An honest Axiology Foundation Review.

We saw the promo for Axiology's new mushroom-infused foundation. It's called Fungdation and it looked so good! Kellie couldn't wait to try it. Here's what she thought, as well as pics on how it looks on the skin. TLDR; it isn't for everyone, but which foundation is? If your skin type and texture preference matches the Fungdation profile, you'll never look back.

I've always been wary of foundation sticks...

Hi! I'm Kellie. My skin is forever dry. I'm forever searching for the fountain of dewy-ness. Naturally, I prefer emulsion foundations, because they tend to apply better on dry, sometimes-flaky-skin. But when Axiology released their Fungdation promo and I saw the formula was packed with skin-plumping reishi and snow mushrooms and plenty of rich emollients such as Meadowfoam seed oil (the first ingredient, no less), cocoa butter and almond oil, I was sold (also I'm super impressionable lol). I found my perfect shade pretty easily using the samples. Note, Fungdation comes in various undertones which should be the bare minimum standards for foundations in 2025 (but somehow still isn't?!). This means it won't turn you orange or ashy.

How do I know my undertone?

I think I have stared at my skin with such a high level of scrutiny under a magnifying glass swearing at my pores that I just noticed my undertone was neutral (unless the fake tan was popping, in which case it became neutral-warm). But is there some official method of finding out your undertone? Not really. You can consult a makeup artist, take a photo with an app like Neutone or check out one of the millions of helpful quizzes online. We recommend this guide from SkinKraft, it summarizes all the main methods and is pretty comprehensive.

Axiology Fungdation Ingredients

The key ingredients in the formula are Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Sunflower Seed Wax and Corn Starch. The latter two ingredients presumably to solidify its texture and stabilize the formula, while the fist two to give it some moisture and glide. I'm not a huge fan of the corn starch tbh, because that is more suitable for keeping makeup looking fresh on oilier skin types, but there are a tonne of other emollients in the formula list to balance it out. It's rounded out with vitamin E, an excellent (moisturising) antioxidant. All-in-all, it's a pretty clean ingredients list - something which is very on-brand for Axiology. Also, you'll notice the formula does not contain water - a big tick for the environment (at the end of the day, it's a precious resource), and also for value-for-money: who wants to pay for water. 

Plastic-free packaging ftw

Let's not forget this foundation is 100%  plastic-free and zero waste! It's actually perfect to travel with or to slip in your handbag for touch-ups. It's not a glass bottle that could accidentally break and paint the insides of your bag a different colour if it falls off the chair (this happened to me, hence the specific hypothetical) or bulky.

Texture of Fungdation

Fungdation reminds me a little of the Dew Balms: it's like a solid stick, and you push it up at the base to reveal more foundation. I used shade #3, which as you can see from the picture below, was basically a perfect match for my neutral undertone. As in, deadset match to the point where it looked like someone had taken all my skin, blended it into a paste, and gave it to me to apply lol.

Coverge of Fungdation

The coverage is better than I thought, it's actually not sheer. It's definitely on the medium side, and covers up mild blemishes. Stronger marks will need concealer first. If you have dark or blue-ish eye bags, I would also use a color corrector - because this won't colour correct. The finish made my skin look like it was naturally even, which tbh is the look I go for. I don't really like makeup that makes it very obvious I am wearing makeup. Some people felt the neutral tones had a greyish tint on initial application which later subsided, but I didn't notice that at all. All-in-all, I think Axiology's Fungdation is ideal for daily wear. If you are going for a full glam, though, you might want stronger coverage. 

Application of Fungdation

Here's where I think it can divide users. I really think there's a correct way to use it. This isn't a foundation for versatile application.It's summer in Australia right now and the balm formula works really well with a dense makeup sponge (don't use a super porous beauty blender, it doesn't apply so well). I also tried applying it with a brush, but it didn't apply as well as it did with a sponge. But when I left it in my air conditioned bedroom (which was set to 'freeze the fk out of me'), the stick became quite stiff and was harder to apply. This might be due to the oils in the formula solidifying a little. So for the best results, try 'warming' up the stick in your hands before use, if it's been left in a cool setting. We've also read about some people wetting their beauty blender in hot water first, so that the sponge was warm when applied. I didn't really need to go down that route, thanks to Melbourne's non-stop 40 degree days this season. 

Perfect skin-type for this kind of foundation 

It is not the most hydrating foundation around, but nor is it drying. I felt like when I use some hydrating foundation emulsion, my skin would look greasy after 5 hours - and it kind of felt gross to re-apply more foundation on top when I had to freshen up. But Axiology never greased up over the day. With that said, I still think this is probably going to end up being one of the best foundations for combination or oily skin types. You can wear it on dry skin (as I do) with a good, non-pilling moisturiser and it still looks chef's kiss. You can also dust a little bronzer along the cheekbones for a bit more natural glow on dry skin. But don't bother applying it on dry skin to the point of flakiness: it doesn't go-over well. And if you have super dry skin AND some acne (e.g. if you're starting Tretinoin and your skin is still in that 'adjustment' period), this isn't the foundation for you. For everyone else, this is a real go-er.

Results and final verdict

Love it. The non-greasy finish makes re-application a breeze. When I've had some flakiness on my skin appear, I have had to skip using Fungdation and opt for the standard emulsion foundation instead. I can't say I've noticed the 'skin plumping' effects and the finish is definitely more matte (hence, we think oily skin will take to this like a fish to water), but I use a little bronzer and my skin looks very natural with a hint of a glow. Check out the full reel of my application of Axiology Fungdation here!

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Find the Axiology Fungdation online in Australia at Kanvas Beauty

You can shop the Axiology Fungdation and other Axiology makeup products right here on Kanvas Beauty. Ready to find your perfect match? Check out the samples here.

We ship Australia-wide, including all the major cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide and Canberra). Enjoy free standard shipping with any purchase over $50, and free express shipping with any order over $99. We also ship to New Zealand! If you’re new to Kanvas Beauty, take an additional $20 off your first order with us (use code WELCOME20 at checkout).

Happy shopping! If you have further questions about Axiology or any of our other brands, drop us a line on chat or on email: hello@kanvasbeauty.com.au.

Have you tried any products from Axiology? What do you think, are they high-performance despite being plastic-free?