Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsSatiny Finish, Great Coverage - A Few Pointers
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2016
I am the whitest white girl you ever did see. I get this in the lightest shade (ivory) and it's still not a true match / is slightly too dark with a bit of a pink undertone. Why do I keep using it? Because it's the best drugstore foundation I've found overall. Without any foundation on, I have an uneven complexion with redness in my cheeks, chin and the creases of my nostrils. I also have dry skin that can be a bit flaky. If you're in my boat, here's what I do to make this foundation work for me:
1) Wash my face with warm water (no soap), exfoliate gently with a wet washcloth, and rub in a small drop of plain olive oil while my face is still moist, then pat dry with a towel. (Olive oil won't clog your pores, is great for reducing visible inflammation naturally, and contains many antioxidants to fight aging like those 100-year old mediterranean people with perfect skin who use olive oil for everything.)
2) I apply a pea-to-dime sized amount of foundation to the back of my hand. Using a stippling brush (I use the Real Techniques one - cheap, works great, lasts forever without shedding fibers), I dab this onto my cheeks first, then chin, then blend in everywhere else.
Some people complain this foundation doesn't spread well / dries too quickly / showcases dry patches, but using this method with olive oil on the skin beforehand, particularly for those of us with dry skin, I believe eliminates those problems. It spreads beautifully and smoothly with olive oil as a barrier to the skin - I wouldn't try putting this directly on my skin type because my skin is too dry. Your mileage may vary.
The coverage is really pretty remarkable in my opinion. I require a medium coverage but prefer full-coverage and this is a great solution. It erases my redness and gives me a nice, even tone without maximizing pores or causing breakouts. Speaking of breakouts, it does okay with covering acne, but I'd recommend going over the pimple by putting a tiny dot of foundation on your clean fingertip and tapping it onto the pimple (after the main / full face application) just to ensure it's evenly covered.
I sometimes have to reapply this product if I have a particularly long day, but it's the best looking foundation I've worn for a good price so I don't really mind. To me, it's not worth paying 3x as much to only apply once a day with a more premium brand. Before I had kids, I was a runway model for years so I've had every high-dollar foundation out there applied to my face and I STILL think people are nuts for spending so much on trendier foundations. This foundation, when properly applied, does 80% of the job for 30% of the price. That's a trade-off I can live with.
The one thing I don't like about it (aside from the lightest shade not being light enough, which is the case with virtually all drugstore foundations) is that it does transfer onto clothing etc. if your face comes into contact with it. Naturally, I really like hugging my husband, but he's taller than me so a hug often results in a powdery "face smear" right around armpit level of his shirts - tooootally annoying. If he's wearing black it can look like he got in a fight with a bag of powdered sugar and lost. So, buyer beware - keep your face away from anything you don't want a ghostly face print on.
Overall, this is a great product at an excellent price point and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.
