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This product was sent to me by StyleKorean for review purposes. I was not paid for this post but please note that affiliate links are used on my blog. These go towards supporting Oh My Stellar and future content.
I was checking out the StyleKorean website when I came across the HERA True Wear Foundation, which interested me because it’s a pump foundation – most base cosmetics that I’ve come across in Korea have been either cushions or BB creams, but that seems to be changing with the trends now. This will be only the second product that I’ve tried from the brand, the first being their cushion (which I was underwhelmed by).
Since then, I haven’t really touched anything else from their brand but, considering that I’ve been loving foundations lately, this seemed like a good product to test out!
I usually wear a shade 21 but, as that was unfortunately unavailable on the StyleKorean website, I’m trying a shade 23 for this review (which is, as expected, a bit too dark for me). This foundation is also temporarily out of stock but I’m sure that it will come back in soon, so I’ll continue to link to the True Wear Foundation product page.
So, let’s get into this review! I’ll also put a swatch at the end of this post but, since this isn’t really my colour match, please don’t judge the shade.
Product Description
This foundation is described as a lightweight liquid formula that has “complexion-perfecting coverage” and a hydrating effect. It comes in a range of five shades (which are all similarly light but vary in cool or warm undertones) – if you’re used to Western products then this shade range is horrible but, for a Korean foundation, this is actually not too bad.
This product also claims to be suitable for all skin types, to contain UV protection (with SPF25 PA++) and to have anti-wrinkle benefits.
According to the official product description:
- True Fit Complex is delicately blended and flexibly adheres to the skin and offers an innovative consistency with a light and natural finish.
- Revitalizing mechanism combined with ingredients extracted from daffodils, which bloom even in extreme conditions, and components derived from birch, which has strong vitality, fully hydrates the skin to offer firmness and healthy texture.
- Lasting Wear Technology, featuring a coating pigment that fights against dullness and a stretch polymer that gives makeup a long-lasting effect, sustains cleanly applied brilliant makeup all day long.
- Beauty Effect Pigment and strobing powder reflects light and makes the skin brilliant and smooth. Its ultra-fine powder offers a smooth finish for naturally beautiful skin.
Packaging – Unit Carton
Being a higher end brand, HERA generally has very elegant and somewhat mature packaging, which I am a fan of. The foundation comes in a glossy back cardboard carton with gold foil detailing for all text and logo. It feels very sturdy because there is actually a second layer of a thicker card inside (which you can see a little from above) to help the box keep its shape. The inside is also printed with a repeat pattern of their logo, which looks very simple but elegant.
Overall, the unit carton design of the HERA True Wear Foundation is pretty good! I think that it stands strongly for it’s higher price tag and would fit in perfectly at a department store. If I were to gift this, then the product feels like it would be comparable to a YSL product (which I will discuss more below).
Packaging – Pump Bottle
And then we come to the pump bottle! Which is arguably more important than the unit carton but, as a designer, I insist that they are both equally as important. However, this is the part of the packaging that you do keep around.
The True Wear Foundation comes in a glass pump bottle which feels quite substantial. As you can see from the bottom and the sides, the material of this is quite thick and sturdy (though I don’t ever recommend dropping it). It has a glossy black cap with the logo on top in gold, which is very reminiscent of the unit carton. Overall, the bottle design reminds me a lot of the YSL All Hours, though I do feel like this still looks better (better typography and all).
The most interesting part of this packaging though, is the pump itself. If you look at the photo below, the opening for this pump is actually fully enclosed to minimise any air going in to the product – it’s the first time that I’ve seen this and I think it’s a great mechanism. The pump is good quality, dispensing smoothly and being easy to control. For my full face, I will usually use between one or two pumps (depending on whether I’ll be using much concealer after and all).
The lid clicks on firmly and I feel like this would be safe in a make up bag or some simple travels. However, I wouldn’t consider this travel friendly because of the weight and glass bottle.
All in all though, I’m really happy with the packaging of this foundation – whether it is the unit carton or the actual bottle. It definitely lives up to the higher price tag and it just feels like a piece of modern luxury in your hands.
Shade Range & Formula
As previously mentioned, this product comes in eight shades, which vary between warm and cool tones (though I hope there are some neutral tones mixed in between). The most common numbers in kbeauty make up would be the 21 and 23, but this foundation also goes one shade up and two shades down. The range is abysmal and would not work for anyone who is darker than light, but considering that their primary market is in a largely homogenous Asian country, I don’t blame them too much.
