What it is: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Dewy SPF 30 provides sheer to light coverage in a buildable, layerable, lightly hydrating formula that contains a combination of chemical and physical sunscreen ingredients. 

Price/Quantity: There are two sizes available. The larger one is $50 for 45 ml / 1.5 fl oz and there is also a smaller one that is $25 for 15 ml / 0.5 oz.

Availability: Laura Mercier, Sephora, Ulta, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Amazon

Shade Range: 20 Shades. Looks like a pretty wide range from light to deep. Coverage is sheer to light so choosing a shade that’s a bit “off” will probably still be workable. The undertones for the lighter shades I was choosing from are somewhat “strong”. I could see the pink and yellow tones in them easily.

Packaging: Large squeeze tube with a twist off lid. There is no pump, so you have to gently press on the tube to dispense the amount you want. The product is not too liquidy or too thick, so it’s easy to control how much I dispense. I can leave it laying on its side on the counter while I apply it without worrying that the product will spill out.

Smell/Fragrance: It doesn’t smell fragranced to me but it does have a light version of a typical sunscreen smell. It’s less intense than a true standalone chemical sunscreen and I don’t find it bothersome. The last similar product I tried was the Elf Camo Hydrating CC Cream SPF 30 and I felt that one had a stronger sunscreen smell than this product does.

Expiration/Shelf Life: Mine has an expiration date printed on the top of the squeeze tube of 05/2026 and I purchased it 02/2025. There is no “after opening” shelf life printed on the packaging. 

Ingredients: These are the ingredients for the shade I chose. The four deepest shades have another ingredient list that looks mostly the same except for the pigments at the very bottom of the list.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: OCTISALATE 4.5% (SUNSCREEN) OCTOCRYLENE 5.0% (SUNSCREEN) TITANIUM DIOXIDE 0.84% (SUNSCREEN) ZINC OXIDE 3.04% (SUNSCREEN) 

All shades except Brunette, Umber, Sable and Mahogany: WATER, DICAPRYLYL ETHER, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYRICINOLEATE, TRIBEHENIN, GLYCERIN, SILICA, MAGNESIUM STEARATE, SODIUM POTASSIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, ZINC STEARATE, STEARALKONIUM BENTONITE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 DIISOSTEARATE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE, MICA, TOCOPHEROL, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, ALPHA-GLUCAN OLIGOSACCHARIDE, POLYMNIA SONCHIFOLIA ROOT JUICE, MALTODEXTRIN, RUBUS IDAEUS (RASPBERRY) LEAF EXTRACT, ROSA HYBRID FLOWER EXTRACT, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) FRUIT EXTRACT, LACTOBACILLUS. +/- (MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR) TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

Source: Laura Mercier

Performance

Shade: I chose the shade 1C Cameo, which had a noticeable pink tone but was a good depth match. One shade lighter looked more like a true neutral but was too light for me. One shade deeper was a teensy bit warm and slightly too dark for me.

Application: I have been using my fingers for the vast majority of application and only using a brush sparingly at the end to blend out some tricky spots (like near the brows and the corners of my nose). It blends really easily and really well just with my hands. If I had to skip using tools completely that would be just fine.

If you’re using this as sun protection, I found it is possible to layer more over itself later in the day without it looking cakey. 

Texture/Consistency/Finish: It has the perfect “medium thick” consistency. It’s not too thin or runny and it’s not mousse-y either. If I squeeze out a dab on the back of my hand and hold my hand up vertically, it doesn’t run down with gravity. At the same time, it feels lightweight and easy to spread over the skin. Once it is completely blended out on the skin it leaves the skin with a slight tack, similar to the way a moisturizer would. It’s not a sticky, greasy, oily feel though. If you are incredibly sensitive to the way things feel, it might feel a bit “heavy”. I’m somewhat sensitive but I don’t feel it is bothersome at all left unset without any powder on top.

It is described as having a “natural dewy” finish and that is the perfect way to put it. It’s not shiny or oily looking but it adds a bit more glow than what my skin has by itself. Looks healthy and natural. 

This isn’t a blurring product and I don’t feel it emphasizes or enhances my texture or pores. The texture of my skin for the most part looks like it does without the product, but the color overall is more even which creates the illusion that the skin is smoother.

Coverage: Sheer to light with one layer. I can build it up to a light medium coverage with 2 or 3 layers. The product layers very well over itself without picking up or sheering out previous layers. The coverage this provides is more like a natural skintone evening effect instead of “covering”. It isn’t mask-like. It’s the type of thing that’s easy to wear if you don’t want to apply any other makeup at all whereas with a foundation, I’d feel weird wearing foundation by itself. It does provide a noticeable improvement though.

Longevity: I’ve worn this all day for about 4 days now. What I’ve noticed is that, without any powder, it will develop an intense glow, bordering on shine by the end of the day, but otherwise it stays in place. I haven’t noticed it gathering in lines or looking splotchy near the end of the day. Also haven’t

noticed any oxidation though that’s rarely been an issue for me in general. The level of glow/shine at the end of the day isn’t that bad and I don’t feel self-conscious about it. I’ve set it with powder on a couple of those days and that definitely helped tone down the shine and keep it toned down all day. It still developed more shine as the day went on but to less of a degree.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Great for no-makeup makeup. Looks fine all by itself with no other makeup because of the lighter coverage and natural finish.
• Applies well with just my hands. Tools help but I can skip them if I want.
• Forgiving on texture (so far).
• Is not “too sheer”. Provides a noticeable improvement without looking “makeup-y”.
• It gets along well with my current favorite primer/sunscreen (Supergoop Matte Screen).

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• It has a slight tacky feel to it. Nowhere near as bad as, for example, Elf Power Grip primer, and not something I personally find irritating. 
• It might be too dewy for someone with oilier skin. (There is apparently a matte version of this tinted moisturizer as well.)
• Has a light sunscreen smell to it that is not as strong as other sunscreens, but is still noticeable.

Do I Recommend It?

Yes for someone with a drier or more normal skin type that likes super easy/natural looking foundation. If you live near a store where you’re able to get a sample of this to try first, I’d recommend that for someone that maybe has oilier skin or thinks they might prefer a higher coverage product. Personally I do not feel regret purchasing this one.

What it is: Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Foundation is a light to medium coverage foundation with a very fluid, highly spreadable formula and a natural to dewy finish.

Price/Quantity: $52 for 1 oz / 30 mL

Availability: Laura Mercier, Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, and many others

Shade Range: 30 shades

Packaging: Glass bottle with a soft-touch frosted finish, plastic cap, and a pump. The pump isn’t the easiest to control how much product I dispense. It works fine, it’s just that I feel like I can’t pump only a tiny bit out, if that’s all I need. I am able to twist off and remove the pump if I want to. For the most part the packaging has a nice quality feel to it.

Smell/Fragrance: Ultra low odor. I have to try really hard to detect any kind of scent from this and what I do get is an extremely faint chemical smell.

Expiration/Shelf Life: 12 months after opening

Ingredients:

ISODODECANE, ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE, HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, HYDROGENATED POLYCYCLOPENTADIENE, HYDROGENATED DIDECENE, SILICA, POLYGLYCERYL-3 DIISOSTEARATE, HYDROGENATED STYRENE/ISOPRENE COPOLYMER, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, CELLULOSE, LAURYL PCA, THEOBROMA CACAO (COCOA) SEED EXTRACT, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, CAMELLIA OLEIFERA SEED OIL, AQUA/WATER/EAU, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRA-DI-T-BUTYL HYDROXYHYDROCINNAMATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL. MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR/(+/-): IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891). 

LauraMercier.com

Performance

Shade: I got the shade 1C2 Chiffon, and it is nearly a spot on match for me. I chose the shade in store and I’m glad I did because I don’t think I would have chosen the right one if I had purchased online. Neither neutral option seemed to work for me. It seems like all the undertones for the lighter shades lean in a yellow direction, but the cooler ones are just less yellow. So the neutrals seemed too yellow for me and the warm were like out of the question lol. Below are some comparison swatches for other foundations I have:

Application: My usual spreading the product over the skin with fingers first then blending with a sponge/brush works fine. The product moves with almost no resistance over the skin and blends out fast. It kind of has a tendency to streak and settle into pores because it moves so easily. As long as I stay aware of that and apply a thin even layer that is blended well, it’s not really a problem.

Using only a brush or a sponge to apply and blend out the product both end up giving me about the same result, and these methods also work fine. Using both of these give me a slightly higher amount of coverage, especially using a brush. I can get about medium coverage this way. Both of these also result in a slightly less natural/skin-like look though. The finish ends up looking good enough, just not that ultra natural look that almost looks like no-makeup.

It has applied fine over my go-to sunscreen, Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Face SPF 50. I’ve also tried it over a couple of primers and didn’t love the result. The ones I’ve tried so far are Milk Makeup Pore Eclipse Primer, and Elf Liquid Poreless Putty Primer. The sunscreen gives me the best look, helping to smooth the look of pores even more than with the foundation alone. Neither of the primers really help the finish of the foundation look any smoother on me. The foundation alone gives me a naturally radiant finish and the Milk primer seems to help tone down the dewiness of the foundation.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: Very fluid and lightweight and a bit hydrating/moisturizing. Not quite watery, but almost. It reminds me of what was in those cushion foundations several years back. I kind of like having a formula like that without the excessive packaging of the cushion compact involved. The finish is on the dewier/glowier side when left unset. It’s not ultra glowy but it’s definitely more radiant than a “natural” finish.

Coverage: Light to medium coverage depending on how I apply it. Using fingers to apply and doing a final blend with a sponge or brush gives me lighter coverage, a sponge gives me a bit more coverage, and the brush gives me the most. I can add very light layers to build it up but it’s not the best formula for trying to layer. I think it may be too fluid/liquidy and the coverage just doesn’t seem to increase very noticeably with additional layers. It also looks more makeup-y and settles into pores as I layer it. Using a brush to apply a heavier layer initially is my best bet for medium coverage.

Longevity: Most days it seems to hold up fine with an initial layer of setting powder over top. It will begin to develop a slight glow by midday but doesn’t get horribly shiny by the end of the day. However, I also wore it during some very humid days we had recently and I wasn’t able to keep shine under control very long with powder on those days. Every time I have worn it, it stayed in place and did not gather in lines/pores after many hours of wear. It has also consistently looked more skin-like later in the day than when it was first applied.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• I like how it seems to look better the longer I wear it. It looks more skin-like and less makeup-y as the hours pass.
• It doesn’t move during the day when I’m wearing it, even if I wear it for a long time. It doesn’t gather in pores, in lines, or around my nose even as my face gets more oily later in the day.
• It doesn’t transfer or rub off easily.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• Didn’t work the best with primers (worked fine over my sunscreen though) – just tends to look less natural and gather in pores and on texture more when paired with a primer.
• A bit too glowy for me, which doesn’t help to smooth the look of texture. Finish is fine if I set it with powder.
• I have to use a lot of this compared to other foundations, at least 2 pumps to cover the whole face and up to 4 pumps if I want higher coverage.
• Not the most buildable formula.

Worth Buying?

