Boots No7 Match Made Service Review: Foundation & Lipstick (2025)

Back in 2014, I wrote about the Boots No7 Match Made Service – a clever little device in store at Boots that promised to match you to your perfect foundation and lipstick shades in-store. At the time, I was a little sceptical (and ultimately impressed) but it worked – I walked away with a shade that suited me perfectly in foundation and lipstick.

[Updated 26th August 2025]

Fast forward to 2025, and I’ve had lots of questions about whether the No7 Match Made Service still exists, how it works now, and whether it’s worth using. I still have readers coming across this post searching for answers to questions like:

• Does Boots still do the No7 Match Made Service?
• How does it still work now?
• Is it worth trying?

The great news? Yes, the No7 Match Made Service still exists – and it’s better than ever! With a mix of in-store beauty experts and digital tools, you can now find your perfect skin tone match whether you visit a Boots store or try it online.

Does the Boots No7 Match Made Service Still Exist in 2025?

Yes! Boots is still the UK’s largest pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, and the No7 Match Made Service remains one of its most effective make-up services. It has evolved from a simple in-store gadget to a personalised beauty product experience using AI and the No7 Skin Tone Analysis App.

What is the No7 Match Made Service and How Does It Work Today?

Here’s how it works in 2025:

• In-Store: A little gadget (colour-measuring device) is used by a Boots beauty advisor to scan your skin. This exclusive database of tones ensures your exact skin tone is matched to one of No7’s tons of shades across different foundation lines.
• Online: You can now use the No7 Skin Tone Analysis App or the Match Made Lipstick Photo Booth on the Boots website. Upload your photo for a virtual try-on of lipstick colour families and foundation options. This type of service has revolutionised the way women can choose their make up online – it’s a great option!

No7’s colour scientists have created an exclusive database of skin tone shades, so whether you’re looking for Calico, Cool Vanilla, Cool Ivory, or deeper shades, you’ll find the right foundation match.

What’s New in 2025?

• More Shades: No7 now offers tons of shades in the Skin-True Foundation, Stay Perfect, Lift & Luminate, and HydraLuminous ranges.
• Virtual Try-On: Use the photo booth tool to see how different shades and lipstick colour families look on your natural skin tone.
• Skincare Integration: Find instant hydration and anti-aging benefits in formulas like Lift & Luminate.
• Better Lipsticks: The much-loved Moisture Drench range is still here, plus Stay Perfect Lipstick for long wear.

My Original Experience with Boots No7 Match Made Service (Throwback to 2014)

Confession time: I’m not really one for the beauty side of things – I’ve tried the beauty blogging thing in the past with a few make up reviews, hair products and the occasional attempt at neatly painting my nails (ha!), but to be honest, I’m lazy with all of those things! At the time of writing this post originally, I’d wear a basic day to day face of foundation, concealer, blusher/bronzer and lipstick. To be fair, nowadays I do something very similar but just on a less regular basis – I’d say 95% of the time, I don’t wear make up any more. Anyway, despite my being not so great with make up, I did have one make up love, and that is lipstick. I’ve gone through various phases of loving and hating it – feeling like it made my face look weird (probably because I didn’t have the right shade

, I only had a very bold dark red shade and a pretty sparkly pink!), then loving that bold red with my retro and vintage look at the time. At the moment, I tend to reach for a cool bright pink that I bought as a result of my House of Colour session, or for a more toned down natural pink. 

My quest for the right lipstick shade for my face has been a long one. I read on a couple of blogs about Boots’ No7 Match Made service which promises to choose you a lipstick that will suit you exactly colourwise. Despite having a selection of about 30 (oops!) lipsticks that I loved, I was in Boots in Scarborough one day and decided I would see what it said about me – it was free after all, and couldn’t hurt to know. Got to be honest, I was a bit concerned that they would come at me with their fancy machine then tell me I was a weird shade and they didn’t have the right colour, or nothing would match me, but all turned out well actually!

The staff member wiped off what little foundation I was wearing on a small of patch of my jawline to get a clearer reading, then held a little gadget to my face. This special colour-measuring device gave me a skin tone shade (ranging from Calico to Walnut), based on which you’ll be able to choose your make up items. And it was as I expected: the first thing she’d said to me was:

“You look like you’ll be one of our paler shades.”

