I tested Mented Cosmetics’ first-ever foundation on my oily, dehydrated skin
People are always shocked to hear that as an oily skin gal, I prefer hydrating foundations over matte. The confusion lies in people not truly understanding that both dry skin and oily skin need hydration, aka water. Whenever I use a super matte foundation, my skin feels dry and uncomfortable. However, hydrating foundation formulas always leave my skin feeling plump and looking like my natural complexion, but better.
When Mented Cosmetics announced it was venturing into the wonderful world of complexion cosmetics with a hydrating foundation, SKIN by Mented, I jumped for joy. Considering Mented’s line is more geared towards the everyday woman, this type of foundation is a perfect addition.
Over a glass of pinot noir, KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson dreamt up the brand from their personal struggles to find the perfect nude lipstick as women of color. Over the years, Mented has gone from just a line of nude lipsticks to a full collection of cosmetics including eyeshadow, lip glosses and now, the Skin by Mented foundation stick. The newly launched foundation is vegan, dermatologist-tested, and offers two key things I look for in a foundation: buildable coverage and a natural, skin-like finish.
Skin by Mented is a foundation, but it can also be used as a concealer or contour stick.
@andrearenee00 | #SkinbyMentedSwatches and First Impressions
There are 16 shades of Skin by Mented, broken into four shade groups—light, tan, medium and deep. I received three different shades of the Skin by Mented foundation stick—T20 (highlight/concealer), M30 (foundation) and, D30 (contour). Mented also launched a complexion brush that can be used to blend the foundation stick.
The foundation alone is $30 while the brush is $14—you can save a few dollars by buying a foundation-and-brush bundle for $40 (which honestly is a great value, imo).
My bare skin before foundation:
11 a.m.: My skin after applying all three shades of the Skin by Mented foundation stick
The foundation shade alone is a bit darker than my skin tone, but with the warmer part of spring right around the corner, I’ll be out of the house more and getting a nice tan. The other two sticks left me with a subtle highlight and contour, which I prefer on any regular day.
3 p.m.:
The foundation is holding up rather nicely. So far, it feels and looks like skin.
6 p.m.:
I’ve mainly been working home today where it’s a million degrees. My skin has gotten dewier, but it doesn’t look bad at all.
Final thoughts:
From my experience, stick foundations are hit or miss. I’m happy to say that the Skin by Mented foundation is a hit for me. Unlike other foundation sticks I’ve tried in the past, it’s very easy to blend and doesn’t settle into pores. I also like that the coverage is buildable but doesn’t get cakey at all.
These days, I apply foundation with a brush more often than sponges, and this brush works very well with the formula. I’d recommend using a mix of tapping motions and short strokes (with the brush) to blend the foundation seamlessly into your skin.
As much as I love a hydrating foundation, I don’t like my foundation to have a very dewy finish from start to finish. I prefer my oils to kick in throughout the day and make my foundation dewy (is that weird?). I could tell just by swatching that this foundation would look super dewy on my skin. To tweak the finish, I applied a little loose powder before and after the foundation. If you have oily skin, I’d recommend using this method as well.
The shade range by, today’s standards, is short-ish.
Considering that 40+ shades is becoming the norm, Mented’s small range may come as a shock. But it’s important to remember that Mented was founded to focus on the needs of WOC. I think the smaller range is warranted, but I also don’t think more shades in the long term would do any harm. Overall, the foundation is a great formula, and I really hope to see it climb the ranks of some of the beauty world’s holy grails.
If you’re looking to try out Skin by Mented for yourself, it’s available on Mented’s website. Unfortunately, the foundation is not available in stores, but Mented has a handy tool to help you match your shade online. You can also purchase a sample pack for $5.
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