Glossier Stretch Fluid Foundation Review

I’m a bit behind on reviewing the Glossier Stretch Fluid Foundation, seeing as it launched last August! But I wanted to give it a good test run before I shared my thoughts and I feel like I’ve finally had time to do that!

The release of a Glossier foundation has been a long time coming and I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a makeup launch before!

I love the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint. If you want undetectable makeup, the skin tint achieves that effortlessly. But, if you have acne-prone skin, there are days when you just want a little bit more coverage.

That’s where the new Glossier Stretch Fluid Foundation comes in…

What is it?

Glossier’s Stretch Fluid Foundation is the brand’s first-ever foundation. Of course, Glossier’s existing Skin Tint is a favourite among many – it’s light, it’s natural, it’s pretty much the definition of no-makeup makeup. But there has always been a large crowd begging for a Glossier base product with more coverage – and here it is!

Inspired by Glossier’s Stretch Balm Concealer, the Stretch Fluid Foundation has a “skin-first” formula which is packed with skin-loving ingredients like plant-derived squalane, glycerin and ectoin. Your skin is supposed to feel nourished while / after using this foundation, and it’s clear that Glossier has put a lot of thought into the ingredients they’ve chosen to include.

Best of all, the brand claims that the foundation is sweat-resistant, transfer-resistant, and crease-resistant. So you can count on it to stay in place no matter the weather!

Application

Unlike Glossier’s Skin Tint (which comes in a squeeze bottle), the Stretch Fluid Foundation is fitted with a mess-free pump.

After a slew of recent foundation / skin tint launches that all came with droppers, I was super pleased to finally see a pump again! Because the formula is quite thick and viscous (I talk about this in more detail below), I really think that it lends itself to a pump dispenser – it makes it quite easy to control how much product you’re using.

When it comes to getting the foundation from your hands to your face, I’m always going to recommend using your fingertips. I’m such an advocate for initially spreading the product into the skin with your hands and then using a brush or damp sponge to blend it in properly. It usually results in a smooth, streak-free finish.

This rings especially true for Glossier’s Stretch Fluid Foundation since I feel like using your hands helps warm up the product and makes it glide across the skin better.

If you’ve been following this launch, you’ll know that Glossier released this foundation in conjunction with their new Stretch Face Brush. As cute as it is, and as handy as it looks for travelling, I honestly didn’t see myself using it on a daily basis so I decided not to purchase it (although I really wanted to see how it would work with the foundation!).

I can see how it’s a great tool to have in your collection, but I think any soft, fluffy brush would do the job. If you have the Glossier brush, do let me know about your experience with it in the comments!

Formula & coverage

If you’ve tried Glossier’s Perfecting Skin Tint before, you might be surprised to hear that the foundation is not comparable at all!

I was expecting the foundation to be pretty similar to the skin tint in terms of consistency, just with a smidge more pigment. But the Stretch Fluid Foundation is much thicker, and has an almost gel-like texture (compared to the wateriness of the skin tint).

It actually feels like it’s going to be pretty full coverage when it’s first dispensed (because it is so thick!). However, once you blend the product out it does become sheerer and you end up with a sort of light-to-medium coverage, though this can be built up.

Don’t get me wrong, even building it up, the Glossier foundation isn’t going to cover a lot. But it does even out the skin and conceal some redness which, if you’re a minimal makeup fan, fits the bill.

I typically only need to use one pump of the foundation to cover my entire face… and even then I sometimes feel like I’ve dispensed too much! A little goes a long way with this product so I suggest starting small and then adding more as you blend.

Finish & wear

Before I tried the Glossier foundation, I expected it to be super dewy (like the skin tint). Actually though, this has a really natural finish. It’s not overly oily and it’s not too matte either. It feels really lightweight and comfortable on the skin.

To be honest, it’s one of those products you apply and then at some point during the day actually forget you’re wearing it. This makes sense considering the formula is meant to be 89% skincare-based!

Glossier promises 12-hour wear with this foundation and I think this is pretty accurate.

If my skin is particularly dry, by the end of the day I do get some flakiness and separation around my nose and in the crease of my chin. However, this can be avoided with thorough base prep – a good primer usually stops this from happening!

Shade range

This foundation comes in 32 shades – not bad since this is Glossier’s first foundation launch! These can be divided into seven categories: Very Deep, Deep, Medium Deep, Medium Tan, Medium, Light, Very Light.

For comparison, Fenty launched their foundation with 40 shades which I believe was the most expansive foundation shade range at the time.

Taking a quick look at Glossier’s other base product, the Perfecting Skin Tint comes in just 12 shades, though this is pretty common for a sheer skin tint. I was slightly concerned that the foundation would come in a similarly limited selection but I’m so glad that they went for the full 32.

N.B. I have heard quite a few people say that the shades run pretty warm, so this is just something to keep in mind if you’re trying to find a shade match.

Overall thoughts

Glossier’s Stretch Fluid Foundation has not disappointed. This has all the merits of the skin tint, but just with more shades and coverage.

When this foundation came out, I wasn’t sure how different it would be to the original skin tint. I know a lot of people were concerned that the foundation would actually replace the tint. Having tried it though, I think the difference is big enough for both products to coexist!

And I really do see the resemblance between the Stretch Fluid Foundation and the Stretch Concealer. They both have a creamy, balmy texture which makes them really easy to blend and, dare I say, fairly blurring on the skin. I can see why many people had been using the concealer as a foundation, and therefore why Glossier decided to bring out a foundation based on it!

I’m really impressed by the formula and how comfortable it is to wear. It doesn’t leave my face feeling tight or dry, nor does it make my skin look excessively oily by the end of the day.

I do think oily skin types may want something a bit more mattifying, but for dry to combination skin it’s great. I’ve consistently been reaching for it when doing my makeup each morning.

Have you tried the Glossier Stretch Fluid Foundation? What about the skin tint or concealer? Let me know!