There are too many things about this foundation that I don’t love for me to recommend it or say it’s worth buying. I think I’ve just figured out I prefer higher coverage foundations recently and this one is pretty light coverage and not super buildable. I don’t feel like I can safely grab for any primer or sunscreen and feel confident this foundation will get along with it. Even though it is lightweight, spreads quickly, and is light coverage, it is not quick to apply. I feel the need to spend more time than I want to for this type of product fussing with how it is sitting on the skin and how it is blended out. The one major plus that almost makes it worth it for me is how, once I get it applied how I want it, it doesn’t move and looks better the longer I wear it. That may make it worth it for some.

What it is: Elf Camo Hydrating CC Cream is a medium coverage foundation with a dewy finish that provides SPF 30 sun protection with a combination of chemical and physical sunscreen ingredients. It has an emollient texture contributing to that dewy finish but I do not see any kind of fine shimmer in the product up close.

Price/Quantity: $15 for 1 oz / 30 grams

Availability: Elf, Ulta

Shade Range: 30 shades

Packaging: Squeeze tube with a pump. The cap is easy to remove and stays in place. It gets a little bit messy inside the cap if you don’t wipe off excess foundation that collects at the tip of the pump. It doesn’t seem to be possible to remove or twist off the pump from the bottom of the tube. I tried for a bit but would rather not force it and break it. After using up a tiny bit of the product, it seems there is air in the pump so that when I press it, I am not always able to actually dispense product. By the time I get past the air pocket, the foundation kind of splats out with some force. It’s not a huge problem but could be a little messy and cause me to get foundation on things I’m not intending to.

Smell/Fragrance: It has a moderate sunscreen smell (and taste, if I get it too close to my mouth) that is obvious during application and lingers for a short time after. The scent does eventually fade though. I don’t see fragrance listed in the ingredients and I don’t smell anything fragrance-like over the scent of the sunscreen. 

Expiration/Shelf Life: There is an expiration date printed both on the box the product came in and stamped into the top of the squeeze tube. The expiration date on mine is August 2025 and I purchased the product in December 2023.

Ingredients:

Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide – 6.3%, Titanium Dioxide – 6 %, Homosalate – 5%, Octisalate – 4.5%, Octocrylene – 3%

Inactive Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Panthenol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Acrylates/Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer, Trehalose, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrated Silica, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethyl Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Tin Oxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Canola Oil, Glycerin, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Beta-Carotene, Soluble Collagen, May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Black Iron Oxide (CI 77499)

elfcosmetics.com

Performance

Shade: I bought the shades Fair 120 N and Light 205 N. When looking at the swatches provided by Elf, both the cool and warm undertone options looked as if they might have pretty obvious pink and yellow tones, even though the depth of some of those shades looked like they might work for me. I opted to just buy the two lightest neutral options and mix them if necessary. In person, these two shades look like they truly are neutral. Light 205 N is a bit too dark on me but is a closer match than Fair 120 N. Although it’s a bit deep, it is still passable and doesn’t look pink/peach, orange/yellow at all against my complexion. I’m glad I chose the shades I did and purchased both because I think I’ll be happier using a combo of the 2 rather than settling for an imperfect match using only one of them.

Application: I’ve tried a couple ways of applying this and so far my favorite is dotting and evenly distributing it all over with one end of a damp sponge and then turning the sponge over to its clean side to finish blending the product out. I can go over some areas again using this same method to build up the coverage I want and a second layer sits on the skin just fine without looking too heavy/cakey. I can also use my fingers to spread the product out and then blend with a sponge, but that somehow results in less coverage and a finish that doesn’t look as smooth. Using a foundation brush to apply was my least favorite method (most uneven, least coverage) but I did find a brush helpful at times to smooth out areas where the product gathered in larger pores. I didn’t find pooling/gathering in pores to be a major problem in general with this product but it did happen a little bit on some parts of my face.

Texture/Consistency/Finish: It has an emollient, creamy feel but is not particularly thick or heavy. It leaves the skin with a bit of tack but not so much that my hair sticks to my face. I could skip powder and leave it unset and be fine with the way the product feels to the touch. The finish is very dewy overall. When I first apply it, it reflects about the same amount of light as my skin naturally does when I only have moisturizer on. It doesn’t necessarily add any extra shine, initially, and it doesn’t have any shimmer as far as I can tell. But after wearing it for a while, maybe an hour or two, it becomes more and more glowy as the oils in my skin combine with the foundation. At this point, my face looks unnaturally shiny. I prefer to set this product with a powder vs wearing it alone.

Coverage: One layer gives me light-medium coverage and I can build it up in spots up to nearly full. This is described as having full coverage but I don’t agree. Strong medium approaching full is about the maximum amount of coverage I can get with it. 

For the before and after shots below, I’m using the shade Light 205 N all over the face. I didn’t mix the lighter shade I have in or use any other complexion products.

Longevity: I’m still trying this out for wear time. All I can say for now is that when I set it with a powder, glow and shine break through that powder pretty quickly. I’m guessing I’ll need to add powder a couple of times over the course of a day. If applied somewhat heavily over an area with creases or lines, it will gather in those lines over time.

Pros and Cons

Things I like:

• Application is fast and easy. I feel like I could apply this quickly on a day when I’m feeling tired/lazy/in a rush.
• I like the coverage. For the amount of SPF, I feel I get more coverage than most other similar products I’ve tried.
• Oddly, I like that this has chemical SPF in it. Most of my sunscreens are mineral but I like using a combo of mineral and chemical when the sun is at its strongest.
• The undertone looks truly neutral for the two shades I chose.

Drawbacks and other considerations:

• I wish there was a neutral shade in between the two that I picked up to avoid needing both to match me correctly.
• The sunscreen smell is a bit strong.
• Questionable pump. So far it’s working okay but time will tell.

Do I Recommend It?

I’ve mentioned a few things that are probably off-putting but I somehow still really like this product. I haven’t tried a whole heck of a lot of foundations with relatively high SPF in them. The ones I have tried have either been too heavy/cakey or didn’t have much coverage. This one strikes a balance I’ve not found yet in another similar product. Even though it’s not super full coverage, the coverage it does provide is pretty high and I can see myself using this together with one of my tinted mineral SPF products later in the year as I need more sun protection. For the price, I think it’s good but make sure you’re okay with a glowy/dewy/emollient product.

Revlon Illuminance Serum Tint is a light-medium coverage makeup and skincare product in one. It provides a bit of coverage, evens out the skin tone and helps smooth out the look of pores and skin texture right away. It claims to also help even out skin tone over time with regular use thanks to ginger root extract and vitamin C. The texture of this is somewhat thick and sunscreen-y but it has a lightweight and hydrating feel with a natural-looking dewy finish. There is no obviously visible shimmer in this but it seems to have a subtle light reflecting quality to it. With a combination of chemical and physical sunscreen ingredients, it also provides SPF 15 sun protection. There are 16 shades and it retails for around $19.

I got shade 117 as the same shade in the Revlon Illuminance Skin Caring Foundation worked well for me. The shade is a good match between the two products.

The foundation is a tad darker in the swatches but I tried both products side by side on the face and could not tell the shades apart. 117 is slightly light for me which is usually a problem. Shades that are too light can exaggerate the look of skin texture but I don’t have that problem with this product. They called it a serum tint (something I didn’t really take that seriously/literally) but the way this sits on the skin reminds me a lot of a moisturizer so I guess it’s hydrating enough to combat the skin texture issue for me.

To apply this, I dot it on like any other foundation and spread it out with my fingers before doing a final blend with a sponge. Once blended out, it doesn’t look or feel heavy but does have a tiny bit more tack (before powder) than the Revlon Illuminance Foundation. It gives the skin a very natural looking, well-moisturized appearance and smooths over the look of pores a bit. If there is any fine shimmer in this I don’t see it at all.

The coverage I get from one modest layer is light but noticeable and if I build it up I can get about medium coverage without it looking cakey or heavy.

I’ve worn this a few times with setting powder all day and didn’t feel it got too shiny or oily looking after several hours. I can get away without any additional powder and still look decent by the end of the day but I’d say this ideally needs one extra powder touch up midday.

Pros and Cons:

Things I like:

• Looks natural and skin-like, but at the same time noticeably evens skin tone and smooths the look of texture.
• Shimmer-free, subtle glowy finish.
• Very hydrating. Gives the skin a well-moisturized, almost plumped look.
• Despite being hydrating, doesn’t get excessively shiny/oily throughout the day.

Drawbacks to consider:

• Pricey for Revlon. The foundation is a dollar cheaper and you get a smidge more product.
• Has a fragrance-like scent that is noticeable during and after application. It isn’t terribly strong and fades quickly but might bother those who are sensitive.

Do I Recommend It?

Yes. For me, it’s the way it makes the skin look healthy that sells it. In terms of coverage and finish, it’s not super different from the from the foundation. If you have the foundation already, I wouldn’t recommend running out to get this one too. I definitely don’t think they are different enough to warrant having them both. If you are deciding between the two, I left some of my comparisons on them below.

Revlon Illuminance Foundation vs Serum Tint

When I first saw this launch, I immediately wondered how this would be different from the foundation. The foundation already has a thinner, serum-y, buildable kind of formula as it is. With a couple of side by side applications, here’s what I’ve noticed.

Both products have a similar level of coverage. I am able to build up the foundation to a higher level of coverage overall ending up with a maximum of high medium coverage. The serum tint can go up to about medium when built up but seems to even out the skin more with one initial layer.

There’s not much difference in finish between the two. They both reflect light in a soft, diffused and subtle way that makes the skin look healthy without any obvious shimmer.

The look of pores and texture is smoothed over by both but the foundation has a bigger impact. The foundation looks really nice but I can tell I’m wearing makeup with it because the effect is so obvious. The serum tint smooths in a way that I find more natural and looks less like makeup.

Both are hydrating and feel lightweight once applied but the serum tint is thicker and leaves the tiniest bit more tack behind after application than the foundation. To the touch, the foundation feels like a foundation while the serum tint feels more like a tinted skincare product.

Neither one is scent free but the foundation has more of a faint chemical scent whereas the serum tint is more fragrance-y.

There is a small amount of SPF in the serum tint and the foundation has none.

What it is: Ciele Tint and Protect SPF 50 Tinted Serum Foundation is an all mineral SPF skin tint (12% Zinc Oxide) with light-medium buildable coverage and a natural-looking dewy finish. There are 13 shades to choose from and you get 1.28 oz for $44. Foundations are usually about 1 oz, so you get a bit more with this one. It can be purchased from Ciele Cosmetics or Sephora.

Packaging: Glass bottle with glass dropper and a plastic lid. The bottle is substantial and does not feel fragile. So far pulling the dropper out and putting it back does not seem to be making the neck of the bottle messy. 

Smell/Fragrance: This is fragrance free and mostly scent free except for a very faint chemical scent. I do not notice it at all with normal use but can detect it if I’m actively looking for a scent.

Expiration: Mine has an expiration date printed on the bottom which is May 2025 and I purchased it in October 2023.

Ingredients: Below are ingredients directly from Ciele’s website for shade 4. They list specific ingredients per shade as they vary slightly.

Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Isododecane, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Isohexadecane, Trilaureth-4 Phosphate, Iron Oxides CI 77492, Dimethiconol/Propylsilsesquioxane/Silicate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Methicone, Mica, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)silylethyl Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Phenoxyethanol, Bisabolol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Iron Oxides CI 77499, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebac, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebac, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Propylene Carbonate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, PEG-10.

