Launching a makeup brand is never easy. Launching one in 2020 is even harder. But when Mario Dedivanovic launched his eponymous brand Makeup by Mario nearly three years ago, he set out to change the way we think about cosmetics. The result has been nothing but hits.
Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation in 30W
Though we're obsessed with his creamy blushes and bronzers, show-stopping shadow palettes, and more—the one product fans have repeatedly asked for is foundation, he tells BAZAAR.com. Today, Makeup by Mario drops the Surreal Skin Foundation, a natural-yet-luminous finish foundation that is going to change your skin in 2023.
“We have a large demographic that has been waiting for complexion from us,” the makeup artist says. “Even when we’ve teased other products on Instagram, people would comment and ask if it was finally a foundation.”
Dedivanovic’s blueprint for the brand consists of flipping old makeup methods and misconceptions. When he released his Skin Enhancer this past summer, he aimed to reinvent heavy contour and chalky bronzers with a lighter-than-air cream that left the skin with a sunkissed sheen. The SurrealSkin Foundation is no different.
“I’m really excited about re-educating people about foundation,” Dedivanovic says. “Because a lot of my fans know me from the YouTube days, they still go quite heavy with their makeup. Ninety-five percent of the time, you don’t need to cover your skin that much, but it was how we were taught years ago. You can still get your desired look, but you don’t need to cover everything. Surreal Skin will introduce them to a lighter formula that still looks glamourous."
Shop Makeup by Mario's SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation
Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation in 1C
Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation in 9W
Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation in 13W
Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation in 20N
Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation in 26N
Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation in 29C
With 30 shades, the new foundation has a moisture-grip technology that keeps the product in place all day–plus vegan squalene and grapeseed oil to moisturize the skin for 12 hours. “Some super-moisturizing products just glide onto the face, but this one sticks onto the skin with the moisture-grip and sets well with other products,” he says. Dedivanovic decided on a breathable, luminous finish rather than something too dewy. “They call me the mix master at work because I love to mix and work in layers, so the foundation is the perfect base to add sculpting and highlighting products atop without looking greasy,” he explains.
As a longtime celebrity makeup artist and expert, Dedivanovic says one of his main problems when working with foundation is oxidation. “I’ve used foundations that look great upon application, but then appear yellow or orange from it oxidizing, so we did a lot of testing to make sure the foundation is non-oxidizing," he says.
Whether you're a full-coverage fanatic or obsessed with skin tints, what makes Surreal Skin so universally appealing is how easily it melts into the skin and is perfectly buildable.
Makeup by Mario's SurrealSkin Foundation is available at MakeupbyMario.com and Sephora.com for $42.
