Westman Atelier Vital Skin Stick Foundation in Atelier VI: Did I just discover the most natural- looking stick foundation?

Westman Atelier Vital Skin Stick Foundation in Atelier VI review, price, swatch

PRICE: 62 pounds or approximately P4,430.00+

FROM: selfridges UK online

OTHER LOCATIONS: Available at select online retailers, sephora.com

THE VERDICT:

I must have been living under a rock in the last two years or I was just simply drowned in work because I just learned a couple of weeks back that luxury 'clean' beauty became a thing in that timeframe??? Brands like Saie, Merit, Ilia, and Westman Atelier were the trailblazers in the luxury 'clean' beauty sphere and they hope to inspire and create a new generation of luxury makeup consumers now and beyond.

You know how much a sucka I am for gorgeous packaging and that's why I naturally- gravitated to Westman Atelier. Packaging is superb, I almost didn't care about all that 'clean' beauty story (but great to have that too!).

I had to clear my throat before hitting the PURCHASE button because this foundation's price is gold. One of the most expensive foundations I will ever own and the question has always been: is it worth it? But you'll never know unless you try, right?

So I went ahead and bought it. I have used it for a couple of times and OMG, did I just discover the most natural- looking stick foundation? And did I just discover a matte foundation that's perfect for aging skin?

Westman Atelier is the brainchild of American celebrity makeup artist, Gucci Westman. It was a product of Gucci's desire to create kinder cosmetics and her husband's belief in the influence of her name and artistry. Together, they created Westman Atelier, a luxury 'clean' beauty brand guided by Gucci's 'second skin' approach to makeup.

Westman Atelier Vital Skin Stick Foundation is a luxurious, buildable cream foundation packed with skin- caring and nurturing antioxidants namely vegetable- derived squalane, camellia seed oil, coconut oil, and berryflux vita extract. It comes in 21 shades. Silicone, pthalates, parabens, and synthetic fragrance- free. Not tested on animals.

Ingredients

Is the formula exactly 'clean?' For the most part, yes, but the thing with cosmetics is it behaves very differently depending on the form, formula, and temperature that it's subjected to that's why even if brands like it or not, there must be ingredient/s that must be added and unfortunately, we can't really categorize these as 'clean.'

This product contains Polyethylene, a type of polymer that is used in Microbeads, which is unfortunately known as one of the major pollutants of the oceans and seas. But Polyethylene doesn't entirely come in bead form; it can be molded into safer, less environmentally- obtrusive forms and I can only hope that this is the type that the brand is using for this product.

That said, I still can't completely say that there are genuinely 'clean' formulas and brands out there; only 'more conscious' or 'kinder' ones.

The foundation comes in a heavy tube with a magnetic cap closure and boy, does it feel luxe! Here's the entire product, all twisted up. Decently- sized at 9 grams, but the size and weight of the packaging makes me feel like a majority of what I paid for went to the packaging. I guess that's the point? The saving grace for me right now would be the fact that I bought a lot of foundations in the last few months anyway, therefore I don't really mind this and I'd rather have a smaller product that I can use up quickly than a bigger one that I won't be able to maximize and end up throwing away, but if this is all that you have, it will really feel pricey.

I did not have access to any sample of this product so I just blindly went for the shade Atelier VI and thank goodness it was a pretty close match. It can still be a bit darker to match my skin tone, but nothing that my bronzers and powders can't fix.

Atelier VI is a honey shade with a golden undertone. Consistency is soft and texture is creamy and finish is soft matte; it's a very intuitive formula, one that feels solid yet glides on easily, has a soft, melting texture but has a solid payoff on the skin; it's like the foundation works and behaves the way you want it to.

Bare skin

Two layers of the foundation

I did not apply concealer and corrector on my marks and under eyes and the product has significantly reduced the appearance of marks. One thing I like about it though is the finish! Literally looks just like skin!

You know how some cream foundations would look as if they're just sitting on top of your skin? Vital Skin Stick Foundation is just not that. Even my most favorite stick foundation, Make Up For Ever HD Stick Foundation looked more full coverage compared to this one. The formula seems flexible and I think that's why it looks incredibly natural: it moves and grooves with the natural lines, corners, and crevices of your face. The secret here is Nylon-12, an ingredient that helps the foundation become more flexible.

And I love the soft, matte, and airy look of this foundation on my skin! My skin has aged and I'm at a point where even if I still love my long- lasting matte foundations, I prefer gentler matte foundations that have more skin care benefits most of the time.

How's the staying power, you ask? GREAT. Here's my face after 5 hours of wearing the foundation. No retouch whatsoever and even if there was fading, it looked incredibly fine. This is one of those formulas that fade beautifully and I love it! Even if there were parts that went oily after hours of wear, my face didn't look messy and didn't feel slick overall.

Wonderful foundation and formula; it's truly luxurious and I highly recommend it if you want to splurge on foundation that's perfect for aging skin, you have dry or oily-dry skin, or you want a portable foundation with a very-easy-to-use formula.

Have you tried Westman Atelier products already? What do you think?

WESTMAN ATELIER VITAL SKIN STICK FOUNDATION RATING