The $10 Foundation That Makes My Skin Look Filtered IRL

It was eighth grade when my mom finally allowed me to expand my makeup routine beyond clear MAC Lipglass. It was probably because I had gotten on her last nerve, nagging at the fact that my friends were allowed to wear foundation and body glitter but I wasn't. So with her blessing and my allowance money in tow, I made my way to the drugstore and bought my first bottle of foundation.

What followed was a nasty breakout and eighth grade dance photos featuring my face three times lighter than it really was. I could've passed for Casper the Friendly Ghost, but there was nothing friendly about the face I made when I saw those pictures. It's safe to say that foundation and I had a rocky start.

It took years of trying new formulations before I understood what I needed: something safe for sensitive skin that wouldn't make my oily complexion even greasier. Oh, and something that actually matched my complexion. That open mind recently brought me to ColourPop's new No Filter Foundation Stix. Inspired by the brand's bestselling No Filter Matte Concealer, this foundation stick promises to replace concealer and foundation with just a few swipes. Now, that's a lot to live up to. But impressed by the concealer, I knew I had to give this foundation a try, too.

Finding my shade was tricky — but in a good way, because I had lots of options to choose from. I eventually found one (Medium Dark 120 W) that matched my tan skin perfectly. This rarely happens, which made me appreciate the vast shade range even more. For the record, I find that with limited shade options in a collection, my pick usually veers on the orange side or too light for my liking. But that wasn't a problem here.

Now onto the actual application. I didn't apply concealer and instead swiped a few lines of the foundation all over my face (including under my eyes) and blended it with a stippling brush. I was immediately impressed with how it melted into my skin and how it lived up to its promise of concealing, as I found it worked just as well as my go-to concealer for my dark circles. I find that foundation sticks can be a little too thick and dry, but this felt smooth throughout the entire process. So far so good — then it got even better.

A coworker complimented my skin as soon as I arrived at the office at 9:30 a.m., to which I informed her that it was actually a new foundation that I was trying out and she couldn't believe it. Another coworker had even asked if I had foundation on because my "skin looked ah-mazing." Towards the end of the day, I took a selfie and was pleasantly surprised at how the full coverage had stayed perfectly in place and there was no oil build-up. It just looked like a really good skin day. There was a bit of a glow around the cheek area but nothing that didn't look natural.

But it wasn't until I got home that I was 100% sold on the foundation. Why? It was still intact 10 hours later and it looked just as fresh as when I had first applied it in the morning. My skin didn't have that usual cakey feeling after a long day of wearing foundation. You know the feeling when you can't wait to wipe it all off. I've used this foundation for a few days straight with zero hesitation, which says a lot for someone who prefers to not wear any. But the best part is that it's just $10. And now all I could think is — why couldn't this impressive and allowance-friendly foundation exist for my eighth grade dance?

ColourPop No Filter Foundation Stix, $10, available at ColourPop.com.