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You Can’t Spell Radiant Without Rad: A Flawless Finish Makes BECCA Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation One of the Best Foundations I’ve Tried

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becca radiant skin foundation review
Wearing the new Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation in Bamboo ($42 for a 1.3-ounce tube)

The Christmas lights are blinking, the neighborhood cats are slinking, and the Dark Choclate Stars are twinkling in their dish. The decorations have been hung by the makeup counter with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

And he will…but he has to stop by the Petco first to pose for pics with a long line of eager pets and their parents (more on that in a minute).

It’s that time of year! — although you’d never know it by looking at BECCA. The beachy Australian makeup brand always seems to have one foot in the sand.

becca radiant skin foundation product shot
Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation in Bamboo, the shade closest to my NC42 skin

Designed for normal, combination and oily skin types, BECCA’s new Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation ($42 and available in 18 shades) showcases the brand’s trademark endless summer vibe with an almost weightless formula and a dressed-down eggshell finish that practically tiptoes on the skin.

With coverage about halfway between a tinted moisturizer and a full-coverage foundation, it’s made for guys and gals who like flexibility. Going to the beach (maybe you live in the Southern Hemisphere)? Wear it sheer by rubbing in a few dots. Or for heavier coverage, work in a pea-sized dollop all over your face, and then pat and blend a little extra wherever you need it.

What makes Radiant so rad?

  • It handles combo skin like a champ! It’s easily one of the best foundations I’ve ever used on my combination skin. Not only does it take care of any slick, oily spots on my face, but it does so without drawing attention to any flakes and dry areas.
  • It goes the distance. Lasts the day and looks just as fresh at 8 p.m. as it does at 8 in the morning.
  • Looks like it’s been applied with an airbrush. You hear that airbrushed finish thing a lot, but I gotta say — I really do think my pores look smaller, and my fine lines look smoother, when I wear this stuff. It’s as close to a flawless finish I ever get, and yet I think skin still looks real with it on, not like it’s been plastered with product.
  • The extras. Did I mention that it’s moisturizing and water resistant? It contains Ejitsu Rose and vitamin E to help skin retain moisture, to improve elasticity and to protect against damage from free radicals. Yup, and it’s alcohol-, paraben- and fragrance-free.
becca radiant skin foundation swatch
Swatches of Radiant in Bamboo unblended on the left and blended on the right

becca radiant skin foundation review

becca radiant skin foundation ingredients
The ingredient list


I love what BECCA has done here. With Radiant, they created a comfy, long-lasting, medium-coverage liquid foundation with a finish I can only describe as airbrushed.

It might be a little on the casual side for some of the super formal, full-coverage holiday makeup looks we tend to see this time of year, but that depends. If you prefer more natural makeup looks, don’t overlook BECCA Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation.

PRICE: $42
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Sephora stores, sephora.com and beccacosmetics.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+ (drugstore, it’s not, but I love this stuff)

Pet pics with Santa

So, I had to go to Petco last weekend to pick up some food for Tabs, and the place was busier than the mall! There was a long line of cats and dogs waiting to have their pictures taken with Santa, awww!

If you’re wondering…yes, I considered it. I considered rushing back home, stuffing Tabs in his carrier and bringing him back to get his picture taken with Santa, but then I remembered something very important and quickly came to my senses.

I remembered that Tabs hates…

  1. Unflattering overhead florescent store lighting
  2. Going for rides in the car
  3. Unfamiliar places
  4. Other animals

Had I gone through with it anyway, I would have forever been known by the employees of Petco as the woman with the cat who clawed Santa to pieces.

Maybe I’ll just get Tabs one of these Thundershirts instead…

Thundershirt, HO! (Any cartoon fans remember what that’s from?)

They’re supposed to calm anxious kitties by creating a swaddling effect on their torso…

Not exactly sure what that means, a “swaddling effect,” but I think they look pretty cute. 🙂

I would have gotten one from Petco the other day, but they didn’t have ’em in XXL.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. That sounds like my kind of foundation! I like more of a natural look. If I look too good, I feel like a liar 😉 I’ve been using a BB cream, but I think it’s actually making me break out… 🙁

    Reply

  3. This looks perfect for my cousin’s wedding! I’m doing her makeup… she never wears any makeup and doesn’t want to look too done up. Do you think this would provide enough coverage for a wedding day?

    Reply

  6. Hi Karen,

    I know you sometimes do swatches of multiple colors of foundation. You wouldn’t happen to have buttercup and nude on your hands would you?

    Reply

  10. Wow that does look beautiful. Oh how I wish there was a drugstore dupe for this. I don’t wear too much foundation, so it would be wasteful of me to buy an expensive one. It looks wonderful on you, though!

    Reply

  11. Wow, this foundation looks great on you. I want to give it a shot but the price is pretty steep.. and I just recently bought a foundation at the drugstore. I have to use it up first. 😛

    Reply

  12. Oh geez! 😉 Almost out of my foundation (Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow) and have been shopping for a new one that absorbs better. I like the coverage I’m getting but the problem is it’ll come off on my fingers if I touch my face, or it’ll transfer onto fabric (like when I hug somebody — once left an orange-y print on someone’s clothed shoulder, aaahh). Looks like the Becca one blends in really well — and stays put?

