Will the Fenty effect ever end? We hope not, because more inclusive foundation options for women of all shades are quickly becoming the norm. The newest comer to the market? Award-winning, vegan, cruelty-free and cost-friendly cosmetics cult favorite ColourPop, which just dipped its toe into the full-spectrum-foundation pool with the launch of its No Filter Foundation, topping Fenty Beauty’s 40-shade launch of its Pro Filt’r Foundation by two additional shades.
Real talk: From the suspiciously similar (yet contradictory) name to the number of shades (42), we can’t help detecting a little petty in this launch, but if one of these new shades is a perfect match for our undertone, we’ll be able to stop foundation-hacking our Fenty, so ... bear with us.
Like Pro Filt’r, No Filter has a matte, purportedly long-wearing finish, and neutral, warm and cool undertones to choose from. But No Filter’s shade range goes two steps beyond light, medium, tan and deep to a more detailed fair, light, medium, medium-dark, dark and deep dark—definitely rivaling Fenty on the “deep” end. Also worth noting is that while each of ColourPop’s bottles holds 0.23 ounces less product than Fenty’s, they’re also $22 less.
But enough of that; how does No Filter Foundation really measure up, finishwise? YouTube beauty favorite Alissa Ashley was one of many who tested out the set sent to her by the brand, which included sample sizes of all 42 colors of the No Filter Foundation ($12 each), three Loose Setting Powders (including ColourPop’s version of the famed Banana shade) and several Sheer Matte Pressed Powders ($9 per both types of powder). Ashley swatched several colors, applied a full face of foundation and did a wear test for a full nine hours.
The verdict? Ashley was pleasantly surprised by No Filter’s finish, coverage (which easily masked a minor breakout) and wearability, which made it through a day of shopping in West Coast heat. In fact, she was so impressed, even she seemed in awe of her reaction.
But what’s the point of a 42-shade range if we don’t see it in action on several shades of skin? Enter high-profile beauty blogger Shayla Mitchell—also known as MakeupShayla (full disclosure: Mitchell has collaborated with ColourPop on her own collection in the past).
Like Ashley, Mitchell was impressed—though perhaps not overly enthusiastic—about the product’s coverage, noting that it’s a great finish for those who like a little glow with their matte foundations (raises hand). While the verdict was still out as to whether the No Filter line would become a regular in Mitchell’s makeup bag, it’s safe to say it was definitely a thumbs-up.
Seeking a deeper perspective—pun intended—we checked out bilingual (English and Spanish) beauty blogger MonicaStyle Muse, who not only gave a very relatable tutorial but also demonstrated how some of the dark and deep-dark shades effectively covered dark spots on her complexion. The blogger loved the overall effect—and couldn’t get over the level of quality for the super-accessible price point.
Also trying out the deep darks was TheyCallMe_Mo, who gave a very comprehensive tutorial, confirming that there really is depth to this shade range. Mo also hipped us to the fact that for those with oily skin, those pressed powders will really come in handy, as her T-zone was in full glow mode after four hours of wear.
Our consensus? Apparently, we all need to get our hands on some of ColourPop’s new loose powders, because they were a runaway hit for all four bloggers (that Banana is going to be a best-seller, guaranteed).
As for the No Filter Foundation? While the coverage was clearly a winner and left a luminous, long-wearing finish, on camera, the shades consistently read far warmer than we’d prefer on each blogger (save for Mo’s, which ultimately oxidized beautifully). To be fair, this is also an issue we had with Fenty.
So, looks like we’ll be doing our own experimenting with No Filter very soon. But at $12 per bottle, we can afford to—and that’s no shade.