I tried the Il Makiage foundation with 155,000 5* reviews and these are my honest thoughts

You've seen the videos, you know the drill: the Il Makiage foundation has taken over our social media feeds, with fans praising that online shade match quiz and its flawless results. With 155,000 five-star reviews online, it's also the most reviewed beauty product in the US. Pretty impressive, no?

Available in 50 shades, the I Woke Up Like This foundation has quickly become the go-to for influencers and selfie fans alike. But what you really want to know is, is the Il Makiage foundation actually worth the hype?

To find out firsthand, I put the Insta-famous formula to the test for myself. Keep reading for how I got on with both the quiz and the foundation itself...

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How does the Il Makiage shade match work?

Il Makiage's Powermatch Quiz aims to pair you with your perfect shade in just 90 seconds, and results are 96% accurate – hence all of those astonishing videos you've seen on the gram. But what happens if you're part of the other 4%?

While many of my peers raved about their quiz results, I actually fell into the latter camp: when the foundation arrived although I loved the finish and the undertone was right, the shade itself was definitely too dark.

If this happens it's easy to fix – the brand understands they can't be right all the time! If you've purchased through the shade match quiz, you have 60 days to return your foundation for a refund or an exchange, meaning you have time to test and see whether or not it's your perfect match. All other purchases come with a 30 day returns window if you skip the quiz.

On the foundation's product page you can filter by undertone, so it was easy to work out which neutral shade would be one step lighter and a better match for yours truly.

So, is the Il Makiage foundation that good?

Once my new shade had arrived, we were ready to go. I was already a fan of the formula's finish – velvety matte but with a healthy glow to it – so I was excited to make up my whole face. 

The coverage is very buildable, so you can apply as little or as much as you like – it could definitely be used on an everyday basis, while a couple of layers yield very full, flawless coverage. If you like a light and, dewy base however, this isn't for you (try the best BB creams instead).

Lately my skin has been prone to some redness, which this covers perfectly, although I used a separate concealer to cover a couple of blemishes first. It buffs into the skin really nicely for a seamless finish – no 00s era streaks along the jawline here. Below are the before and after pictures of my results. 

Il Makiage foundation before and after

While there are cheaper foundations out there, I'd estimate that a bottle will last a fair while, as a little goes a long way (unless you're regularly partaking in this heavy foundation TikTok challenge).

My overall verdict? Definitely a foundation that I'll turn to when I'm after a flawless finish.