8 women try the $21.95 Maybelline foundation that's as good as luxe alternatives.

When it comes to makeup, there's no denying that foundation is the real MVP of your beauty bag. It evens out your skin tone, brings colour to your face and acts as a base for the rest of your makeup. That's why finding the right one for you (and your face) is so important. But despite all of the options, it's not always so simple.

There's a lot that goes into choosing the right foundation from the level of coverage it provides, to the consistency, how it applies and the sort of finish you want it to give you. And usually when you find the foundation that ticks all four of these boxes, it comes with a hefty price tag. Boo.

That's where Maybelline New York's Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation (RRP$21.95) steps in. It's exactly what the name would suggest - the perfect foundation fit with a mattifying liquid formula that's ideal for normal to oily skin.

It's formulated with clay to blur pores and stop shine, and it comes in 40 shades, making it easy to find the right match for you.

(Note: If you have dry skin, Maybelline New York's Fit Me Dewy & Smooth Foundation is a better fit.)

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But don't just take our word for it. 50 women from Mamamia's You Beauty Panel trialled Maybelline New York's Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation for themselves to tell us exactly what they thought of it and how it fit into their daily beauty routines. An incredible 46 out of these 50 women recommended the product for being as good as luxe alternatives, but at a more affordable price point.

Ellen, 33

Ellen. Image: Supplied.

Ellen said the product applied on smoothly and absorbed into her skin well, noting it gave her a matte, powdered style of finish and had good staying power without developing shine during wear.

"I used it instead of my CC cream and applied it with my fingers after my skincare and sunscreen. It layers well over other products, smooths across the skin readily without sticking and dries nicely into a medium level coverage," she said. 

"The matte finish stops any unwanted shine and gives a nice blurred effect to any uneven skin tone. I'm a busy mum who spends lots of time outdoors so don't have time for touch-ups. But after a busy day, this foundation still looks good. I'm impressed."

At $21.95 for a 30ml bottle, Ellen said it's a more affordable dupe for luxury foundations she's tried and her tip is to apply another light layer if you want to build coverage as it doesn't cake or crepe when you do. 

Liana, 28 

Liana said this was her new holy grail foundation. She did her usual morning skincare routine, applied primer and then put the foundation on top and was very impressed with the results.

"I loved this foundation! There is a slight scent but it's not strong and smells quite neutral. The foundation isn't super runny or super thick, it's somewhere in the middle," she said.

"It dries down to a really silky, velvety finish. It feels so smooth, It is definitely completely matte, which you will love if you prefer matte foundations. But you can also add highlighter if you want more of a dewy finish."

Deeviya, 27 

Deeviya. Image: Supplied.

 Deeviya said the product is the perfect 'savey' foundation and glided onto her skin while making her pores disappear.

It was also the exact match for her skin tone, she told us.

"I used it after primer and it was a classic example of foundation that gives you that 'my skin but better' result. I loved the prolonged wear, especially as an oily gal," she said.

"The foundation delivers on being matte finish but not drying. It has amazing staying power!"

Deeviya suggested applying the foundation with a damp beauty blender for the best results.

Lauren, 30 

Lauren said she is absolutely in love with this product and used it after applying her skincare and primer. She's been looking for a dupe for MAC Studio Face and Body Foundation in terms of light coverage and the ability to build colour and said "this is definitely it".

"It's thicker in texture but this helps to blur pores as promised and felt creamy but not sticky. It's super easy to spread and blend," she said.

"It dries quickly and does not transfer too much. The colour was buildable and the first coat was quite sheer. I'm a massive fan!" 

Stephanie, 26 

Stephanie said the foundation is quickly becoming one of her savvy favourites. She applies it after serum and sunscreen and particularly likes that the coverage is buildable without looking too heavy on her skin.

"I've had lots of battles with foundation on my combination skin. In particular, it tends to separate and oxidise on my nose and chin. This foundation hasn't done that for me so far," she said.

"I'm really happy with the coverage. It's really smooth once it's on and it tends to wear quite well if set properly with a powder or setting spray."

Emma, 25

Emma tried the foundation a few times as a base for her everyday makeup and liked that it blended super easily into her skin and felt really lightweight.

"It was long-wearing and still looked good at the end of the day, but I'm working from home in Victoria so it didn't get my usual day's wear. I like that there's no noticeable scent," she said.

"It also didn't transfer onto my face mask when I went to the shops. The colour matched my skin really well, even though I'm paler than usual which can make finding the right foundation hard!" 

Like Deeviya, Emma had great results when she applied the foundation with a damp beauty blender and said it gave her flawless and healthy-looking skin. 

Emma. Image: Supplied.

Bianca, 34

Bianca used the foundation after her moisturiser and said it gave her skin a natural finish. While she likes her skin to look bright and fresh, she prefers a matte finish foundation like this one instead of a dewy look.

"I am pretty hopeless when I apply foundation or CC creams, I just squeeze some on my fingers and work it in that way. So I would suggest applying this foundation with a brush or sponge because it is a pour bottle," she said. 

"I didn't need to set this foundation with powder which I liked. The results over my nose and cheeks were great too, my pores were definitely blurred!" 

Sharon, 31 

Sharon said she applied the foundation before going out and loved that it matched her skin tone well. 

She said the product was medium coverage and recommends it for day use or those who want more natural looking skin.

"The product was light and didn't feel like there was a layer of makeup on my skin. The smell wasn't overpowering either and had a nice finish to it," she said.

"It definitely kept my oil shine at bay longer than other foundations but I did still pat on some powder later in the day. It looks natural and evens out my skin tone." 

If you want to try Maybelline New York's Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation for yourself but aren't sure of your shade, you can try it on at home using virtual try-on with your smart phone, no tester required. We're sold.

Images: Supplied by Mamamia's You Beauty Panel.

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