Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation Review

One of the most highly rated foundations of the last year or so has been Marc Jacobs' Genius Gel Super Charged Foundation - both bloggers and Youtubers have sung its praises countless times. I was incredibly eager to get a bottle to test out for myself when I was in New York last November, so after nearly two months of using it, I'm finally ready to review it for you all!

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super Charged Foundation claims to be a breakthrough foundation that is anti-ageing, long-wearing and awakens your skin to its ideal radiance and clarity. Those are fairly hefty claims to make, which I imagine is how they feel they could justify the $50 price tag.



Firstly, I adore the packaging of the foundation - incredibly luxurious with a glazed bottle and a pump. I love the simplicity of the bottle - just the Marc Jacobs logo emblazoned on it. It looks every inch the high-end make-up item!

Also in terms of colour selection, this foundation has quite a large range to choose from - there are 16 shades in the collection, which range from cool to warm tones.

On my initial trail of it, I was content, but not blown away. The consistency of the product is quite runny and it is very sheer. I applied it with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, which is how I still like to apply it, but I felt that it didn't offer much coverage at all. This disappointed me as I had hoped the coverage would be good enough to give a nice flawless finish, but sadly all it did was even out my skin tone. I still needed a considerable amount of concealer to hide all of the redness and blemishes on my face.

When I finished applying my make-up, I was actually quite happy with how it turned out, but I still felt there was a little something missing.

I expressed this concern to my cousin, who had bought the foundation a week after me, and she recommended that I try layering it, as the formula is quite light.
I did this and I was hugely impressed by the difference - my skin looked fresh and radiant, but I still had the coverage I required. I tend to apply an initial layer of product to my whole face, then just begin to layer in the areas which I felt needed a little more coverage.

Now just a quick note on what I think of the claims they make on the bottle:
Anti-Ageing? I don't really have a comment on its anti-ageing properties, considering I'm only 18!
Long-Wearing? Absolutely. It sets like a second skin and stays there all day long, without need to touch up or add some blot powder.
Awakens Your Skin? Yes! I love the finish it gives - it's not matte, nor is it overly dewy - it's a nice somewhere in-between finish!

Despite my initial qualms, I really love this foundation. It's most definitely on the pricey side at $50 a bottle, but I believe it was worth it after using it for two months.

Unfortunately Marc Jacobs is yet to bring his beauty range to Ireland and the UK, however the good news is that you can order it online from Sephora.com, or it's available at Sephoras worldwide if you find yourself near one soon.

Have you tried the Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation? Also, what high-end foundation should I try next? I'm thinking Dior Star or the latest offering from YSL...

Zara :-) x