Cosmo HQ Review: 4 Editors Tried Fenty Beauty’s New Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex Foundation

It’s been a month since Fenty Beauty launched its new foundation called Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex. We’ve been road testing it and, of course, we have thoughts. But first, it’s important to lay out just how big of a deal this moment is. Fenty Beauty literally changed the entire beauty industry when the brand launched with 40 super-inclusive shades of its Pro Filt’r foundation. The number ultimately expanded to 50 and has been one of the most beloved—and best-selling—complexion products in the market. So you can only imagine our shock when, several months ago, we were told (after being sworn to secrecy, ofc) that Fenty would be sunsetting the original foundation and debuting a brand spankin’ new one. But whyyyyy?Well, Rihanna and her team of beauty masterminds thought it was time for something even better. And to be clear, this isn’t just the OG Pro Filt’r with a few tweaks. The original was known for its soft-matte, medium-to-full coverage and serious shine control. The new Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex is lighter, more flexible and more skin-like, with a natural-matte finish and buildable medium coverage. It is also waterproof and designed to move with your face without creasing, settling or transferring. And those iconic 50 shades? Fenty started over there, too, creating 50 all-new shades with more neutral options and fine-tuned undertones.Basically, Rih didn’t reformulate a classic. She replaced it. Which begs the question: Is the new new actually better than the OG? We put it to the test—here’s what we think!About Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex:The new Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex is lighter and more skin-like, with buildable coverage and a natural-matte finish that moves with your skin without creasing or transferring. Plus, it comes in 50 shades.Julee Wilson, beauty editor-at-largeJulee WilsonI’ve been using the OG Pro Filt’r foundation since its inception, so I was definitely nervous about this new iteration. As a beauty editor, I have a handful of foundations in heavy rotation at all times, but I can honestly say Fenty has always been in the mix.So...what I love is that the new formula is super buildable and lightweight enough that I barely feel it on my face. The longevity is also impressive. On nights when I’ve had after-work plans, I haven’t needed to reapply. I even traveled all the way to Paris with it last week, where it held up beautifully as I ran around the city of lights.I’m also a fan of the new bottle. It has a nice weight to it and feels good in my hand, but since it’s smaller than the OG, it travels well, too. Fenty also debuted a new foundation brush with the launch—and it’s great—but my go-to is still the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush.My only note? I wish the brand had kept the original shades so we didn’t have to go through the shade-matching process all over again. But, hey, a little extra work for a flawless complexion is worth it.Jasmine Hyman, assistant beauty editorJasmine HymanI haven’t been a massive fan of the Fenty foundations in the past. I’ve loved many Fenty products—Pass me the Gloss Bomb, the Killawatt Highlighter, and the Eaze Drop Skin Tint—but the brand’s attempts at full and medium coverage never did it for me. My skin is combination, so I can’t have something too hydrating, but a dry matte won’t work either. Plus, I have extremely acne-prone skin that’s historically always been covered in zits or acne scars. These days, my skin isn’t so problematic, but I do still want it to look completely flawless here and there.When I first squirted a few pumps of this on the back of my hand, I noticed that it’s quite thin. I tend to prefer foundations like this—I’d rather build up thin layers than have a thick mask on my face. I applied with my usual foundation brush (I like something that’s flat but not too dense so I can really buff the product into my skin, like Sephora’s Pro Foundation Brush #47) and was immediately floored with how well it covered. I could tell I had foundation on, sure, but it wasn’t cakey at all yet entirely covered up every dark spot on my cheek. The finish is certainly matte, but it looked velvety and soft, like my skin was naturally that smooth. I’ve now worn this about five times, and it might officially become my special occasion foundation. It makes my skin look so damn good. I actually attended the Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards in this, and multiple people were asking what I do to make my skin look so good. Not “what foundation are you wearing?” but rather “what treatments and skincare products do you use?” It was the biggest compliment to both me and this foundation.Beth Gillette, beauty editor InstagramAdmittedly I was never a fan of Fenty’s old formulation. I found it was too heavy and matte on my dry skin. However, this upgraded version was surprisingly more buildable rather than immediately full coverage. After just one or two pumps, I was able to completely smooth over any of my redness and hyperpigmentation. What I love most about the formula is you can completely customize the type of finish—I opted for a dewy glow by spraying Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Setting Spray on top, and you would never know this was the same foundation that someone who used a matte powder or finishing spray had on. No matter your glam level preference, this foundation works with you.Tamara Fuentes, entertainment editor Tamara FuentesOkay, no joke, I have been on a journey with this foundation. I do want to start by saying that it is absolutely incredible and miles ahead of the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, which had been my go-to everyday foundation since it came out.However, despite being so excited to try the new formula, finding my shade was nearly impossible. There were inconsistencies with the online shade-matching tools—at one point, Fenty’s own system told me my shade match didn’t exist—and I found the undertone options tricky, especially for those of us who fall somewhere in the middle. My old shade worked well with my peach undertone, while my new match is described as “neutral warm.”In person, I was also matched to a different shade depending on who was helping me, which showed me just how much lighting and the expertise of the person doing the matching can make a difference. I tried eight shades before finally finding the right one. That’s obviously not ideal or cost-friendly for someone who doesn’t live near a makeup store, especially without samples available to test multiple shades at home.Once I found my match, though, I understood the hype! Paired with the Fenty Grip Trip Hydrating + Plumping Primer, the new formula is a significant improvement over its predecessor, with a much smoother finish and more buildable coverage. The Soft Matte would occasionally clump, sometimes forcing me to redo my makeup completely. I haven’t had that issue with this formula.It does feel slightly heavier, but I got used to that pretty quickly. I was really against this change at first, but now I understand why Fenty did it. I’ve also noticed significantly less transfer—or, honestly, almost none at all—onto my clothes and glasses, even after exercising.Final thoughts:Across different skin types and makeup preferences, the consensus is clear: Fluid Flex feels like a serious upgrade. It is lightweight, buildable and long-wearing and delivers that coveted your-skin-but-better finish without sacrificing coverage. Even those who weren’t fans of the OG formula were impressed. The only real headache is finding your new shade. But once you do, the payoff is pretty damn flawless!Why trust Cosmopolitan?Julee Wilson is beauty editor-at-large at Cosmopolitan. Previously, Julee was beauty director at Cosmo and global beauty director at Essence and has held various editorial positions at Huffington Post and Real Simple. She counts herself lucky AF that she gets to play with beauty products for a living and tell dope stories. And if you’re as obsessed with beauty as she is, make sure to follow her on Instagram for plenty of product recs, natural hair inspo, skincare testing, and Black girl magic shenanigans.Julee Wilson is Beauty Editor at Large at Cosmopolitan. Previously, Julee was Beauty Director at Cosmo and Global Beauty Director at Essence and has held various editorial positions at Huffington Post and Real Simple. She counts herself lucky AF that she gets to play with beauty products for a living and tell dope stories. And if you’re as obsessed with beauty as she is, make sure to follow her on Instagram for plenty of product recs, natural hair inspo, skincare testing, and Black girl magic shenanigans.