Victoria Beckham and Augustinus Bader have teamed up once again.
A partnership that has already given us several stellar products (most recently, the now-cult concealer pen) has expanded with the launch of Beckham’s first complexion product beyond concealer: The Foundation Drops (€121 from Brown Thomas).
As we’ve come to expect from Victoria Beckham Beauty, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill make-up launch. Yes, the skincare-meets-make-up category is increasingly crowded, but few brands in this space can boast the scientific credibility of Augustinus Bader. The drops are infused with Bader’s multi-award-winning proprietary TFC8 complex – a blend of vitamins, lipids, peptides and amino acids formulated to support the skin’s natural renewal process.
In short: it behaves like skincare, performs like make-up, and feels like neither.
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When I asked Beckham why she chose to launch a foundation now, in a market arguably saturated with skincare-make-up hybrids, she was clear. “You’re right, complexion is a very saturated market and I didn’t want to add another product for the sake of it,” she says.
“Ultimately, every product we create is one I desire. It was about creating something honest, clean and innovative. What was missing for me was a foundation that truly treated the skin while providing coverage that felt weightless while wearing it.”
She said that collaborating with Bader on the products “meant that we could take the concept of hybrid makeup-meets-skincare to another level”.
“Growing up with skin struggles made me have a real point of view, and I never found a product that felt guilt-free. The Foundation Drops are exactly that,” she says.
The drops come in 19 shades, each designed to complement the Concealer Pen tones, Beckham explains. The formula is fluid and featherlight, more serum than base.
Despite this, the coverage is more than decent. I’d say it’s light veering into medium, with buildable potential – though I didn’t need to add more than one layer.
Applied with fingers, it melts into the skin with little effort. A light hand is key, though, as it’s surprisingly pigmented – squeeze out too much, and you’ll be blending for days. A single layer was enough to tone down redness, even things out and my skin looked smooth and glowy.
Packaging-wise, the foundation is housed in a glossy square bottle with a lid in Bader’s signature blue – a nod to the collaboration. One that that had been a long time coming, according to Beckham. “Foundation has been part of the vision from the beginning of Victoria Beckham Beauty.
“We had so many things we wanted to get exactly right and we didn’t want to launch this until it was possible to achieve them all – so I took a step back and quietly worked on it with the team to give it the time it needed. We never launch anything until I think it’s best in class.”
The finish is sheer and soft – almost undetectable, which was the intention. “It’s a modern approach to foundation,” she says.
“The formula is light coverage, and it’s also really buildable. I can take it to medium coverage if I want to. It’s about perfecting and evening out my skin, not making it feel weighed down or masked.”
The lasting power is good, too. Hours after application, my skin still looked fresh and dewy. One caveat: it takes a little while to fully set.
Around twenty minutes in, I accidentally transferred some product on to my clothes when touching my face. After that initial period, the issue disappeared – so a tip to be mindful in the first hour, if you decide to try it.
And then there’s the price. At €121 a bottle, this is firmly in the luxury bracket – but perhaps that’s the point. This isn’t your straightforward foundation, nor does it try to be. You’re getting Augustinus Bader’s skin-repairing technology wrapped in a base that behaves more like skincare than make-up. The best of both worlds rarely comes cheap – and this one doesn’t try to.
This week I’m loving ... Brow Aid Brow Boost
Another genius launch from the undisputed queen of brows, Kim O’Sullivan. Her latest creation, Brow Aid Brow Boost (€18 from browaid.com), is a multi-stroke marker designed to deliver full, fluffy, defined brows in seconds – specifically in sparse or hairless sections of the brow.
Available in three shades, this clever pen features multiple tips that mimic the appearance of real brow hairs with every swipe.
One tip: go easy on the pressure – too much and you’ll end up with more smudge than strokes.
