Pros
–Affordable
–Shade range
–Oil free
–Shade match for me
–Packaging, pump!
–Ingredients :: Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid
–No mineral oil, parabens, fragrance
–Buildable coverage
–Didn’t cake with powder
–Long lasting
Cons
–Cruelty free status is unclear
— Not enough coverage to conceal blemishes
Final Thoughts
This foundation is not full coverage, nor does it claim to be, but medium is all you’re going to get with this is light to medium. It claims to concealer and cover blemishes, but there’s not enough coverage for that. I went in with Tarte Shape Tape to spot conceal. It didn’t cake when set with powder which is a major plus. The shade I got to test was too light, which never happens, but I made it work with bronzer. The cruelty free status is questionable. Some sites say it is cruelty free, but the Sephora Collection is sold in markets where animal testing is required. If you only purchase cruelty free makeup, I’d just skip this one. This is just a MEH for me. I need full coverage or high medium at the lowest. The formula is good, just not a foundation I would buy in the full size.
Claims
–Skincare infused
–Medium-to-full coverage
–Natural, skin-like finish
–Longwear
–Foundation and concealer that conceals blemishes, dark spots, and imperfections with doe foot or flawless, allover coverage with the pump
Pros
–Shade range
–Vegan
–Cruelty free
–Gluten free
–Paraben, phthalate, and sulfate free
–Full coverage
–Coverage builds nicely
–Long lasting
–Shade match for me
–Lightweight/undetectable on the skin
–Packaging :: pump or doe foot
–Easy to blend
Cons
–Not all shades available at all stores
–Shade range can be a bit overwhelming
Final Thoughts
I got this half off at Kohl’s during a beauty sale so I got a deal. I FREAKING love this foundation and it’s one of the best foundations that I’ve tried this year. It claims to be medium-to-full coverage, but I think it’s full right off the bat which is fine with me. I got full coverage with one layer, but I added a little more to my chin and cheeks where I have redness. It built up nicely and is super easy to blend. It didn’t cake up when I set with powder and the finish doesn’t accentuate my dry skin. I got the lightest shade Kohl’s offered and it’s just a bit dark so I add a little white mixer to make it work. With 100 shades, surely there is a shade for everyone, but it’s a bit overwhelming and could be difficult to find your exact match.
Pros
–Vegan
–Cruelty free
–Interesting/innovative formula and packaging
–Shade range
–Buildable coverage
–Lasted all day
–Lives up to all claims
Cons
–Expensive
–Availability :: Sephora or online only
Final Thoughts
I’ve never seen a foundation like this so props for originality. The tube is very slim and chic and you have to shake it A LOT before using it. I got a sample from Sephora to test, but I played with it in the store. It’s recommended for normal to oily skin, I have dry skin, but I can usually make more matte products work with proper prep and a good base. Kat Von D is a controversial person, but I’m only here for the makeup, not the drama and what not. She always does a great job with the shade range of her products and doesn’t leave us pale girls out to dry. The lightest shade was too light for me, which never happens, but I made it work. This is definitely medium coverage, it does build nicely, but you’re not going to get full coverage with this one. I added in some Tarte Shape Tape to cover my blemishes and make the color work a little better. It recommended using with a brush so I did one layer with a brush and then built it up with a sponge. It didn’t cake when set with powder except above my lip, but that’s nothing new. I used a glowy base and that helped it not look so matte and dry on my skin. It lasted all day too. I like this, but I prefer a fuller coverage so I won’t be purchasing the full size. If you like light-to-medium coverage, give this one a shot.
Claims
–Medium to full coverage
–Won’t creak or cake
–Hydrated, flawless look
–Lightweight
–Combats dark circles, redness, and imperfections
–Waterproof
Pros
–Affordable
–Fair skin shades!
