et al is the new kid on the foundation block – and it’s a great entry into what is a very crowded market. The brand has managed to create a light to medium foundation that has the weight of a tinted moisturiser and in terms of skin comfort is truly exceptional.
Going straight to the coverage picture! My shade is 90C and it’s a perfect match which to be honest is a few and far between thing. I can wear quite a variety of shades within a spectrum but to get it spot on is rare. The foundation has SPF20, gives blue light protection and is hydrating and water resistant. I have not put the water resistance element to the test but given our weather, that could change at any moment. The finish is not quite matte and not glowy either – more a natural skin finish than anything.
I used the et al Buffing Brush to apply and in honesty, I have better brushes. All et al brushes are synthetic hair but I felt the Buffing was just a tad too soft – or lacking quite the right amount of density. The Angled Cheek Brush, however, which I used to apply the blush was perfect for that job.
I much prefer a creme blush (I’ve asked for one!) but in fact, this powder blush called Dahlia, is utterly weightless and non-drying. My skin is so dry at the moment (that’s 8 hours on a train over 2 days for you and you can completely see it in the picture!) I feel like a crisp – I’m just piling on the moisturiser and downing as much water as I can manage – but the blush went on smooth as a pebble. Speaking of pebble, that’s exactly what holding the compact feels like – smooth, hand-feel friendly, made with 28% PEFC wood fibre, and easy on the eye. It’s £15 and the blush fill is £20 with nine shades to choose from currently.
The compact and blush use a magnet system which is a surprise as magnets aren’t exactly a) recyclable and b) easy on resources. However, the magnet lives in the compact so you’ll never need to buy another – you can just interchange shades if you prefer. All the packaging, including the blush fills, is recyclable. I’m wearing Dahlia in the foundation picture above. et al Foundation is £45 and available in 32 shades, which for a newcomer is excellent. You can find et al.