CYoung has worked through more than ten foundations, and her record is honest: most got her approval, a good handful did not, and she named a few outright winners. She cares a lot about how a foundation holds up over time, not just how it looks at first. If a formula melts, oxidises badly, or flatters nobody, she says so.
What does CYoung recommend in foundation?
When CYoung approves a foundation, a few things keep coming up. She wants coverage that actually works like a foundation, not a tinted moisturiser. She also responds well to formulas that sink into the skin rather than sitting on top of it. She praised the NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation for staying semi-matte so pores don't turn shiny as the day goes on. She recommended the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Foundation partly because it suits all skin types and sets cleanly. Wear time matters to her too. She tested two Dior formulas and came down clearly on the side of the Dior Forever Skin Wear Foundation, because it held up through a full wear test where the glow version did not.
In her words
"I always recommend it to my students because compared to other glow foundations it has a lot more coverage, this actually feels like a foundation instead of a tinted moisturizer. It's semi matte, so as time goes by it settles down instead of making the pores shiny, which makes it feel like a more universal, amazing, well made foundation. I will definitely repurchase it."
"This foundation goes to my S tier, it's amazing. It comes in so many different shades, I wear shade 21 in Korean colors and it's a fair cool color that fits me so well. [...] It's totally okay for all skin types, it just sets so well, and the coverage is pretty good. [...] I apply it with the Picasso spatula and it's amazing."
"This one did a great job, so I was going to give it an S, but I'm giving it an A because of the price, it's too expensive. They have a clear color and a nude color, but I recommend the nude color more because the clear color looks a little pinky, so in terms of covering blemishes this color works better. The coverage and texture are just like a classic gray BB Cream, everything about it is amazing, but it doesn't go to S because it's just expensive."
"Dior's Forever Skin Wear matte foundation is reliable, it gets the job done. Overall beauty reviews are a lot more positive on this one than on the glow version. It does oxidize quite a bit more than the glow formula, but in the wear test the matte side held up much better on the pores and had way more product left on the skin, even for normal skin. Dior matte wins, if you want longevity this is the one to get, it's one of my picks along with Double Wear."
"This is the classic Missha BB cream, and I tested twelve BB creams total, but nothing can beat Missha, it's just amazing. If I think about the price and the quality and the texture, it's just great, so this one goes to S. It gives more coverage and works well for oily combo skin, though it's a bit too liquidy to apply easily with my fingers, so I think it's better applied with a sponge."
"I got the sample shade R02, which looked a bit orangey and reddish when we swatched it and didn't seem very glowy on the skin. But I was so surprised once I put it on my face, it's pretty moisturizing, similar to how moisturizing the Armani one felt. It's a French brand with more shade options, so it's definitely worth trying, and the coverage works better than the Armani one."
How many foundations has CYoung reviewed?
CYoung has reviewed 16 foundations, for an approval rate of 62%. 10 approved, 1 mixed, and 5 skipped.
What has CYoung skipped in foundation?
The foundations she skipped tend to fail in one of two ways: they either look good at first and then fall apart, or the texture is wrong from the start. She gave the Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation one of her sharpest rejections, saying it completely melted off after eight hours and that oily and combination skin types should avoid it entirely. The Purito Relief Sika BB Cream looked promising as a swatch but turned ashy on her skin over time, and she was direct that the dry texture would be especially bad for dry, mature skin. The Parnell Cicamanu Serum Cushion Foundation felt dry the moment she applied it and was hard to blend. She concluded it did not work well for any skin type.
"Purito is very affordable, so I really wanted to like it, but this one goes to my C. When I swatched it on my skin it looked great at first, but as time went by it looked ashy on me, and the texture is a bit dry so I could see too much lines on my skin. I don't recommend it for dry mature skin, it's going to be terrible. At least for my Asian skin tone, I think this would be my C."
"In the oxidation test it barely darkened, but the wear test told the real story, eight hours later after a full day it completely melted off on the glow side, it creased around my eyes almost as much as the matte one, and that pretty glow from the start was just gone. It isn't even glowy, it's lying to your face. If it looks like that on normal skin before summer even starts, oily and combo skin should just run from this one, it was one of my worst picks along with Nars."
"The Parnell serum cushion is actually pretty heavy when you tap it on, and combined with the puff it feels dry instantly. I don't recommend it for dry mature skin, this is for nobody, and for oily combo skin it doesn't give you that coverage either, it's a struggle [...] to blend. Parnell did a [...] good job making so many shades and the cushion itself is lightweight, but I don't think it's a good cushion."
"This one is also really popular, and it's positioned for slightly more dry, mature skin since their Double Wear is the one for oily skin. It claims a little more coverage, but on my skin I actually got better coverage from the other foundation I compared it to. I think this formula feels less recently evolved than some of the newer glow foundations, so between the two it wasn't my pick."
What should you take from CYoung's picks?
CYoung's approval rate of 62% means she passed most of the foundations she reviewed, but not all of them. The ones she skipped were skipped for clear reasons worth noting. She named a handful of winners across the category, including the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Foundation and the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream. She gave the Erborian BB Cream a strong rating too, just not her top tier, because she felt the price held it back. Her overall view is that wear performance across a full day is the real test, and that is where several well-known foundations let her down.
Watch CYoung say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech FoundationNamed a winnerWatch at 7:16
- Missha M Perfect Cover BB CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 4:43
- Erborian BB CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 10:40
- Purito Relief Sika BB CreamSkipped itWatch at 8:04
- Dior Forever Skin Glow FoundationSkipped itWatch at 14:13
- Parnell Cicamanu Serum Cushion FoundationSkipped itWatch at 11:11
- Estée Lauder Futurist Hydro Rescue FoundationSkipped itWatch at 8:10
- Tirtir Mask Fit Red Cushion FoundationSkipped itWatch at 17:24
- NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare FoundationRated itWatch at 13:18
- Dior Forever Skin Wear FoundationRated itWatch at 14:41
- Make Up For Ever HD Skin Hydra Glow FoundationRated itWatch at 13:43
- Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Longwear Matte FoundationRated itWatch at 3:59
- Clio Kill Cover Mesh Glow Cushion FoundationRated itWatch at 6:53
- Missha Perfect Cover Serum BB CreamRated itWatch at 5:15
- Clio Kill Cover Foundation CushionRated itWatch at 2:05
About this expert
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This guide reflects what CYoung said across her videos about 16 products in foundation, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.