DCYPHER foundation review – choosing a foundation shade online for brown skin

November 15, 2020

Looking for a new foundation during lockdown? Can’t get to the shops? Have no fear, my DCYPHER foundation review will show you exactly how to find the perfect match foundation online. This is a huge bonus for me, as finding the right foundation for brown skin has been a lifelong struggle. Now I don’t need to even leave the house. 

Check out my video review and try-on for the first time, followed by my always honest thoughts.

How to find the perfect foundation shade online

Finding the right foundation is hard at the best of times. Throw in a global pandemic and lockdown leading to the closure of non-essential shops, and finding the right foundation match online without trying before you buy is even harder.  

To make things even more difficult, try finding the perfect foundation match online for brown skin. It’s quite the conundrum. I struggled for years to get the right shade.

How to find the right foundation for brown skin

When I was younger, there was no such thing as foundation for brown skin. The shops where I grew up only had foundation colours such as porcelain or ivory and had pink undertones. I detailed the challenge of finding the right foundation for brown skin in one of my earliest blog posts, where I reviewed Urban Decay.

So when DCYPHER got in touch about a PR sample and promise of providing the perfect foundation for any skin tone without the need to even go into a store and try it, I was obviously intrigued with a healthy dose of scepticism.  

DCYPHER foundation review – finding the perfect foundation shade online for brown skin

The DCYPHER foundation matching tool is incredibly simple to use. You simply go to their website and answer some questions about your skin type and what finish and level of coverage you’d like. See the screenshots of the process below:

DCYPHER me foundation colour finder


Dcypher foundation skin type check Type of Foundation coverage Screenshot from DCYPHER foundation website
How to choose a foundation online with Dcypher
Then, you are asked to take a picture of your face in front of three different windows in your house us
ing the Photo Booth style technology. To avoid any possible error they have a traffic light system where it turns green when you are under the correct lighting and they can have a good shot up your face. It’s all very intuitive and user-friendly so minimal room for error.

You have the option of purchasing a sample first (I would advise this to be on the safe side). The sample is just £3.99 so well worth getting, just to be sure you’re happy with the match.

And that’s it! The rest is down to them. They formulate an exact foundation based on your photo and specifications and like magic, it arrives in the post.

DCYPHER foundation for brown skin – my experience

I used to have combination skin. After having kids, my skin is more of the normal variety, so that what I selected.  I opted for a full coverage foundation.

You can see me try on the foundation for the first time in my video review here.

I even recorded a follow-up after wearing the foundation for hours, to really put it through its paces. And below are some shots of me wearing the DCYPHER foundation.

Dr PAWPAW peach pink tinted balm as a highlighter for brown skin

 DCYPHER foundation review - choosing a foundation shade online for brown skin


DCYPHER foundation – My honest review 

Given that finding the perfect foundation for brown skin is incredibly difficult in store, I wasn’t sure what to expect from DCYPHER.

So to find my perfect foundation shade online was a big surprise. When I first tried it on, I wasn’t sure if it was a pinch too dark for my skintone. However, after it settled in it gave me a real glow and looked seamless. You’ll see from my video review, that I applied in a very slapdash way with just my fingers and it still looked immaculate. So it not only passed the brown girl skin test, it also aced the busy mum challenge! Even my sister gave me high praise when she saw me on FaceTime… she doesn’t dish out compliments easily!

The DCYPHER foundation also stood the test of time as I put in through its paces doing many a mum task.

DCYPHER foundation under different lighting

Finally, in the interests of thorough reporting, I tested out the DCYPHER foundation under my new ring light, and you can see the results in my video.  

My verdict on choosing a foundation online for brown skin with DCYPHER 

The DCYPHER website is incredibly easy to use, it’s a pretty low risk investment as you only need to get a sample first.  So not only is it amazing as a solution to find the perfect foundation online during lockdown, it would be great for any time. I’d even go as far as to say I prefer it to my previous favourite – Maybelline’s Fit Me Foundation.

DCYPHER currently has a referral programme too, where you and a friend can get £10 off.

Have you bought any makeup during lockdown? Have you even bought makeup online and regretted it? Let me know in a comment below.

HalimaBobs

About the Author

HalimaBobs

I’m a British-Bengali Muslim mum-of-two. My pictures aren’t filtered and neither are my words. I’m not a makeup artist, chef or lifestyle guru. I’m just me, sharing honest beauty reviews for brown skin, halal restaurant finds, travel inspo, mum life hacks, easy Bengali recipes and more. If that’s your bag, keep reading!

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