'I tried this "colour-adapting" foundation as a joke. I've worn it every day since.'

Mamamia's Tried and Tested series is your review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellbeing. You won't find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Mamamia's Em Vernem tries Lust Minerals Skin Sync Foundation.

When the Lust Minerals Skin Sync Foundation first came across my desk, I genuinely thought it was a joke.

I am famously sceptical of "magic" beauty products. My skin is needy. It's red, it's porous, It's acne prone… it's unpredictable. The idea of a white liquid somehow transforming into my perfect foundation shade seemed... absurd.

At best, I figured it would make me look pale and streaky. At worst, I'd end up some weird shade of orange.

But, for the sake of journalism (and because I couldn't resist seeing what would happen), I pumped a tiny bit onto the back of my hand.

Watch: The best foundation for summer. Post continues below.

I watched it as I blended and saw that it actually started to change colour.

It slowly shifted from stark white to a beige tint. I blended it in, and... it matched the skin on my hand perfectly. I'm talking seamless, invisible, "how-did-it-do-that" perfect.

Okay, I was impressed. But here's the problem: my hand and my face are two very different environments. My face is significantly lighter than the rest of my body and has a lovely collection of redness, visible pores, and old acne marks.

There was no way this was going to work on the main event… right?

What is Lust Minerals Skin Sync Foundation?

The foundation in question. Image: Supplied.

Before I put it on my face, I did some research. The Lust Minerals Skin Sync Foundation retails for $64.99, and the big sell is that it's an "all-in-one" moisturiser, foundation and many a serums.

The "Skin Sync" part is the main feature. It's a colour-adjusting formula that comes in four different base shades. It pumps out white and then, supposedly, adapts to your unique skin tone upon application. It's designed to be lightweight, mineral-based, and provide a "your-skin-but-better" finish.

As someone who hates the feeling of heavy foundation, this all sounded great… If it actually worked.

How did it go?

Like… it literally looks like my nightly mouisturiser. Images: Supplied.

I pumped some of the white cream onto my fingers (still felt wrong), dotted it on my face, got out my makeup brush, and went to work.

I blended. And blended. And... nothing.

Well, not nothing. It looked like I'd just applied a really nice, smoothing primer. My redness was slightly reduced, and my pores were nicely blurred, but it wasn't... foundation. Every blemish and spot of redness was still completely visible.

I sat back, confused. It worked on my hand! Why wasn't it working on my face?

But I am not a quitter. And I was also running late.

I decided to go back in, this time with two more pumps. Yes, two. That's double the amount I would ever use in any other foundation product, and honestly, it felt deeply wrong…. and it was wrong. I had forgotten about the "colour-adjusting" promise. After a few minutes… I looked insane. Like it was very obvious I had foundation blindness.

I managed to nail the process on my second go. I put on two small pumps and waited.

Over the next few minutes, the colour actually deepened. What started as a light, primer-like sheen slowly evolved into a proper medium-to-full coverage.

A few minutes after applying the foundation. Image: Supplied.

My redness was gone, my skin tone was even, and I looked... fresher.

The best part? It felt like... air. I genuinely forgot I had it on. It's incredibly moisturising and lightweight.

However. This is where I got complacent. Because the product goes on white and develops slowly, I got a bit... excited. I pulled a white T-shirt on later that day and... yeah. Brown stains. Everywhere.

This stuff transfers. You have to be careful, and because it starts with no colour, you totally forget that it ends with a lot of it. I was walking around with foundation all over my collar.

The verdict.

Before (left) and after (right). Images: Supplied.

I'm shocked to report that I've been using this every single day since (just not with white clothing).

But this foundation comes with a disclaimer: This is not a "slap-it-on-and-run-out-the-door" product. This foundation is something you have to learn.

You have to learn to trust the process. You will be tempted to pack it on when you first apply it, and it looks like nothing. Don't. That light sheen will evolve, and the colour deepens significantly. If you apply too much, you'll end up with way too much coverage and a face that transfers onto everything.

If you're after instant, slap-it-on coverage, this isn't it. But if you're like me, and you want something that starts light, feels like nothing, and builds to a beautiful coverage, this is very good.

For more tried and tested beauty recommendations, listen to the You Beauty podcast or watch You Beauty on YouTube.

At Mamamia, we independently curate and write about products we rave about in our group chats and think you should know about too. If you purchase a product we have recommended, we may earn a small commission.

Feature image: Supplied.

If you want more from Emily Vernem, you can follow her on Instagram @emilyvernem.