Performance

Shade: Before buying this, I was torn between shades 3 and 4 and decided on the latter. Shade 4 has a warm-leaning undertone but does not look obviously yellow, peach or pink in hue. It is also a little darker than I usually go for in foundations or concealers. Being a light-medium coverage and having a very natural finish, I actually very much enjoy that this is slightly darker and warmer than my skin tone. I find using my lighter concealers and foundations over it gives me the perfect complexion match. Usually, I unintentionally end up using foundations that are a bit light and add some sort of cream or powder bronzer to help balance my skin tone. Using this is like going in the opposite direction.

Application: My go-to method for applying foundations in general is dotting it on my face with my fingers and then using a sponge for a final blend. It is super easy to blend it out using only my fingers but a brush or sponge also work perfectly fine and give me a similar finish and level of coverage. It spreads over the skin quickly and easily and blends out with hardly any effort. It’s one of the easier products of this type that I have used in terms of application. It also layers on itself beautifully.

Texture and Finish: With one light layer, it looks extremely natural on the skin. It has a glowy finish but it’s not too glowy – not shiny/greasy/oily looking. Just a nice pretty glow without any shimmer. Even up close, it is very difficult to tell there is any makeup on the skin. Adding a second layer and deliberately applying it heavily, adds a bit more coverage but my skin still looks very believably “natural” and not makeup-y.

Coverage: Light to light-medium. It is buildable but I personally apply a foundation over this to noticeably even out my skin tone. If you have significant redness, hyperpigmentation, dark circles, freckles, etc., those things are probably still going to show through but look a little more diffused. The combo of applying two layers and the color being ever so slightly deeper than my skin tone help even out my complexion so that my freckles and darker areas blend in well with the lighter areas of my skin. So, while coverage isn’t very high, the overall effect is decently impactful.

Longevity: I have only been using this for about a week so I don’t have the best feel for longevity yet. So far, it doesn’t seem to be making foundations I wear over it get oily/shiny much more quickly that they would otherwise. My skin does not feel any more greasy by the end of the day than it usually does without it. For reference I have combination skin that is tending closer to normal-to-dry as we are approaching winter in my part of the world.

Pros and Cons:

Things I like:

• Super natural looking. Just looks like skin.
• Applies and blends quickly and effortlessly.
• Buildable and remains natural looking even when layered.
• Feels hydrating and moisturizing but not too heavy or oily.
• When used under higher coverage foundations, gives my skin a slightly smoother look (like a primer).

Drawbacks to consider:

• A little expensive. I feel like it will probably last a decent amount of time though. I went through my Ilia Skin Tint in about a year and that one had less in the bottle. 
• As a standalone product, the coverage may be lighter than you expect if you are used to medium coverage foundations.

Do I Recommend It?

With the one caveat of only having been using it for a week or so and not having a good idea of longevity, I’d otherwise say absolutely yes. Especially if you are makeup lover and need a good SPF for underneath, this works super well. I will say, if you only really want a tinted SPF to get around issues with white cast and don’t care that much about makeup, I’d say check out the Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Face Sunscreen with SPF 50. That one works about as well when used alone for much cheaper but doesn’t look as nice underneath makeup.

How It Compares To Other SPF Tints

Below are three similar types of products I’ve tried and my thoughts on how they differ. 

Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF 50

• Leaves less of a glow on the skin
• Feels even more lightweight and seems to dry down slightly
• Lighter (almost non-existent) coverage
• Thicker consistency

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40

• Feels slightly oilier, looks a tiny bit shinier
• Makeup sometimes sits more heavily or looks more obvious when applied over this product
• Smell is not very strong but is more noticeable with this product
• Coverage for both is about the same and they are both similarly buildable

It Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50

• Much more coverage
• Much less natural looking
• To me this feels, applies, and looks a lot more like a medium coverage foundation rather than a thinner skincare type of product
• Thicker consistency

With all of the above considered, I like Ciele Tint and Protect the best out of them all. It is the most natural looking and plays the best with makeup over top.

KVD Good Apple Full Coverage Serum Foundation is a buildable coverage, natural-finish foundation with a relatively thin consistency and surprisingly hydrating feel. It comes in 40 shades and you get the standard 1 fl oz / 30 ml of product for $42. The glass bottle has a heavy, substantial feel to it and comes with a high quality metal pump that is very easy to control.

This caught my attention when it first came out because of the popularity of the Good Apple Foundation Balm (and because it claimed to somehow be full coverage but also serum-y in texture?) but I didn’t immediately run to try it out. On my last visit to Sephora, I gave this one a swatch and color matched myself, expecting it to feel much like other full coverage foundations I have tried. It had a surprisingly moisturizing, smooth, buttery feel to it that didn’t dry down too quickly, seemed to spread easily, and look decent on the skin, as far as I could tell from a quick in-store swatch. So, an unplanned purchase came home with me.

It has been almost 3 weeks since I started using it and I’ve tried it with my skin in varying conditions, over different primers/sunscreens and with different powders. I didn’t really go into too many different application methods, because the way I apply foundation works for me with most different foundations, but I’ll talk about how I apply it as well. 

When I bought this, I went with the shade 012, which seemed to match me very well both wet and once it dried down. I didn’t notice any oxidation or darkening as it dried when shade matching myself and I have not noticed that happening either as I’ve worn it the past few weeks.

Here are some comparison swatches to other foundations in my collection:

Application

The way I apply nearly any foundation is by working in sections. I will tap/dot it on in a small area and then pat it out with my fingers to get a nice even layer of it over the skin. Then I will give it a final blend with a damp sponge and sometimes a foundation brush as well if the sponge is not doing the trick. With some foundations, it isn’t necessary to work in sections but with higher coverage and/or more matte/drying formulas this method has worked the best for me, so I adopt it for almost every foundation I apply.

I don’t usually layer or build up coverage but my skin has been less even in tone in the past year, so I’ve been dabbling with building up coverage lately. To do this I’ll use exactly the same application method a second time over an area I’ve already covered. This doesn’t always work. Sometimes the second layer will look very unnatural or cakey and sometimes the second layer will lift the first layer and leave a patchy uneven mess of my complexion. Luckily with this foundation, layering has been delightfully easy.

I have found I can even use it as concealer. It works best as spot concealer on me which is awesome because I then know my “concealer” actually matches my foundation and it is one less product to have cluttering up my makeup table. It works fine as an under eye concealer too, offering plenty of coverage but looks a little bit more drying than other products in that area. I’ve definitely needed more hydrating concealers as I get older.

It has been pretty compatible with most other products I’ve tried it with. Primers I’ve successfully paired it with include Milk Makeup Pore Eclipse Primer, Elf Power Grip, Tatcha Silk Canvas, NYX Angel Veil, and Smashbox Primerizer. With the Elf primer being sticky, it seemed to require more effort/strength (lol) to spread the foundation over the skin, but it sat smoothly and beautifully over it once I got it there. With the Milk primer, I got even more pore smoothing but I did notice the foundation looked drier literally in the dots of my pores, which was only noticeable up close. It wasn’t bad enough to prevent me from using these two products together again in the future. 

I’ve used it only over two sunscreens. One is the Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF 50, which works amazingly well with the foundation. The other is the Equate SPF 50 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Spray for Kids. The Equate sunscreen is one of the few products that didn’t agree with the foundation. The sunscreen pills all by itself, and adding foundation over top emphasizes that pilling. I can make it work with a thinner, lighter coverage foundation but because this one is so high in coverage, it kind of ruins the finish and creates a patchy look in areas where pilling is the worst.

Performance

Let’s talk a little bit about the finish and how this sits on the skin (texture and pores, especially). I would say this has a natural finish. It isn’t super matte and it doesn’t add any glow to the skin either. 

It isn’t super smoothing on higher texture areas and over large pores. I have other foundations that I think give me a smoother finish and are more flattering on those areas but most of them are lower coverage. I am happy enough with how this looks on the center of my forehead and on the inner part of my cheeks to be able to achieve the level of coverage this offers. It doesn’t make those areas look any worse than they would look without the foundation, it just doesn’t really do much FOR them either. The best thing I can do to make sure those areas look the best they can is to keep on top of hydration both by drinking plenty of water and using hydrating skincare products.

A single layer of foundation that isn’t applied particularly heavily will give me strong medium coverage. It noticeably evens out my overall complexion and gives me a more rested look. Applied this way, I will still see prominent freckles, dark spots, active breakouts, and the discoloration from healing breakouts. A second layer will noticeably fade the look of spots that are healing and lighter dark spots but I may still see active breakouts and dark freckles. If I want a “flawless” look, I will then use the foundation as a spot concealer over those specific spots. I do this with a couple of small brushes like an eyeliner brush, a small flat synthetic shader or lip brush, and a small pencil brush. Used as a spot concealer, it easily covers dark brown freckles and the redness of active breakouts in one or two additional layers and sits decently well over the texture of a breakout (see my chin, lol).

Wear Time

I need to reapply powder at least once to get through the day and keep shine at a comfortable level. This is supposed to be “transfer proof”, which is true immediately after application but once my skin gets oily, it easily rubs off. This has been the case for every foundation I have ever tried and so I do not take this claim very seriously. The amount that it gathers in lines or around my nose is very minimal and not enough to bother me. I have other foundations that require less or no maintenance at all but I find the coverage/finish/ease of use worth it.

All in all, I gotta say I’m very happy to have this foundation in my collection. I ended up using it exclusively for weeks on end and ignoring all my other ones, just because I was enjoying it so much.

Revlon Illuminance Skin Caring Foundation is a light to medium coverage foundation with a moisturizing formula and lightweight feel. It is said to have skincare properties with ingredients like squalane and hyaluronic acid, and is supposed to improve skin texture over time with daily use. It retails for around $18 and comes in 28 shades that appear to cover a wide range of skin tones.

I have tried a few new foundations recently and of those, this one has been the one I’ve reached for most often for its ease of use, natural look, and just because it plays nicely with my dehydrated and textured winter skin.

I most often wear this over a tinted mineral sunscreen and have found it applies and blends easily over it. One layer will give me light coverage but I can build up two or three layers without it starting to look thick and cakey to get more of a strong medium coverage. Once applied, I see a notable difference in the look of large pores and it leaves my skin with a subtle well-hydrated glow. There is no shimmer in this foundation so the glow just looks like my natural skin when it is in better condition.

I bought this online (never fun choosing a shade that way) and went with 117 Light Beige based on shade numbers on some previous Revlon complexion products I’ve used. It ended up working out to be just the right match. This shade is still fairly light for being 4 shades from the lightest available and it is very neutral. There is no obvious yellow or pink tone to it.

The product comes in a glass bottle with a pump and a clear plastic cap. The pump is good and I can pump out as little or as much foundation as I need. It isn’t difficult to use and I don’t find that it makes much of a mess of the inside of the cap. The consistency of the foundation is a tiny bit more on the liquidy/runny side, spreading quickly over the skin. Being a more hydrating formula, it is very slow to dry down and never really sets fully so I can apply it all over the face and blend it out at my own pace.

