I’m 43 and Tried Pro Age Brand Studio 10’s Foundation Compact. Here’s My Honest Review
Main image – Courtesy of writer
Anti-ageing is fast becoming one of my least favourite terms. The older I get, the more resentful I feel towards it. Because, yes, I am ageing (aren’t we all?). But I am not anti it. In fact, it is a privilege to get older (I’ve seen far too many examples of life being too short recently) so the suggestion that anyone over the age of around 40 should feel ashamed of a few extra lines on their face is vexing to me.
This is why Studio 10 and I can be friends. Because any brand that describes itself as ‘pro age’ and their consumers as ‘ageFULL’ gets my vote. What a message!
But the proof is of course in the actual products which is why I was keen to test out one of their best sellers – the Studio 10 Skin Repair Perfect Canvas Treatment Foundation SPF 30 (£34 from Studio 10 UK). A huge foundation fan myself (I rarely leave the house without it), I wanted to see if this product would provide enough coverage for my 43-year-old skin, without looking cakey.
My naturally oily skin isn’t totally covered in lines or blemishes, but it certainly isn’t as clear or as smooth as it used to be, so I need that little bit of extra coverage now, as well as grease-free hydration. I had heard that this was the product to achieve it, so I decided to see for myself.
Image – Courtesy of writer
A medium to full coverage foundation usually ends in disaster in my experience – either it winds up being too greasy or it sits in my lines. But I was hopeful with this because it is a cream formula – not liquid – and something feels so right about this brand. It just seems to ‘get’ 40+ skin. But would I be disappointed? Here’s my honest review.
The product details
The compact provides medium to full coverage and has been designed for mature skin. It contains soft focus technology to help blur fine lines and promises to hydrate and smooth the skin for a healthy, radiant finish with the help of hyaluronic acid and nourishing ingredients like shea butter and cotton seed oil. It is also enriched with firming and antioxidant skincare actives like vitamin E and tocopheryl acetate.
It claims to cover pigmentation, redness and dark circles without the need for concealer and each compact includes two shades so that you can colour-match your own skin tone all year round (genius). It comes in four shade variations and is vegan as well as paraben and cruelty-free.
How I tested it
I applied this with a blending brush directly from the palette onto clean skin, after using my daily serum and SPF moisturiser.
First impressions
I noticed my two shades (in the Medium compact) are very different to each other so at first I was confused over which one to go for and how to use it. I soon realised that you are meant to mix the two together to achieve your own tailored shade – clever – so I did a bit of experimenting on my hand and finally found a shade that seemed to blend nicely with my natural skin tone.
I’ll be honest – this took a bit of practise. You’re not going to find exactly the right shade from the off and it did feel like a bit of a waste of product as I dipped into each shade to try and blend a matching one together. It basically took a lot of guess work and I’m still not really sure how I found my shade, but I did.
Whilst applying it onto my skin, I noticed it was providing great coverage. I knew straight away that I wouldn’t need any concealer – usually my tinted base requires a little extra coverage around my nose and on any blemishes but this seemed to cover it all. Brilliant.
Image – Courtesy of writer
It wasn’t quite as glowy as I had hoped – I know I have oily skin but I still like to look semi-radiant. However, it wasn’t exactly matte either and I could tell that with a bit of highlighter its lack of radiance wouldn’t be a huge problem. It blended onto my skin just fine – I wouldn’t say it seamlessly melted – but it was easy to do and once I had applied it all over, my skin looked satisfyingly even.
Full disclosure – I applied way too much on my first go and realised that the formula is much thicker than it looks. The end result looked extremely heavy and mask-like after my first application which is not what I want to achieve from my foundation. Once I had realised my mistake though, my second try was much more successful.
My results
Once I had nailed the amount I needed to use, I was really pleased with the results. Ok the formula isn’t overly glowy but what I noticed more than anything is that it really does last on the skin all day. This, coming from an oily skinned girl is pretty exciting! I didn’t need to touch it up at all, plus it covers up a spider angioma on my nose that no other concealers can hide.
Honestly? On me, it can look a little dry in some areas and greasy in others – I know, confusing. For example, I did notice the skin just above my top lip looked ever so slightly mottled after a few hours of wearing the foundation (this is where facial hair is naturally thicker) but this was nothing I couldn’t fix with a quick dab of a brush and a hydrating facial spritz.
