Anything that has ‘MAT’ in it makes me sit upright, my eyes open doubly large, and forget to blink as I read review after review of how that product mattifies the skin, controls oil, and reduces shine. I’m a mattifying junkie, whatever that means. Haha!
I was actually doing reasearch on the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation but wasn’t convinced it was good for me since many claim it gives a dewy finish. I try to avoid foundations that promise a dewy finish because for oily skins, a dewy finish more often than not melts into a greasy finish. It was with great excitement that I discovered the MAKE UP FOR EVER Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation!
If you have oily skin like me, live in a hot and humid climate like Singapore, or just want a solution to keep your face less shiny, then buckle up and explore what I think is the best mattifying foundation yet! YAY!
From Sephora:
A shine controlling, oil-free, water-resistant, complete coverage liquid foundation.
Hides imperfections, evens out skin tone, and mattifies with a non-oily, perfectly powdered finish. The result is flawless and lasts for hours.
Although this foundation provides full coverage, the end result is completely adjustable to fit your needs - a little goes a long way.
Packaging
Packed in a lightweight, frosted, rubber-textured bottle, the Mat Velvet + Foundation travels well without you having to worry about it spilling or breaking. Think easily breakable glass bottles like Revlon Colorstay Foundation and Lancome Maqui Blanc Miracle Foundation. The MUFE foundation bottle is so light I thought it had less content than the other brands! But nope, they all contain 30ml.
I like that the MUFE Mat Velvet + foundation comes in a plastic squeezy bottle with a nozzle at the top - it makes controlling the amount of foundation squeezed out much easier. With open-top bottles like the Revlon Colorstay, much product is often wasted because I tend to over-pour.
One thing I don’t like about the packaging is that there is no indication of the foundation shade on the bottle at all! Only on the BOX. =.=
Another issue I have with the packaging is that I can’t see how much product is left in the bottle because the rubber bottle is so opaque.
But these are 2 minor irritations that don't affect how much I love this product.
Make Up For Ever- Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation Shades for NC 20-25
MUFE provides a wide variety of foundation shades, so color matching is much easier than for brands that only come up with like, 4 shades.
I was matched 35 – Vanilla by the MUA at Sephora. Gawd. Why do MUAs like to give me the wrong foundation shade? Do I look odd or something? Like they see a different shade of me that I don’t see under their store lightings? Sometimes I find the lighting in Sephora stores a bit off. Do you think so too, or is it just me?
I always believe getting the right foundation shade is of utmost importance so I do intensive research on a certain product online first before going out to swatch it at the store. I was most sure that 30 – Porcelain would fit me best. And 30 I got in spite of the Sephora MUA insisting that 35 works for me.
MUFE Mat Velvet + 30 Porcelain for MAC NC 20-25 shade
Blending it out~
Blended!
I might want to see if a shade lighter, maybe 20 - Ivory, works. I think 30 looks a little dark on me sometimes even though it is obvious only to me. LOL! It blends into my face really well, but oxidizes on my hand into a slightly orange hue. That's quite unusual since my face typically oxidizes more than the hand! Gah! Maybe 20 might look too light on my face - I'll have to go swatch it! 25 - Warm Ivory looks a little on the pink side.
Full Coverage
I love that the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation provides enough coverage to cover up my acne scars, dark spots, and redness on the cheeks and nose area. To cover all that requries a FULL COVERAGE, no less. It is easy to build up from medium to full coverage with this foundation without it looking cakey or feeling heavy on the skin.
This oil-free mattifying foundation makes the skin look airbrushed and flawless! Okie, not flawless like you would see of models in magazines, but good enough for me but no other foundation I have ever used comes close in terms of coverage.
Matte Finish Great For Oily Skin (Sensitive Skin Too!)
Many people claim that the MUFE Mat Velvet + is great for the summer months when the skin is oilier and switch to less drying foundations during winter.
Well, I don’t ever have that issue of my skin changing from oily to dry between seasons as there are no seasonal changes in Singapore! LOL! It’s summer all year round! It can be slightly cooler towards the end of the year, more rain, but the amount of oil my face produces remains the same.
The Mat Velvet + provides a natural matte finish and covers perfectly without looking cakey and masky.
I’d think this foundation will not suit people with dry skin too well as matte finishes tend to accentuate lines and dry patches.
According to MUFE, this new oil-free and non comedogenic formula is suited to sensitive skins as well.
Other face mattifying product reviews:
The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream
Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15
Monistat Chafing Relief Powder-Gel
Long-Lasting Foundation
This mattifying foundation helps keep oily skin stay shine-free for at least a good half of the day. When I use the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation, I don’t have to use loose powder to set it.
If you have super oily skin like me, like oily all over the face instead of only on the T-zone, then blotting may be required. I don’t ever not blot with any foundation. This MUFE foundation, however, manages to keep me off the blotting papers until about 4 or 5pm.
People with combination oily skin might not even have to blot throughout the day because this foundation stays even after I blot it! Some foundations tend to fade a lot by the late afternoon, and especially after I blot, but the MUFE Mat Vel+ keeps makeup on!
Easy to Apply and Blend
I use my favorite foundation brush, Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush to apply the foundation with the stippling method.
I squeeze out a small amount of the relatively thick foundation on the back of my left hand and place a few dots on one area of my face at a time to ensure that everything is fully blended and worked into the skin. Then using the Sigma F80 brush, I start stippling, half a face at the time to avoid patchiness.
I tried once to apply it with my fingers and not only did I take a long time to blend it all out, the results wasn’t as good as using the Sigma brush because the foundation actually dries rather quickly. Not as fast as the Revlon Colorstay Foundation though.
I really like this product very much, so much that I can't bear to use it too often for fear of using it all up soon. LOL. I would recommend this product for anyone who has combo-oily or oily skin!
Get the MAKE UP FOR EVER Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation here:
Bun Bun rates the MAKE UP FOR EVER Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation:
What do you think makes a HG foundation? What's your Holy Grail foundation for oily/dry/normal/combination skin?
