I’ll admit that I’m typically not the biggest foundation person. All I’ve ever worn in the past is a bit of oil-free tinted moisturizer (even at the age of 20, my skin is prone to breaking out), and concealer. So when I got the chance to give MATCHCo’s custom matched foundation a try, I was a little nervous about how I’d like a product with fuller coverage... but spoiler alert: I’m obsessed.
For the uninitiated, MATCHCo is the next generation of foundation that allows you to use the brand’s app to custom-create a unique foundation shade to match your exact skin tone. Basically, it takes all of the guesswork and scariness out of ordering foundation online—or even having to try multiple shades in store.
The process of matching your skin is insanely easy—all you need is your phone, a white sheet of paper and your makeup-free face. Once I opened the app, it walked me through each step, including calibrating the phone on a white sheet of paper and matching my skin via a few simple taps of my phone’s camera to my wrist and face. Once I was done, all I had to do was check out! My *only* complaint about the process was that the app seemed to crash right after I placed my order—but the confirmation did make it to my email, so all is good.
I placed my order on a Thursday night and received the product on Monday afternoon, so MATCHCo’s shipping game is strong too. My custom shade arrived in some seriously luxe packaging and the bottle even reads, “Formulated Exclusively For Caroline Pirozzolo,” which feels so fancy and personalized à la those expensive personalized Le Labo perfume bottles.
But now for the most important part: Did it actually match my skin that accurately? Given that I had only sent through a few images via phone, I was worried that there was no way it could be the right match—but you guys, it NAILED by skin tone. Part of what makes me nervous about foundation is that contrast around your neck or cheeks that can result from wearing a shade that isn’t quite right... and MATCHCo took those fears away completely. The shade flawlessly recreated the right balance of cool and warm tones in my skin, which is very neutral—it doesn’t really lean too far one way or another. The formula is described as being “hydrating,” and while I found that it nicely plumped and moisturized my skin, it wasn’t so moisturizing or heavy that it would be too much or oilier skin. I also got compliments on my skin all day!
At $49, MATCHCo is on the pricier side, but I feel like it’s definitely worth it. The bottle is pretty sizeable and I didn’t need too much to cover my skin—one pump is plenty. And it's the personalization that makes this worth every penny. Store-bought foundations might get *close* to your skin tone, but there's nothing like a formula made especially for you. The matching process is seriously game-changing, and it’s one "too good to be true" product that actually lives up to the hype.