Rihanna’s brand Fenty Beauty has been popular since its launch. Many of its products have become firm favourites. And its latest launch is exciting. It’s a rework of a foundation, which was one of its first formulas. And yes, while this might sound like just another foundation, the beauty brand revolutionised the space as one of the first brands to offer a (much-needed) broad shade range back in 2017.
Fenty Beauty says the new launch – pro filt’r fluid flex natural matte longwear foundation – is the result of eight years of development, and customer feedback and testing. The focus has been to make shade-matching more effective. And the brand says the formula doesn't settle or crease in fine lines or pores, and is transfer-proof. These are bold claims.
Foundation choice often comes down to personal preference and skin type, whether you favour a dewy or matte base and natural or heavy coverage. With this in mind, we’ve put the foundation through its paces on dry and combination skin types.
Read more: Best foundations, reviewed
Fenty Beauty pro filt’r fluid flex natural matte longwear foundation
Why we love it
- Wide shade range
- Easy to blend
- A little goes a long way
- Excellent staying power
- Good transfer resistance
Take note
- Can start to feel heavy on the skin after six or more hours of wear
I have dry skin, so I’m always looking for hydrating foundations that don’t cling to flakiness, which is easier said than done. As this is a matte finish, I was concerned it could be cakey on my skin, but thankfully it didn’t settle in any fine lines or crease.
The foundation glides across skin and creates a buildable midweight coverage. The shade (186N) matched my skin tone well, and I liked how it added a matte smoothness without looking flat.
I tested its transfer resistance by patting a white cloth to my face, with barely any residue seen – very impressive. The coverage stayed put after a long day, and no patchiness had appeared by the evening, either. It provides a long-wearing, fresh finish and good coverage while being breathable.
- Helen Wilson-Beevers
I’m a big fan of Fenty’s base products, particularly due to the wide shade range, so I was excited to try the latest foundation to join its roster. After using the brand’s shade finder, I was pleased to see that the shade I had chosen (386W) was perfect upon first application – neither too warm nor cool. The formula blends in really quickly and seamlessly, leaving no streaks. I’d say it has a demi-matte finish and medium-to-full coverage, and agree with Helen that it doesn’t look cakey or flat at all.
After more than eight hours of wear, it still provided plenty of coverage and hadn’t really faded. It did feel slightly heavy towards the end of the day, but if you need a full-coverage foundation that lasts, this is a small price to pay. I’ve tried all of Fenty’s foundations, but this one is now my favourite formula from the brand.
- Sabrina Sahota
Key specifications
Buy now £35, Boots.com
Is Fenty Beauty pro filt’r fluid flex natural matte longwear foundation worth it?
With a wide shade range, great coverage, comfy wearability and decent staying power, Fenty Beauty pro filt’r fluid flex natural matte longwear foundation has impressed us. We liked the foundation’s seamless fit, the fact that it’s a good match for different skin tones, and the smoothing effect created. If you’re looking for a crease-free foundation that offers a demi-matte finish and stays put for hours on end, we’d recommend trying this new Fenty Beauty launch.
How we tested
We spent a few days testing Fenty Beauty’s latest foundation, while assessing the suitability and benefits for combination and dry skin types. As well as considering its staying power across several hours’ wear, we also looked at the following.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Beauty expert and commercial editor Helen Wilson-Beevers has been testing make-up products for 15 years and has reviewed new launches from big-name brands for IndyBest since 2020, including Laura Mercier, Charlotte Tilbury, CeraVe and more. As a journalist in her 40s with dry skin, she has a keen eye for multi-tasking products that offer efficacy and value for money.
Deputy IndyBest editor Sabrina Sahota is a consumer expert with a wealth of experience when it comes to testing beauty products, including everything from setting sprays and SPF to foundations and lipsticks. Adept at knowing which products are worthy of your attention, Sabrina is 30 and has combination skin.
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