I have had people positively rave to me about Skinfood and, from my experience with their skincare products, they are really great at what they do. However, I have only properly tried one cosmetic product from them and swatched a bunch of things in-store and… well, it’s unfortunate that I feel cosmetics really aren’t in their forte. Regardless, I do like to keep giving brands second, third and fourth chances since new products and formulas are always being released – especially in an industry as fast-paced and competitive as Korean beauty. When Q-Depot contacted me recently to offer to send me another product to try out, I very promptly said yes and… well, I have mixed feelings about this.
This is the White Grape Fresh Foundation from Skinfood, and it contains green grape extract. Grapes are considered an ‘anti-aging’ fruit because they have a lot of anti-oxidants, vitamin C and green grapes specifically are said to help speed up cell renewal processes (source). I’m not completely sure of how many of these benefits you will get from this foundation, since there isn’t much information I can find online, but it’s nice to know! Skinfood is general is known to use a lot of natural, skin benefiting ingredients and they also make the Black Sugar Honey Mask which I reviewed for Q-Depot before and still love!
Check out their website and use the code SW10OFF for 10% off! This isn’t an affiliate code, just a general discount code I have. Otherwise, let’s go on with the review!
The foundation, which comes in three shades (13, 21 and 23 – I have 21) comes in a hard plastic tube with a pump applicator. Overall, I find that the design of it is pretty basic and nothing all that exciting – which isn’t really what I would expect from a roadshop brand like Skinfood. The opaque plastic means that you can’t see the product which makes it difficult to know how much you have left. The feel of it is alright, in that it seems sturdy enough to carry around, but it still looks a bit cheap to me. That being said, being sold at USD$10.91 … this is pretty cheap either way.
That being said, I like the pump of it! It’s smooth and easy to use. With all of my testing, I have never over dispensed and I find that the tube keeps very clean and neat – no mess. The simple shape of it also makes it easy to stand, which is pretty important when you have a lot of products like me.
Because of it’s appearance, this is likely more of a product that I would buy for myself rather than for a gift. When it comes to packaging, I think that brands like Missha or even Etude House are better at it (with the former being for older audiences and the latter for a younger audience) and so I would be more comfortable giving it to people. For myself though, I’m more interested in the formula.
The White Grape Fresh Foundation has a very strong grape fragrance. Personally, I quite like it and I think it smells fresh and interesting. However, the strength of it means that this certainly isn’t for everyone. I can still smell it even after application and takes a few minutes to really disappear.
The coverage is quite light but it is really easy to blend and is buildable in layers. The example below is a simple application with no coverage build up – as you can see, it’s quite light and natural.
I’ve had some small break outs on my face lately from a product allergy and so have had one side that is particular blotchy and red – two layers of this product, blended out with an oval brush, was perfect and I didn’t need any extra concealer. The finish looks really natural and is slightly dewy, but sets well on the skin even without a finishing powder and ends up being more like a demi-matte. However, it doesn’t emphasise any dryness and kept my skin hydrated.
Being a tube product, this isn’t as easy as a cushion to touch up during the day but, if you don’t mind carrying it in your bag, it is still easy to blend out with just your fingertips.
I tried this foundation on a few different occasions and, without any setting powder, I found that it had a decent (though relatively average) wear time – it would start to get greasy around my t-zone by noon (5-6 hours), which isn’t too bad considering the state of my skin lately. I really do love the finish of it though, especially in the first few hours of wear, because it strikes a great balance between dewiness and still looking natural.
However, on all occasions that I’ve worn it, I have found that my skin feels a bit greasy and clogged by the end of the day (this would be over 12 hours later) and I have found some minor whiteheads. This could be the fault of both my skin condition and the product but, overall, I wouldn’t choose this product if I wanted something to wear throughout the day. This is a product that is stronger for the first few hours and becomes less wonderful after that.
Here’s the verdict!
WHAT IS IT?
A natural, light coverage foundation with grape extract
THE GOOD
- Very affordable
- Practical packaging
- Easily blendable
- Great initial finish
- Natural demi-matte look
- Buildable coverage
- Wears off evenly
THE BAD
- Average wear time
- Strong scent
- Can clog pores
RATINGS
- PACKAGING | 2/5
- SCENT | 2/5
- FINISH | 4/5
- LONG WEARING | 3/5
- COLOUR | 4/5
- FORMULA | 3/5
OVERALL RATING? 6/10
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
I wouldn’t advise against it but I am also not rushing out to buy it myself. I think that a lot of this product will come down to personal preference – Do you like the scent? Do you like light coverage? How long do you need it to wear? Chances are that you will need to weight the pros and cons yourself and decide whether to get it. It is very affordable though so, if that is a big point for you, then this is great value.
I still find myself reaching for it, especially on days when I want to do my make up quickly, but I’m just not too excited by it. For now, Skinfood has yet to win me over with their cosmetics.
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
The White Grape Fresh Foundation was sent to me by Q-Depot for review and you can get this from their website for USD$10.91. They often have sales, so look out for any coupon codes or specials on their home page. There’s also free shipping worldwide for purchases over $49!
Use the code for 10% off your first order: SW10OFF
