believe if you can master the perfect base then you’re more than halfway there to beautiful makeup.

As far as High Street foundations go, I often sway towards Maybelline as they rarely fail to disappoint. 

I was extra intrigued when Maybelline launched their Dream Flawless Nude Foundation as visually it looked different from all their other products - with its dropper style dispenser and cute little bottle. 

Unsurprisingly, Maybelline are one of the first High Street brands to jump on the bandwagon for lightweight fluid foundations that closely resemble formulas from high-end brands like Dior, NARS, and YSL. 

Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation can be found for around £8.99 at Boots.

Here's what they say:

•          A Fluid Touch Foundation

•          Dropper that delivers the exact amount of product

•          Micro Concealing Pigments

•          7 Shades

•          12x finer than Maybelline Dream Satin Foundation ( I adore this foundation)

The 7 shades range from a light Ivory to a darker Sun Beige. Personally, I would be tempted to buy 2 bottles and mix my perfect shade because at £8.99 a bottle you can!

Application:

Shake the bottle really well and use the dropper to apply several drops to the back of your hand. Don’t panic about how fluid it is either, you’ll love how easy it is to work with as it warms on your hand.

Take a foundation brush and dip into the product.

I tried several brushes and my personal favorite was number 101 Triangle Foundation Brush from the Real Techniques Bold Metals collection.

Apply in the centre of the face with the brush in a sweeping action and buff into the skin working from the middle of the face out towards your hairline. A little goes a long way and it’s build-able. I like to apply a second layer, with another drop of foundation, and pay particular attention to my t-zone by adding extra coverage.

Any uneven skin tone or redness vanishes and the product leaves your skin with a fresh-faced feel. It's really light and cooling on the skin. I suggest only lightly using loose powder on the nose, forehead and chin and leaving the rest dewy as the foundation will give your skin a natural glow and highlight.

From application to how it wears, I felt I had always been best friends with this foundation and then it hit me, I had found a duplicate for the amazing Yves Saint Laurent Fusion Ink Foundation! They both have a veil like appearance on the skin and both apply in equally the same way. The only downfall I would say is that Maybelline does not offer as many shades as YSL - they have 16! However, if you’ve got a dab hand you can always mix two shades together and still save money!

I would absolutely purchase Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation again. It’s an equal contender to YSL - and I’m sure once you’ve tried it you’ll find it difficult to change. Give it a try!

Isabella is a professional makeup artist and beauty blogger, you can read more from her over at www.makeupbyisabelle.co.uk.