Shades include:
- No 13 – Ivory
- No 17 – Rose Vanilla
- No 21 – Vanilla
- No 23 – Beige
- No 25 – Amber
The formula of this product is described as a lightweight and hydrating one, which is a bit different to what I’m used to (I generally go for matte finishes, albeit always lightweight). However, I’m really glad that their formula is not overly dewy. If I were to describe it, I would say that it gives a radiant finish which is then easy to either mattify with powder or leave as is. From my experience, there isn’t much transfer or creasing with this product as it adheres to the skin very well.
I would consider this foundation a medium buildable coverage. If you have pigmentation or blemishes on your skin (like me) then you will definitely be needing a concealer on top of this. However, it otherwise evens out my skin tone well and doesn’t over emphasise pores (though doesn’t fill them at all). Although this is described as lightweight, it has a slightly thicker creamy consistency which is very reminiscent of the All Hours Foundation. It also has a light scent, which is similar to the HERA Cushion and fades on application too so I don’t notice it much.
Below I have the shade 23 swatched on my hand (and with the pigmentation built up) and it’s clear that this shade is way too dark and warm for me! If I were to repurchase this in the future, I would either go with the 21, or even down to the shades 13/17 (depending on undertone). I feel like this foundation runs a little darker than others and also has some minor oxidisation.
Personal Experiences
To be honest, it is a little bit hard to be testing out a foundation too dark for you but – thankfully – my body is naturally darker than my face anyway and the lighter coverage of this foundation meant that I could easily blend it into my natural skin tone! I also brightened up my complexion slightly with the YSL Touche Eclat and some of the Althea Petal Velvet Powder (in Lavender).
I liked the initial application of the True Wear Foundation a lot. It made my skin look very radiant and glowy, but without feeling heavy on my skin. The foundation was also really easy to set with powder and didn’t gather into any dry or acne spots. I do wish that the coverage was a little bit better but I’m willing for forgive that for a more lightweight application. Since this product is a bit too dark for me, I also tried it on mixed in with a more matte foundation (this I only did once as I wanted to review the product alone) and it worked well too!
I’m out for pretty long days so I generally wore this foundation for nearly 12 hours a day. I found that my oils were peeking through pretty quickly, I could see my ‘glow’ return within the first three hours. By the afternoon, I would be thoroughly shiny! However, the foundation never caked or broke up on my skin – which was very surprising. It was easy to blot and touch up my make up, keeping me looking relatively fresh. My skin also stayed hydrated throughout the day and, even after I removed my make up, was still looking pretty good!
So, here’s the verdict –
SO WHAT IS IT?
A radiant lightweight foundation with eight shades
THE GOOD
- Elegant and luxe packaging
- Hygienic and innovative pump dispenser
- Light scent that fades
- Easy to blend out on skin
- Lightweight and non-greasy with a radiant finish
- Does not emphasise dry spots or pores
- Does not cake or break up in t-zone
- Minimal to no transfer (adheres well)
- Keeps skin hydrated and does not clog pores with continued use
THE BAD
- Slight oxidisation
- Limited shade range (might run a little dark)
- Expensive
- Does not control oils
RATINGS
- PACKAGING | 5/5
- SCENT | 5/5
- SHADE RANGE | 2/5
- APPLICATION | 4/5
- FINISH | 4/5
- LONGEVITY | 3/5
- HYDRATION | 4/5
- OIL CONTROL | 1/5
OVERALL RATING? 7/10
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
I’m a bit on the fence about this foundation again; I like the initial application and I feel like it can work well through the day (it doesn’t break up even when I get oily), and it’s also comfortable on my skin. However, I do personally prefer more matte foundations that can control my oils a bit better. I feel like the shade also created some bias in me so I would be interested in trying this product out in my actual colour some time.
I feel like people with dry or combination-dry skin would enjoy this. If you have combination skin with some minor oiliness and you like a glowy finish, then you also might like this. For people with a lot of oils though, this product may not give you the look that you want (even if it lasts on your face).
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
This is available at StyleKorean – it is currently out of stock but I’m sure that it will come back in soon so check the True Wear Foundation product page (or email CS for updates!)
