PSA: This Viral New Foundation Is Like a Facial in a Bottle

It feels like every other week, a new complexion product goes viral on TikTok, flooding For You pages with creators saying you need the foundation or skin tint that changed their life. Social media has turned beauty launches into a race to get your shade before it sells out, only to start the entire process over again weeks later. But sometimes… sometimes, they’re onto something.

Celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta is no stranger to his eponymous brand’s products going viral. His Cream Foundation and Finishing Powder Duo took over #BeautyTok earlier this year after a video of how well the product covered acne took off, and his blush duos—which allow for his signature cream-over-powder technique—are constantly sold out. And since announcing the launch of his new Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Luminous Foundation, which was released today, creators are already calling it the foundation launch of the year.

I was able to get my hands on the much-anticipated foundation early, and have been wearing it daily to see if it’s really as good as the collective internet is claiming. Here are my thoughts.

About Patrick Ta’s Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Luminous Foundation

The Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Luminous Foundation is a liquid foundation with buildable, medium coverage and a radiant finish. It claims to boost hydration, blur the look of imperfections, and feel lightweight on the skin. The foundation’s formula includes several skincare ingredients, including hyaluronic acid to plump the skin, squalane to diffuse fine lines, and kombucha to enhance radiance. It comes in 30 shades and retails for $58.

About My Skin

My skin fluctuates between being dry and normal, and as of late, I’m dealing with some breakouts on my chin as well. (Since it’s 90 degrees and humid in Chicago this week, for all intents and purposes, I’d consider the state of my skin to have been “normal” while testing this foundation). The things I prioritize in a complexion product are that it evens my skin tone, doesn’t cling to dry spots, and holds up throughout the day.

First Impressions

Let me start out by saying that this foundation is luxe. When you take it out of the box, the packaging is heavy glass with a beautiful rose gold cap that both looks and feels luxurious. The packaging also includes a standard pump.

For testing purposes, I completed my regular skincare routine, and applied the foundation about an hour later (after it had sunk in) without using any sort of primer. Upon first application, I immediately noticed how lightweight this foundation feels on the skin. When you blend it in, it’s virtually undetectable; it just left my skin looking hydrated, even, and healthy.

Dewy, hydrating products tend to have a reputation for enhancing texture and pores, and lately I’ve been staying away from glowy products to avoid this exact phenomenon; however, this one gave me the best of both worlds: glowing skin and a blurred complexion. I immediately noticed that somehow, this foundation managed to completely blur my skin to give a filter-like appearance. Like I mentioned, I’m dealing with some breakouts healing around my chin, and this foundation covered a solid amount of the redness I have leftover from them without clinging to any dryness I have lingering from spot treatments. After I finished my makeup, my complexion truly looked like I had a filter on it.

How It Wore

The first time I wore this foundation, I gave it the ultimate test: a 90 degree night out in Chicago. I left the house around 6 p.m., and put it through a humid dinner on a patio, drinks with friends out, and a little dancing. When I got home (later than I’d like to admit), I was shocked by how intact the foundation still looked. It was definitely dewy—which is something that I don’t mind—but hadn’t broken up or worn off in any areas despite all I’d done that night. The same sentiment went for a full work day; without touch-ups, this foundation stayed put through my commute to work, a full office day, and a hot commute home.

Final Verdict

I try a lot of products, and most of them fall into a grey area of pretty good, but not super memorable; this foundation, however, is not one of them. Patrick Ta has created a foundation formula that leaves my skin looking like a drink a gallon of water a day, have never experienced a moment of stress, and get a bi-monthly facial. It is, by far, my favorite foundation I’ve tried in a long time, and I’d agree with the internet that this is the foundation launch of the year.

It goes without saying that $58 is steep for a foundation—especially in this economy—but in my opinion, the quality of the product does stand up to the price. If you’re looking to treat yourself to a new product, you’d be hard-pressed to find one better than this.