Huda Luminous Matte Foundation review: we test the cult camera-ready base

I was excited to write this Huda Luminous Matte Foundation review. I’ve always heard brilliant things about this brand's bases and I’m a huge fan of their eyeshadow palettes, so I had high hopes.

In my opinion, the best foundation is one that gives a luminous, flattering finish and – crucially – doesn’t look like a mask. There’s nothing worse than that dreaded ‘pan face’ of a flat, matte complexion. Sometimes, even the best full coverage foundations, can look a bit heavy or claggy, so my hope was for that not to be the case when it comes to this base. 

Huda has three base options, including GloWish, a tinted moisturizer and #FauxFilter Skin Finish, a brilliant foundation stick. I decided to review Huda’s #FauxFilter Luminous Matte Foundation because, on paper, that’s exactly what I’m looking for when it comes to foundation. The best matte foundation that's durable but still looks radiant on the skin. Sounds pretty dreamy, right? So, how did I get on? My full Huda Luminous Matte Foundation review will reveal all. 

Huda Luminous Matte Foundation review: our beauty editor's full review

Huda foundation packaging

Let’s start this Huda Luminous Matte Foundation review with my first impression – the packaging. The liquid foundation is stored in a square plastic bottle with a black lid and a black pump dispenser. It’s stylishly monochrome, and the matte ombre design at the bottom feels quite sleek and chic. I much prefer plastic foundation bottles to glass – as a generally clumsy person, I feel calmer knowing there's not going to be a dramatic smash down the line. It makes it a better option for travel, too. 

The pump dispenser gives you a great amount of control, and it has the benefit of keeping the formula hygienic and airtight. One pump gives just the right amount of foundation for a full face, but you can do a little extra half-pump if you want a bit more. So far, so good. 

The foundation formula

This foundation is available in 36 shades, with Huda confidently claiming there is a shade to suit all skin tones. I opted for '220N Custard', one of the lighter shades with a neutral undertone.

This is a little thicker than my usual go-to foundation. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that it took a little bit more prep to apply it well. Pro tip – warming up the formula with my fingers before applying it to my face helped it blend better. How to apply foundation with a texture like this is all down to personal preference and I did test it with a brush too. For me, I just felt it sunk in better and looked less 'foundation-y' when I used my fingers to blend the base in. 

The formula itself doesn't shout about any skincare ingredients – this base boasts more about its long-wearing benefits, promising a whopping 24 hours of wear as well as being waterproof, transfer-proof, and sweat-proof. These high-octane promises are good if you're looking for durability over anything else, but the lack of hydrating ingredients means this may be a little dry on some skin types, and some may prefer a kinder-to-skin option. 

How does it look and feel on skin?

On first impression, Huda Luminous Matte Foundation felt a little drier than my everyday, slightly sheer foundation, but not dramatically so. The whole point of this review is to get really in-depth, so I'm looking for any possible downside here. 

I've been wearing sheer CC creams and my best tinted moisturizers recently, so to begin with the high-coverage matte look did throw me a little. But I just added some glowier finishing touches – a cream blush and a slightly shimmery bronzer to stop things from looking too matte. 

It felt quite comfy on my skin, but not as much as my usual light-as-a-feather base if I'm being really fussy. However – it looked great, especially on camera. When I was taking the selfies for the purpose of this Huda foundation review, I was really quite wowed by how great my skin looked. 

This foundation is, after all, called '#fauxfilter', and, as my front camera showed me, it certainly does live up to its insta filter-inspired promise.

How about after a day of wear?

For a foundation that's all about durability, I really wanted to put this through its paces. I did my main testing for this Huda Luminous Matte Foundation review on a day that I ended up being out of the house for 16 hours. After applying at 7am, I left to get to a breakfast meeting, then boomeranged from there to the office and various other events and appointments. I ended the day with 'one drink' with friends at 7pm, and – as you would imagine – rolled home four drinks down at around 11pm. 

The foundation fared extremely well through a busy, sweaty commute and remained pretty pristine all day. At around 6pm (its 11th hour of wear, in fairness) it felt a little bit dry around the cheeks and forehead. If I'd had one on me, I think a spritz of face mist would have set things right and quenched those areas of dehydration. Anyway, from there I was genuinely impressed by how well my complexion still looked – maybe not as pristine as the Paris filter, (especially after my third margarita), but certainly very close.  

Huda Luminous Matte Foundation review: our Beauty Editor's verdict

I really enjoyed doing the testing for this Huda foundation review. When it comes to bases, it's too easy to get stuck in a rut with your favourites, but I was surprised by how much I liked the look of this matte, high-coverage foundation.

It may not be one I'd use every day, because it's a slightly heavier look than I'd normally go for, but there is certainly a space for this base in my collection. The 300 (ahem) selfies I took on my phone are a testament to how this is a foundation that's especially good for pictures, so this will be a base I go to for those events like weddings and big birthdays. 

The dryness will be a factor for some complexions, but I do think that could be balanced by using a hydrating moisturizer and primer and quenching with a facial spritz mid-way through the day. It's certainly worth the effort for this flattering, long-wearing base.