The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review Swatch Swatches

Like all good things in life, this review will be part of a saga mostly because each of the foundations in The Ordinary range deserve their own stand alone review - that and I'm a little lazy and have yet to actually try The Ordinary Coverage Foundation. I have however been wearing The Ordinary Serum Foundation, daily for over a fortnight and truthfully there is nothing I don't love about it. If this is the future of affordable but high quality make-up consider me sold on the spot.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review Swatch Swatches

The only real surprise in regards to either of The Ordinary foundations is their diminutive size; photographs can be deceiving, so trust me when I say the bottles are fairly dinky in the flesh and hold 30ml of product. However at just £5.90 a bottle it would be greedy to expect more and on the plus side the bottles are both perfectly proportioned and designed for travel - they feature an in-built, lockable foundation pump so you don't have to worry about leaks, spills or generally dispensing too much product. As a side note, you can also purchase a glass dropper via the brand should that be your more preferred method of application.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review Swatch Swatches

All things considered, The Ordinary Serum Foundation is a budget buy and yet both the ingredient line up and shade range, far exceed anything else around with such a light price tag. With no less than 20 tones for all complexions including warm, neutral, cool and yellow undertones, ranging from extremely pale to very deep - this may just be the most inclusive foundation launch we have seen in a long, long while. For those of a similar skin tone to myself, I bought the shade 1.2P (one of the deeper pale shades with a pink undertone), at the moment it is a little light but due to the fluid texture of the base, it is pretty adaptable - that and a little bronzer never goes a miss. If you are struggling to settle on a shade, this chart may come in helpful - link.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review Swatch Swatches

I think most of us are over the term dupe and I don't think that the The Ordinary Serum Foundation has been created to mimic any other existing foundation but comparison does make reviews a little easier to digest, so for that reason alone I will say that in terms of texture - and to an extent finish - this is somewhat similar to MAC Face and Body Foundation and Glossier Skin Tint. The main differences - in my opinion - are that this is has considerably more coverage than the aforementioned base products, lacks the tacky-come-sticky dry down (here's looking at you MAC Face and Body) and of course more skin and allergen friendly. That's right, The Ordinary Serum Foundation is free from alcohol, oil, gluten, soy, nuts and is both completely cruelty free and vegan. If a relatively new beauty brand can do this - with what I am assuming is a fairly restrictive budget - then why can't others follow suit? I should also mention that both foundations within the range contain an SPF 15 - a great additional bonus but I still recommend using a standalone sunscreen alongside this and any other foundation for that matter.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review Swatch Swatches
The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review Swatch Swatches
The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review Swatch Swatches

Above: 
Photo 1 - to show foundation shade
Photo 2 - to show foundation consistency
Photo 3 - to show coverage, I've included my mole in each photo so you can gauge how well it covers.

Best described: The Ordinary Serum Foundation is a step up from a tinted moisturiser - it will offer you a little coverage, as in it will even and to some extent prefect the skin but a masking, high coverage foundation this is not. If like myself you have grown to resent the feeling of make-up on your skin this is the foundation for you; likewise if you are craving a base product that looks entirely natural and yet has some perfecting qualities. In terms of wear - as this is fairly sheer - it doesn't tend to separate (great for those with dry skin) but if you have an oily complexion you may find you need to powder down your t-zone throughout the day, but other than that it is a foundation that most skin types will find agreeable.

It is not often I get to say this but The Ordinary Serum Foundation (30ml/£5.90) is entirely worthy of all the current surrounding hype (and waiting lists), it more than lives up to expectations and is easily one of the best lightweight based products around - price element aside.

The good news is that there is no longer a waiting list and as of today, it does seem that the entire spectrum of shades are in stock here - link.