Left, concealer 5.0 and Right, foundation in 6.0

Hey guys! (youtube voice)

Ex1 Cosmetics have come out with a new concealer. If you’re Asian/middle eastern/olive or even slightly olive undertone, ex1 is a makeup brand that caters for you (and only you). I have been a fan of this brand for a few years now and have just repurchased my 4^th bottle of foundation from them! That’s quite the testament isn’t it. This post isn’t really about the foundation but I’ll include a mini review for completeness.

Ex1 Invisiwear Liquid Foundation

This is a light-medium buildable foundation that comes in a variety of yellow toned shades. They expanded the shade range a couple of years ago to make more sense and include more colours. In the original charting, I used to wear F200 and F300. Then I started wearing shade 6.0, which seems to be the replacement for both of these shades. It’s such an easy foundation to wear every day or when you don’t feel like caking up in Huda (because that stuff is HEAVY). It has the added benefit of having a moisturiser-like texture which makes application easier than the Fenty. It’s not a better foundation than either of these two, just easier and much more fuss free. The thing that really seals the deal is the bargain price. It’s £12.50! I genuinely have finished three bottles of this stuff because it gives me a bit of colour, isn’t too full coverage so I don’t need to put it everywhere (most of the time I don’t put foundation on the sides of my cheeks cos cba) and it’s luminous, glowy and lasts all day (not day and night though). It’s just a good one to have and use on a daily basis in my opinion. It’s non-comedogenic and most likely won’t break you out. But even if it does, it’s not like it’s a £40 Armani foundation!

• Pigmentation – 8/10
• Texture – 9/10
• Longevity – 8/10
• Price – 10/10
• Overall – 9/10

Buy it here.

Ex1 Delete Fluide Concealer

Their newest launch caught my eye because I already feel so heavily invested in their other products. They don’t have many so I like to think each one is well thought out and won’t disappoint. I went on a real journey with this concealer let me tell ya.

I got the shade 5.0 as I’m 6.0 in the foundation and like my concealer to be a little lighter under the eyes. I didn’t want a highlighting concealer (nothing will beat tarte shape tape in that department), rather I wanted an alternative to my everyday concealer which is the Nars radiant creamy one in Ginger. The colour of the Ex1 is okay on me – not the best colour match tbh. But seriously, I could not get this to full coverage for AGES. I have really awful under eye circles that are practically purple. I therefore consider myself to be a good candidate for testing under eye concealers. People with no eye bags can’t test concealer, sorry. You’re too blessed, move yourself.

Top Ex1 Foundation 6.0, then ex1 Concealer in 5.0, then Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger, then Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX10.

Anyway, so what seemed like multiple pumps and half a bottle later, I stopped building up the coverage. It just wasn’t doing anything and my under eyes still looked so hollow. I was ready to write this product off and be disappointed for the rest of the day tbh. But then I decided to set one eye with translucent powder (i.e. it has no coverage of its own to skew the results) and leave one eye to see if it creases (it did). THE DIFFERENCE that setting it made was insane! I applied translucent powder with my beauty blender (same one I used to apply the concealer) and didn’t let it bake but just brushed it off. It was amazing. It suddenly transformed to this full coverage extremely natural and undetectable concealer! I realised why – it’s because the formula is quite a luminous satin type, which reflects the light and draws attention to the hollowness. Get rid of the shine and you are left with perfectly concealed under eyes! How bout thaaaa

The little bottle is reminiscent of MAC prolongwear concealer, and no, it’s not the most convenient, but it is very hygienic. And great for doing other people’s makeup. The foundation is a pump bottle too. Which is fab, and great for travelling. Plastic containers keep the products lightweight and shatterproof as well. It’s a bit spenny for ex1 at £10.50, which is almost the price of the foundation, but I assume it’s the first step in increasing the price point of the brand, which is a shame but not unexpected. Will it replace the Nars? Perhaps not, but I’ll use it up.

• Pigmentation – 7/10
• Texture – 8/10
• Longevity – 7/10
• Price – 8/10
• Overall – 7/10

Buy it here.

Airtight Pump bottles

Finished look with an ex1 face!