We all know that the TikTok algorithm is a little too good. Besides fueling my obsessive love of dogs, the social media platform curiously knows my exact pant size and that my job requires me to stay in the loop about what makeup products people are loving right this minute. Most recently, my feed has been buzzing with beauty lovers of all skin types, textures, and tones raving about KVD Beauty’s newly launched Good Apple Skin-Perfecting Hydrating Foundation Balm. Having attended a virtual launch event for the brand just days earlier, I had already heard about its many benefits—and knew I had to give it a try.
For the event, the brand sent me “Light 012” from the 40-shade range. Upon first glance, it reminded me of other hard-to-apply foundation balms I’ve tried. Nevertheless, I repressed my previous experiences to give the formula a go. I pressed a damp makeup sponge into the creamy balm and began spot-treating redness around my nose, cheeks, and in between my brows. Then, I used the remaining pigment on the sponge on the rest of my face, building the formula until my skin was completely even. I finished by applying translucent powder on my oily T-Zone with a powder brush. The verdict? Mindblown.
In complete honesty (I do this for you, people!) KVD Beauty Foundation Balm is one of the best new products to land on my desk so far in 2021. I could go on about this product for days on end, but the main reasons I’m so obsessed are that it’s über-pigmented, yet buildable, natural-looking, and lightweight. A little goes a long way, and it perfects my skin so well that I feel comfortable ditching concealer. Unlike so many full-coverage formulas, this balm melts into the skin in seconds without cakiness or heaviness. And the glow! This one’s bound to earn you compliments from strangers—trust me.
KVD Beauty compares this foundation’s skin-perfecting effect to the look of a newly picked apple—a concept which I admittedly found strange at first. But after testing—and watching hundreds of people apply it on social media—it makes absolute sense. The foundation creates what the brand dubs a “fresh matte finish” that’s not too matte or too dewy, surprisingly similar to an apple at the orchard during the peak fall season. Thanks to hydrating ingredients like apple extract and sodium hyaluronate, the brand says it’s most ideal for “balanced to dry skin,” but with a little bit of translucent powder, KVD says “oily folks can use it too.”
While I love talking about products I love, it’s important to let other beauty lovers do the talking, too—especially those with different skin types and tones than myself. Makeup artist Meghan Grant positively lost it after applying a mixture of the balm in shades Tan 074 and Tan 072 to her “extremely dry skin.” After swiping the product, she looked at the camera and said, “Hyperpigmentation where, ma’am?”—visibly shaken up by the full-coverage formula. Another TikTok user who goes by @glamzillaxo found herself at a loss for words over how easily it canceled out her redness. For more, type “KVD foundation” into your TikTok search bar.
Initially, I had one complaint: There’s no mirror inside the compact for when you’re on-the-go. But after looking into why that was, I realized that it’s because the packaging is entirely recyclable—no disassembly needed. Adding a mirror would require the user to take apart the palette before recycling, which doesn’t guarantee packaging won’t end up in the landfill. That said, I can deal with carrying a mirror in my purse or using my iPhone’s camera when I start leaving the apartment again in a post-pandemic future. There’s little I wouldn’t do to keep this product in my makeup arsenal…forever?
Shop the game-changing formula below.
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