We Tried Patrick Ta’s Glowy New Liquid Foundation

When it comes to the “skinification” of makeup, Patrick Ta just gets it. When he first unveiled his groundbreaking blush hack—placing cream blush on top of powder blush—BeautyTok was simultaneously flabbergasted and captivated. The celebrity makeup artist has always had an intuitive understanding of how to make skin look like skin, so it’s no wonder that Patrick Ta Beauty’s blushes and bronzers have broken the Internet and found their way into every It Girl’s complexion routine. 

Today, those routines just got another addition from Patrick Ta Beauty: a liquid foundation. Just in time for demure fall, the Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Luminous Skin Perfecting Foundation is here to give us skin that’s very demure, very cutesy, and very mindful. Read on for everything you need to know about the new foundation and team Byrdie’s honest thoughts. 

The Inspiration

Patrick Ta is no stranger to red carpet makeup. With an iconic client roster—from Gigi Hadid to Adriana Lima to Shay Mitchell—he knows that his makeup is constantly being photographed, so he wanted this foundation to provide “wearable red carpet” coverage: luminous, blurring, and buildable, but also able to blend seamlessly into the skin.

Naturally, the foundation is perfect for underpainting. Because of the lightweight and medium coverage formula, the foundation is a perfect companion for underpainting. “I have been obsessed with underpainting,” Patrick Ta told editors at an event. “When you’re underpainting, you don’t need to be as precise when you’re applying your bronzer or blush.” Ta’s underpainting technique involves applying blush and bronzer underneath the foundation, then slowly pressing in a thin layer of foundation with a beauty sponge for a skin-like finish.

The Formula

With serum-inspired ingredients, Ta is putting the “skin” in “skinification.” The medium coverage formula, which retails at $58, features a triple hyaluronic acid complex, squalane, and kombucha for a sensorial and seamless application. The Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Luminous Skin Perfecting Foundation comes in 30 shades ranging from fair to deep, with rosy, olive, golden, neutral, peachy, and red undertones considered. 

In 2022, Patrick Ta Beauty released the Major Skin Crème Foundation & Setting Powder Duo. As opposed to the cream and powder duo, which was formulated for an on-the-go satin finish, this foundation was made to be a luminous base layer with a focus on the sensorial and skincare aspects. 

The Reviews

Derek Deng, associate content editor

“Foundation formulations tend to fall into two categories: photo-ready with a velvety finish and breathable with a glowy finish. This foundation from Patrick Ta is the best of both worlds. I’ve worn this foundation to the club and to the grocery store, which speaks to its versatility. It’s easy to be intimidated by underpainting, but this foundation makes it that much more approachable, acting as a kind of perfecting and blurring veil on top of your base routine. Given the dewy finish of this foundation, I’d definitely recommend baking your face with translucent powder after application to make sure the foundation doesn’t slip and slide throughout the day. TLDR: it’s giving dewy, demure skin.”

Eden Stuart, editor

“This is easily one of my favorite complexion launches of the year thus far. There are loads of undertone options, which I usually find tricky in the medium/medium-tan family, and the feel is so lightweight and comfortable. You can definitely tell that Patrick and his team were committed to creating a formula for us New York Girlies who have spent the entire summer melting like ice cream cones! With two pumps I get solidly medium coverage that blurs most imperfections, and I’d describe the finish as radiant-natural. (On my combo skin, that means more radiant than natural in the T-Zone.) Overall, I love.”

Jasmine Phillips, social media editor

“I normally gravitate towards a skin tint when it comes to complexion products, but I had to try Patrick Ta’s latest launch. This foundation offers medium coverage and leaves my skin plump and glowy. As someone with deep skin, I appreciate the shade range and I can see myself reaching for this product anytime I want a little extra coverage.”