Fenty's New Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Longwear Foundation, Reviewed
Our take
The beauty landscape continues its relentless pursuit of the perfect foundation – a seemingly simple product that holds immense power in shaping perception and confidence. Fenty Beauty's latest offering, the Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Longwear Foundation, arrives with considerable anticipation, fueled by Rihanna’s established reputation for inclusivity and innovation. Eden Stuart’s review in Bustle provides a valuable first look, and it’s worth considering within the broader context of the current foundation market. Many makeup artists and beauty editors, even those with notoriously oily skin, have their go-to formulas [I'm a Makeup Artist and Beauty Editor With Oily Skin—These Are the Foundations I Actually Use], demonstrating the ongoing quest for a product that can truly deliver on its promises of longevity, coverage, and a natural finish. The focus on longwear and a natural matte finish speaks directly to a desire for effortless, all-day wear—a key trend we've observed across various beauty categories.
The excitement surrounding Fenty's launch isn’t solely about the product itself; it’s about the brand’s continued commitment to addressing a historical gap in the beauty industry. Rihanna disrupted the status quo with the original Pro Filt'r foundation, offering an unprecedented shade range that catered to a wider spectrum of skin tones. This initial move signaled a significant shift, forcing other brands to re-evaluate their own inclusivity efforts. While the foundation world has undeniably become more diverse since then, the pressure remains for brands to deliver high-quality formulations that perform consistently across all skin tones and types. The fact that the latest iteration is being positioned as a "fluid flex" suggests a move towards a more adaptable formula, potentially offering a lighter feel while still maintaining the signature Fenty coverage. It's interesting to note how trends in fashion are also influencing beauty choices; the resurgence of plaid, for example, [Plaid For Fall Isn’t Groundbreaking, But These 30 Cool Plaid Pieces Are], demonstrates a desire for textures and finishes that feel both modern and timeless. This echoes the desire for foundations that seamlessly blend into the skin, creating a polished yet natural look.
Beyond the technical aspects of the formula, the cultural significance of Rihanna's continued presence in the beauty space cannot be overlooked. Her effortless style, recently exemplified by her chic mint green ensemble [Rihanna Mastered Mom Style In A Mint Green Set], resonates with a modern sensibility that prioritizes confidence and individuality. This translates into a brand identity that feels less about aggressive marketing and more about empowering self-expression. Fenty Beauty isn’t just selling makeup; it's selling a lifestyle—one that embraces authenticity and celebrates diverse beauty standards. This founder-as-muse energy is crucial; it creates a direct connection with consumers who identify with Rihanna's personal style and values. The review’s focus on Eden Stuart’s personal experience reinforces this approach, prioritizing honest feedback over overly polished promotional language.
Ultimately, the success of the Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Longwear Foundation will hinge on its ability to deliver on its promises while maintaining Fenty Beauty’s core values of inclusivity and innovation. The foundation market is increasingly competitive, with consumers demanding more from their beauty products – not just performance, but also ethical sourcing, sustainability, and a genuine sense of connection with the brand. As we move further into an era of conscious consumerism, will brands be able to successfully blend high-performance formulations with a commitment to social responsibility? The evolution of Fenty Beauty, and indeed the entire foundation landscape, will offer a fascinating glimpse into the future of the beauty industry.
In our series Trial Run, TZR editors and writers put the buzziest new beauty products to the test and share their honest reviews. This week, beauty news writer Eden Stuart is testing the highly anticipated Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Natural Matte Longwear Foundation.
Confession: I didn’t love Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Foundation. To be clear, I will never take away from its influence — when it debuted in 2017 with a whopping 40 shades, many people felt included in the beauty conversation for the very first time. But I found the formula a bit heavy, and I could never actually find the right shade; while the former wasn’t a dealbreaker, the latter was. So when I learned that the brand was phasing out its flagship foundation and replacing it with an entirely new one, the Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Natural Matte Longwear Foundation, I was intrigued — and when I learned that said new formulation was going to address consumer concerns around the undertones, my interest was thoroughly piqued.