I wasn’t offended in the slightest; I was pretty certain that would be the case anyway. So after the magical (possibly fictional) beep, she announced that I was indeed the palest shade: Calico. She handed me a little card which had all the lipstick shades for their Stay Perfect and Moisture Drench ranges that should suit my skin tone, pointed me in the right direction and said they’d be happy to try any on me, then left me to have a look at them. Deep Rust was the shade recommeded to me.

I’d been wanting a new foundation for a bit since I’d been using variations of and for years, and I’ve been finding recently they’ve been looking a bit patchy on my skin. So I asked the lady for a bit of help to pick one, and based off the Calico shade recommendation I’d had, I went for the No7 Stay Perfect Super Light Foundation, as I wanted light-medium coverage but long lasting (as I apply it only in the morning and never apply again).The foundation in Calico almost looked like it had a bit of a grey undertone when I squirted it out and tried it on my hand, but it disappeared into my skin easily leaving no obvious sign that there was foundation there, apart from looking a bit smoother. Essentially, it matches my skin tone perfectly. I don’t know all these fancy beauty words, and I’m afraid I don’t know whether my skin has pink or yellow undertones, but it works perfectly for me – I only need a tiny dot on each section of my face and it does me well all day long. So I’ve got the lasting effect I wanted, it makes my face look smoother and ‘tidier’, so I’m pleased! And no patchiness either – a winner! I’m not especially fond of the packaging as I prefer the little pump bottle type foundations, but I can live with that. It cost £14.50, which is a bargain for a good foundation really, plus Boots always have offers on. (Edited to add: the packaging has now changed and it does have a little pump!)

With the lipstick, you have a choice between Moisture Drench and Stay Perfect (which lasts for up to 6 hours). Being honest again – I’m messy! At work, we use bottles of water, and I tend to smudge lipstick everywhere because of this, so I could have gone for the Stay Perfect, but I felt I’d still make a mess with applying that, then it would be more difficult to remove from all over my face! I often get dry lips (I have 5 separate lip balms on my desk at all times, yep…), so I went for the Moisture Drench as I hoped it wouldn’t do that funny drying thing that looks weird (I swear there must be technical words for this!).

Deep Rust sounds like it should be a darker colour than it is – I find it to be a pale “natural” red – my mum said it was bright, and, strangely enough, it was much brighter on Charley when she tried it, but for me, it feels like a natural colour, enough so that I use it every single day without fail now – my other lipsticks have been pushed aside! And the Colour Match service truly does work – I’ve never had a lipstick that looks so inoffensive on my face! My old lipstick choices were always just verging on the side of garish, but this matches my skin tone perfectly (from what my inexperienced eyes can tell anyway!) and is a lovely colour. Thumbs up from me! It cost £9.95 at the time. And here you can see the difference between how it looks on me and how it looks on Charley – strange! (And apologies for the horrible eye – keep getting this infection!)I’d definitely recommend trying out the service – even if you decide not to buy, it’s free and you get some good recommendations on colours that should work for you.

Updated No7 Foundation & Lipstick Review

Since my House of Colour consultation, I’ve mostly been using my House of Colour foundation but my first choice is still Stay Perfect Foundation for all-day wear, but I’ve also tried Skin-True Foundation shades which are amazing new foundations with a lightweight feel.

For lipsticks, the Moisture Drench remains a wonderful product, offering instant hydration for hot summer months. It’s the same old lipstick, the perfect lipstick colour for me, but in a different, more modern package now. I still love Deep Rust, but there are now specially formulated lipstick colours for different ages and preferences. I now have a brighter shade closer deep to No7’s soft cherry too and a light pink too from other brands, but based on the original colour match I got from No7.

FAQs about No7 Match Made Service

• Does Boots still do foundation matching? Yes, in-store and online via the Skin Tone Analysis App.
• Can I find my perfect shade at home? Yes, use the app or the Match Made Lipstick Photo Booth.
• What’s the best No7 foundation for dry skin? HydraLuminous or Lift & Luminate offer instant hydration.
• Is the service free? Yes, both in-store and online.

If finding the perfect foundation shade feels like a daunting task, this awesome new service made it easy. Whether you shop on the high street or online, Boots offers great news for anyone who wants a right foundation match without the guesswork.

You can now also get a full bundle of your Match Made shades including a foundation, concealer, lipstick, bronzer and blusher for just £45 – shop here!