The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review

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Canadian-based skincare brand The Ordinary is well, anything but ordinary. Its line of no-frills skincare products has earned a loyal following for their simple formulas of clinical-grade ingredients that are void of additives and fragrances. And at $15 or less, they're cheaper than the sad desk salad you bought for lunch.

If you haven’t heard of the brand yet, that’s all about to change. The Ordinary is expanding into cosmetics with two new foundations that the Internet is currently freaking out over. The Serum and Coverage Foundations have just solidified The Ordinary’s beauty cult-status by racking up a wait list of over 25,000 people ahead of their end-of-April launch.

The Serum Foundation lives up to its name with a serum-like texture that’s lightweight but can be built up for medium coverage. The Coverage Foundation is a pigment-rich, non-oily cream that offers more coverage without getting cakey. Both options are enriched with a special pigment suspension technology that helps the foundations go on smooth with a highly saturated effect. To put it plainly: they’ll melt into skin like butter, but still give you the amount of coverage you’re after.

What’s also impressive is the foundations’ diverse 21 shade range. The Ordinary has made it simple to find the best one for your complexion by denoting each color with a Y, N, or P, according to skin undertones. And the foundations’ SPF is unique, too. It’s mineral-based so it’s free harsh chemicals that are typically found in common sunscreen formulas. Oh, and did we mention that ringing in at $7 each these foundations also super-affordable like the rest of The Ordinary’s products? We’re beginning to understand their draw.

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But, to find out if all of the hype is real and if it's really worth adding your name to the wait list, four InStyle editors put the Serum Foundation to the test. Keep scrolling to see what the product really looks like IRL, along with our honest thoughts on it.

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Alexis Bennett, Wearing 3-2-R

Kyleen James

"I was a little skeptical about this foundation because it’s a lightweight serum with a watery consistency (I typically go crazy with full-coverage formulas.), but I was able to easily build the coverage to exactly how I like it. I love how easily it melted into my skin. Even after a few layers, it left a skin-like finish that didn’t look caked on. It also stayed put all day, so I’m definitely sold."

2 of 4

Erin Lukas, Wearing 2.0 P

Kyleen James

" I generally don't wear foundation and rely on concealer to cover up any blemishes, but this serum foundation is so lightweight, I would definitely wear it on clearer-skin days. Considering its thick consistancy and that the shade looked slightly darker than what I normally would wear, I was surprised that it instantly melted into my skin for an uber-natural finish and felt like I wasn't wearing makeup at all. Since I was in the middle of a bad hormonal breakout when I tested this foundation I did have to go over some trouble spots with concealer but, that won't stop me from wearing it again."

3 of 4

Natalie Rojas, Wearing 3.0 Y

Kyleen James

"I applied this foundation with a big fluffy tapered brush and added some concealer in the areas that I needed more coverage. I liked that it was light, but had some good coverage and wore well throughout the day."

4 of 4

Dianna Mazzone, Wearing 1.1 P

Kyleen James

"I stopped wearing foundation daily about a year ago, when I finally found a skincare routine that made me feel confident enough to skip it. So, I approached this bottle with a healthy dose of trepidation. I was in luck: This blend really felt more like a serum foundation/tinted moisturizer hybrid, meaning it was lightweight, blended easily, and still let my skin shine through. Bonus points for the fact that this shade was spot-on for my super-fair complexion, pink undertones and all."

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We Tried The $7 Foundation With a 25,000 Person Wait List