The bare essential foundation

I first heard about Sappho New Paradigm via The Beauty Professor who was at the Indie Beauty Expo and sharing some Instagram stories from their stand. A couple of weeks later I saw the brand pop up on Clean Beauty Market and I was intrigued. It was founded by renowned Canadian makeup artist JoAnn Fowler who has worked on some great projects in the film and television industry. Her background as a makeup artist meant that her standards were high, as was her dedication to creating a luxury organic and natural makeup line. The range includes everything in the makeup realm including brushes and customisable compacts.

Despite the big range, I knew that I wanted to test a foundation for Fluke so I decided to try the Sappho Essentials Foundation which offers a light to medium coverage and is suitable for all skin types. There are 12 shades in total, which is pretty good for a natural makeup brand, and my shade is Leisha which suits a pale skin tone with slightly yellow undertones. I probably could go a shade darker in the summer but it’s still working well for me and it will be perfect for winter when I’m a little bit paler. It’s always tricky choosing foundation online so hit up Clean Beauty Market for some shade matching help if you get stuck.

The ingredient list has antioxidants, flavonoids and phytonutrients galore as well as oils and extracts that will suit oily and combination skin. These include Rooibos extract (anti-bacterial), Jojoba oil (oil balancing), Tea Tree Leaf oil (antiseptic) and Neem oil (anti-inflammatory). The list reads like something from the back of a moisturiser which I really enjoy. I love it when brands fuse makeup and skincare.

When I opened the box the first thing I noticed was that the packaging did not match what was on the website, which is a bit disappointing because it looked pretty good to me online on both the Clean Beauty Market and official Sappho website. Sappho are currently transitioning between packaging so there are still some old bottles out in the market. The packaging that I received is a white heavy glass bottle and it doesn’t come with a proper lid for the pump. It just has one of those holders that stop it from being pressed during travel which gets quite messy. The packaging is probably the only negative thing I have to say about this product so I’m happy that they have updated it and I think the new bottle looks great.

The product has a really nice scent, it’s fresh and pleasant but it doesn’t linger on the skin. I take one pump of the bottle, which is enough to cover my whole face, and I blend it out with my fingers. This achieves a light coverage but because it’s very buildable I can also add a little bit more to areas of redness to elevate it to a medium coverage and I am left with a dewy, natural finish that makes my skin glow without looking greasy. I haven’t noticed any cakey patches or the product settling which some foundations like to do around my nose. The texture of the product is creamy and light so it’s very easy to apply and you definitely don’t need to add a drop of oil to it because it blends out so well. I really, REALLY like it.

Because it’s so lightweight, it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing foundation at all and my skin is allowed to breathe. Over the course of the day the glow does subside a little bit but the coverage remains and lasts through a whole day at work. It’s also really easy to touch up any areas if you need to prolong its wear. I honestly can’t fault this formulation, I think it’s one of the best foundations I’ve ever tried and I’m reaching for it on a daily basis. If you enjoy light to medium coverage foundations, this will be right up your alley.

The Sappho Essentials Foundation is available at the Clean Beauty Market for AUD$73.95. It contains 70%+ certified organic ingredients, it’s cruelty free and vegan.

I hope that you found this review useful and I’m hoping to try the full coverage New Paradigm Foundation next so I’ll be sure to share my thoughts on that one as well. Let me know if you have tried any great foundations lately by leaving a comment below, or you can email me and connect with me on Instagram and Facebook.

Next week: A conversation about natural perfume.