After wearing this many times in various conditions I feel comfortable saying this is decently long wearing on me but it isn’t a set it and forget it product. I have combination skin and even in winter I still get kind of shiny throughout the day. On average, I have needed to reapply powder once to maintain the foundations subtly glowy finish and keep my forehead from tipping into oil-slick territory. Even though it doesn’t really control oil, it doesn’t seem to worsen how shine develops over time on me. I see almost no gathering in lines, creases or on the sides of my nose by the end of the day and it doesn’t separate or break down.

I have used this when my skin was already doing well, which isn’t super helpful and doesn’t really put a foundation to the test. But I’ve also worn in at times when my skin was dehydrated and no looking so hot. This is one I feel comfortable reaching for on bad skin days because I don’t feel it makes me look worse.

The only con I find is the coverage is not as high as I’d like. If you have a lot of unevenness to correct or lots of redness, this may not do it for you by itself.

NYX Bare With Me Blur Skin Tint Foundation is a medium coverage, matte finish foundation that comes in 24 shades. Its main claim is that it’s supposed to blur not just the look of texture and pores but also discoloration and imperfections. It is supposed to feel lightweight, have buildable coverage and leave the skin with a shine-free finish without being drying. This can be purchased from NYX or Ulta for $14.

I initially bought the second shade from the lightest and found it was WAY too light on me but decided to give it a try anyway. Coverage was about medium and it sat decently well on the skin and didn’t emphasize texture too much given how light it was. Having high hopes that the correct shade might actually look very nice, I bought another one 2 shades darker.

It looks darker in the container than it ends up being on the skin. When I first apply it, it matches what I see in the container pretty well but lightens as I spread it out. I was sure I was going to need to mix it with the lighter shade I had to make it work, but the way it brightened up as I blended it out surprised me. If you’re interested in this, definitely go a bit darker than you think you need.

Application was easy and I didn’t feel the need to alter the way I normally do my foundation, which is by applying it all over with my fingers, not super carefully, and then going back in with a sponge and/or a brush to blend it out. The consistency is slightly on the thicker side but it doesn’t feel heavy or thick once applied to the skin. If I squeeze some out onto the back of my hand, it doesn’t run at all. It spreads out easily without drying down too quickly so I have plenty of time to blend it out. Once I buff it in, it has a matte finish and doesn’t leave much tack to the skin at all. I could skip powdering and be fine (though I still do powder anyway to help with eyeshadow fallout).

For the before/after below, I applied one layer of foundation over bare skin (no primers) and did not set it with any powder. It looks very matte but I wouldn’t say that it looks dry.

Attempting to build coverage, I can somewhat layer it without it looking cakey, but it starts to pool in pores when I do that. Because it never dries to an unmovable finish, I am able to easily fix those areas.

Now for the big bold claim on the packaging. Does this blur? Yes. Most foundations blur texture to some degree and this is up there with ones that do it well. Having a matte finish adds to the effect. Looking at the before and after, it seems to work best on areas with small-medium size pores and skin that is generally already smooth. When I focus in more on my forehead, I’ve got much more visible texture and it doesn’t work as well there. Yes, it smoothes the skin but don’t expect miracles.

This is not a very long wearing foundation for me. It starts to look oily about mid afternoon and just looks plain greasy by the end of the day without any extra powder throughout the day. It doesn’t break up over that time or gather in creases/pores much but it is easy to lift once it starts getting oily.

Patrick Ta Crème Foundation & Finishing Powder Duo is a two-in-one product containing a medium coverage foundation and a translucent, natural-finish powder. It retails for $52, contains 0.42 oz of foundation (less than half of a standard size liquid foundation), 0.32 oz of powder, and comes in 24 shades.

The outside of the compact is a mirrored reflective surface and on the inside, the creme foundation has its own cover to keep powder out and prevent powder brushes from touching the foundation. The mirror inside is fairly large and I like the longer, vertical shape for being able to see my whole face easily at once. I’m not a fan of reflective packaging but otherwise I think the design is functional and keeps things simple. Even one less product on my desk is a little bit of a mental relief.

I would not have been drawn to this foundation were it not for the cream shadows in their Major Dimension II Palette. The way those sank nearly completely into the skin without looking powdery on texture made me curious to see if the foundation was at all similar.

As I run my finger over the surface, the foundation melts almost immediately and I am able to pick product up without having to warm it up at all. It has a lot of slip and spreads over the skin with hardly any resistance. The entire application process goes by in a snap.

I have mainly applied this with my fingers. I dabbled a bit with a sponge and a brush but went back to using fingers immediately after. The sponge gave me a much sheerer application to the point where I felt I was just wasting the product. Using a brush worked about as well as using fingers but I don’t prefer this method in general for most foundations because it tends to cause foundation to catch more on texture and emphasize it. I didn’t see that happen with this foundation, though. I still felt it was necessary to use a sponge/brush afterward to finish off the blending, especially to get the product out of my pores and looking as natural as possible.

Using the foundation alone, I am left with a noticeably evened out complexion and a glowy, bordering dewy finish. For the photos below, I also used this in place of concealer under the eyes, so you can get a better idea of the coverage. I thought it worked pretty well used that way and didn’t feel like I was missing anything by skipping concealer. There was a small breakout above my lip and it managed to tone down the redness quite a bit.

One thing I didn’t love was how it sat in my pores and on texture. This is something I struggle with, with almost all foundations. Some are more forgiving and easier to blend out almost completely. This one was less forgiving.

For many of the cream foundations I’ve tried in the past, it’s almost like I could see the powders (pigments?) gather in texture more visibly than with liquid formulas. I was hoping that wasn’t going to be the case with this one, but unfortunately, it is.

The powder is sheer and does not add any extra coverage and also doesn’t alter the color of the foundation once applied. It feels lightweight but not particularly finely milled. When first applied, it eliminates most of the glow from the foundation itself, but doesn’t control shine for very long at all. For normal daily use, I think the overall finish of the foundation and the powder together along with how they look over the course of a day, looks just fine. I don’t have any issues with some glow developing over time. But this isn’t one I’d reach for when wanting to keep shine away for long periods of time.

Below are before and after of just the foundation (no powder) so you can see how it evens out the complexion.

Wearing this to work in a “normal” way, just to look a little more evened out, I was happy with how it held up all day. It didn’t slide around, even though it does have a lot of slip, and I didn’t have any areas where it completely rubbed off and left me with zero coverage. It didn’t get so shiny by the end of the day that I felt gross. “Real life” wear: A-okay.

For use on camera, filming tutorials, that’s another story. I don’t like this so much for that purpose. It has too much shine alone (and the powder doesn’t last long enough) in studio lighting. Also, the way it sits on the skin isn’t great for close up photos.

There are things I like about this product, like the speed and ease of application along with simplifying two products into one. I think it wears well in “real life” if you are not needing it to look great up close and in harsh lighting. But, I’m super picky about foundations not looking like makeup sitting on top of my skin and that is enough for me to say you may want to pass on this.

I picked up a few things from Ulta recently and the Essence Pretty Natural Foundation caught my eye mainly because it has a surprisingly large shade range for the price.

Product Description

What it is: A lightweight light-to-medium coverage foundation with a matte finish. It claims to be hydrating but I don’t agree. It looks and feels more like a matte foundation.

Price/Quantity: $6.99 for 30mL / 1 fl. oz.

Shade Range: 36 shades on Essence’s website. Ulta carries 29. The shades go from quite pale to pretty deep.

Packaging: Squeeze tube with twist off cap. The cap is flat so I can stand the product upright. The bottom portion of the packaging looks like it is clear so you can see the color of the product inside, but it’s actually not. At least for the shade I chose, the color on on the outside of the packaging is a bit darker than what is inside. 

Smell/Fragrance: Barely noticeable floral fragrance. I struggle to smell it even when I try.

Expires After: 12 months

Ingredients (from Essence’s website): AQUA (WATER), CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, TALC, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, PEG-10 DIMETHICONE, GLYCERIN, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE, TROPOLONE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, HYDROGEN DIMETHICONE, SODIUM PHYTATE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE).

Availability: So far I have only been able to find this on Essence’s website and Ulta. CVS, Walmart, and Target carry Essence but I don’t see this product on their websites and I’m not sure if they carry it in store.

Performance

Shade: In the store I hemmed and hawed over which shade I thought would work best. The lightest one seemed obviously way too light for me, the second lightest seemed like it might work, and I thought this one might be a tad dark but actually also ended up being a little light for me. I could see the next one up probably being a decent match for me. 

Application: I have tried applying this with a damp sponge and with a brush. To use a sponge, I first apply and spread it out generally in the area I want to cover and then blend it out with the sponge. This gives me the most natural looking finish. When using a brush, I will squeeze a bit of product onto the brush or the back of my hand and work the product into the bristles before sweeping/stippling/buffing it into the skin. Either way works well. Using a brush gives me slightly more coverage and helps to get the product into the pores more. So far it works well with NYX Angel Veil Primer (better for oil control) and Tatcha The Silk Canvas (better for filling in pores).

One major thing to note is the way this applies to areas with large pores. It sometimes will emphasize them because it doesn’t easily go into them during application, instead sticking more to the outside edges. And because it dries quickly, once it is dry, it is difficult to blend the foundation into the pores. I either need to get the application right the first time or go in with a second thin layer. Using a brush seems to help this issue.

I’ve tried using this on days when I have exfoliated and after a couple of days of not doing so. It sits well on my skin either way and doesn’t cling to areas of dryness.

Texture and Finish: It has a very average consistency to it – not very runny and not very thick either. I can lay the tube on it’s side with the cap off and it will not spill out. It dries somewhat quickly to a matte finish during application. It doesn’t have a tacky feel so don’t think applying powder blush/bronzer/contour over top would be a problem. It’s very lightweight and I don’t feel it on my skin once it is applied. 

Coverage: Coverage is somewhere between light and medium depending on how much of it I apply. If I build it up I can get more medium coverage out of it. 

Longevity: I tried wearing this by itself and over two different primers. Every time I wore it, it held up well till the end of the day. I have somewhat of an oilier/combination type of skin and at the moment it’s less oily as we are heading into the winter months where I am. I can get away without touching up or powdering the entire day. Some shine will start to develop midday and of course get worse the longer I wear it but I don’t think it looks terrible. It stayed put throughout the day, not gathering/settling in areas with lines and not rubbing off too much when wearing a mask. I think being semi sheer helps with this.

Final Thoughts

Besides the pore issue, I’m surprised how well it works. I think it’s a nice product and it is hard to go wrong at this price. I have some much more expensive foundations I like less than this one. It’s not holy grail status but I’m pretty satisfied with it.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Nars Soft Matte Complete Foundation is described as “a full coverage, natural-looking matte foundation that resists shifting shades throughout the day due to oxidation, and features comfortable 16-hour wear.” It comes in 34 shades and retails for $40.

There are 1.5 fl oz / 45 mL of product in the container which is 50% more than your average foundation. The bottle has a twist-off lid and you squeeze the product out – there is no pump. Keep in mind that the bottle sits upside down on its cap and has a pointed top. If you like to leave the cap off until you’ve finished applying your foundation, you will have to lay it on its side. I was able to do this without it spilling out, but just be careful if you do this.

