This “Blurring” Foundation Is The First One That Actually Does What It Says

For many makeup-wearers, foundation is the cornerstone of getting-ready glam. (I mean, it’s literally called foundation.) However, a “one size fits all” foundation is virtually impossible to find because skin comes in a wide variety of tones, ages, and types. There are certain things to consider, like how much coverage you want, whether it has skin-benefiting ingredients, or if you desire a mattified or dewy finish. Leave it to Huda Kattan to release a new foundation that manages to pass with flying colors across the board among four of Refinery29’s toughest makeup-judging editors. 

Meet Easy Blur, a buildable-coverage foundation with niacinamide that claims to blur and smooth skin for an airbrushed effect. It’s not quite a skin tint, though it feels like one due to the packaging and lightweight texture. The buzzy new formula (which retails for $37) is available in 29 shades, but things didn’t necessarily go as planned from the jump. In August, Kattan took to TikTok to candidly share that there had been an “issue with the shade range.” The mishap came to light after an influencer (who had been gifted early samples of the product) revealed to Kattan that there seemed to be a gap within the shade range, resulting in her being unable to find her true shade. (This issue was unique to Easy Blur, not with any of Huda Beauty’s other popular complexion ranges, including the viral Faux Filter collection.) This led Kattan to realize that there had been an error in the shade batch code that mislabeled Easy Blur in Lava Cake with the contents of Ganache — which is a shade lighter. “This could have happened with any shade, but it's really unfortunate that it happened with a richer shade,” she explained in the video.

After taking full responsibility for the oversight (and moving quickly to release the correct batch of Lava Cake (renamed “True Lava Cake”), Kattan’s followers overwhelmingly showed support for how the brand swiftly dealt with the matter. Like Kattan, we know that finding your shade of foundation shouldn’t be a luxury — it’s the bare minimum. (Separately, some reviewers online have also speculated that the niacinamide in the formulation has led to breakouts — but everyone’s skin is unique and reacts differently to ingredients.) With that, our team of savvy editors set out to put the foundation through the paces. Below, see what four editors had to say about the new launch.

Shade: Custard 220N

"I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first tried Huda Beauty’s Easy Blur foundation. It felt like a skin tint in texture — lightweight and comfortable on my skin — but it blurred my pores and covered the redness on my cheeks like a medium-coverage foundation. It truly is unlike most coverage products I’ve tried recently (or maybe ever?). I have been using it nonstop since I started and really love the way it feels and looks on my dry skin. I will say, if you are expecting this to be more like a tinted moisturizer, you will be very disappointed. Make no mistake, this is a foundation that provides quite a bit of coverage. Still, it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing much makeup on my skin, which is how I prefer it. I don’t know how they managed to come up with such a unique formulation, but all I know is that I’ll likely be re-ordering this once I’m done with this bottle." — Sara Tan, Beauty Director

Shade: Latte 300N 

"I’ve tried countless complexion makeup that claim to blur and perfect skin; none have managed to do it better than Huda’s Easy Blur foundation. It looks and feels like a lightweight foundation, but bestows a soft-matte, medium coverage once blended in. The shade Latte is a near-perfect shade match, but it is a forgiving product since the shades have flexible, buildable coverage that really blends into your natural skin tone. I’ve applied this stuff with both clean fingers as well as a brush, but my favorite method is with a Beautyblender since it really creates a seamless, undetectable finish. (I also tried it with the Easy Blur Primer, which really helps stretch the wear time and create a smooth canvas for the foundation to grip onto.) I tend to associate Huda Kattan with ultra-glam makeup, but Easy Blur is confirmation that the girl has range. I agree with my colleagues that this did tend to oxidize a bit during the day — nothing too crazy, though. All in all, I’m impressed with the formula. This may have been the first Huda foundation I’ve tried, but definitely won’t be the last." — Karina Hoshikawa, Senior Writer

Shade: Custard 220N

"This gives skin a nice glow that isn’t overboard. Unlike a lot of glowy bases, it doesn’t remain tacky or feel wet to the touch after it’s set (which happens pretty fast) - a big tick in my book. There’s a tiny bit of transfer, but nothing out of the ordinary. It also wears well over a full day, and makeup looks pretty fresh still in the evening. I find this formulation oxidizes a touch, so that’s something to keep in mind when picking your own shade. 

"I’ll keep using this foundation now that our test is over because I do like it, but it won’t become an everyday staple for me, and I’ll tell you why. Huda Beauty came out with this to show they were listening to fans of the brand that found their old foundation products too cakey. It’s marketed as looking more like skin. While the foundation isn’t cakey, it doesn’t look like skin to me (which is the kind of finish I usually prefer, and why I use products like Nars Tinted Moisturizer Pure Radiant for everyday wear, or Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech and Make Up For Ever HD Skin when I need something long-lasting). I look made-up when I wear this, and my dry patches and pores do seem a tad enhanced. I can see myself at 21 loving this finish, as back then my makeup tastes leaned more towards looking made-up (I’m 28 now). Ultimately, I think it’s a matter of personal taste." — Tanyel Mustafa, Senior Writer

Shade: Créme Brûlée 150G

"Easy Blur is everything I wanted Huda Beauty’s first foundation, Faux Filter, to be — and then some. Don’t get me wrong, Faux Filter has its merits, especially if you want full coverage that doesn’t budge an inch. But as I get older, I want something that tucks away my spots and acne scars without collecting in my fine lines or gathering in dry patches. I want substantial coverage that’s also undetectable. Above all, I want it to feel comfortable on my skin. You might think that’s too much to ask, but Easy Blur delivers on all of that and more. One small squeeze — a little less than a pea-size amount — is enough to cover my entire face. Sure enough, it sticks to its promise of blurring. I have large pores and I needed to get up close and personal in the mirror to see them after applying a light layer of this. It’s really excellent at smoothing skin texture. What’s really amazing about it is the way it dials down the intensity of my under-eye circles. Whenever I use it, I skip concealer entirely." — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director