“LAURA GELLER NEW YORK Award-Winning Baked Balance-n-Brighten Color Correcting Powder Foundation – Medium – Buildable Light to Medium Coverage – Demi-Matte Natural Finish “
Transparency Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to grab this foundation through my link, I may earn a small commission from Amazon (at no extra cost to you). I purchased this product myself to see if it lives up to the “cult favorite” status.
Why I Stopped Wearing Liquid Foundation (And Switched to This “Swirly” Powder)
I have a love-hate relationship with powder foundations. On one hand, I love the speed. Swirl, tap, buff, done. On the other hand, most of them make me look like a dry, dusty ghost, or they settle into every single fine line under my eyes by 2 PM.
I kept hearing about the Laura Geller Baked Balance-n-Brighten Foundation. People claim it’s the “holy grail” for mature skin or anyone who hates the heavy feeling of liquid makeup. I finally picked up the shade Medium to see if the hype was real.
It’s Baked, Not Pressed (Yes, That Matters)
The first thing you notice when you open the compact is the weird marble pattern. It looks like a planet.
These are actually swirls of different liquid pigments that have been baked on a terracotta tile for 24 hours until they turn into a powder. Why does this matter? Because it starts as a cream, it doesn’t have that chalky, dry texture of a standard pressed powder. It feels surprisingly creamy when you touch it.
The marble mix isn’t just for looks, either. The different colors (gold, tan, cream) work together to color correct redness and dullness automatically. You don’t have to figure out color theory; the powder does it for you.
My Experience: The 30-Second Face
I used a dense kabuki brush to apply this. Here is my honest breakdown:
- Coverage: It is not full coverage. If you have a massive pimple, you will still need a spot concealer. This is light-to-medium coverage. It evens out my skin tone beautifully, but it still looks like skin.
- Finish: It’s described as “demi-matte,” which is accurate. It’s not flat, but it’s not shiny. It gives you a healthy “I drank 8 glasses of water” look.
- The Wear Test: The biggest surprise was that it didn’t crack around my nose or settle into my smile lines. It sat lightly on top of my skin all day.
Who Is This For?
If you love the “Instagram full-glam” look, you might hate this. It’s too subtle for that.
But you will love this if:
- You are over 35 and find liquid foundations accentuate your texture.
- You have Rosacea or redness (the color correction is legit).
- You are lazy in the morning and want to be done in under a minute.
Final Verdict
This has officially replaced my tinted moisturizer for quick errands. It’s forgiving, it’s fast, and it doesn’t look like I tried too hard. Just make sure you use a moisturizer underneath if you have very dry skin.
You can check your shade match on Amazon here:
