Dior Forever Natural Nude Foundation

Where I got it

When I first saw this foundation at Farmers earlier in March, I did not decide to purchase it right away but I was given a little sample of the shade 2,5N to try. I purchased the Skin Veil SPF20 instead which I have been using constantly (review here). I was a little skeptical on the “natural nude” finish because I personally have combination oily skin, but I am a little dehydrated on my cheek and chin area from time to time. I do have the Dior Forever Foundation (matte finish) and love it heaps. The Skin Glow version is more dewy and then this new one Natural Nude is supposed to be right in the middle.

After using the sample twice, I actually really like the feeling of the foundatio on the skin as well as the finish on my face. Therefore I decided to get it while Sephora was doing a sale (20% off everything). The sale started on midnight of 25/3 and ended on 28/3, I put the foundation on my wishlist along with the cushion powder, but I have totally forgotten about the same until lunchtime. At lunchtime, the cushion powder and the skin veil have already been sold out and some of the  shades of this foundation is selling out fast. I immediately picked up my shade 2,5N and checked out with free shipping.

The foundation was NZD$109 and after 20% it came down to $87.20 which was such a good deal. You cannot get this discount in Farmers and hardly on Smith & Caughey, so if you want to purchase Dior products, wait for a sale on Sephora, otherwise go to Farmers when they have Double Points.

What I got

This is the Dior Forever Natural Nude Foundation in 2,5N. Dior Forever has reinvented the natural complexion with Natural Nude foundation: 24 hour* perfection with a nude-skin sensation thanks to its formula enriched with 96%** natural-origin ingredients and concentrated floral skincare. Fresh and lightweight, the Dior Forever Natural Nude foundation’s texture offers a natural and luminous finish with no mask-like effect, allowing the skin to breathe from morning to night. The complexion is flawlessly even for 24 hours non-stop.* The skin is hydrated*** and radiant, as if plumped.

* Instrumental test on 20 subjects. ** Amount calculated based on the ISO 16128-1 and ISO 16128-2 standard. Water percentage included. The remaining ingredients help optimize the formula’s sensory appeal and integrity over time. *** Instrumental test on 10 subjects.

Ingredients:  AQUA (WATER) ● C9-12 ALKANE ● CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE ● PROPANEDIOL ● GLYCERIN ● COCO-CAPRYLATE/CAPRATE ● C15-19 ALKANE ● PENTYLENE GLYCOL ● PULLULAN ● SORBITAN SESQUIISOSTEARATE ● STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE ● TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE ● POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYRICINOLEATE ● POLYGLYCERYL-3 DIISOSTEARATE ● PARFUM (FRAGRANCE) ● SODIUM CHLORIDE ● BUTYLENE GLYCOL ● SODIUM MYRISTOYL GLUTAMATE ● HYDROXYACETOPHENONE ● ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN ● POTASSIUM SORBATE ● HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA FLOWER EXTRACT ● ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE ● POLYHYDROXYSTEARIC ACID ● HYDROLYZED VIOLA TRICOLOR EXTRACT ● ROSA MULTIFLORA FRUIT EXTRACT ● TROPAEOLUM MAJUS FLOWER/LEAF/STEM EXTRACT ● 1,2-HEXANEDIOL ● CAPRYLYL GLYCOL ● ISOSTEARIC ACID ● LECITHIN ● CITRIC ACID ● TOCOPHEROL ● [+/- :CI 77491,CI 77492,CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES) ● CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE) ● ].

How I find it

There is a total of 17 shades, from 0-8 intensity, N=Neutral, CR=Cool rosy, W= Warm. There are two CR shades in the collection (2CR, 3CR) and only two W shade in the collection (2W, 3W), all other intensities are in N undertones. I already use the Forever Foundation (original matte) in shade 2N, but when I went into Dior to shade match this one, I decided to go for 2,5N as my skin has a slight tan during the summer. I will do a colour swatch with 2N below.

The outer box packaging is exactly the same as the usual Dior foundation, but the bottle has a pale beige cap and the text printed on the bottle is white. The Dior Forever foundation has a frosted bottle with a black lacquer cap and silver text. Dior Forever Skin Glow foundation has a glossy glass bottle and lacquer black cap and silver text. It also comes with a pump for dispensing.

I decided to try this foundation with the Skin Veil primer as well as the Dior Backstage Face & Body Primer to see how they perform. Both primers are not particularly dewy or mattifying so I’m hoping it won’t change the finish of this foundation. The foundation applied smoothly and beautifully and the finish is really natural. Coverage is light to buildable medium which I love. It feels really weightless and breathable, a little tacky before it fully dries down and I like to apply a bit of translucent powder to where I am prone to excess sebum – forehead, nose and side of my nose.

The foundation stays looking nice after 3 hours – it did not sink into my pores or fine lines, but my natural oils did come through my nose but that did not move my foundation around unless I touch it. The rest of my blush, bronzer and highlight remains intact and looking fresh. The foundation is really hydrating and my skin doesn’t feel dry at all and I cannot see any dry patches at all.

At around the 5th hour mark, my skin still looks like it was at after 3 hours. My nose is obviously shiny now to the point I need to blot. I just used a piece of tissue paper to blot, without any rubbing. There was a little bit of transfer to the tissue, but my skin still looks really good with even coverage. I did not powder at this stage to see how it wears for another 5 hours (usually how long before I can wash my face at home).

After about another 3-4 hours, my skin looked rather dewy and greasy. This isn’t an oil-controlling foundation so I am not surprised. I could easily make this work better for my skin if I had powdered after I blot my face. Even though I was looking a bit oily, the foundation hardly gathered around my nose or pores or finelines. The foundation hardly moved and kind of fused nicely with my natural sebum. A light blot with tissue paper would see my foundation faded evenly instead of patchy

Overall

I absolutely love this foundation, as much as the original Forever Foundation. The original did have better oil-control, but Natural Nude does have a more skin-like finish and moisturising on the skin. Obviously, the original lasted longer on my skin than Natural Nude, but I could easily make this work just as well by setting it with powder. This one sits right in between the original Forever Foundation and the Glow Foundation. I would say that this is suitable for all skin types unless you have really oily skin and would prefer a more mattified look.

Follow me on IG (@kittiemui) to see live swatches and demonstration on my reels and IGTV! I am so eager to get their bronzer and highlighters! I know that their bronzers are already for sale in the US and Europe. Hopefully, not long before we get it in New Zealand!