Fenty Beauty's Soft Matte Foundation Kept My Skin Shine-Free in the Georgia Heat

We put Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review. 

I am a Fenty Beauty fan. A swipe of Gloss Bomb on my lips. Sun Stalk' R Instant Warmth Bronzer to add a little definition to my face. Now, I'm ready for the day. You may be asking, Well, what about the brand's revolutionary foundations that come in 50 shades? Foundation is a beauty staple. However, it's one that I've personally given up. Foundations usually feel too heavy for me these days. They also tend to cause breakouts on my skin, and color matching is always a challenge. 

When Fenty Beauty featured 50 shades of foundation, I, along with the rest of the beauty world, was shaken. It took Rihanna, a music superstar, to get long-standing beauty brands to acknowledge the diversity in deeper skin tones. Since the launch of the matte foundation, Fenty Beauty now offers a hydrating formula. This was also intriguing to me because I gravitate to tinted moisturizers. They even out my complexion without the heaviness of a traditional foundation, and usually have SPF. I may have sworn off foundation, but I was excited to give Fenty Beauty's a try. 

Keep reading for my review of Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation.

About My Skin: Combination to oily

Most foundations either cause breakouts or amplify the texture (enlarged pores, hormonal breakouts, etc.) of my skin. Before I purchase any complexion product, I check for two phrases: non-comedogenic and oil-free. Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt' r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation checks one of those boxes. The brand's website says its humidity-fighting formula won't clog pores.

Color Matching: A simple process 

Since Fenty offers a range of 50 shades, matching my skin tone with my foundation color was pretty easy. Their website offers an in-depth shade finder that breaks down each shade range (light, medium, tan, and deep) and outlines each undertone. If you know your shade in a different brand of foundation, you can select that, and the website populates your best match.

My shade is 420, and it matched my skin seamlessly.

Ingredients: Mattifying

On its website, Fenty Beauty says the Soft Matte foundation contains sweat-resistant technology—a blend of polymers and silicones that give it grip and allow it to stay in place. Containing silica and papaya and pineapple fruit extracts, it is also is oil-absorbing and antioxidant-rich, making it ideal for oily skin. Drier skin types should note this foundation does contain salts (sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate).

The Feel: Rich and creamy

At first pump, the formula is what you'd expect from a foundation. For a matte foundation, the Pro Filt 'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation was creamy. When applied, I could almost instantly see and feel it mattifying my skin.

In contrast, the Pro Filt'r Hydrating Longwear Foundation reminded me of a balm in texture. Once applied, I could feel how hydrating it is. As someone who has combination skin, there wasn't any excess shine—just a hydrated, dewy complexion. 

How to Apply: Prep your skin and apply modestly 

Before trying the foundation, I checked out the Fenty Beauty site to get recommendations for applying it. With the Pro Filt 'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, the brand recommends prepping skin first, especially if it's dry. I don't have dry skin. But, I don't like makeup that looks too done. I want to see my skin shine through.

I prepped my skin with a vitamin C serum and followed up with a hyaluronic acid gel moisturizer. When I apply foundation or tinted moisturizers, I like to use my fingers. However, Fenty recommends using a sponge for medium coverage with the matte foundation.

I wet my sponge and squeezed two pumps of foundation on the back of my hand. I dabbed the sponge into the creamy mixture. As I bounced the sponge on my skin, a little went a long way; two pumps of foundation were more than enough.

I focused most of the foundation along my jawline and cheeks, where I have the most hyperpigmentation. Then, I bounced a little on my forehead and T-zone. 

I quickly realized that the hydrating foundation works with different rules (and formulation). The formula dries down without any excess shine and feels like you've applied a moisture-rich balm to your skin. 

The Results: A natural look

As someone wary of foundation, I loved how natural the application looked. Some of my dark spots still peeked through, but I expected as much. However, with a few small dabs of concealer, my dark spots would vanish.

I love that the foundation matched my skin seamlessly without having to mix two or three different shades. The matte finish was nice, but the texture of my skin was a little more noticeable. At least to me—we're always our harshest critics. If I were preparing a beauty look for a special event or photos, the Pro Filt 'r Soft Matte Foundation would be my top choice. On the other hand, the hydrating formula smoothed my blemishes and dark spots and looked like my skin, but more even. 

Of course, I had to give the foundation a true wear test. I applied at 10 a.m. and took follow-up selfies at 6 p.m. The Atlanta heat is the best weather to test out the humidity blocking effect of the foundation. I did get a little shine in my T-zone, but that is expected if you have oily or combination skin. A quick blot knocked that excess shine right off. The foundation also never felt tacky or sticky, which was a plus.

On the other hand, I like the idea of the Pro Filt'r Hydrating Longwear Foundation formula. It gives me a tinted moisturizer with more coverage. However, the stickiness of the formula as it wears didn't make this a winner for me. I will revisit this foundation during the winter months. I think it will be a knockout then.

The Value: It beats the heat

I wasn't sure if any foundation could stand up to the 100 percent humidity Georgia dishes out in the summer, but the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation did. Not only did the oil-free formula keep my T-zone matte without any powder or touch-ups, it evened my skin tone with just two pumps of product and matched my skin seamlessly. The one downside to this foundation is it has no SPF. That isn't a deal-breaker for me. All this proves this foundation's value—no matter the $36 price tag.

Similar Products: From drugstore to prestige 

Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation ($8): Maybelline's Fit Me is one of the few drugstore foundations I found early on to match my skin tone before brands became more inclusive. The non-comedogenic, matte formula comes in 40 shades and is infused with micro-powders to control shine. 

UOMA Beauty Say What?! Foundation ($39): UOMA Beauty's complexion products are among my favorites, especially its concealer. The talc-free, buildable formula comes in 51 shades and has blurring technology that helps minimize the look of pores and soften fine lines. 

Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Foundation ($64): If you're looking for a mattifying, medium-to-full-coverage foundation with SPF, the Power Fabric Foundation might be your match. The foundation is said to give you full coverage for up to 16 hours and comes in 30 shades. 

PAT MCGRATH LABS Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation ($68): Pat McGrath is the queen of runway and editorial makeup, so we appreciate that she shares her expertise through her products. The Sublime Perfection Foundation has ingredients like polymers, pure pigments, and diamond core powder that give it the ability to build up to medium coverage with a luminous, natural finish.