This foundation is as liquidy as any other in the bottle but very quickly begins to dry. As it is drying, it continues to be moveable and blendable for a reasonable amount of time. After a while, maybe 5 minutes or so, it sets down completely and doesn’t move anymore.

Application is more work than most other foundations I’ve used. I have to spend more time blending because it thickens as it is drying. Using both a sponge and a brush to manipulate it and move it around has been working best for me. The more hydrated my skin is before application, the easier it is to work with and the better it looks on the skin. Once applied, it feels very lightweight.

The way I apply this, I get a strong medium coverage from it. If I’m willing to sacrifice a little on the natural-looking finish, I can apply it more heavily for fuller coverage. It is sort of buildable but it depends on how my skin is doing. On a good skin day, I can do a little building without it looking patchy/cakey but I wouldn’t go there on a bad skin day.

It has a true matte finish at first but quickly takes on a natural skin-like glow to it (within the first hour). I have more of a combination skin type and it’s currently still a bit on the oily side from the warmer weather.

Wear time is not great for me. By about midday, my skin’s oils will start to break it up and at this point it will also transfer if I touch it. The longer I wear it the less natural it looks on the skin. It will wear longer if I use a setting powder but it will also look more cakey later in the day. Touching up with powder later in the day is less of an issue.

The anti-oxidation claim is pretty prominent with this product so I will address it. I don’t typically have problems with foundation oxidizing on me probably because I don’t really care that much, as long as it’s not a crazy change in color. In Taylor Wynn’s review, she showed that it oxidized very slightly during application.

I think this foundation is good for photos or for the occasional full coverage look. Using it as an everyday foundation was a little hard on my skin. As the days went on, I could feel my skin becoming more congested and more textured.

On the day that I took these photos, my skin was neither in its best nor its worst condition. I got a very light sunburn about a week before this (tsk tsk, I know) and so I had some flakiness and extra texture going on. This foundation will cling onto those areas but for being a matte, fairly high coverage foundation, I think it’s one of the more forgiving ones.

Too Faced Born This Way Matte Foundation is supposed to be an oil-free, waterproof foundation with a matte finish and undetectable coverage that comes in 35 shades and retails for $40. It is boldly implied to stay matte and control oil for 24 hours.

The product comes housed in a glass bottle with a pump, much like their original Born This Way Foundation, but with a taller and slimmer bottle.

I chose the shade Snow because that is the shade I use in the Born This Way Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer. The concealer does not match me perfectly but it’s close enough. I also use the shade Almond from time to time but it has a fairly obvious yellow undertone on me that I knew would not work for a foundation shade.

They got the shade match about as close as I think you can. I appreciate them not making the foundation darker than the concealer, which a lot of makeup brands will do, assuming most people use a lighter concealer than their foundation. I don’t do that because it emphasizes the sunken-in-ness of my under eye circles.

It’s really unfortunate that the shade doesn’t match me better because that does affect the review, making it harder for me to review the product impartially. A shade that is too light exaggerates areas of dryness on the skin and looks more obvious if the product settles into pores. It also does absolutely nothing to neutralize any redness in the skin.

This applied best with a damp sponge. Using a brush caused the product to sit on the skin in a way that looked unnatural and emphasized my pores. I found that the product set completely a few minutes after application and could no longer be blended. One of the times I wore this, I realized that I hadn’t fully blended an area in, but because it was already fully set, I couldn’t fix it without removing the makeup and starting over again.

Even though this sets down all the way, it doesn’t have a dried-down feel to it. It still has a sort of light tackiness to it. Because of that you may still want to powder over top depending what you want to wear on top of it.

I would describe the finish as natural matte. It’s definitely not a dry, flat matte. The coverage level I got was probably light-medium, but it’s hard to tell when the shade is too light. Freckles, dark spots, redness, acne scarring all 100% show through because of the shade. It did not help smooth the texture of skin. On my cheeks, it doesn’t emphasize the texture if I apply it with a sponge but it does seem to accentuate the pores on my forehead. It was also not forgiving on any areas with dry, flakey skin.

As for wear time, the few times I did wear it all day, it didn’t stay matte for very long. It got just as shiny as a hydrating foundation would. Keep in mind my skin is currently fairly oily as we are still in summertime. There is almost nothing that will control oil all day long for me.

I’m going to leave this review as is for now – more of a first impression review – since I haven’t worn this product too extensively. So far, I’m not super impressed but I also don’t hate it. I’ll probably end up trying it with different combinations of base products and if my opinion changes down the road, I’ll update the post later.

Product Description

What it is: A tinted, broad spectrum sunscreen with a dewy finish.

Price/Quantity: $46 for 1 fl oz / 30 ml

Shade Range: 18 Shades

Packaging: Heavy duty plastic bottle that actually feels more like glass or ceramic with a glass dropper. Dropper-style packaging can sometimes have issues with product gathering around the neck of the bottle. I didn’t find that this was a problem with this product.

Smell/Fragrance: Smells a bit like honey with a hint of clay to me. The smell dissipates soon after application.

Expires After: 12 Months

Ingredients (from Ilia’s website):

Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 12.0%. Aqua/Water/Eau, Squalane, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Isoamyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Ricinoleate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Propanediol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, Sodium Chloride, Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Bisabolol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Phenylpropanol, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polyhydroxystearic Acid. May Contain/Peut Contenir (±): CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide).

Performance

Shade: I chose shade number 3 called “Balos”. The color is lighter than I expected for the third lightest and as I blend it out, it lightens even further. It almost causes a white cast on me. I would suggest going darker than you think you need if you are interested in picking this up.

Application: I have tried applying this with my fingers, with a damp sponge, and with a brush. All three ways work for me, with some slight variations. Using my fingers and spending a sufficient amount of time blending results in the best finish. This gives me to the most coverage and smoothness. A damp sponge gives me a similar result with slightly less coverage. A brush gives me a bit more coverage but can cause the product to cling a little bit more to texture if my skin isn’t in the best condition.

Texture and Finish: The product looks fairly thin and runny when I drop it onto the back of my hand but once I apply it to my face, it feels heavy and difficult to spread over the skin with any kind of speed. I definitely need to take my time massaging it over the skin to get it evenly distributed and blended in. I really don’t enjoy how this feels on my hands if I use my fingers to apply it, though that could just be my own sensitivity to the way things feel. It has a thick, emollient feel, which potentially might be good for somebody with truly dry skin. The finish can be described as either very dewy (for those that enjoy a glow) or greasy-looking (for those familiar with oily skin). I’m in the latter camp and I don’t particularly enjoy the finish on myself. It leaves behind a tacky feel to the skin and remains that way all day. It doesn’t sink into my skin.

Coverage: Very light coverage. Attempting to build it up really doesn’t result in much more coverage. I have also found that this doesn’t play super well with other makeup applied on top. If I attempt to use concealer in conjunction with this, my base makeup ends up looking more “makeup-y” than I prefer.

Longevity: Surprisingly, the finish doesn’t really get that much shinier on the skin as my skin gets a bit oilier throughout the day. Nor do I see the product begin to look cakey or separated later in the day. These things only hold true, however, if I don’t apply powder, concealer, or other makeup on top. Once I do that, all bets are off. That is when I see caking and separating in the second half of the day.

Final Thoughts

In theory, this ticks all the right boxes for me but in practice, I found it wasn’t really the best fit for my skin type and preferences.

This could probably work well for a very specific customer: one with a true dry skin type that takes good care of their skin, doesn’t wear much makeup and isn’t very sensitive about the way things feel. Normal skin could probably get away with it just fine if you’re okay with the texture and finish of it. I wouldn’t recommend it to somebody with dehydrated skin as it can emphasize texture and flaking.

I’m a person that tends to be somewhat sensitive to the way things feel. I can definitely tolerate a certain level of discomfort if I’m looking for a particular outcome but for a product like sunscreen that I will wear all day everyday, it is especially important to me that the product feel comfortable on the skin. The thick, tacky, heavy feel is just too much for me to use this on the daily.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Product Description

What it is: Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation is described as a hydrating foundation that delivers medium coverage and a radiant finish.

Price/Quanity: $13 for 1 fl. Oz / 30 mL

Shade Range: 20 Shades

Packaging: Glass bottle with a good quality plastic pump that is easy to control. Something to note is that I’m not sure if you can remove the pump without damaging it. It doesn’t twist off. If you are somebody that likes to get every last drop out of your foundations, this might be an issue for you.

Smell/Fragrance: It doesn’t smell like anything to me and I don’t see any fragrance listed in the ingredients.

Expires After: 12 Months

Ingredients (from Ulta’s website, also printed on the bottle): Aqua/Water/Eau, Isododecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Silica, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Shea Butter, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Propylene Glycol, Methicone, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Trisodium Edta, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, [+/- May Contain/Peut Contenir CI 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499/Iron Oxides CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide CI 77007/Ultramarines CI 15985/Yellow 6 Lake] D237038/1.

Availability:

• Ulta
• Target
• Walmart
• CVS
• Walgreens
• Amazon

Performance

Shade: I have the shades 20 Classic Ivory, which is just a touch darker than my natural skin tone, and 10 Porcelain Ivory, which is a perfect match for me. I would say both of these shades have very neutral undertones. For the demo photos below, I used 20 Classic Ivory.

Application: I am able to apply this equally well with a damp sponge or a brush. It spreads out super easily and blends out really fast. I feel like using a brush perhaps gives the skin a dewier, more radiant finish than using sponge, which is the opposite of what I would expect. When first applied, it leaves behind a lightly tacky feel that resembles what a gel-cream moisturizer or serum feels like on the skin, except it doesn’t seem to soak in or dry down completely. If you plan on applying powder blush or bronzer over this, I recommend setting the foundation to avoid any patchiness.

Texture and Finish: The texture feels lightweight, whipped, and very hydrating. It does not feel oily – the hydration feels more water based. The finish is lightly dewy. I wouldn’t say it’s incredibly radiant or shiny. I do not see any shimmery particles. The dewiness seems to come from the hydrating ingredients. If you set this foundation with a powder, the radiance will go away. It offers a slight smoothing of texture and pores on the skin, at least when it is initially applied. As my skin gets a little more shiny throughout the day, pores and texture naturally become more obvious. I wouldn’t say they look emphasized, though.

Coverage: The coverage is light and builds up to medium. I am able to layer this quite a bit without it looking cakey, but be aware that the more you build this up, the longer it takes to dry down. It doesn’t dry down completely but after a few minutes, it eventually feels less wet on the skin.

Longevity: I need to touch up with powder or a blotting sheet half way through the day, especially on a warmer day or if I’m more active that day. However, I don’t have any issues with it breaking up on me.

Worth Buying?

Yes. This is one of the more beautiful foundations I’ve come across in a long time. If you have dry, textured, more mature skin, and don’t need super high coverage, you might want to give this one a try. This foundation is very forgiving and super easy to work with.

Product Description

Claims (from Urban Decay’s website and the packaging):

“Find your naked truth with Stay Naked Weightless Liquid Foundation, our vegan, buildable medium coverage liquid foundation with a real-skin matte finish that lasts up to 24 hours.

We designed this lineup of 50 shades with 9 shade intensities, 3 mastertones, and 7 undertones to dial in your precise color match. Our waterproof, longwear foundation feels like wearing nothing, thanks to a breathable, flexible formula that moves with you (all day and all night, up to 24 hours!). It not only feels better, it even looks better with its stay-true color, which minimizes the appearance of pores—so you always look like you.

