Is The $96 Koh Gen Do Foundation Worth It?
Milabu Pick
Milabu Rating
Price Category: Luxury
- $96.00 Retail
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Pros
- Lightweight, breathable
- Buildable light to medium coverage
- Easy to apply
- Doesn’t accentuate pores or dry spots
- No settling into pore or fine lines
- Hydrating
- Doesn’t contribute to excess oiliness
- Skincare benefits
Cons
- Very small shade range (only 10)
Overview
Koh Gen Do Foundation provides breathable, buildable medium coverage. It doesn’t accentuate imperfections and has a solid 10+ hour wear time.
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Koh Gen Do Foundation should be on your radar.
I’m going to be honest with you guys: the Koh Gen Do Foundation is worth every penny of its $96 price tag. And, I know you’re probably thinking, “but why?!” There’s a million reasons why, but, for starters, the formula is absolutely stunning. It’s formulated for sensitive skin, free of artificial colors and fragrance with no parabens or mineral oil. In addition, it’s infused with exclusive signature technology that hydrates while controlling oils. And, perhaps the most important part, it looks beautiful on the skin.
Promises vs. Performance: Koh Gen Do Foundation promises to resist sweat and oil, yet keep skin hydrated.
Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation is said to be known for giving skin “the same youthful glow you experience right after a facial.” It features buildable, breathable, sheer to medium coverage with a natural, dewy finish. The formula contains four types of powders that work to create buildable coverage and prevent cakiness. One of these powders is Koh Gen Do’s signature Gloss Film Powder, which is light-diffusing minerals that brighten and minimize pores, while resisting sweat and oiliness. It contains other exclusive formulations like Moist Drop Powder which hydrates by absorbing humidity, and T3 oil which is a blend of jojoba oil, olive squalane, and shea butter to create supple skin.
The wear.
My favorite way to wear the Koh Gen Do Foundation is with a blurring primer, specifically Shiseido Synchro Skin. This creates a nice grippy base for the serum foundation to adhere to. Aqua Foundation applies like a dream with a sponge or brush (I prefer a brush like the Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Face Brush) and builds up to a solid medium coverage. It doesn’t accentuate any imperfections, from pores to dry patches, lines or texture. The finish of Aqua Foundation is natural with a dewy luminosity that makes skin look healthy and juicy.
With a serum foundation like this one, most complexion enhancers work well, not applying patchy or lifting the foundation underneath. Because it is a more hydrating product, I do like to set the areas my foundation tends to wear off the quickest, like my t-zone. I like to finish off with a setting spray over my whole face to really lock the foundation in.
Most importantly, Aqua Foundation wears beautifully. It doesn’t accentuate any sort of texture, dryness, pores, or lines throughout the day; doesn’t look dry; and doesn’t contribute to excess oiliness. On my normal to combo skin, this foundation wears for a solid 8-10 hours without breaking apart.
Quick Rating Rundown Chart
How It Compares: I may have found my new favorite luxury foundation.
For years and years my go-to luxury foundation has been Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk. And, I do still love Luminous Silk! It too is a serum foundation that provides buildable medium coverage with a natural, luminous finish. The Armani foundation works on most skin types and has an all day, 8+ hour wear. Plus, it comes at a bit lower price tag for luxury beauty at $69.
However, Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation may have taken the #1 spot as my favorite luxury foundation. In my opinion, Aqua Foundation lays better on the skin than Luminous Silk does. The serum-like texture doesn’t cling to any texture or dry spots, creating a base that looks healthy and glowy. The coverage can be sheered out or built to a solid medium coverage that conceals most imperfections, from redness to acne.
Comparison to Top Performers
Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation provides buildable medium coverage with a natural finish, but it is on the pricey side. A great comparable foundation is the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation. It also has a serum-like texture with buildable medium coverage. Another great foundation option is HAUS LABS Foundation, Triclone Skin Tech. This is a clean beauty option that provides buildable light to full coverage with a natural finish. These foundations range in price from $45 to $96, putting them in the luxury beauty price category.
Performance Rating Chart
Advertised Product Highlights
Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation
# OF SHADES: 10 shades
FORMULATION: Liquid
FINISH: Natural, dewy
COVERAGE: Buildable sheer to medium
SKIN TYPE: All skin types, including sensitive
LONGEVITY: No claims
PROTECTION: No SPF
BENEFITS: Formulated with exclusive Gloss Film Powder which diffuses light and minimizes pores; Resists sweat and oiliness; Breathable; Moist Drop Powder helps hydrate skin by absorbing humidity; Contains T3 Oil, an exclusive oil blend of jojoba, olive squalane, and shea butter
CLEAN BEAUTY CLAIMS: Cruelty free; Free of artificial colors, synthetic fragrance, mineral oil derived from petroleum, and parabens
Edited by Maddie