Tried and True Review: Face Atelier Ultra Foundation

Face Atelier Ultra foundation has been one of my go to foundations since I discovered it in 2010. Last year, my collection expired and I had to remove them from my kit. Since I carry so many different brands of foundation, I didn’t rush to replace them right away but their absence was noticed. No other foundation I carry gives me the same results.

I’m currently the department head on an indie feature called Stuck. While designing the makeup looks for the film I realized that in order to achieve the results I want, it was important for me to get Face Atelier Ultra Foundation back in my kit. Luckily, the brand is very supportive of the artist community and they sent me a range of colors for my film. I try to be as transparent as possible when it comes to my blog. Normally, I do not include gratis products as part of my tried and true review series. However, this situation is a bit different as I have purchased these products in the past many times.

Behind the scenes of Stuck. Once it is released I will be doing a behind the scenes post with more details about the makeup looks from the film. Both actresses are wearing Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in this pic.

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation Review

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation is a medium-full coverage foundation that still leaves your skin looking like skin. With the high definition cameras today, you can see everything. This foundation mimics the natural texture of skin making the complexion look perfect, but natural. It’s never cakey, and it seems to sit effortlessly on top of the skin, not settling into fine lines and wrinkles. The Ultra Foundation is very pigmented so a little goes a long way, but it’s also extremely lightweight. On top of everything, the foundation lasts all day. One of my actresses recently commented that she couldn’t believe how well it held up through 16 hours of shooting. I don’t know how one product can possess all of these qualities but Face Atelier did it, and they set the bar high with this foundation.

Coverage and Finish

You can sheer out the Ultra Foundation out with moisturizer and use it like a tinted moisturizer for lighter coverage. Or, you can layer it for a more full coverage look. The product is extremely versatile.

The finish is satiny with a healthy dewiness to it. I find myself reaching for this foundation most when working with normal to dry skin. It also looks incredible on mature skin. On these skin types, I rarely find myself needing to powder. Just a very light dusting to set the foundation and my actors/models are good for a long time. This foundation can work on oily skin but I do find myself spending more time prepping the skin and touching it up a little more.

No Primer Needed

Apparently the Face Atelier Ultra Foundation has a built in primer, so you don’t need additional primer when using this product. I never use face primers so I have not been able to tell the difference. I know a lot of people love their primer so I felt it was worth mentioning.

Pro and Consumer Friendly

The Ultra Foundation comes in two different bottle types. For the pros, they have lightweight plastic bottles perfect for our kits. My only critique of this product is that the pro packaging gets messy  quickly. My caps are always covered in foundation.

For consumers, you can purchase the product in a glass bottle and it contains more product than the pro version.

Shade Range and Adjusters

One of the things I love most about Face Atelier Ultra Foundations is their shade range.  They carry shades for the palest of complexions to the deepest of complexions, 17 shades in all. Not only that but, they also have a range of adjusters to help you get a perfect match every time. The 0- adjuster is white, the 0+ adjuster is deep brown and the 0++ adjuster is a deep, black brown. You can use a drop or two of the adjusters to lighten or darken your foundation.

You can tell Face Atelier is truly a pro brand because they understand and account for undertones! My two new favorite products are their Heat and Blaze adjusters. The Heat adjuster adds warmth to foundations that need more red undertones. Blaze adds golden warmth for those who need more yellow undertones in their foundation. I always find myself needing to adjust foundation colors for women of color,  and these are exactly what I was looking for in a product.

The adjusters are awesome because they can be used with any other brand of foundation as long as it’s silicone, wax or oil based.

Heat and Blaze can also be used for color correcting. Click here for my in-depth guide to color correcting. 

$1 Samples

The Ultra Foundation is not the cheapest foundation out there but you have the option of trying it before buying it. Face Atelier sells $1 samples of all their colors, including the adjusters.

The Ultra Foundation Pro (.68oz in the plastic bottle) retails for $36 and the Ultra Foundation (1oz in a glass bottle) retails for $52. They offer a 40% discount to pro artists.

Will these be Going in my Kit?

Yes, they’ve been in my kit since 2010.

Cruelty Free?

Yes they are cruelty free (CCIC and PETA approved) as well as vegan.

TO PURCHASE FACE ATELIER FOUNDATIONS CLICK HERE

 

Ingredients

CYCLOMETHICONE, AQUA, GLYCERIN, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, POLYGLYCERYL-4 ISOSTEARATE, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE, HEXYL LAURATE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 DIISOSTEARATE, MICA, QUATERNIUM-18 HECTORITE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, CELLULOSE GUM, NYLON-12, TRIBEHENIN, LAUROYL LYSINE, TRISTEARIN, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN. MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), MICA (CI 77019), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).

Disclaimer: I received these foundations as part of Face Atelier’s Pro Gratis program to use on my my recent film. I have purchased this product many times in the past. Face Atelier did not ask for or expect a review in exchange for send me gratis.