If I’m being honest, despite being a beauty editor, I’m absolutely rubbish at finding the best foundation (opens in new tab) match for my skin. I don’t know if I want something dewy (opens in new tab), like a tinted moisturiser (opens in new tab) or serum foundation (opens in new tab), or if I want a matte foundation or full-coverage base (opens in new tab). And even if I do know what sort of finish I want, trying to pin point my specific shade is a whole other problem.
In fact, trying to find your foundation shade (opens in new tab) is really quite difficult—even if you do everything right. That’s why, when I heard about the foundation brand DCYPHER (opens in new tab), I was more than a little intrigued. By harnessing industry-first AI technology along with colour science, DCYPHER manages to create an exact-match foundation, simply by scanning your face on your phone or laptop camera and asking you a few very basic questions. Once done, it assigns you a Skin Tone ID to create a curated formula that best suits you.
(Image credit: Shannon Lawlor)
And I know what you’re thinking, it sounds really expensive. But actually, it’s not. For £28, you can get a bottle of foundation perfectly matched to your skin tone. And because, as a beauty editor, I know better than to just believe everything a brand tells me—I decided to give it a go for myself.
Truth be told, I’m impressed. Here’s how I got on…
The scan
Firstly, I headed over to dcypher.me (opens in new tab) to create my own foundation. I selected the button that said ‘Create yours now’ and took three scan of my face—the technology is really good at guiding you on the right environment to make sure the lighting is perfect. Once they were done, I was asked three questions:
- What best describes your skin? (Oily/Combi, Balanced or Dry)
- What coverage do you prefer? (Ultra sheer, Sheer, Medium or Full)
- What finish do you look for? (Matte, Natural or Radiant)
The technology then provided me with my Skintone ID and gave me some different products to shop from.
The products
DCYPHER has two different foundations to decide between: Custom Foundation and Custom Coverage Drops. As someone who prefers a lightweight finish, the Custom Coverage Drops (which can be used as a concealer or a skin tint) spoke more to be than the fuller-coverage foundation, but for the sake of journalism, I opted for the hero Custom Foundation.
It’s worth noting that DCYPHER also offers a 4-piece brush set for £25.
DCYPHER Custom Foundation
DCYPHER Custom Coverage Drops
DCYPHER Professional Complexion Brush Set
The result
The colour match is genuinely phenomenal. It’s perfect. I have never, in all of my years in this job, found a foundation that matches my skin tone so perfectly. As for finish, if you like a medium-to-full coverage, you’ll love DCYPHER Custom Foundation. It’s not matte, but it’s not majorly radiant either—it just looks like skin. Plus, when it comes to wear time, it lasts. I applied it first thing in the morning and it lasted right up until I got home from work at 7.30pm.
I did find that it clung to dry patches, but then I’ve never found a foundation with this level of coverage that doesn’t. Personally, I think I’ll go for the Custom Coverage Drops next—the idea of a lightweight, skin-like finish appeals more to me that a straight-up foundation.
In conclusion? When it comes to shade matching, this is probably the future of foundation shopping.