Maybelline Fit Me Foundation review: Is it the perfect fit for our beauty editor?

Before getting started on this Maybelline Fit Me foundation review, I thought it would be helpful to set out exactly what I want from a foundation. 

If I was to list all of my gripes about my skin in order (it’s not a confidence-boosting exercise – I wouldn’t recommend it) visible pores and excess shine would be pretty high up the list. The best foundation for me is usually something that doesn’t add too much extra glow into the mix or make itself at home in my pores. Enter Maybelline Fit Me Matt and Poreless Foundation, promising to solve all my complexion woes with a single tube. 

There are currently two foundations in the Maybelline Fit Me range, the aforementioned Matt and Poreless as well as a Dewy and Smooth version. The idea is that each caters to a different skin type, with one suited to oily and the other dry. For the purpose of this Maybelline Fit Me foundation review, it’s the matt version I have test driven, but it goes without saying that if you have dry skin, the other formula will be a better fit. 

Our beauty editor’s Maybelline Fit Me Foundation review 

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation packaging

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation packaging is no frills, but there’s nothing wrong with that. It comes in a simple squeeze tube, which puts you in control of how much, or how little, you get out at once. In my experience, the formula comes out without much persuasion, so go easy to avoid waste. It’s a good size and shape for slotting into your makeup kit and isn’t heavy or cumbersome to carry around.

There are few things more frustrating than having to give up on a foundation when there’s still plenty left, which is another appeal of the tube. You should be able to squeeze the very last drop out, but the soft plastic does also mean you could cut it in half to scoop out the dregs too if needed. As there’s no pump (pumps are notoriously tricky to make recyclable due to the springs needed in the mechanism) the entire thing is recyclable, which is great from a sustainable beauty perspective too. 

The foundation formula

I liked that the Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation doesn’t really promise to do anything other than be a good quality foundation. Lots of brands offer add-ons in the form of skincare ingredients, but often these are at such low levels that they’re not active enough to deliver results, so it’s really about marketing. SPF can be a nice addition too, but really, you also need to be using a dedicated SPF anyway so any in your foundation is just a nice-to-have extra rather than necessity. 

As the product has been designed for skin on the combination to oily side (it’s suitable for balanced skin too), the formula is oil-free, meaning less risk of clogging pores and no need to worry about excess shine. The hero ingredient is the flexible micro-powders, which do a brilliant job of mopping up oil and blurring the appearance of pores. 

Not all of Maybelline’s makeup is currently vegan, but this product is. It’s always really encouraging to see such a huge brand offering animal-friendly products at a price you don’t have to pay a premium for. Maybelline doesn’t test on animals either. 

How does it look and feel on the skin?

If you want one of the best foundations for oily skin that’s going to glide over pores instead of nestling into them, then the Maybelline Fit Me Matt and Poreless Foundation is going to tick a lot of boxes for you. It’s very fluid (more so than I expected for a matte foundation) which helps to avoid that heavy, cake-like coverage that you would stereotypically expect from a product of this type. A little goes a fair way, and it spreads well too, so it is possible to achieve a very light level of coverage if that’s what you prefer. 

I personally like to go a bit sheerer around the edges of my face and build up where I need it, which is normally on my forehead, nose, and chin. This did create some resistance when trying to get a shine-free finish on my (pretty shiny) nose and it took additional product and time to get it to sit properly in this area. Even after building and buffing with the best foundation brushes, the coverage isn’t super full, so you can still see your skin beneath it – which is great if you like a relatively natural finish. 

The formula is matte by design, which does mean the finish is pretty flat. If your skin is tired and lacking in vibrancy, this isn’t the magic wand that’s going to restore the appearance of 8-hours of sleep. But, what it will do is keep that pesky shine at bay so you can approach the rest of your makeup (and day) without feeling like you’re working against the tide. It feels good on the skin too and is seamless and non-distracting – exactly how a foundation should be. 

Applying with fingers is the speediest and easiest option with this, and as the formula is oil-free you’re not left feeling greasy. I liked applying it best with a combination of fingers and brushes (as per my normal routine) as I like the softer finish that a brush can bring. 

How about after a day of wear?

I’m not proud of it, but the foundation snob in me made me pack my regular foundation alongside by tube of Maybelline Fit Me foundation when I headed out for my first day of wearing it. I was completely convinced that even the best drugstore foundation at a price this reasonable wouldn’t go the distance when faced with changing temperatures, eating and drinking, plus a fair amount of running about. Especially as there are no on-pack promises about long-wear. To my surprise (and some shame) this really did stay put during the day, so much so that I only needed to touch up a little more around my nose before heading out again for the evening. I wore it for a full day and night, and there was still plenty coming off on my flannel during my night-time cleanse. 

Every time I looked in the mirror throughout the day I was impressed by how non-shiny my skin looked and how barely visible my pores were. As the coverage isn’t full-on, it wasn’t super obvious that I was wearing much makeup, which gave me that my-skin-just-better feel that we all want from a base. 

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation review: My verdict

Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation is a brilliant product for anyone with skin that sits in the realms of normal, combination, or oily. The micro-powders in the oil-free formula do a great job of dampening excess shine, helping you to avoid that dreaded t-zone shine by 3 pm and way beyond. As the formula isn’t heavy or cakey, it blurs pores perfectly too. The potential to achieve different looks with just one tube is huge, as the lightweight formulation is both sheer to start and very buildable. I’m awarding extra brownie points for the fact this product is vegan too, proving you don’t need to compromise on morals for makeup on a budget.