If anyone knows when to call B.S. on a foundation launch, it's Ofunne Amaka. The founder of Cocoa Swatches, Amaka has tested out hundreds (or more likely, thousands) of shades designed for people of color. It's a gig that's let Amaka to develop a sort of test for knowing when, as she tells Allure, a brand is "more interested in following trends than doing the right thing."
Amaka is committed to helping her fellow beauty lovers find their perfect shade and coverage, which is why it's especially notable when she lends her support to a new launch. She's partnered with Becca Cosmetics to help promote 18 new shades of the brand's Ultimate Coverage 24 Hour Foundation, a move that increases the total number of shades from 24 to 42. "I feel like Becca is a brand dedicated to continually improving their product line, especially when it comes to foundation, which I'm passionate about," she says.
The extension does mean an uptick in shade count, but Becca has plenty of experience in inclusive shade ranges. The brand has been around for almost 20 years, and since launch, it has released products with a 50-50 shade split: Half the foundations cover light-to-medium shades, the other half are medium-to-dark options. The additional Ultimate Coverage 24 Hour Foundation shades aren't about getting more of the population covered, they're about covering us all perfectly.
The brand is so confident that you'll find the exact shade that it's named this campaign Be Seen. "We see a lot of foundation extensions that just feels like the brand is throwing a large number of shades at you, and you still feel lost," says Amaka. "This is a reminder that there are real people behind the shades."
Becca's shade developers used undertones of warm, cool, and neutral to make the color-matching so precise that, according to its own research, 96 percent of consumers found their perfect shade. "We built out this shade range using undertones," explains Devon Bartley, director of product marketing. "Having a shade match is more important than having a million shades in the lineup. When you look at pigment load and color payoff, it’s not about adding deeper pigment or lighter pigment, it’s making sure that the undertone is true."
Naturally, Amaka herself has spent plenty of time swatching (and wearing) this foundation. It's full coverage with a satin-to-matte finish, she says, and feels weightless on the face.
"When you apply it, it blends into the skin. Foundation can either mask your skin or make your skin look better, and I think this foundation does the latter. When I apply it, my skin still looks like skin, but the full coverage helps clear up any blemishes or uneven spots," she says. According to Amaka, it feels and appears "skin-like," which is basically the biggest compliment we can think to give a foundation.
As for application, Amaka deems her preferred method "a little extra." She uses a brush and a sponge. "If you’re using a brush, it’s easier to dip in the product and then customize application more. With a sponge, I tend to apply the product to the face first and then blend out with a sponge." Whatever she's doing, it's working — but it goes without saying that Be Seen also means finding your favorite application technique, whether it involves zero tools or 10.
The updated Becca Ultimate Coverage 24 Hour Foundation collection will drop on sephora.com on July 21. Before it does, learn exactly how to determine your undertone.
More on Becca:
- This Is Officially the Best-Selling Highlighter in the U.S.
- Khloé Kardashian and Malika Haqq Share All the Details of Their Becca Collection
- The Sneaky Way Chrissy Teigen Teased Her New Makeup Collection With Becca
Now, brush up on your foundation history:
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