Bobbi Brown

Today I have a review and swatches of all the shades in the Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation ($46 for 1 fl oz/30 ml). It’s been a while since I’ve tried Bobbi Brown foundations. I remember using her original Foundation Stick and Oil Free Foundation many years ago. I loved her color range and the fact that she had so many yellow-based tones which were perfect for me. She reformulated her foundations a number of times and there was an ingredient that caused me to have an allergic reaction in many of them. Over the years there have been quite a few new base launches and I simply felt overwhelmed by all the options. The Bobbi Brown team sent the newest base for me to try. Her Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation has SPF 15 and is a full-coverage natural matte base that still allows skin to breathe. It comes in 30 shades and the shade range is quite impressive. I have swatches of all the colors to share today along with thoughts on testing this base.

Quick take is that this is an excellent full-coverage base. I was very relieved to find it did not irritate my skin, clog pores or streak. I’m even more impressed they were able to guess my shades from online photos! I received full sizes of Natural 4, Natural Tan 4.25, Warm Natural 4.5 and Golden Natural 4.75. The one I’ve been testing is Natural Tan 4.25. This is one of the few foundations I’ve tried that does not oxidize at all. I usually pick something that looks a tiny bit lighter because most foundations warm up or darken as they set. This one stays 100% true to color. The sun and warmth has arrived back in Florida and I’ve already started to get my tan back. I suspect I will be going up a shade soon.

The foundation is formulated with Marine Sugar Cane and mineral powders to help combat shine. It also has Vitamin E, C and Shea Butter to add hydration. Formula to me seems almost gel-like. It blends in seamlessly into the skin with their Full Coverage Face Brush or a beautyblender. I find it rare that bases blend in this seamlessly with a brush. This one has impressive application. A little goes a long way. To me I feel like it has a gel-like feel because it is just the slightest bit thick and if you don’t blend quickly or add too much it does not feel weightless. I hesitate saying this because it it isn’t thick at all, just in comparison to some other bases I’ve tested recently in this post, I don’t feel like the Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation is weightless in feel. Still it is natural, it’s not heavy and has impressive lasting power. On me it has a slightly semi-dewy-looking finish so I recommend setting with powder.

The foundation is described as full coverage. I would say it’s medium full, but not 100% opaque. It did cover enough that I did not need any concealer and most of my freckles were covered well. I liked that it was crease-free on me around my smile lines. It’s recommended you use this with their cult-favorite Vitamin Enriched Face Base and Full Coverage Face Brush. This is my first time testing both and I was really impressed. The Vitamin Enriched Face Base is something I’ve used in place of moisturizer and it has a smoothing and hydrating effect on the skin. I resisted trying this for a long time because the word “enriched” made me think it was going to way too rich or heavy for me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s quite lovely! The brush is very soft without any poking feel – it does feel like synthetic material and blends and buffs the foundation into the skin flawlessly.

My bare skin vs an application of the shade Natural Tan 4.25 (no concealer or powder). Also added in the after picture is Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Tendresse, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Incandescent Electra Blush. Photos were taken with a flash, even though the Skin Long-Wear Foundation has SPF 15 I didn’t see any flash back.

Swatches of all 30 colors below:

Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Foundation Swatches Alabaster 00, Porcelain 0, Ivory .75, Warm Ivory 1, Cool Ivory 1.25, Sand 2, Cool Sand 2.25, Warm Sand 2.5, Beige 3 and Warm Beige 3.5

Natural 4, Natural Tan 4.25, Warm Natural 4.5, Golden Natural 4.75, Honey 5, Cool Honey 5.25, Warm Honey 5.5, Golden Honey 5.75, Golden 6, Cool Golden 6.25

Warm Almond 6.5, Golden Almond 6.75, Almond 7, Cool Almond 7.25, Warm Walnut 7.5, Walnut 8, Cool Walnut 8.25, Chestnut 9, Espresso 10, Cool Espresso 10.25

Overall thoughts: I had a positive experience with this base. It does look like skin even though it has rich coverage. I’m not sure I’d describe it as “weightless” but it’s not heavy. Lasting power is really good and was crease free on me. I do 100% recommend you set with a powder. I suspect it will work with a wide range of skin types although if you’re looking for a matte finish this may not be the base for you. A little goes a long way – it’s not a base I would layer on generously as it can get a bit sticky feeling if you layer too much. The brush is excellent but I still prefer my damp beautyblender method of application. Best parts include the fact that it did not oxidize and that it did not crease on me. Also a huge plus that they seem to have removed the ingredients that irritated my skin.

If you can get to a Bobbi Brown counter I highly recommend giving this a try. If you have to order online I hope these swatches helped you. Also give her Skin Long-Wear Foundation website page a look as she has some of the best face swatches I’ve seen to give you a better sense of what your best match might be.

You can find the Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation at all counters now. Online at Bobbi Brown, Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Barneys New York and Saks Fifth Avenue. Have you tried this one yet? What did you think? If not do you use any Bobbi Brown foundations? What formulas do you recommend?

Skin Long-Wear Foundation, Vitamin Enriched Base and Full Coverage Face Brush provided as press samples courtesy of Bobbi Brown for review.