Nykaa Skin Shield Anti-Pollution Matte Foundation Review, Photos, Price, Swatches

Nykaa is one such brand that keeps up the game with new product launches. So, this time it’s the Nykaa Skin Shield Anti-Pollution Matte Pollution that was recently launched. I had previously tried the Nykaa Skin Genius Foundation from the brand, and it was quite good for my dry skin. But since this foundation claims to be matte and anti-pollution, I was eager to try it out. I’ll share my views with you today about what I feel about this foundation.

Description:

“Nykaa’s SKINshield Anti-Pllution Foundation is your new face shield with triple active action that guards against dust and micro particles, minimizes pores and mattifies your complexion. Discover 15 shades especially curated for Indian skin tones. Say hello to the new way to save your skin!”

The Nykaa Skin Shield Anti-Pollution Matte Pollution comes in 15 different shades which is a good thing for a foundation that has newly launched. I am quite impressed that the brand actually took time to listen to what the needs of people are and launched 15 shades. All these shades have different undertones and are meant for people with fair to medium to wheatish complexions.

However, I feel that even if Nykaa tried to be as much inclusive as possible with the shades, there are just 3 different shades for the deeper complexions. The shade range could have been curated keeping in mind that our country has diverse skin tones and not just fair to medium complexions. Apart from it, there is no other concern to me regarding the shade range.

I picked up 2 shades 08 Pure Olive and 09 Desert Honey since I wasn’t sure which one would suit me. 

Packaging:

The foundation comes in black plastic tube with a flip-tip cap which is quite sturdy. There’s nothing fancy about the packaging since it’s a tube. I prefer foundations with a pump since it gives me a better control over the amount of product I want to dispense. And for the price it comes with, I expected it to have a pump. Nonetheless, this packaging is fine.

Finish and coverage:

So, this foundation claims to give a matte finish and a medium to full coverage. However, I feel that the finish isn’t completely matte, it settles onto my skin with a satin matte finish. And the coverage is definitely medium when I apply one layer of it on my face.

I tried to layer it up but it started to look a little cakey on me so I would prefer just one layer of it. I can see through my acne scars and spots and they don’t get entirely covered but I anyway don’t prefer a heavy-duty full coverage foundation, so the coverage seems decent and fine. The foundation also blends seamlessly with both a brush and a beauty blender.

Consistency:

The consistency of the Nykaa Skin Shield Anti-Pollution Matte Pollution is neither too thick nor too runny. However, it settles into my skin quickly that I need to work on it quickly to blend it properly. Also, it doesn’t transfer much which is a great thing since I tend to touch my face quite often and most of the foundations transfer on my hands.

Staying power:

It lasted on my skin for good 5-6 hours when I was out in sun throughout the day which is impressive. After that, it started to crease near my mouth and my face started to become a bit oily.

Swatches:

These are the swatches of the 2 shades 08 Pure Olive and 09 Desert Honey on my hand.

1. On the top: 08 Pure Olive
2. On the bottom: 09 Desert Honey

The shade Pure Olive is meant for people with medium skin tones having yellow undertones while Desert Honey is meant for people wheatish to dusky skin tones with neutral undertones. Since I was confused as to which one suit me, I pick these two shades. But I think Pure Olive suits me better even though I have yellow undertones. The other one is half a shade darker than my complexion.

Quantity and price:

So, the foundation comes with a quantity of 30 ml and costs ₹799. I honestly feel it is a bit overly priced since it doesn’t come with a pump as well. There are many other foundations that are mattifying and minimise your pores but cost much lesser.

My overall thoughts:

The foundation does stay true to its claims partially. Also, when I wore it for the first time to test if it shields my skin from pollution, I felt that it did protect my skin from the pollutants and dirt upto an extent. My face didn’t look dull even in the sun which is surprising.

The only challenge with this foundation is the shade range. I hope the brand comes up with more shades for deeper skin tones since there are just three which are not at all inclusive. Also, it is much pricier for a foundation like this that offers satin matte finish and can’t be layered.

But if you are looking for a foundation with decent coverage that protects your skin from pollution and lasts all day long, you can consider this.