It just dawned on me that my skintone got a shade or two lighter (except for my arms which are just tanner than the rest of my body and I don't really understand why???) and none of my current bases match me anymore so naturally, I've been panic researching and buying bases. However, I realize that while I was trying to match my skintone, I keep on selecting my old shade over and over and this has got to stop! Honestly, it's driving me insane- the constant battle of trying to select my shade now but also second guessing that it might be too light on me then I end up getting the deeper color instead that's of course 2 shades darker than my skintone. UGH!

That's exactly what happened when I was choosing my shade for this foundation. So apologies in advance: my foundation shade is indeed a bit deep on me. (But in my defense, accurate swatches for this foundation is nowhere to be found, which made selection quite tricky.)

The foundation I have right now is the Stagenius Matte Full Coverage Oil-Free Foundation. I wasn't supposed to buy any bases when I was browsing Focallure's Shopee page but when I saw that they had a sample sized foundation that's only P75, I knew I had to try it. I absolutely love the fact that they have a sample sized foundation- it makes everything easier, and honestly, better for my wallet.

Quick product description from their product page: "Flawless makeup style, oil-free concealer, brighten skin tone, soft and light texture, help create a natural nude look makeup". This foundation is available in 11 shades, has SPF30 for daily UVA/UVB protection, and is apparently suitable for any skin type.

The shade I got was 08 Sand. I was actually torn between 08 and 06 but now that I realize that 08 is dark on me, I'd probably get 06 next time. Sand would've been my perfect match if I was still had a deep tan. I actually thought Sand was the same shade as L'Oreal Pro Matte Fresh Beige but looking at it side by side, Sand is more on the peachy side while Fresh Beige leans more yellow.

The foundation itself is nice, it has a really blendable consistency and I like that it's not too fluid/runny. It was pretty easy to blend with my damp sponge (I used my AOA Wonder Sponge) and it went on smoothly and didn't cling to any dry patches. I'd say the coverage of this foundation is a medium but it can definitely be built up to full.

I gotta say, even though it's a matte foundation, it wasn't as matte as I was expecting. I absolutely love the powder matte finish of both the Maybelline Fit Me and the L'Oreal Pro-Matte but the Stagenius foundation only dries to a soft matte. Even after it dried, it still felt a bit tacky to the touch and my skin still had some visible dewiness. So if you're not really a dry matte finish kinda person, you'll like this. However, if you're like me who likes a powder matte finish or if you're someone who has an oily skin type and you're looking for a foolproof base, this may be a bit of a let down.

Even though it isn't 100% matte, I absolutely love that it feels lightweight on the skin. It was surprisingly comfortable to wear! It actually reminded me of the feel of the Fit Me foundation, a perfect base to wear for everyday. Even after I set it with powder, it didn't feel heavy at all and my skin could still breathe and move. 

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. Though the shade I picked was wrong, I'm willing to get another shade because this base is pretty good, not to mention quite affordable. It provided decent coverage, blended beautifully on the skin, and doesn't look and feel drying on the skin. 

BRB, adding shade 06 to cart.