Image – Courtesy of writer
My chin tends to get quite greasy, whatever foundation I am wearing, but it wasn’t so bad with this product that I wanted to swear off ever using it again (trust me, I have done that with others) and I’ll take one greasy chin over a greasy forehead, t-zone, nose and chin any day.
Finding my shade continued to be trial and error but I now seem to have a system of tapping my brush twice into the dark shade then three times into the light shade to get the shade I want for my skin. I absolutely love the concept of having two shades of foundation under one roof and think it’s a genius idea for those who don’t want to have to find a new product or shade for different seasons.
The fact that you don’t need to apply much is great news too as it means it won’t run out quickly and I have found that I can just apply it where I need it, a bit like a concealer – but only a bit. It doesn’t sit in my lines either (and there are a few of them now so I would definitely notice) but I think this is simply because I don’t over apply. It’s worth remembering that a little goes a long way.
What other users are saying
Overall, users seem to absolutely love this product. Katy W says, “this lives up to its promise! Over 50 skin-friendly and buildable. Super-natural looking and long-lasting. I also love that it’s not a liquid. So much more practical.”
Bev T writes, “So glad this foundation was recommended to me. It gives great coverage, blends easily, and is so light that it feels I have nothing on my skin.” Another user, Janet V, says that she has been converted from Estee Lauder Double Wear, which is also targeted to mature skin. “Love this foundation, my makeup looks fresh and dewy and doesn’t sit into fine lines,” she says. “Only need to apply a small amount for coverage. I’ve been a Double Wear user for years but not I’m a convert.”
Vanessa E agrees with me about not needing much. “This product blew my mind. It’s light, you hardly need any and gives you flawless full coverage without any clogging.”
There are unfortunately a few comments about it sitting in users’ lines and pores. “Sadly it’s not for me, I have combination skin and it seemed to suck it up and just sit in my pores as soon as I applied it. It felt greasy and tacky on my skin,” writes Harriet A.
Victoria F says, “It sat in my pores and didn’t look very nice on,” while Anita wrote, “settled in my wrinkles.” My comments here would be to apply less – the first time I used it I noticed it settling in my crow’s feet but once I realised I needed far less, I didn’t experience this. Lesley also wasn’t impressed and wrote, “unfortunately this foundation wasn’t for me, found it greasy, didn’t last on my skin and looked cakey. I wouldn’t purchase again.”
Some like how easy it is to apply. “When applying it goes on very smoothly, it’s very easy to blend out & move around using one full swipe of the brush on the foundation for each side of the face,” says Blondie63, while others are impressed by the longevity. “It knocks back redness without looking flat but the staying power is the real game changer for me,” says Janie41. “The maximum wear time I have tried was 12 hours – I have nothing else that would possibly last that long and still look fresh and natural. I would recommend trying it.”
Overall value for money
What I think is really different about this foundation is that you get two shades to play around with all year round. So, there is no need to buy one foundation for summer and one for winter – you can literally tailor make your own shade and stick to the same product. This for me is a huge gamechanger when it comes to overall value for money because you don’t have to keep chopping and changing with the seasons and spend money on two foundations.
£34 is a lot to spend on a foundation for some – I know that e.l.f, Revlon and Max Factor do excellent foundations for a lot less money than this – but I feel the end result is impressive enough to spend that much on it. Particularly if you have mature skin and you’re struggling to find something that works for your changing complexion.
Plus, it’s around the same price as some of my other all-time favourite bases, Bareminerals Complexion Rescue and Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation, so I personally would be spending around the same amount anyway. It gives a lot more coverage than the Bareminerals one too. Also, the fact that you don’t need to use much is a big win too and means you won’t run out quickly.
The takeaway
At the time of review, it was summer in the UK so a full coverage foundation isn’t at the top of my priority list. However, I can definitely see myself using this daily during the winter when my skin isn’t so veiled by a tan. As long as I don’t overdo it, it makes my skin look naturally even and the fact that it is thick enough to cover my blemishes without needing a concealer is a big plus for me.
At the very least, it will be used as my on-the-go touch up foundation. It is a compact after all so very easy to carry around, plus it has a mirror. The only thing missing is a sponge inside for application, however one of my Real Techniques travel brushes will do just fine.
Overall, I think this foundation has everything mature skin needs. Great coverage, longevity, ease of use, portability and a clever shade matching solution, plus it won’t break the bank if around the £30 mark is what you usually spend on your base. I am officially impressed! Plus any brand that doesn’t make me feel ashamed of my age is a big win for me.
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