Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series drops every Monday (you’re not dreaming. Today is Tuesday, consider this a cheeky once-off) and is your weekly review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellness. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Senior Lifestyle Writer Amy Clark road tested seven new foundations in seven days.

Fact: I always thought foundation wasn’t for me.

Too cakey, I said.Covers my freckles, I said.Looks yellow. Smells funky. Goes crusty. Ghosts me after a few hours without so much as a reason why, I said.

But over the last month or so, new foundations have popped up everywhere. And after trying pretty much all of them, I am now eating my words and praying none of them ever leave me.

We asked a makeup artist to show us exactly how to use concealer under your eyes, check it out below. Post continues after video.

To make choosing a new foundation a touch easier, I decided to try and document seven of the latest foundations over a week.

Here’s how that went.

*A few notes on application: I applied all of these foundations by dotting the product around my face and blending with a beauty blender. I also have some dryness over my nose, which has nothing to do with any of the foundations and everything to do with… my nose.

Monday: Clarins Everlasting Youth Fluid Foundation, $65.

Clarins Everlasting Youth Fluid Foundation. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

Here's what the formula looks like straight out of the bottle. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

Here's me wearing the Clarins foundation in the Mamamia office. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

What the brand says:

"The foundation that fully restores your complexion's youthful glow - instantly restore a glowing radiant complexion, and conceal age spots and imperfections. Contains extracts of chicory and red jania that help optimise the skin's luminosity and radiance. Day after day, your skin is firmer, plumped, smooth and radiant."

What I think:

I'd agree this foundation does exactly what it promises. The formula somehow melts into your skin and looks better as the day goes on, which is great if you're after sheer to medium coverage and a glowy, glowy, glowy finish.

The product has a light but sturdy consistency (is this a... thing?) and I find one pump does the trick. You can build the coverage, and you can also sheer the product out - on days I want a sheerer finish, I pretend I'm an artist and mix a pump of the foundation with a big pump of a face oil/serum/liquid highlighter.

Tuesday: ZOEVA Authentik Foundation, $50.

ZOEVA Authentik Foundation. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

LOVE how you can see my hand hairs (???) in these photos. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

I wore the Zoeva foundation on a 'shit, I forgot to wash my hair so I'll put it in a ponytail' day. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

What the brand says:

"A liquid foundation enhanced with Rose Hip Oil that delivers medium, buildable coverage with a weightless, natural-looking, and luminous finish. Available in 44 inclusive shades with a variety of warm, cool, or neutral undertones, the radiant foundation has an innovative lightweight formula designed to maintain the skin’s natural protective barrier while evening out complexion and allowing your skin’s natural luminosity to shine through."

What I think:

This foundation isso easy to wear. Some foundations are hard work and like to throw a tantrum halfway through the day by clinging to dry bits and settling in wrinkles, but this Zoeva foundation requires little to no touching up.

Looking at the photos, the formula gave my face an overall glow and evened out any redness in my skin tone, while still letting freckles and some imperfections show. We're human, this is important. I'd agree the coverage is medium, but it doesn't feel cakey or heavy at all, and the finish was luminous, not dewy.

A fun fact, each shade comes with an affirmation (my shade 050N is I am Beautiful).

Wednesday: Australis Fresh & Flawless Full Coverage Foundation, $19.95.

Australis Fresh & Flawless Full Coverage Foundation. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

This foundation has a surprisingly light consistency for a full coverage foundation. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

Here's me wearing it on route to somewhere in the car - the lighting is weird but the coverage is spot on. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

What the brand says:

"A full coverage, ultra-lightweight foundation formulated with skin-loving Vitamins C and E, and SPF 15 to moisturise, smooth and protect. Say CYA to pores and fine lines and HELLO to a soft, airbrushed finish that’ll party with you not against you. Look Fresh & Flawless all day, every day!"

What I think:

My freckles and I are truly terrified of full coverage foundations. It took me a few minutes to get used to seeing my face wearing one, but once I did the rest of my makeup look (translucent powder, bronzer, cream highlighter and brow gel), I quite dug myself in the Australis foundation.

Apologies for the terrible lighting in the shot above, but you can see the formula is much more full coverage than the Zoeva and Clarins foundations. It gives a blurred, soft airbrushed effect that's great for photos or if you know you're going to be doing important stuff all day and won't have time to check on your makeup. Or all the time depending on your preference.

For a full coverage product, the consistency is quite runny, which made applying it pretty easy. Blending is key - I went over and over it with my beauty blender until it felt seamless around my neck, hairline, ears etc.

The $20 price tag is also very lovely. Absolute bargain.

P.S. A woman in the MamamiaYou Beauty Facebook group tried this foundation and reckons it's a solid dupe for her MAC StudioFIX foundation.

Thursday: Mecca Cosmetica Hydra Skin Tint, $40.

Mecca Cosmetica Hydra Skin Tint. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

Very pigmented for a 'tinted moisturiser'. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

FYI I'm sitting in excellent lighting. I'm also wearing an illuminating primer underneath. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

What the brand says:

"This weightless tint transforms under your fingertips revealing a burst of hydration for your skin whilst also imparting an undetectable natural-looking wash of colour. As you blend, the tint adjusts to your skin tone, correcting unevenness and discolouration to deliver your most effortless skin, every day of the week."

What I think:

Technically, this is not a foundation. Sue me. But it is all over Instagram and rightly so. The best way to describe the Hydra Skin Tint is, to quote Britney Spears: 'not a tinted moisturiser, not yet a foundation'.

Worn on its own, the coverage is light and the consistency creamy and hydrating. Full disclosure, I applied a bronze liquid illuminator underneath for an added boost. The formula is very forgiving, both to apply and wear throughout the day. It's perfect for foundation beginners or casual days when you don't need much but want to make you skin look 'better'.

I'd go as far to say this product is a decent match for the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser ($69) I've been using for five years...

Friday: Revlon Colorstay Life-Proof Matte Foundation Stick, $24.95.

Revlon Colorstay Life-Proof Matte Foundation Stick. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

Check out this whipped texture! Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

I call this look 'No Makeup Makeup'. Image: Supplied/Amy Clark.

What the brand says:

"An ultra pigmented, foundation stick with 24-hour wear in a super-gliding, weightless texture and matte finish. Humidity-proof, transfer and smudge-resistant. Twist-up stick component for convenient, on-the-go application. Buildable coverage."

What I think:

This foundation doesn't budge. It's a stick version of the original Colorstay liquid formula and as you can see from the product swatch, the texture is lightly whipped. Coverage-wise, you're looking at full coverage that sits light