I am on an endless quest for the perfect foundation that my imagination has conjured up. It starts off something like MAC’s Face and Body in travel-friendly packaging that doesn’t weigh a tonne. It blends seamlessly with both hands and brush and plumps the skin in the way that Chantecaille’s Future Skin does, and it covers enough of my sun spots in the way that Tom Ford’s Traceless Stick does without looking mask-like or settling into pores and peach fuzz.
When I heard that Surratt’s new Dew Drop foundation is like Face and Body stepped up a notch in terms of coverage, my ears pricked up. Could it be my perfect foundation? I loved the name, and the packaging looked amazing – two obviously unimportant factors in the scheme of things.
My first hurdle was shade matching. While there is a relatively impressive twenty shades available, without being able to swatch in-store I found choosing from the online graphics difficult. I ended up scrolling Surratt’s Instagram and matching with a model who was referenced as wearing shade 2. It was a bit of a cross your fingers and hope situation and while the shade isn’t a terrible match to my skin tone, it’s a touch on the lighter side especially as we head into the sunnier months. (For reference, I switch between N1 and C1 in Face and Body) If you can find Dew Drop in store, I definitely recommend getting colour matched in person.
The first thing you notice when opening this foundation is it’s size. This is dainty. The brand claim that despite the smaller amount in the bottle, just two drops will be adequate to cover the entire face. In reality, I used three “drops” which were more like generous splodges. The applicator is sleek, stylish and great for travel. I love it. The smaller size would fit perfectly into your beauty bag, and despite the box’s warning label of product leakage in transit, mine arrived pristine. I also love the press-button dropper system that is completely unique – keep those messy pipettes away from me. I have heard some grumbles about issues with the button’s stiffness but my press-button easily released the foundation. My one worry would be for long-nailed girls who may find this button a serious hindrance.
As much as packaging and delivery systems are important and we’ve all bought products for that selling point alone, ultimately it comes down to performance. So how does this foundation look on my face? A little underwhelming, I have to say.
This foundation is touted as being dewy – I find it relatively matte. Satin, at a stretch. I’ve tried it over an illuminating primer, I’ve tried it under my richer day creams, but the finish is nowhere near the dewiness of what I expected from something called dew drop. If you have oily skin but had been hesitant about trying this, it might just be perfect for you. If you’re on the dry side, I would be weary.
The closest thing I would compare the finish to is Chanel’s Vitalumiere Acqua – which I know many many people love. I personally find the Chanel a touch chalky. It grabs onto fine hairs and dry skin and sinks into my pores in an unflattering way – and sadly this is where it reminds me of Dew Drop.
I have to say that throughout the day, as my skin’s natural oils show through, the foundation only improves and looks more and more skin-like and flattering. It also feels skin-like, in fact it’s completely weightless. The light texture means it doesn’t sit heavily on the skin like some cream formulas, but again, it also doesn’t give the nourishing, hydrating, feeling that dehydrated skins may crave, either.
Coverage-wise, this sits in the medium range for me. You can go light with application and achieve a relatively sheer, light coverage, or layer it up for medium-full. Don’t be thinking of this as a Glossier Skin Tint – it’s got far more oomph than that in the coverage stakes.
Ah it’s a tricky one, when you really want to love a product. I had such high expectations from this latest foundation that perhaps it was always destined to fall short.
Surratt have in no way produced a bad egg here – I know a lot of people who would love this satin finish, lightweight foundation. If MAC Face and Body leaves you wanting more, or you’ve grown up from Glossier’s Skin Tint and have skin on the oilier side, this might be your jam. If Armani Luminous Silk is a touch heavy handed for you, this also might fit the bill. For me it comes down to dewiness, which is a non-negotiable in my foundation tick-list. Beautiful packaging it has, but dewiness and luminosity it does not. As my mum would say, I think we can do better. The quest for perfection continues.
Find Surratt at Beautylish.