Urban Decay is 100% cruelty-free.” – from website

“Does not transfer” – on the box

“Does not contain animal-derived ingredients or by-products” – on the box

Price: $39.00

Quantity: 30 mL / 1 Fl. Oz.

Shade Range: 50 Shades

Expires After: 12 Months

Ingredients (from UD Website, also on packaging):

Aqua / Water / Eau, Dimethicone, Isododecane, Alcohol Denat., Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Perlite, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Nylon-12, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Silica, Silica Silylate, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Tocopherol, Moroccan Lava Clay, Aluminum Hydroxide, Glycerin, Empetrum Nigrum Fruit Juice, Isobutane, Potassium Sorbate, Methicone. [+/- (May contain/Peut contenir): CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 / Iron Oxides, CI 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, CI 77007 / Ultramarines, CI 15985 / Yellow 6 Lake]. D229751/1

Availability:

• Urban Decay
• Sephora
• Ulta
• Nordstrom
• Macys

Performance

Smell/Fragrance: No fragrance. I didn’t notice any smell with application. If I pump it out on my hand and actively look for a smell, there is a very faint mineral/earthy/powdery kind of scent.

Shade: 20NN is a decent shade match. It has more yellow undertones than I was expecting but once I blend it out, it looks fine. I didn’t notice any oxidation after I applied it or as I wore it throughout the day.

Application: When I use a brush to apply this, it pools in pores and looks terrible. For the best finish, I use my fingers to tap the foundation onto my skin and then blend it in with a damp sponge. This results in a much lighter coverage but a far better and more natural finish. I think the reason it looks so bad applied with a brush is that this formula dries down very fast. I recommend working in small sections rather than attempting to apply it all over your face and blend it all in at once. This isn’t a foundation I would turn to if I was in a rush or wasn’t feeling patient. It takes some work to get it to look good. I also need to go into this with well-prepped skin (exfoliated and very well moisturized).

Texture and Finish: The consistency is on the thinner side but I wouldn’t describe it as watery. It smooths the look of pores and leaves the skin with a natural matte finish. It’s not a dry-looking matte but it doesn’t add any extra glow to my skin either. “Weightless” is accurate. It doesn’t feel like anything on my skin.

Coverage: Light. On my skin, this is not buildable in the slightest. If I try, it ends up pooling in my pores and becoming patchy. Not sure if this is because of my skin type, my skincare products, or just the way this formula is.

Longevity: This lasts all day on me as long as I apply it well from the get-go. I do need to blot, but after about 6 hours on my forehead and 8 hours on my cheeks. It takes a longer time to get greasy looking than many of the other foundations in my collection. I don’t need to set it at all if I don’t want to. Powder blush, powder bronzer, etc will blend over it just fine. Choosing not to set this foundation will give it the best chance of looking good for a long time. If I do powder it, then as it gets oily throughout the day, that powder will begin to look cakey. It’s also not totally transfer-proof. Once it gets a bit oily, and I blot, a tiny bit of the foundation will come off on the blotting sheet.

Overall Opinion

This is a light coverage, long-wearing, matte formula with a thinner consistency. It’s not forgiving on textured or dry skin. In order for it to apply well, my skin needs to be in great condition (well hydrated, exfoliated, moisturized). It takes a lot of effort for me to get my skin into the condition it needs to be in for this to work, so this is not a good product match for me, personally. I think it would work best on someone with normal or slightly oily skin with very minimal texture, smaller pores, and someone who doesn’t need/want very much coverage.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Product Description

Claims: Revlon Candid Foundation is supposed to offer medium, buildable coverage and a natural finish in a formula with “anti-pollution, antioxidant, and anti-blue-light ingredients.” It is supposed to be a hydrating formula without “oils, parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes, and harsh fragrances.”

Price: $11 USD

Quantity: 0.75 fl oz / 22 mL. A standard foundation size is usually 1 fl oz / 30 mL.

Shade Range: 31 Shades

Expires After: 24 Months

Ingredients (from Ulta’s website): Aqua/Water/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polysilicone-11, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Ethylene Brassylate, Laureth-7, Lecithin, Magnesium Sulfate, Maris Sal/Sea Salt/Sel Marin, Methicone, Mica, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Silica, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Carrageenan, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethyl Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491,77492, 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).

Availability:

• Ulta
• Amazon – Amazon is only “ships and sold from Amazon” for certain shades.
• Target – Target has different shades on different pages which is kind of annoying.

Performance

Smell/Fragrance: It says it’s made without “harsh fragrances”. I don’t see outright fragrance listed in the ingredients but I do see some plant extracts and I do smell something slightly fragrance-y in this. It’s hard to put my finger on what this smells like. The smell is very light though.

Shade: I first purchased shade 110 Porcelain which was the lightest shade on the display in the store. Revlon’s website describes this shade as “light with cool, peach undertones.” I quickly realized the shade was too light for me and purchased the shade 120 Buff which is described as “light/medium with neutral, subtle beige undertones.” I can’t really tell what the undertone of the lightest one is but 120 seems to have slightly yellow undertones.

Application: I have found that applying with a brush will give me more coverage but a less skin-like and more makeup-y look, especially if my skin is needing to be exfoliated. A damp sponge is definitely my preferred method of application with this foundation.

Texture and Finish: Natural finish. Definitely not matte or dewy. It doesn’t have any sort of “radiance” in the form of shimmer. After wearing it for a few hours, my skins natural oils peek though and then the skin will take on a more natural looking dew, but not oily looking. The texture has a thicker feel to it that borders on feeling mousse-y but it’s definitely not a mousse. It dries down nearly completely but leaves behind the very slightest tacky feeling. Once this is blended in, it feels super lightweight.

Coverage: Personally I think this is more of a light coverage foundation. I can build it up but the finish doesn’t look as skin-like at that point. The highest level of coverage I can get with it is medium.

Longevity: This is an average-wearing foundation. On me, it needs to be blotted at least once throughout the day. It isn’t transfer-proof so each time I blot I do lose a bit of coverage but nothing out of the ordinary from other foundations.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation has a number of highly sought after claims: waterproof, resistant to humidity and sweat, lightweight texture, and ultra-buildable coverage that looks natural both in real life and on camera. Dior suggests applying up to 3 layers to achieve the fullest coverage. It comes in 40 shades, contains 1.6 oz and retails for $40. It is available to purchase from Dior and Sephora.

After wearing this foundation several times I have found that it does need to be touched up after about 5-6 hours even if I all I’m doing is sitting at a desk. It will begin to look shiny at that point but it doesn’t feel greasy or heavy. It survives blotting without transferring and reapplying powder without becoming cakey. It continues for perform well until I remove it at the end of the day.

The shade I have is 1N. For some reason this foundation seems to lighten up in tone once I begin blending it into the skin. I can’t recall ever seeing another foundation behave that way. In the bottle it looks like it’s WAY too dark and orange for me. I actually almost returned it but decided to try it out anyway. I’m glad I did because this shade works well for most of my face, except for my jawline and neck which are a bit lighter.

It has a matte finish and softens the look of pores and texture. Using one layer, I get light coverage – it evens skin tone but freckles still show through. For the most part it sits nicely on the skin and looks very natural. One of my cheeks has some rather large pores and this pooled in them a little but I was easily able to blend it out with a damp sponge. This is typically a problem for me with any foundation. Applying a second layer affected the finish so that it looked less skin-like and natural. A natural finish is one of my top priorities, so personally I wouldn’t layer it when wearing this over bare skin.

Just out of curiosity, I tried applying this over the Dior One Essential City Defense SPF 50, which is one of my go-to sunscreens, and it actually looked really nice on top. The SPF acted as a nice smoothing primer and gave the foundation an even more natural appearance. It didn’t really look like I was wearing foundation. I also found that I was able to build up the coverage of the foundation a little more that way without sacrificing the natural finish. Applying it this way does seem to reduce the longevity of the product a little and I need to touch up more often. To me it’s worth it.

I have found that Tarte Shape Tape does not get along with this foundation. Applying the concealer over the foundation causes it to gather in pores and emphasize texture on the skin which isn’t really an issue if I use either one by themselves. Ulta Full Coverage Liquid Concealer and It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer worked well though.

So far the best method of application I have found is to spread it out over my skin with my fingers and then do a final blend with a damp sponge. This gives me the most natural look.

The one thing that is a downside is the packaging. If I shake up the bottle as they recommend, it oozes out and makes a mess when I go to apply it. I would suggest just shaking it up from time to time at night. That way it can settle back down into the bottle overnight to avoid the mess. Also, storing it upright rather than on its side can help prevent the product from leaking out of the top when you open it.

Physicians Formula The Healthy Foundation is a light to medium coverage foundation with SPF 20. It comes in 16 shades and retails for about $15. Physicians Formula describes this as “a long-wearing, buildable, and breathable foundation that provides lightweight, medium coverage with a healthy, satin finish.” I agree with this for the most part. The long-wearing part depends on your skin type and the skincare products you apply underneath it. The website says this is fragrance free but it does have a very light scent. I don’t notice it during normal use unless I am actively looking for a scent.

I have combo skin that is more on the dry side as I write this review. For moisturizer I primarily use squalane oil, which is very lightweight for an oil and absorbs well into the skin. On a typical day when I just use the squalane, this foundation wears on me all day without much fading or breaking up. If I use a more emollient SPF as well, like Dior One Essential City Defense, the foundation won’t last as long and I’ll have to touch up with powder during the day.

The bottle is made of glass and there is a large doe-foot applicator attached to the lid. I find myself having to dip back into the bottle a couple times to apply enough product to cover my whole face. One thing to be careful about is dipping the applicator into the bottle too quickly. If I do that, sometimes little droplets will fly out all over my desk and makeup mirror. As long as I’m careful and slow down, it’s not really an issue. It is one of the few foundations I’ve found that works well with a brush. It applies even better with a damp sponge.

The consistency is on the thinner side it feels very light and hydrating. It spreads easily and blends quickly over my face. Once applied, it looks like natural skin, just more evened out and with a healthy glow. I always set this foundation with powder because it leaves behind a very slight tacky feel. Applying it over just moisturizer (no SPF), and setting it with powder, is enough to get me through the day without needing to touch up. It doesn’t do much to smooth the look of texture and large pores but it doesn’t emphasize them either.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Product Description

What it is: Covergirl Clean Matte BB Cream is a matte-finish bb cream created for those with oily skin. It is supposed to keep your skin “shine-free all day.”

Price/Quantity: $8 for 30 mL / 1 fl oz

Availability: Ulta, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Drugstores

Packaging: This comes in a squeeze tube with a twist off lid that stays on securely.

Smell/Fragrance: If you are familiar with Covergirl’s foundations, this smells just like that. It’s a very subtle, slightly sweet, creamy fragrance that I only find noticeable if I try to find a scent.

Performance

This lightweight BB cream gives me light coverage, blends nearly seamlessly with my skin, and helps to smooth the look of pores and texture. It’s the type of makeup that I could apply and wear by itself since it gives me a “no-makeup makeup” type of look. It’s great for quick everyday makeup. I also use it sort of as a tinted primer and use a higher coverage product on top. Used this way, it helps the high coverage product go on more smoothly and emphasize texture less than it would on its own.

