Being the foundation of choice for the royal wedding of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle, the Backstage Face & Body Foundation from Dior Makeup has attracted plenty of eyes on the internet. In a sense, this foundation is the “baby” of the reigning Creative and Image Director for Dior Makeup, Peter Phillips, who refers to it as his “star product.” With the amount of attention this product has received, it’s impossible for us not to try it out, and see how much of this attention is just hot air.
In the time we spent with this product, we found that there were quite a few things about it we actually really loved. For its faults (which we’ll definitely be getting to later), the packaging of this foundation is actually pretty unique and convenient. The squeeze bottle is meant to replicate the experience of actually doing makeup backstage at an actual Dior fashion show, which is an interesting twist on the “Backstage” part of the product’s branding. It also allows for better control of the amount of product you dispense (unlike a pumpless liquid foundation), while not being limited to pumps which have a built-in predisposition to malfunctioning one way or another. Besides its packaging, we also really appreciate the coverage level of this product. While one layer of product might seem lacking to some, the formula is made in such a way that it layers quite well while building up the level of coverage it can provide.
At the same time though, there are things we just plainly dislike about this product. In terms of packaging, it definitely seems much cheaper than one would expect a Dior product to look. As we said, we do appreciate the squeeze bottle, but we can’t help but notice how cheap it looks compared to, say, a nice frosted glass bottle. Another gripe of ours about the packaging is how messy it gets. Simply shaking the bottle (recommended for any foundation) will cause the fluid to explode underneath the product cap, and as a result, it looks a lot dirtier than it should.
But we do also have some complaints about the formula. First of all, it’s so difficult to get the right color from this range. While the shade range is quite extensive, the color matching is such a precise science because of the way certain shades oxidize, changing even the undertone of the product, which can be a huge problem. It also dries down far too quickly. Like many matte foundations out there, this foundation has a relatively quick drying time, but with this product, speed and precision are absolute necessities, lest you end up with awkward unblended patches on your face. Speaking of patches, the formula also tends to grip onto some unseemly dry patches, possibly making skin look even worse than when it’s first applied. Finally, it wears out way easier than you’d expect a matte foundation to, even when it’s properly set.
While there are certain qualities of this product we do enjoy, we can’t say we like it all that much, really. It’s just bogged down too much by its numerous issues that we just can’t see it as a viable, reliable option. Sorry, Meghan Markle. We’re looking elsewhere.
SUITABLE FOR: Normal to oily skin types.
Other Information
- The Dior Makeup Backstage Face & Body Foundation comes in 40 shades.
