This review of Youthforia’s Date Night foundation first appeared in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter where our beauty writers share their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. But we liked it so much we wanted to share it with all of our readers. If you want more first impressions of buzzy launches, quick takes on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and deep dives into the week’s best beauty launches, sign up here. The Strategist Beauty Brief is delivered every Wednesday.
There are many things I am lazy about — keeping my desk tidy, taking sweaters to the dry cleaner — but washing my makeup off at the end of the day is not one of them. Even if I’m stumbling home after a night out, bleary-eyed and exhausted from hours of dancing, I’ll drag myself to the sink to double-cleanse before falling into bed. So when Youthforia released its new Date Night foundation that’s supposedly safe to sleep in, I was skeptical. A formula comprising 68 percent skin-care actives, an infusion of “sebum-control complex,” and approval from a dermatologist are all very well and good, but I was still convinced of the merits of sleeping in a bare face.
When I spoke with Youthforia founder Fiona Co Chan, she mentioned that she decided to create and name this foundation Date Night because it was something she wished she’d had on hand when she first began dating her now-husband. (Recall that scene in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel where she covertly wakes up a full hour before her husband to tend to her appearance.) This piqued my interest, and I decided to call in a sample to put these claims to the test. Even if I did end up sprouting a few zits, I figured it was a risk worth taking in the name of journalism.
Upon initial application, I could immediately tell that Date Night was formulated as a foundation, not a skin tint. The product had a thicker texture and sat more heavily on my skin. But after about 30 minutes, it had settled in and looked less cakey and more like the intended “glass skin” finish that it promises with a subtly luminous, blurring effect that held up for about ten hours of wear with no cracking or settling into lines — even as I ate tacos and sweat through a Pilates class. It’s certainly a solid choice as a regular day-to-day foundation, but the true test was yet to come.
I elected to sleep in it for three nights (unlike the 28-night trial that Youthforia ran with 31 participants), and if anyone feels inclined to complain that that’s not enough time, they are welcome to test their luck with their own skin and pillowcase. For the first two nights, I showered and followed the steps of my regular skin-care routine, then applied a pump of the foundation (but no other makeup) before going to bed. Nervous that the product would stain my white silk pillowcase, I made sure to douse myself with a generous spritz of setting spray, and though there was some slight smudging and transfer, it was nothing that regular old soap and water couldn’t get out. And since the foundation had a sheer, weightless finish, it didn’t make my skin feel dry or dehydrated the way a mattifying foundation might.
On the third night, I applied the foundation as it was intended: as part of a full face in the evening right before a night out, and, after returning around 3 a.m., I skipped my usual cleansing routine in favor of heading straight to bed.
The morning after, I woke up and anxiously scrutinized my face in the mirror, breathing a sigh of relief when my skin appeared relatively unchanged before I embarked on this experiment. Most of my makeup had worn off at that point, but I could still detect a subtle evenness to my skin tone that wouldn’t have been there otherwise — normally my face is a bit blotchy in the mornings.
I don’t often get breakouts of the red, angry variety, but I more so contend with texture and bumpiness as my pores are very prone to clogging. Date Night didn’t improve my skin per se — that’s too big an ask for a foundation, I think, no matter how packed it is with nourishing skin-care ingredients — but it didn’t seem to have made it any worse either, which was really all I could ask for. I certainly wouldn’t advise wearing it for a month straight, but if you’re meeting up with a hot Hinge date, you can rest easy.
This article originally appeared in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter from our beauty writers on their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. Sign up here.
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