The shade I chose, 510 fair, has a slight yellow undertone which works well for me to neutralize the pink tones in my skin. Because the coverage is sheer, the shades are forgiving even if they aren’t a perfect match for your skin tone.

It has a mostly matte finish but it does’t look or feel dry. I can wear it all day without feeling like I have to blot or use more powder in the middle of the day.

Worth Buying?

Yes. I think this is one of those products that could be universally useful to a wide range people. Even those that don’t typically like matte finish makeup or those who don’t have oily skin would likely enjoy this.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Product Description

Physicians Formula Cushion Foundation is talc-free, has SPF 50 broad spectrum sunscreen in the form of 8.4% titanium dioxide, and 3.95% zinc oxide. It doesn’t smell like anything to me. It comes in 3 shades, contains 0.47 fl oz / 14 mL, which is about half of what you get in a typical bottle of foundation and retails for about $16.

Available at: Physicians Formula, Target, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Ulta, Walgreens, and Amazon.com.

Performance

This is my first cushion foundation so I don’t have any others to compare it to but the experience has been interesting. I have had this product for close to 3 months now. I haven’t worn it on a daily basis but I’ve gotten enough use out of it that I am noticing I’ve used it up about half way. Over the course of that time, my combination skin has gone through periods of being more oily and more dry so I feel ready to describe how it performs in both situations.

First I want to talk about the application process. I’ve found it takes me more time to use the included applicator than using a brush (the Sigma F82 Round Kabuki is my go-to brush) and I don’t feel I get much different of a result by doing so. When I first opened it, the sponge was much more saturated and I only needed to press lightly into it to pick up enough product to work on half of my face. Now, I need to press quite firmly and more toward the edges which has been a messy experience. At this point, it is easier (and cleaner) for me to go in with a brush to avoid getting the product all over the inside of the compact, under my fingernails, on the top side of the applicator, etc. I like the actual product inside but find the cushion idea itself to be unnecessary. I would prefer this in a bottle with a full range of shades to accommodate many skintones.

The actual foundation itself is fantastic on days when my skin is normal-to-dry. I was able to wear this all day with maybe one blot to tone down the dewiness. It felt super lightweight and comfortable. On oilier days, I was a greaseball by noon and as the day went on, I become more and more aware of it on my face. By about mid afternoon, I was longing to take a makeup remover wipe to my face. In both situations, I found the product did a great job of blurring the look of pores and toning down the look of redness. For having such a thin, lightweight consistency, it has surprisingly good coverage as you can see in the before and after photos below. The coverage is definitely buildable in that you can apply a couple of layers without it looking “cakey” or like you are obviously wearing makeup.

My favorite thing about this is the way it photographs. It looks very natural but at the same time it hides what I want it to hide very well.

Worth Buying?

This is a tricky one. I like it enough that I will likely repurchase it when I’m out to use on days when my skin is more dry and also to use for photography. I can’t say I’d recommend it 100% to someone with combination skin unless you are okay with having a few different foundations for different purposes. I personally don’t mind having a few different products to work with depending on my skin’s “mood”.

Pros:

• Beautiful, skin-like finish
• Blurs pores well
• Tones down redness well
• Good, medium coverage
• SPF 50 physical sunscreen
• Doesn’t smell like anything
• Photographs well when freshly applied

Cons:

• It doesn’t last all day on me
• Not good for oily skin
• Very small shade range
• Pricy considering how often I’d have to repurchase if using daily

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Product Description

What it is: A new type of base makeup that offers the ability to customize your coverage/color/finish to your heart’s content.

Price/Quantity: $44 for 0.5 oz. Usually foundations come in 1 oz bottles so this is very expensive considering the amount you get. However, you need very little product which evens things out a bit.

Availability: CoverFX, Sephora, Beautylish

Color/Finish: This product is available in 25 shades and 3 undertones. I chose the shade N10 which is the lightest shade with a neutral undertone. It matches me pretty well on my jawline and neck but is too light for my cheeks and forehead. It can emphasize dryness, large pores, and uneven texture in the skin and choosing a shade too light can make those things stand out even more. The neutral undertone of this product is on pointe! I love that Cover FX offers neutral undertones because, while I can find shades that are “close enough” in pink or yellow undertones, I can tell they don’t match me as well as they should. The finish is generally more on the matte side unless it is mixed with a beauty oil, dewy foundation, or illuminating primer, which would create more of a natural skin finish.

Packaging: The product is contained in a glass bottle with a squeeze dropper. It should be shaken before each use. One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard others mention is that the packaging is extremely messy because the product will ooze over the edge of the bottle when putting the dropper back in. I have had the product for a few weeks and it’s not as clean as it was when I first opened it but I haven’t had to wipe off the top of the bottle yet. I could see it getting very messy if I were in a rush and jammed the dropper back in too quickly or rubbed it along the side but so far it has been okay for me. One thing I am concerned about is accidentally tipping the bottle over and spilling an extremely pigmented product all over the carpet.

Smell/Fragrance: I don’t smell a fragrance but there is a mineral/chemical smell to it. It fades completely once applied.

Performance

Application: This product is a newer concept in base makeup where you can mix it with other products to create your ideal coverage and texture. According to Cover FX, 1 drop is light coverage, 2 drops is medium coverage, and 3 drops is full coverage. So far, my experience is that this really depends on what you are mixing it into and how diluted it ultimately becomes. Sometimes, even 1 drop mixed into a foundation is going to result in full coverage or 3 drops mixed into a beauty oil or could end up giving you medium coverage.

Texture: This product claims that it will not change the texture or finish of whatever you are mixing it into. I personally do see a change in texture and finish depending on what I’m mixing it with. Generally, the more drops you add, the more it will affect the formula.

Combinations I Have Tried:

• Drops + Too Faced Primed and Poreless Primer – became more of a mousse texture and created a matte finish.
• Drops + Josie Maran Argan Oil – turned it into a foundation texture with a natural, maybe slightly dewy, finish.
• Drops + Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation – didn’t really alter the texture but it did make the finish more matte.
• Drops + Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Spotless Foundation – So far this has been the best combination. This product is a serum foundation with a runny consistency. I have not been able to use it because it was too dark for me but the Drops have allowed me to lighten up the color a bit. This combo is much more forgiving on skin texture and looks far more attractive, even helping blur some imperfections rather than accentuate them. The texture didn’t change much and created a natural finish.
• Drops + Loreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Foundation – I thought this might work similarly to the Physicians Formula combo since this is also a very runny foundation but it didn’t. The texture didn’t change much and it created a natural-matte finish.

After trying all the above combinations multiple times, over bare skin and over primer I have gathered that this product always looked better over primed skin. Even in the best case scenario, with the Physicians Formula Foundation as a base, it still settled into pores and gathered around dry spots on the skin. The reason why this combo looked better was because the overall color was darker and the spots where the foundation gathered didn’t stand out as much. This tells me that it’s extremely important that you choose the right color or find a product to mix it with that will yield the right color.

Pigmentation: On it’s own, it is extremely pigmented. The pigmentation is up there with something like Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer (perhaps even more than this) but unfortunately it creates a very unattractive finish by itself. When mixing it with other products it is going to dilute some of that coverage.

Longevity: I have gotten 8+ hours of solid wear each time I wore this, mixed with different products.

Overall Opinion

I like the concept behind the product but so far it has been difficult to find another product that actually mixes well with it to create the finish I’m looking for. By far, the best method has been to apply it over a primer mixed with a serum foundation that is slightly darker than my normal skin tone. This gives the smoothest finish while achieving higher coverage.

Pros:

• Customizable coverage
• Great color selection
• Long wearing
• Can be used as both foundation and concealer

Cons:

• Emphasizes texture, pores, dryness
• Creates an extra step in applying base makeup
• Perhaps a different type of packaging would make this easier to use

Worth Buying? It would probably be enjoyed more by someone who already uses and likes high coverage foundations. Having firmer, well hydrated skin also makes for a much better result. For those with dry skin, fine lines, skin that isn’t as firm, or for those that like quick/simple makeup routines, this isn’t likely to be a good fit. I can get a good finish out of it but I end up sacrificing coverage which ends up defeating the purpose for me.

Product Description

What it is: Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup is an oil-free, fragrance-free, and paraben-free foundation that is supposed to give your skin a real life retouched look while offering ultra lightweight, comfortable wear. It also has lots of beneficial ingredients (Matrixyl 3000-Anti-wrinkle and lifting peptides, Litchiderm, Green Tea, Vitamin E, Sodium Hyaluronate) to act as preventative anti-aging and to keep skin hydrated.

Price/Quantity: $39 for 30mL / 1oz

Availability: Urban Decay, Sephora, Ulta, Macy’s

Selection: 18 Shades, including both warm and cool undertones.

Finish/Coverage: Demi-matte finish, light to medium coverage.

Packaging: Plastic container with a pump and a gunmetal reflective lid. The pump offers good control over how much product I want to dispense. There is something that sounds like a bead inside the container that helps to mix the foundation when you shake it.

Smell/Fragrance: It has a little bit of a paint like smell which is fairly faint but those that are sensitive may not like this. I don’t find it super offensive. I’ve definitely smelled stronger smelling foundations than this one.

Ingredients (from Urban Decay’s Website): Aqua (Water/Eau), Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tribehenin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Polysorbate 20, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol. All shades may contain: CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491/77492/77499 (Iron Oxides).

Performance

Application: This foundation applied and blended easily overall. It can be applied using fingers only, with a foundation brush, or with a Beauty Blender. It can grab onto dry skin or settle into very large pores but with the help of a blending brush I can make it look much more tolerable. On areas with dry flakey skin a damp Beauty Blender sponge worked the best for not emphasizing the dry patches as much. A foundation (Sigma Kabuki) made the flakes more obvious. Using a Sigma Kabuki, however, did give me better results as far as concealing large pores and giving a tiny bit more coverage. When using fingers only, the pore blurring effect wasn’t as easy to achieve. This method also requires more careful blending to avoid a streaky appearance. It feels super lightweight, almost like you aren’t wearing makeup at all.

Shade: I used the shade 1.0. I originally received a sample for the shade 2.0 which was almost perfect for my skin over the summer. But I purchased this early last fall and I figured it would be better to go a bit lighter. I kind of wish I went with the shade 2.0 but I can certainly work with the shade I have.

Coverage: The coverage isn’t enough for me to skip concealer even when attempting to build it up. It is buildable but if you are going to do that, just be careful to apply thin layers to keep the finish looking as natural as possible.

Finish: The overall effect isn’t quite like Urban Decay claims (being retouched). The texture it creates is beautiful, though. It leaves the skin with a velvety soft matte appearance but doesn’t make the skin look dry. It creates a nice soft canvas for powder blush. If you have oily skin you probably should set this with a powder. If you have dry to normal skin then you could probably get away without setting it.

Texture/Consistency: It has a softening effect on skin texture. Pores don’t become completely invisible but the texture looks far smoother and pores appear smaller. Fine lines appear softer. It dries down well so that powder products can be applied directly over the foundation without the need to apply setting powder first. Because I have combination skin, I use setting powder on the oiliest parts of my face to help it last longer. It doesn’t set too quickly so I have enough time to blend it in thoroughly without creating a streaky appearance. It is thinner than your average foundation and is slightly runny but not watery. It spreads easily over the skin.

