Tried & Tested: The Ordinary Concealers & Foundations

We think that you’ll struggle to find someone who hasn’t tried The Ordinary at some stage in their beauty lifetime. Offering affordable, fuss-free formulas that produce results, you’ll find these minimal bottles in almost every single beauty stash to ever exist. But although you may be well versed in their skincare offering, you may not have tried their complexion products… Trust us, you won’t be disappointed. Offering two foundation finishes in a wide range of tones, as well as their recently released High Coverage Concealers, The Ordinary has carried over their simple yet effective ethos over into their base products. We love to try things out for ourselves to see if the hype is truly deserved, so we got BEAUTY BAY staff to put the foundations and concealers to the test and here are the results…

“The Ordinary may be best known for their skincare products but I truly believe that the Serum Foundation is the unsung hero of the brand! It’s not heavy duty, but it’s perfect for an everyday, ‘no makeup-makeup’ look when you just want to even out your skin tone and cancel out redness. If I do need a bit more coverage then I simply apply a little of The Ordinary Concealer in a ‘concealer sandwich’ – a layer before foundation and layer after – it’s the perfect way to mask blemishes and keeps them hidden all day long, no touch-ups required. Both have a great shade range and blend well, so skin looks like skin rather than going cakey. The dream team!”

“I’ve been using The Ordinary Serum Foundation for around two years now and it’s definitely become a staple in my routine. All it takes is one pump and like 15 seconds to apply, and it gives such an even, satin-like finish. The new concealers were just the missing part because they now allow me to layer up wherever I need extra coverage and they have my shade match spot on! This combo is so comfortable for daily use – it gives an easy, fresh complexion with minimal effort. I never thought I’d be a low maintenance two-products-and-go kind of girl but honestly these products have changed me! Majorly recommend.”

“I am a long-time lover of all things The Ordinary, and have pretty much used their foundations exclusively since they launched waaaay back in ’17.  The Coverage is perfect for when you want a medium-high coverage to last all day and night, but for me, the Serum foundation is my BFF. It’s perfect for everyday wear, gives a light-medium coverage and is so light on the skin it feels like you’re wearing nothing at all. Skin still looks like skin, just better. I’ve tried using this foundation in every way possible, and it has never failed me. Either mixed with a glow boosting serum for an even lighter, ‘skin tint’ type finish in the summer months or layered up to a buildable medium-full coverage for pre-Covid nights out.

The Ordinary have also recently launched their concealer offering, which provides seriously high coverage that melts into the skin with no caking under the eyes and doesn’t settle into fine lines. I recently tried a TikTok hack where you keep your under eye area clear of any foundation, and buff the concealer directly into primed skin to reduce caking as well as the need for an under eye powder – which worked an absolute dream!

Overall, these two partnered together are the absolute dream team, with a higher coverage concealer and a lighter foundation you really get that fresh skin look that last all day, and for the price, such a no-brainer!”

“I am completely obsessed with The Ordinary’s Concealer and Serum Foundation. I’m so obsessed that I don’t think I’ll ever switch my foundation or concealer ever again. I know, bold statement. I like a dewy coverage which still looks and feels like my skin, which is exactly what the concealer and foundation offer. Whenever I wear them together, my skin looks and feels like its best self; the way I wish it looked without makeup. Another positive? Both the foundation and concealer last foreverrrrr! Because they both look so skin like, you don’t get that weird patchiness (fellow oily skin owners will know the fear) through the day it my skin stays looking dreamy and dewy all day. Honestly, do yourself a huge favour and haul The Ordinary Serum Foundation and The Ordinary Concealer.”

“Best foundation ever! I used The Ordinary Serum Foundation in shade 1.0P and I have never had such a lightweight coverage foundation, it blended amazingly with The Ordinary Concealer which also provided full coverage. These are an essential in my make up routine now, I have spent so long looking for a foundation and concealer that lasts all day and creates a natural dewy glow, and now I have finally found them! For such an amazing price these products are a must have and I definitely will not be going back to my previous foundation and concealer after finding both of these. I am obsessed!”

“When it comes to foundations and concealers, I can be fussy to say the least. I have combination skin (which turns very oily as the day progresses) and I suffer with breakouts, scarring, and uneven texture thanks to my adult acne. That being said, I can’t stand foundations that completely mask the skin, which is why I am completely obsessed with The Ordinary’s Serum Foundation and High Coverage Concealer. The Serum Foundation is super lightweight and blends like a dream into the skin, evening out any redness, texture, and uneven skin tone in seconds, and it lasts pretty well even on my oily complexion! For the areas where I feel as though I need a little more coverage, the High Coverage Concealer is my BFF. It blends so seamlessly, which is surprising for how much coverage it offers – there’s not patchiness or caking in sight! This is my new go-to complexion duo for sure.”

“The Ordinary Coverage Foundation is amazing! The coverage of the foundation is buildable and really lightweight on my skin, giving me a natural finish which lasts all day. The foundation is super affordable and is a staple in my makeup bag.

I also love the new concealers The Ordinary have launched, they are also lightweight and match my foundation perfectly. It spreads on my face evenly and gives me a seamless and natural finish. I will definitely purchase both of them again.”

“I found the formula of the Serum Foundation very lightweight and I would say it is a medium coverage but it can definitely be built up. It feels super light on your face and I was really impressed that it has SPF in the foundation. I also used the High Coverage Concealer in shade 1.2Y – it is full coverage and quite a thick consistency, which is really good for brightening under your eyes, good for shaping the brows, and using as a base for eyeshadow as it dries quite quickly. The products blend easily with other products too which I thought was great.”

Let’s be honest, we we’re off to a good start with The Ordinary, can they do any wrong? Absolutely not. I’m sad and ashamed to say that I’ve only just discovered the Serum Foundation, its now my absolute go-to! I’m not a huge fan of full coverage as it ages me, however the Serum Foundation has the perfect skin-like consistency whilst still giving a great amount of coverage, perfect for these warmer days! The match was unreal, I found the descriptions on site really useful and it just feels so weightless on my skin its unreal! The staying power is what I would expect for a lighter coverage foundation, it does the job and lasts the day really well. Then you can take it off with your other fave The Ordinary skincare products, buzzing!