Left to Right: NYX Cosmetics Shine Killer primer, Stay Matte But Not Flat foundation, HD Studio Photogenic concealer and Matte Liquid Liner.
'Stay Matte But Not Flat.' The words that'll fill anyone with combination to oily skin with delight. I was looking for a new addition to my makeup bag and after being impressed with the lasting power of NYX's tinted moisturiser (£8.00), I naturally gravitated towards their Stay Matte But Not Flat foundation. I also bought their Matte Liquid Liner (£6.00), Shine Killer primer (£11.00) and HD Studio Photogenic concealer (£6.00), as I had run out of my holy grail Laura Mercier oil free primer and NARS Radiant Creamy concealer.
Price
This foundation retails for £6.00 and contains 35ml of product.
Packaging
There's nothing exciting about the packaging. The foundation is presented in a small clear plastic screw-top tube, which allows you to see the shade of the foundation. It can fit in the smallest of makeup bags. For £6.00, you get what you pay for.
Marketing
The Stay Matte But Not Flat foundation is marketed as 'oil free, water based, full coverage, mineral-enriched' and it has a 'matte finish.' There's no information about the lasting power of the foundation - 12 hours? 15 hours? 24 hours? There's also no information about the best way to apply this foundation - Brush? Beautyblender? Fingers? (Although, who applies foundation with their fingers?) As a potential consumer, I'm left asking questions and searching for answers. NYX have missed a marketing opportunity. This would have been the perfect time to promote the Flawless Finish Blending Sponge (£6.00); their answer to the Beautyblender. However, I'm not a fan of this marketing technique because it shows a lack of versatility on the product's part. I should be able to use a Beautyblender or foundation brush of my choice. It seems that all is not lost. After consulting NYX's website, I discovered that the best way to apply this foundation, is to use the 07 - Pro Foundation Brush (£13.00). I didn't purchase this brush because I use my Real Techniques Foundation Brush to apply tinted moisturiser and foundation.
Top to Bottom: swatches of the HD Studio Photogenic concealer and Stay Matte But Not Flat foundation in natural lighting, a lighter filter and a darker filter.
Left to Right: swatches of the concealer in the shade Tan and foundation in the shade Chestnut.
Shades
This foundation is available in 24 shades; from Ivory to Deep Dark. There wasn't a large selection of shades at the Boots store I went to. I swatched Nutmeg; which was too light and Chestnut which was darker but seemed to be the closest to my skin tone. The other shades available in the store, were either too light or too dark for my skin tone. I went for Chestnut. It later turned out to be too dark and it had a red undertone, whilst I have yellow undertones. The lighting in the store seemed to have clouded my judgement and I should have chosen Nutmeg or Cinnamon. The swatch also shows the foundation as being lighter than its true colour.
Product
I'm all for cosmetics companies adding a fragrance to their foundations but this foundation smelt of cheap paint. I'm not sure how this will affect women with sensitive skin. I don't have sensitive skin but this foundation caused me to break out.
Stay Matte But Not Flat? It should've been called Stay Flat But Not Matte. I applied NYX's Shine Killer primer before the foundation, concealer and set with The Body Shop's All-in-One Face Base. I was initially impressed with the finish of this foundation. It later began to cling to spots; emphasising them and my face looked 'flat.' Within two hours of wear, my T zone was oily. It looked like it had taken a train to Oil Slick Central. I had to reapply powder.
Although I have combination to oily skin, I lean more towards the combination side of the spectrum. I was expecting this foundation to last longer than two hours.
The foundation didn't work well with the primer. I've used this primer before with Laura Mercier's oil free tinted moisturiser and my makeup lasted all day. Therefore its the foundation that's at fault, not the primer. If you like to use the same brand primer and foundation, this product isn't for you. You'll need to invest in a different primer. Unfortunately, as my Laura Mercier primer had run out, I was unable to see how this foundation would fair with a different primer; in terms of longevity. This foundation is good for short term use but if you've got a long day ahead, you'll be constantly reapplying setting powder.
Verdict
The concept behind this foundation is good based on the name - Stay Matte But Not Flat. £6.00 is a good price to pay for a drugstore foundation. There is a wide variety of shades available, which is unusual for a drugstore cosmetics brand. This foundation is let down by its ability to cause breakouts, short lasting power and overall finish on the skin.
I rate this foundation 2/5
NYX Cosmetics is available at Boots.
Images taken on my iPhone.
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