All The Fresh Glow I Need- Perricone MD No Makeup Skincare

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It’s a “No Makeup Skincare”…. but it’s definitely makeup.

I’ve come across quite a few hit-and-miss products in the whole “no-makeup makeup” department over the years. Some don’t give enough coverage to even be called “makeup,” others melt off your face after just one hour. Even though I do have a few old favorites I like to use, in recent months I’ve been slowly falling in love with Perricone MD No Makeup Skincare… makeup.

Perricone MD relaunched their “No Makeup Skincare” collection earlier this year. I haven’t tried the original version (at least not as far as I can remember?) but I do have quite a lot of love for what’s inside these pretty little glass bottles.

The idea behind Perricone MD No Makeup Skincare* collection is skincare-meets-makeup. And, in their own words: “No Makeup Skincare is designed to improve the appearance of skin’s texture and tone over time, while instantly providing a beautiful, no-makeup look. The No Makeup Skincare line contains Perricone MD’s proprietary Neuropeptide, DMAE, Vitamin C Ester, Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acyl-Glutathione ingredients. It helps streamline your routine with multifunction products.”

After months of regular use, I still can’t be certain that the Foundation Serum helped improve my skin’s tone or texture. My skin has been looking and feeling very healthy, but that could be due to a number of different things. Like cleaning up my diet, upping my water intake, or undergoing another Fraxel laser treatment. There are, however, quite a few things I really, really like about the Perricone MD No Makeup Skincare collection. Whether it actually makes my skin healthier or not… it definitely helps it look the part.

Here’s what I love:

-The serum foundation blends into the skin seamlessly. Even on the days when my skin is very much on the dry side, the Foundation Serum never clings onto any dry bits and patches.

-The finish. It’s really, REALLY beautiful and natural. When I first applied it, I thought “nope. this is waaay too dewy for my liking.” BUT, after a few minutes as the product “settles” the finish transforms into a semi-matte one, that still looks very natural. I actually find that with my combination skin, I can get away with not setting my foundation with powder, on most days.

-Despite this being a “no makeup” product, the coverage is buildable. You can go from sheer to a full-on medium. Two thin layers, for me, is enough to cover small imperfections and even out the skin tone.

-The foundation, as well as the blush, bronzer, and highlighter, are very natural-looking and it’s really difficult to apply too much product. I mean, it is possible. But you’d have to try really hard.

-Probably one of my favorite things about the No Makeup Foundation Serum is how easy it is to work with. Even if I only have a few minutes, I can easily create that “my skin but better” base. All that without having to check every single angle to see that everything is blended evenly. I think this is really what a “no makeup” product should really be all about.

What I don’t love:

-Really not too many things here that I can say I don’t love. If I’m being picky, I guess I can say that the Foundation Serum could be a bit more long-lasting.

-And then there’s the shade selection… sad to say that it’s rather limited. Majority of the shades tend to favor those with a light complexion, and even I, as someone with fair skin, can’t find a perfect match. Usually, I end up mixing Porcelain and Ivory.

I definitely prefer a simple, minimal makeup during workdays and this bunch works great for that purpose. It’s very hard for me not to reach for my beauty blender when I’m working with foundation products. Here I’m forced to resist the urge. This foundation has such a watery/serum-like consistency that my beauty blender just soaks it all up. Instead, I go in with this brush, and it’s a perfect match for serum foundations. Another important thing to remember, one I do tend to forget at times, is that you’ve gotta shake that bottle really well before dispensing the product. The formula tends to separate once it’s been sitting in one place for a bit.

Left to right: Porcelain, Ivory, Nude, Buff, Beige, Golden, Tan, Rich, No Makeup Bronzer, No Makeup Blush, No Makeup Highlighter.