–Cruelty free
–Easy to blend
–Wand holds enough product for both under eyes, don’t have to keep dipping in
–Covered blemishes and dark circles well
–Lightweight
Cons
–Online only
–Shade range :: need more medium & deep shades
Final Thoughts
It’s very rare that a brand has awesome fair/pale shades, but lacks medium and deep shades. Props to J Cat for thinking of us pale people, but the shade range REALLy needs some work. I hate this online only because this is a really good and affordable concealer. It worked under my eyes and on a pesky blemish.
Pros
–Cruelty free
–Shade range
–Packaging
–Ingredients :: Vitamin E, hyaluronic acid
–No parabens, phthalates, or sulfates
–Shade match for me
Cons
–Expensive
–Availability :: online or Sephora only
Final Thoughts
I’m always here for the full coverage foundations so I nabbed a sample from Sephora to try out. I’ve only tried one other foundation from Smashbox and I wasn’t a fan so I wasn’t very hopeful with this one. When I read the claims, I figured this wouldn’t work for me, but I wanted to test it anyway. Sadly, I was right this was a total bust. I tried it a few times and took pics from 2 days of my trial. It caked up, separated, and wore off in some spots. It wasn’t very easy to blend and just looked a hot mess on my dry skin. It settled into my smile lines pretty bad too. My upper lip is a problem area for me and Y’ALL it was looking ROUGH. Adding in the elf Hydrating Booster drops definitely helped, but it still wasn’t a good look. I have some matte foundations that work on my dry skin with proper prep, but this one isn’t it. I also don’t know how well it would last on oily skin since it broke up and separate on my dry skin, I would think it would be even worse if you were oily.
Claims
–Hydrates, firms, helps skin to retain moisture
–Lasts up to 16 hours
–Creamy, medium-to-full buildable coverage
–Natural, radiant finish
–Ideal for all skin types
–Masks imperfections
–Blurs the look of fine lines and wrinkles
–Hide dark circles
Pros
–No sulfates, parabéns, phthalates
–Shade match for me
–Mini size for travel and/or testing
–Easy to blend
–Buildable
–Under eye area looked blurred and smooth
Cons
–Expensive
–Not cruelty free
–Wish there was a lighter shade to give a more brightening effect
Final Thoughts
I’ve been wanting to try this concealer forever, but they didn’t a mini size that matched me and I didn’t want to jump right in and get the full size. NARS recently expanded their shade range and you can now get all the shades in the mini. YAY NARS!! The mini size is perfect for travel/testing and it takes forever to go through an entire concealer. Chantilly matches, but I usually go a shade lighter because I prefer a brighter under eye so I mixed in a little Jeffree Star Concealer in C1. I get why this is such a raved about product. My under eye area looked blurred, flawless, and smooth. I do have to add in a lighter concealer to get the desired effect, but I don’t mind doing that.
Pros
–Affordable
–Hyalouronic acid
–Packaging, pump!
–Cruelty free
–Shade match for me
–Easy to blend
–Lightweight on the skin
–Medium to full, buildable coverage
Cons
–Availability :: Ulta or online, not all shades available at Ulta
–Less than standard 1.0 oz
–Couldn’t find a primer/powder combo that worked on my dry skin. Looked dry, cakey, and clingy
Final Thoughts
I usually test foundation using a primer and powder that I love and that I know works with my other foundations. I can also tell pretty quickly if I like or don’t like a foundation. I tried several different combinations over a few days trying to get this one to work because I was so excited about this release. I love the original formula and knew this one would work even better for my dry skin. At the bottom of this post, I’ve included the different combinations I tried and some notes. I love the packaging update with the addition of the pump. F0.5 is my perfect shade in MUR products, but Ulta didn’t have it available in this product so I went with F0.2 which is the next closest thing. It definitely worked, but definitely leans a little more yellow. I’m super bummed this didn’t work for me, but I’ll be sticking with the original formula.
DAY 3
—Primers:Urban Decay b6
—Tool:Elcie Sponge
—Powder:Maybelline Fit Me Loose Powder in Fair with damp Wet n Wild Sponge
–I still didn’t love how it looked, but it was the best combo thus far. My nose still looked rough and it wore off on my chin. It was the first day that upper lip didn’t look like a cakey clingy mess.
