I Tried Olivia Rodrigo's Favorite Foundation—and Now, It's Mine Too

If you've ever had trouble finding your perfect foundation, maybe Olivia Rodrigo can help. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter recently filmed a GRWM with Glossier, revealing all the products she uses for a no-makeup-makeup routine. She mentioned some heavy hitters, including one product that both TikTok and Instagram are obsessed with: the Exa High Fidelity Foundation. Naturally, I wanted to see what all the hype was about—here's what I discovered after trying Rodrigo's go-to foundation.

The GRWM

In the video, Rodrigo prepped her skin with the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen ($36), which, IMO, is a great starting point for a foundation routine since it covers SPF protection for the day. At the same time, its silicone-like texture offers a slight grip for foundation to latch onto. Then, Rodrigo reached for the Exa High Fidelity Foundation ($38) in the shade Allie 390 and blended it all over her skin with her fingers while explaining that she was preparing to head to Canada to induct Alanis Morrisette into the Hall of Fame (very relatable). Sure, she applied her foundation using a nonchalant technique, but I was floored by how airbrushed and cohesive her complexion appeared.

The Exa High Fidelity Foundation

Upon initial inspection, the Exa High Fidelity Foundation may seem like any other foundation, but its skincare benefits set it apart from most formulas on the market. This foundation includes microalgae actives to protect the skin, while hyaluronic acid adds a burst of moisture, and maqui berry soothes the complexion and provides antioxidant benefits. Additionally, the High Fidelity Foundation contains an advanced pigment technology that stops oxidation, meaning the formula won't turn orange after it hits the skin, as well as what the brand likes to call "perfecting pigments" for a blurring effect.

Although the brand is popular amongst Gen Z, this foundation offers a buildable semi-satin finish that makes achieving a ring-light-like glow attainable for all skin types and all ages. Oh, and all skin tones, too—this foundation comes in 43 shades with a healthy range suitable for all complexions.

My Review

I'm surely not inducting anyone into the Hall of Fame anytime soon, but Rodrigo's seamless foundation application made me believe that I can at least emulate the singer's impeccable finish.

Before testing the foundation, I headed to Exa's website to take their shade match quiz. Now, I don't typically trust shade match quizzes because I've been bitten before, so I ordered this foundation in four shades: one shade that the quiz suggested I use, and three shades that I would've blindly ordered without the help of technology. Nevertheless, I'm confident that Exa's shade match quiz matched me perfectly, so if you're going to order this online, I can confidently say you can follow the brand's suggestion.

The Exa High Fidelity Satin-Skin Foundation is quite adaptable with any primer. One day, I used this foundation with Supergoop! 's Unseen Sunscreen, like Olivia, and enjoyed its mattifying and blurring effect on my t-zone. The next day, I paired it with Exa's Jump Start Smoothing Primer ($34), and the finish was radiant without being greasy.

In terms of application, this foundation goes on as smooth as butter—one evening, I was preparing to head to an event, and I had approximately 20 minutes to complete my entire beauty routine. So, with time not on my side, I slathered this foundation onto my skin the same way I would a moisturizer, rubbing the formula in with my fingers. I don't typically go for this type of application because, most of the time, applying a foundation in this way can result in a streaky and uneven finish. Still, I was shocked at how cohesive my complexion looked, even with my haphazard technique.

In terms of coverage, this is a no-makeup-makeup girl's dream. Whether I applied two layers of this foundation or simply dabbed it onto my problem areas, the formula remained buildable and never caked up onto my skin.

Overall, I'd say the singer's foundation choice is worth coveting if you're after a skin-like finish paired with a blurring and radiant effect. Thankfully, I have four bottles of it now, meaning I'll never fear running out of my new favorite foundation.

Exa High Fidelity Foundation $38.00

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