Sephora Named Its New Foundation "Best Skin Ever" for a Reason

When the name of a product itself makes me a promise, I have to approach it with a boatload of skepticism. Oh, you're going to give me "double extra-large" lashes or plump lips that could be mistaken for fillers? Sure, we'll see. When I heard Sephora Collection's latest foundation was titled Best Skin Ever, I had to admit that I scoffed a little for the exact same reason. We'd all love to have our best skin ever, I thought, but that's what cleansers and toners and moisturizers are for. Then I tried it for myself and totally ate my own words.

Let me get one thing clear about Best Skin Ever Liquid Foundation: It won't actually improve your skin overnight  — it's not formulated to. Wearing a foundation, even a great one like this, won't compare to a skin-care routine or a visit to a dermatologist as far as skin condition goes. 

But what makes this product worthy of its name, however, is how it looks and feels when you're wearing it and how easy it is to find your perfect shade match. For this product, Sephora Collection forgoes using subjective names like "almond" and "porcelain" in favor of numbers and letters that dictate each shade's degree of lightness and undertones. Unsurprisingly, I land on the paler end of the shade range at 11.5 P; the brand describes the shade as "light with pink undertones," which is exactly what my skin is, so I wasn't shocked when I could barely tell it was there after applying it for the first time. 

The coverage on Best Skin Ever is pretty light, but it can easily be built up to a medium coverage that's just heavy enough to cover things like subtle skin tone inconsistencies or faded scars. Like a thick skin-care serum or gel-based moisturizer, you can rub Best Skin Ever in with your fingers (which is exactly what I do, followed by a little blending with a fluffy, tapered brush) and watch it sink in until it's virtually undetectable. That's an immediate win for me because I always prefer my base products to be lightweight, but it's the gel-like texture that sets its apart from some of my other favorites. 

It also helps that this foundation's satin-like finish mimics the state of your skin; if you're very moisturized, it'll look dewier; if you have skin on the drier side, it'll probably look more matte. You can really attune it to your own preferences. And once you've been wearing it for a few minutes, you kind of forget you're wearing this foundation. That might be due to the fact that its ingredient roster shares some key players with your average moisturizer. 

First, there's hyaluronic acid, a big hitter ingredient in all sorts of skin-care and cosmetics. “Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule that occurs naturally in the skin, [and] it helps to bind water to collagen, trapping it in the skin, so that skin can appear plumper, dewier, and more hydrated,” Tsippora Shainhouse, a board-certified dermatologist in Santa Monica, California, previously explained to Allure. 

Similarly, this foundation contains glycerin, which helps cultivate moisture — just in a slightly different way. "Glycerin is a colorless and odorless liquid that comes from plant sources," cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski previously told Allure. "It is a humectant, which means it has the property of attracting water to itself." 

Squalane is another great ingredient lying within this formula. As New York City board-certified dermatologist Charlotte Birnbaum once explained to us, "Squalene is a lipid, or fat, made naturally by our oil glands to hydrate and maintain the barrier of our skin."

Whatever the cause of this foundation's natural-looking finish and comfort, it makes Best Skin Ever a surefire purchase in my book — and that goes before even mentioning its diverse 50-shade range and reasonable $20 price tag. 

Sephora Best Skin Ever Liquid Foundation is available now for $20 at sephora.com. 

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