Longevity: After 4-5 hours it stops controlling oil and needs a little bit of a touch-up. It doesn’t look awful by this time but it definitely doesn’t look freshly applied either.

Worth Buying?

This is a foundation that would best suit people that already have pretty good skin and like that little bit of extra perfection that a lighter coverage foundation can bring. You could say this foundation creates a “your skin but better” effect. It’s not going to hide things like breakouts, dark spots, or redness but it will blur pores, even skin tone, and give you a slightly healthier, more awake look. As long as you don’t have a lot of dry patches, it blends in well enough that you can’t see it on the skin unless you are looking in a 10X makeup mirror. The drawback is that this foundation isn’t going to be great for those with skin that’s excessively dry or oily.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation is an oil-free, fragrance-free, full coverage, long wearing foundation. It claims to be so pigmented that it can cover tattoos while still retaining a smooth finish. It claims to also help control oil and be transfer resistant.

Value: $35.00 for 30 mL / 1 fl oz

Availability: Kat Von D Beauty, Sephora

Shade Range: 30 Shades

Finish/Coverage: Matte finish / full coverage

Packaging:  It has a plastic container with a pump that offers good control over how much product comes out. It does not have a lid like traditional foundation bottles because the pump is built into the overall design of the packaging.

Experience/Performance

Application: It’s really easy to apply too much of this foundation. Go for about half as much as you think you need. I was able to apply with fingers only, a Beauty Blender, and a Sigma Kabuki brush. All three methods required careful blending but in any case I was able to achieve a nice smooth finish. The best way I found was to apply with the Sigma Kabuki to give good coverage and blur pores and then go back over it with a Beauty Blender to make sure the finish was nice and smooth.

Shade: I have the shade Light 44 which has a neutral undertone. I think they hit the neutral undertone right on the mark with this shade. I don’t see any pink or yellow tinge to the color. The shade is a tiny bit lighter than my natural skin tone but is close enough that I can make it work.

Coverage: I don’t have any tattoos to test this on but it is definitely the fullest coverage foundation I have ever used. I can even use this as a spot concealer if I take a tiny dab and apply it to blemishes and dark spots. You could get away with using it as an under eye concealer too but it wouldn’t be the best option since the formula is on the drier side. To get fuller coverage, apply with fingers or a brush and to get more sheer coverage, use a damp Beauty Blender or similar sponge.

Finish: It has a matte finish but it doesn’t make your skin look dry. If you have issues with dry skin then applying a thin layer using a Beauty Blender would help avoid making any dry patches more obvious.

Texture/Consistency: It has a thick mousse-like consistency that dries down quickly and it doesn’t spread over the skin very readily. These qualities make it more time consuming to work with than most other foundations. It’s not impossible to blend, it just requires more time to make sure you cover your skin evenly. I think the coverage and longevity are so worth it though. I would personally set this with a powder even though it is matte because it feels slightly tacky/waxy to the touch and doesn’t ever dry down completely. I can feel it on my skin a little but it doesn’t feel uncomfortably heavy or mask-like.

Longevity: It becomes less matte as the day goes on but it never gets shiny and gross. I can wear it all day long and get away with not touching up with setting powder or blotting papers. That being said though, I didn’t find it to be exceptionally good at controlling oil. It doesn’t really turn into an oil slick, it just gets kind of dewy-looking in a way that I feel is tolerable.

Smell: Faint paint-like smell. I can smell it if I put my nose to a drop on the back of my hand but I don’t notice it when I’m applying.

Worth Buying?

Yes. If you love full coverage foundations, this is something to check out. The drawback is that it requires more careful application and if that is something you are okay with, then I think you’d like it.

[rating=”5″]

I resisted buying this foundation at first because I never had much luck with Covergirl foundations in the past but I noticed that lots of people were liking it so I decided to give it a try. I purchased the shade Creamy Natural and I thought it might be a hair too dark but it’s actually a pretty decent match. This foundation is supposed to eliminate the need for a primer and a concealer and deliver all day flawless coverage.

Product Description

Price/Quantity: About $12 USD for 30 mL
Availability: Drugstores, Ulta, Walmart, Target, Fred Meyer, Amazon.com
Color Range: 14 Shades
Color/Finish: Creamy Natural is very close in color to Mac NW20 but is just a hair warmer. It has a nearly matte finish – not as matte as it would look if you were wearing a powder but not dewy or glowy.
Packaging: The bottle is made out of glass and is fairly heavy. The lid is plastic and I found that after you start using the foundation it easily gets dirty as the tip of the pump almost touches the inside of the lid.
Smell: It has a slight fragrance.

Performance

Application: I worked on one area (forehead, cheek, etc.) at a time with this foundation because it does dry down quickly. I applied and spread it over my skin with my fingers and finishing off with a buffing brush, then moved on to the next area.
Coverage: This is a full coverage foundation but I wouldn’t say that it completely eliminates the need for a concealer. It does even out skintone very well and it hides mild under eye circles, very faded acne scarring, mild redness, and darks spots that are not very pigmented. If you have active breakouts, moderate to severe undereye circles, or very pigmented dark spots then you will still need a concealer to achieve a flawless look.
Texture: This foundation has a creamy consistency and comes out of the bottle quite thick but it does spread and blend easily. It also doesn’t feel heavy, even though you might think it would.
Longevity: This does last all day without breaking down on my face but if you have oily skin you will still need a powder or blotting papers. My skin started to get dewy about 4 hours into wearing it but not enough that I felt I needed to apply powder, it just had a natural finish to it. It didn’t start settling into pores or fines lines over the day.

Overall Opinion

Pros:

• Long lasting
• Good for oily skin
• Full coverage
• Pump dispenser
• Good color range
• SPF 20

Cons:

• Probably wont work for dry skin

Would I buy this again? Yes. If you are like me and haven’t had any luck with Covergirl foundations in the past, you will find that this is nothing like previous foundations they have come out with. It feels more like a high end product.

Product Description

Price/Quantity: $10.99 for 30 mL
Availability: Drugstores, Ulta, Target, Fred Meyer, Amazon
Color Range: 3 Shades
Color/Finish: 010 Light is the lightest shade in the range and has yellow undertones.
Packaging: Flat squeeze tube with a twist off lid. The opening in the tip is fine so you can squeeze out just a little bit if you want.
Smell: It has a mild to moderate sunscreen smell to it, though not a fragrance.

Performance

Application: I’ve applied it with my fingers and with a Real Techniques stippling brush and it blended nicely into my skin either way. The texture smooths out well but it does leave a dewy/shiny finish to the skin. It did a good job of not emphasizing dry areas.
Pigmentation: It has sheer coverage but it does a decent job of evening out my skin tone.
Texture: It feels very smooth like a gel-cream type of consistency but it also feels greasy and doesn’t seem to “dry down” or set. Throughout the day it only gets oilier, regardless of if I set it with powder or not.
Longevity: 2 hours on me – that’s about the point that I can’t stand the oiliness anymore. It looked really nice right after I applied it. After about 10 minutes the areas I set with powder started to look slightly cakey and the areas I didn’t set it with powder started getting shiny. The powder didn’t really help control oil, just the shine.

Overall Opinion

Pros:

• Blends nicely
• Does not emphasize dry areas
• SPF 30

Cons:

• Feels greasy upon application
• Shiny
• Poor longevity

Worth buying? In most cases, no. If you have normal, oily, or combination skin this probably isn’t going to work for you. If you have dry skin that can handle heavily emollient moisturizers then you might be able to make this work.

Product Description

Official Name: Maybelline Dream Liqud Mousse
Price/Quantity: $8 USD for 30 ml / 1 fl oz.
Availability: Maybelline Website, Ulta, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Drugstores
Color Range: 12 Shades
Color/Finish: Porcelain Ivory Light 1 – This is the lightest shade that is available. It has cool undertones and a natural finish (neither matte nor dewy).
Packaging: The foundation is contained in a glass bottle with a pump. The pump is very easy to work with and allows you to pump and little or as much foundation as you want. It does not have a cap but the pump twists to the side to lock it in place and prevent accidentally dispensing product (for example, when carrying this in a travel bag).
Smell/Fragrance: It has a light fragrance with hints of rose and other floral notes.

Performance

Application: Blends out perfectly and does a good job of not accentuating the dry areas of my face. Once it is blended out, it is hard to tell whether or not you are wearing foundation. Applying this with a dense foundation kabuki brush or a Beauty Blender sponge work equally well.
Pigmentation: Light to medium coverage.
Texture: Even though it has “mousse” in the name, the texture isn’t really like a mousse. It is not airy of fluffy at all. It’s super smooth and creamy, neither runny nor thick, and glides over the skin with ease.
Longevity: I set this with a powder to keep oil at bay and it started to look dewy after 4 hours and got more oily-looking after 5-6 hours. On a cooler day and on someone with dry skin this may last longer than it did on me.

Overall Opinion

Pros:

• Blends like a dream
• Does not emphasize dryness or settle into pores
• Really does give a natural, airbrushed finish
• Has a good quality pump
• Glass bottle gives the product a more luxurious feel

Cons:

• Not the longest lasting formula, requires periodic touching-up
• Fragrance is very light but may bother some

Worth buying? If you have a dry to normal skin type and live/work in a mild environment, I recommend this as a good drugstore foundation. It’s a very quick and easy formula that is perfect for everyday no-fuss makeup. Looks very natural to wear all by itself. It doesn’t contain any SPF which can be good or bad depending on your preference but you can always put one on underneath. If you have oily skin or live in a very hot or humid environment, then this will probably not work for you.

I have been wearing Make Up For Ever HD Foundation for several months. I first bought it in the shade 117 which worked out fine but it does have a yellow undertone to it. Recently I purchased shade 115 which has a pink undertone to it and matched my natural skintone much better. It’s not really “lighter” – it’s just pinker.

It is a little runny but not so much that it is bothersome. I like to use a Sigma Round Kabuki brush to apply and blend out the foundation. It does not settle into pores or fine lines and in fact helps to camouflage them. I have found that if I try to wear a primer underneath this foundation it then gives me problems with settling into pores so I wear it by itself most of the time. Very little of it sticks to the little peach fuzz on my face which makes it look much more natural. It has medium coverage and does a really nice job of evening out the complexion, hiding redness, and reducing the obviousness of minor blemishes and freckles but it does not completely cover them. This foundation is not oily or heavy and seems to “set” on it’s own without a powder allowing me to use powder blushes over it. Using a setting powder over it does help it last longer though, giving me 8+ hours of comfortable wear.

The pump works really well and gives you good control over how much foundation you want to dispense. I haven’t had any issues with it getting stuck or jamming. The lid on my 117 bottle that I’ve had for a while just broke today (see it in the pictures below). I’m not sure what happened because I haven’t dropped or anything. It has been giving me issues for a while not staying on the bottle well. If I picked it up by the lid, the bottle would just fall right out. It has probably been cracked for a while and I just didn’t notice it. The lid on my new 115 bottle is fine though – stays on, not cracked. It retails for about $42 and contains 1.01 Fl Oz / 30 ml.