Befitting the brand that made headlines for its expansive initial launch, Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex is launching with 50 shades, a decision based on seven years of consumer notes and three years of product development. In their research (which included real-world color matching sessions around the globe), the brand discovered that people wanted more undertone options, particularly neutrals. As such, within each shade family — Light, Light-Medium, Medium, Medium-Deep, and Deep — there are neutrals that lean toward another undertone (think “Neutral Olive” or “Neutral Peach”), true neutrals, and a few true warms and cools.
I got the opportunity to test out the Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Natural Matte Longwear Foundation ahead of its official launch on Sept. 4. Read on for my experience.
Fast Facts
- Price: $44
- Size: 1.7 fl oz.
- Clean/Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Best For: A smooth matte base
- Ingredient Highlights: Fluid Flex polymer blend, starfruit extract
- What We Like: Excellent shade range, buildable coverage, lightweight feel
- What We Don’t Like: Some transferring
- Rating: 4/5
How TZR Keeps Score: 1/5: Making a return; 2/5: Keeping as a backup; 3/5: Finishing to the last drop; 4/5: Recommending to my group texts; 5/5: Already on auto-replenish.
The Formula
At the heart of the Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Foundation is the brand’s Fluid Flex Technology, a polymer blend with pigments that allow the formula to “flex” with the skin; not only do the shades adapt to the wearer’s complexion, but they resist oxidation throughout the day.
Perhaps the main threads connecting Fluid Flex with its predecessor are the matte finish and buildable, medium-to-full coverage. While the new offering has a more skin-like finish that doesn’t feel as heavy on the skin, it still creates a smooth, shine-free visage, thanks in part to the starfruit extract, which provides oil control. It’s also waterproof and claims resistance to sweat, heat, and humidity.
My Experience & Results
I’m a firm believer in judging a product against its claims, which can be tricky when those claims brush up against your preferences. And by that I mean: I don’t really love a matte foundation. But I will say, it does meet its own claims of lightweight wear. Over the course of a week, I wore the shade 396N, described as a Neutral Olive, during every outing (save a trip to the beach). It never felt heavy or mask-like, a major grievance I had with Soft Matte, even when it was built up from medium coverage (the baseline) to proper full. I didn’t experience any oxidation, either — another beef I had with its predecessor. In fact, by far my favorite thing about this foundation is my shade in it: As someone with a medium complexion and neutral undertones, I’m used to my base products being too orange or too light. Not only is 396N a perfect match, but it remains as such throughout the day.
This perfect match is enough to inspire me to work around the two challenges I faced with the formula. The first is the finish, which, again, isn’t my preference; for my combination skin type, I have to make sure the outer perimeter of my face is very well moisturized if I don’t want to look and feel dry. (For example, on one of the days I didn’t, I definitely noticed some settling into the fine lines on my forehead.) My other qualm is that I wouldn’t quite describe it as transfer-proof: While it did have impressive staying power overall, I definitely found a few streaks of foundation on my laptop and notebooks. A light dusting of setting powder is definitely the best way to circumvent this issue.
Along with the foundation, this launch includes an application tool, the Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Foundation Brush — and I have to give it a special shoutout. Though I’m a committed beauty sponge user, I’ve really been enjoying using it; the bristles are dense, leaving a streak-free finish, and the shape is absolutely perfect for moving around the contours of the face. (I find it even contours between the eyebrows and the temples flawlessly, a weirdly and specifically tricky place to apply foundation.)
Is Fenty’s Pro Filt'r Fluid Flex Foundation Worth It?
Fenty’s Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex Foundation gets high marks from me for its shade range alone, which has flexible hues and plenty of undertones to choose from. If you’re in the market for a matte foundation that feels lightweight and provides medium-to-full coverage for your higher-glam days, it’s definitely worth it.
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