    Reply

  13. Really! I had no idea Becca was now at Sephora (hopefully in stores!). I have wanted to try this cosmetics line for a while, but you know .. ordering online, you can’t swatch etc.

    I’d love to take my dog (tri color cocker spaniel) to Petco for a Santa pic, but he’s a bit fearful and not good in new situations. I’d hate for him to nip Santa!

    Cheers, Monica
    MonicaP recently posted … Leather shoulder bag

    Reply

  14. Your skin looks fabulous! I wish I could swatch this in person – Shell would probably be my color though (assuming it’s pale enough, haha – porcelain is definitely overly pink though).

    I’m pretty sure my boys would freak out at seeing Santa separately, let alone together. Holding them both at the same time would be impossible.

    Reply

  16. One year I took my cat to have her picture taken with Santa. She slapped that Santa across the face like a soap opera diva! My sweet little old lady cat. The picture was taken right afterward and the look on Santa’s face was priceless! BTW – she didn’t scratch him and he was totally fine. He said he got puppy-peed on all the time and that a little cat slap was nothing.

    Reply

  17. I have seriously considered this for one of my chihuahuas, as he freaks the F out when it storms and we get these out-of-the= blue tropical storms often. He likes to be held when it thunders or he will restlessly walk in small circles. Sometimes he rolls around in a blanket to the point it’s like he’s the center of a thick burrito. I think swaddling refers to wrapping up, like a swaddling an infant.
    I really wonder if it would help? I also wonder if it can be returned if it doesn’t, lol…

    Reply

  18. Oh this looks so lovely… but alas I have too many foundations I have to get through… maybe for next summer? LOL. well that is what sephora shopping lists are for!

    Reply

  20. I am still hooked on Josie Maran’s foundation and I don’t even wear it every day… but this stuff makes me want to wear something everyday! What a gorgeous dewy finish!

    Reply

  21. This foundation looks like a second skin on you. Can barely tell that you’re wearing foundation. I’ve never really managed to snag anything from Becca, I don’t know why.

    I’m so in love with foundations lately. My current favourite is Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Even-finish Foundation SPF 15 (really long name) which is oil-free and works wonderfully well on my combination oily skin. I also really like Laura Mercier’s Oil Free Supreme Foundation.

    Will definitely try this one out the next time I’m near a Sephora. I’m wary of buying foundations online without testing out the shades in person first.

    Oh speaking of foundations, Karen, have you tried the Buffer Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation brush by Tarte? I got it recently when the bf was in the US and I love it. Two swipes (after dabbing the foundation on with my fingertips) and the foundation is blended onto my skin – perfectly. I really wanted the Hourglass foundation brush but couldn’t justify the price so I asked him to get this one instead as it had a lot of good reviews. It’s so, so nice!

    Reply

  23. We have the thundershirt for my dog. He freaks out at fireworks and thunder (shaking, wanting to be held, hiding) plus we’ve had a lot of issues with barking in the evening. The shirt definitely helps: he is much calmer when it’s on. He doesn’t shake or try to hide, which is a huge difference. It does not get rid of all the anxiety, but it helps. It also helps with the barking (when we use it-we try not to very often). He doesn’t really like the shirt, but he tolerates it. I do reccommend following the instructions: introducing it before a fearful event and making it a positive experience. Anyway, just my experience with it!

    Reply

  26. I tried this recently, but my skin was in the middle of a huuuge dry/flaky freakout, so it didn’t look that great… but nothing would have at that point. I have to try it again now that things are a little smoother. I got Shell, which is a teeny bit more yellow than I probably really need, but I have such issues with redness that a little yellow will likely do me good.

    Reply

  27. Darn it – I wish I’d seen this on Monday because I know it’s hard for you to answer questions days after the post! How do you think this compares to Tarte Smooth Operator in terms of feel (you know I prefer the silicone glide to something more “dry” like Laura Mercier) and coverage? I think of SO as being quite sheer but maybe I’m wrong.

    Also, I totally laughed at the Thundercats, HO. And that kitty straightjacket. I can’t imagine my cats feeling less stress when they’re being constricted like sausages! HAHA!

    Reply

    • Hey lady!

      So, this foundation’s just slightly little thicker than Tarte SO. To me SO feels watery to me, and this one’s more more dense, if that makes sense. What’s cool is that even though it’s got that slight thickness to it, you can’t feel it at all.

      Lemme know if you have any other q’s…

      Reply

  28. Karen, my Becca Radiant skin satin foundation will be here any minute! I can’t wait to put it on. Just hope I chose the correct color!

    Reply

  29. Really wanted to like this foundation but seemed very drying and accentuated every line. Not really better than drug store foundations.

    Reply

  30. So bummed! I believe it has been discontinued. Just went to the Becca website and it’s no longer available. Do you know if they ever bring back discontinued foundations? Thank you very much!

    Reply

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