Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer

I’m always on the hunt for a good full coverage foundation for oily skin that minimizes my pores and provides a flawless finish and the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer suddenly hit my radar.

Is it a new Holy Grail? Well, yes…and no.

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Clinique Claims…

…that this foundation/concealer combo is great for all skin types, which ultimately sounds impossible.

Clinique Beyond Perfecting is meant to provide a flawless complexion that lasts all day (12 hours), through thick and thin, without the need for an additional concealer.

The brand recommends that you use the bottle’s doe foot applicator to apply this foundation where you need it and then blend it into skin with your fingers.

Additional foundation can be applied with the applicator to spot conceal as needed.

Clinique also mentions that this foundation can appear darker once applied, but dries to a lighter shade.

Buy It: Nordstrom | Sephora | Clinique

 

Application

I’ve tried this foundation with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and my Sigma F80 Foundation brush.

While I haven’t used a foundation brush in a while, I’m glad I tried it because it works really well with the thicker Beyond Perfecting formula (the sponge application looked good as well, I should mention).

The doe foot applicator is a nice change from the foundation bottles and pumps that I’ve been used to so far and the foundation itself is creamy and somewhat easy to blend out.

I find I need 2 dips of the doe foot applicator to get enough foundation to cover my entire face, as the applicator doesn’t pick up that much product.

However, a little of this foundation goes a long way. This foundation does have a mild smell, which some reviewers have referred to as “chemical.”

I’m not really sure how to describe the smell but I don’t find it too strong or distracting.

Coverage

Beyond Perfecting is definitely a medium to full coverage foundation and it easily covered the pinkness in my cheeks with one light application.

I had a couple random spots appear after the humid weekend and I was able to spot conceal these buggers in seconds.

Beyond Perfecting does feel slightly tacky after application, but this was resolved after I applied my RCMA No Color Powder to set it down.

The finish of this foundation is semi-matte, which I appreciate now that it’s getting hotter in Toronto and my skin is much oilier by the day’s end.

I also liked that it seemed to fill in the larger pores on my nose and the smaller pores on my cheeks, making primer obsolete.

Beyond Perfecting is probably the only foundation I own that didn’t slide off my nose when I applied it with the foundation brush (side note: my nose and most foundations are like oil and water).

I did get a bit of foundation build up around the sides of my nose, but I have yet to find a foundation that doesn’t do this to me, so I’m not surprised.

Long lasting? Beyond Perfecting held up well throughout the day and I still had even, non-patchy coverage when I got home from work 12 hours and lots of oil/sweat later. Impressive!

Any negatives? Yes – I did have a small patch of dry skin at the very end of my nose that this foundation seemed to highlight until my natural oils started to come out.

I also noticed that the top of my nose seems to get very oily with this formula and needs blotting after a couple hours.

I haven’t had this targeted oiliness with my other foundations, so I found this very strange, but manageable.

While 0.5-Breeze is the lightest shade in this range, it’s not a perfect match for my pale skin.

I find it passable now that summer has arrived and my upper body has gotten a bit of colour, but I might have to add some of my lightening shade adjusting drops to it if I want to use it in the winter.

I also feel like Beyond Perfecting doesn’t totally blend into my skin, but sits on top of it in a noticeable way, so if you’re looking for a no-makeup foundation, this is not it!

While I don’t think the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer is the be all and end all for me when it comes to foundations, it does provide excellent coverage for my redness with a long lasting finish.

The formula blends out easily (except for the odd rough/dry patch) and sits well in my larger pores without caking up as my skin gets oilier throughout the day.

Being full coverage, it is on the heavy side and if you’re someone looking for a light, natural finish, you won’t get it with Clinique Beyond Perfecting.

For those of you with oily skin looking for high, long lasting coverage, Beyond Perfecting might be an option to consider.

BUY IT: Nordstrom | Sephora | Clinique

RELATED READING: 9 Ways To Avoid Cakey Foundation

Have you tried Clinique’s Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer yet?