Beauty
5 Experts Share Their Honest Thoughts On The Foundation That’s Clinically Proven To Improve Your Skin
More is more doesn’t always apply to everything, but Clinique’s Even Better Makeup Foundation is an outlier. It’s a Swiss Army knife of a product, promising buildable medium coverage that lasts 24 hours in a hydrating, natural finish and hero skin-loving ingredients like SPF 15 and vitamin C. A true skin care and makeup hybrid.
To celebrate this unique foundation, we gathered a group of professionals who love a multi-tasker: our MVPs include beauty editors, a dermatologist and an aesthetic nurse practitioner.
Faith Xue, Executive Beauty Director
To be Faith Xue-approved, a product needs to pass the ultimate road test: a day in the life of a busy beauty director. “This is like the white T-shirt of foundation,” she says. “It's something that everybody should have in their wardrobe and that you’d want to wear every day because it feels really amazing.”
Xue likes to have her natural skin on display, and just wants a slight bit of refinement for everyday wear. “It's not super heavy or cakey, and it really just makes my skin look like a better version of itself,” she says as she’s matched to shade WN 46 Golden Neutral to even out her skin tone and make her Almost Lipstick in Black Honey pop.
This is like the white T-shirt of foundation.
The shade range offered is indicative of the world outside, impressing Xue whose beauty editor radar is always attuned to brands who are servicing the widest range of tones. “When there’s 50 shades, I always look at how many of those 50 are deeper and how many are lighter. And I think it's impressive that there's a wide range of shades for deeper skin tones as well, because it feels like the brand is really prioritizing inclusion and making sure that every skin tone and undertone is represented.”
Come holiday season, The Even Better Makeup Foundation will find itself in the coveted real estate that is Xue’s travel case. “I always go somewhere warm with my family for Christmas. So I'm definitely looking for a product that has a bit of SPF in it and protects my skin but doesn't feel heavy,” she says.
Dr. Nkem Ugonabo, Board-certified Dermatologist
Dr. Nkem Ugonabo filters the beauty world through a dermatologist’s lens, prioritizing skin health. “I like the fact that people who want to wear foundation can have a product that's going to be friendly to the skin,” she says. Her derm radar is always on for makeup with kind-to-skin ingredients. “Fragrance can be irritating, especially for sensitive skin. Non-comedogenic is essential for my oil-prone patients, as some makeup can clog pores and trigger breakouts,” she explains. Foundations with these properties boost her patients' confidence and give her peace of mind, knowing they won’t clog pores.
“One of the things that I love about this foundation is that it applies very nicely on top of my sunscreen,” she notes. She’s legally obligated to vouch for sunscreen (we say that facetiously, of course — after all, she is a derm, and derms take no sick days from SPF). “A lightweight foundation that’s blendable is a very great thing.”
Her verdict on her shade match? “It makes me feel natural, I still feel like I can recognize myself. It’s me but with a bit more coverage,” she says.
Maya Allen, Freelance Beauty Editor
When Maya Allen began her beauty career a decade ago, a brand offering over 25 foundation shades was rare. “Now, thankfully, it's the standard,” she says. The real challenge lies in matching undertones, and Allen values brands that research the nuances of melanin. “Clinique does a great job ensuring undertones match all skin tones in this line,” she notes.
Hyperpigmentation is also a beauty issue that feels personal issue for Allen. “Dark spots are so tough to deal with. They physically show up on the skin, but also emotionally, it’s a vulnerable place to be in when you feel like you have to wear foundation to cover up your natural complexion every time you go outside. And I was honestly in that state,” she says. After experimenting with various products that caused clogged pores, Allen embarked on a journey to restore her skin to a glowy, even tone with buildable coverage.
Clinique does a great job ensuring undertones match all skin tones in this line.
“I love that this foundation has skin-first ingredients, so I know it's compatible with my skin-care routine,” she explains. Her effortless look began with foundation shade 118 Amber, enhanced with surprising but soft touches: a flush on the cheeks with Cheek Pop Powder Blush in Peach Pop and eye definition using High Impact Gel Tech Eyeliner In Black Honey were the highlights of the look.
With the holiday season approaching, Allen is preparing for the flurry of events. “I'm already overwhelmed by my calendar, balancing work and holiday parties. This foundation will carry me through long days and festive nights because it’s long-lasting and won’t fade and is sweat and humidity resistant,” she says.
Irma Elezovic, Beauty Director, Branded
As someone who sometimes spends 12-hour days on set without showing fatigue, Irma Elezovic wants her foundation to do the same thing: have impressive longevity and look flawless, while feeling imperceptible. Though that’s a tall ask, Elezovic feels The Even Better Makeup Foundation makes the cut. “I absolutely love the finish of it. It’s lightweight and feels more like you’re applying moisturizer than a foundation,” she says. That’s thanks to its BetterFlex Technology, a blend of polymers that gives the foundation flexibility to move with you so it still looks like your skin.
Another concern for Elezovic is a formula that’s safe for sensitive skin. Since she typically opts out of scented products, Elezovic loves that this foundation is also fragrance-free, while giving her the coverage she needs. Since her beauty focus is heavily on skin care for her sensitive skin, this foundation even manages to check that box. “With foundation sitting on my skin all day, I need something that feels comfortable,” she explains.
This foundation is going to rack up some serious frequent flier points, as Elezovic is also packing in her holiday suitcase. “I'm going to Belize for the holidays, where it’s going to be very hot and humid, and I want a foundation that is sweat and humidity resistant.”
Estefany Crook Garcia, Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner
“As an aesthetic nurse practitioner, skin care is my line of work,” says Estefany Crook Garcia, who notes Clinique’s inclusion of skin-loving ingredients in their foundation. “When it comes to the ingredients of this foundation, I love that it’s actually working with my skin to help with my concerns.”
Garcia loves how shade WN 80 Tawnied Beige was an exact match for her medium skin tone. “In general, brands either tend to have a much lighter shade or darker shades and not much in between. When it comes to these Clinique shades, you have so much room to play with the undertones, including red tones, so the shade match is impeccable.”
Garcia is waiting to deploy this foundation for a very special holiday tradition: “I cannot wait to do my full beat for my family photos. When it comes to the holidays and taking photos with your family, who doesn't want to look their best? I look forward to using it up to the holidays so I can just look flawless for my pictures. Truly, a game changer.”
Photographer: McKenzie Thompson; Makeup: Tiffany Patton; Hair: Rachel Polycarpe; Wardrobe Stylist: Rachel Gilman; Production Lead: Hertie Gutierrez/BDG; Art Direction: Angela Poccia & Alexis Apollonio/BDG; Branded Beauty Lead: Shyema Azam/BDG
