A foundation that’s not really a foundation. A concealer for those that need the littlest – and those that need a lot. After weeks of trialling, this versatile little pot has firmly set up home in my everyday makeup bag, and it’s not going anywhere. Let’s talk about the complexion master product that is Blunder Cover. Monika Blunder is a makeup magician.
How can something be so effective at covering pigmentation and blemishes while looking so sheer – and feeling so light? This is the magic of Blunder Cover, my new go-to complexion product from Monika Blunder Beauty. First things first; Blunder Cover is not just another cream concealer. But it does conceal brilliantly. It’s also not your typical foundation – and yet it fulfils all my current foundation needs. To get the most out of Blunder Cover you have to forget about labels. Don’t try and decide whether it’s a concealer, or foundation, or contour, or bronzer. It’s just blunder cover. And it’s good.
The texture of this little gem is unique. Creamy to the touch but firm within the pot, you might compare the push-down feel to Glossier’s Stretch or Nars’ Soft Radiant, but while the former is altogether slippery and sheer, Blunder Cover has hold, and where the latter can be cakey and lack glow, Blunder Cover creates dewy radiance.
Now, fans of those two cult brands take your fingers off the @ key and hear me out. I too am a lover of Glossier’s Stretch and I will happily sing the praises of Nars’ too. But I’m here to tell you that these have been pushed aside for Blunder Cover. It just does more. If you like the glow you get from RMS Uncover-up but find it’s too emollient to last the day, this is the answer. If you love the coverage you get from a swipe of Nars Soft Radiant over the redness in your cheeks but find it settles unflatteringly into dry patches, this is for you. This is a base product you can comfortably conceal with and sheer out over your whole face.
If you need more than a rave review of the product to convince you, there’s also this: Founder of this new line destined to hold cult status is celebrity makeup artist Monika Blunder. If the myriad of podcasts and interviews I’ve listened to and personal endorsements are anything to go by, Monika also just happens to one of the nicest people in the industry. Check out her Instagram and YouTube channel here. In my book, niceness – kindness -and beauty are intrinsically linked.
But the term “celebrity makeup artist” mightn’t mean a lot if you don’t feel an affinity with the looks of said celebrity. When it comes to Monika Blunder, it just so happens that she’s painted the face of one of my beauty icons Gemma Chan. There isn’t a red carpet look of Gemma’s that I haven’t seen and thought with a sigh, beautiful. Fresh faced but perfected, feminine while strong. Just really bloody pretty and cool. If that’s the makeup you’re into, this might be a brand for you.
When deciding to try this first-drop hero product, I – regretfully – left the accompanying brush behind. And so the way I typically apply it is simple: I swirl the pad of my middle and ring fingers around the pot lightly (it doesn’t take much pressure to pick up a lot of product), press these fingertips of both hands together to warm and disperse the product further, and press it onto my cheeks, under-eyes and around the nose. Using a pat and swipe motion, the product melts in beautifully, blends easily and magically never looks cakey while doing an award-winning job of covering any redness, sun spots and evidence of lack of sleep.
A second application with the same method covers some redness on my chin and a little pigmentation on my forehead – and I’m done. I often leave the rest of my skin that is less in need of attention bare and unmade-up. The texture of Blunder Cover spreads so effortlessly that you’re not left with an obvious patch of makeup against bare skin, and this method helps keep my complexion looking perfected but natural. It’s a wonder, this Blunder Cover.
While I don’t yet have the Hybrid Cream Brush in my grips, I find a hands-on application works well for my dryer skin type. That said, I have been experimenting with using my Jones Road Beauty Detail brush around the inner areas of the eye and can vouch for it’s effectiveness. I’m also excited to hear that Monika Blunder Beauty has a buffer brush in the works for those that use Blunder Cover as an all-over foundation product.
As with all complexion products, the more moisturised my face is before Blunder Cover the better it looks but even on my dry, dehydrated skin this works a treat. Those with an oilier complexion will likely find a light powder useful. When I spread this further to achieve a medium coverage base, it blends seamlessly and covers brilliantly, while somehow never looking like makeup and still looking like skin. It’s a finish that I haven’t achieved as well with other concealer or hybrid products. What’s the shine level like? Think glowy, but not greasy – in the way that perhaps a full face of Glossier Stretch might be.
When using such minimal product to pick and choose areas of the face to touch up, having the right colours on hand is imperative. I was lucky to find two good matches in shades 1 and 2 (eins, and zwei); the former on the very fair but neutral side that I use solely to brighten around my eyes and the latter, ever slightly pink toned, a good match for the rest of my face. I had hoped shade 3 (drei), would work well in the summer months or after I’ve applied self tan but unfortunately, it was too warm to be either a good skin or bronzer match for me. I know a lot of people were frustrated to see Blunder Cover released in just 7 shades. It’s important to remember this is a debut, startup launch from the makeup-artist marvel and product development takes time. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait too long as additional shades have just dropped. Cue the praise hands emoji. I have my eyes firmly set on shade 2.5.
While a new lipstick launch excites me, and a glittery eye product lifts my spirits, it’s a good, solid, reliable complexion product that really simplifies my makeup routine. These are the products that I change up the least and depend on the most, which is why MAC’s Face & Body is always thrown into my travel makeup bag just in case. Blunder Cover has joined the fold as a reliable, trustworthy product that does the job beautifully. In a pandemic-free future when we’re travelling again, should my luggage go missing in transit this is the one product I would happily have in my carry-on. I know I can use the tiniest touch to brighten some tired eyes, a little more to look daytime presentable and cover some redness, or go all-in for an evening full-face of glam. In the age of the multi-use hero product, Blunder Cover ticks all the boxes.
When I’ve reached the end of an article without even mentioning the packaging, you know this stuff is good. It really is. (It just so happens that the glass pot is perfectly formed too.)
Find Blunder Cover at Monika Blunder Beauty.