With that disclaimer out of the way, let me get to the review! I chose to receive this in the lightest shade, Ivory 805, and was frankly expecting it to be a disaster. They claim it is an "all-in-one foundation with a long-lasting formula that fuses primer, concealer, and foundation in one easy step!" and that it "provides a flawless look that lasts all day long". I used a CoverGirl foundation many years ago and it was not the greatest, and this one makes so many claims that I prepared myself to be underwhelmed on all counts. I was wrong! Though it's still not the foundation for me.
Alright, so the good first: this provides excellent coverage, blends like a dream, feels very lightweight on, and performs flawlessly without a primer (something most foundations utterly fail at on my oil-slick face). It wears, in colder weather topped with mattifying powder, a full 8 hours on me without fading, transferring, or giving way to my incredibly overactive oil glands. It is, hands down, the best wearing foundation I have found. It also didn't break me out, nor cling to my dry patches unappealingly. If you have oily skin that eats through foundation and you want something long-lasting, reliable, lightweight, and buildable (not quite to concealer, but damn close, and if you only have minor blemishes, this should suffice), you should absolutely check out the Outlast 3-in-1 Foundation. Quite frankly, it's miraculous.
left to right: CoverGirl Outlast Ivory 805, Revlon Colorstay Ivory 110, Becca Shell, Make Up For Ever Pink Porcelain 1, Guerlain Lingerie de Peau 31, Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Vanilla (I think? Lost the sample baggie), Dior Diorskin Nude BB Cream in Light 001
Except. There are two flaws that keep me from wearing this. The first is that the shade is not right, a little too dark and much too pink. The biggest problem, though, is that it gave me eczema. Horrible, horrible eczema, all along my jaw and up on my temple. I tested it in two rounds, just to be sure, letting my skin heal in between, and it was definitely the culprit. Which breaks my heart, because you guys, the wear is unbelievable. I would be willing to forgive the less-than-perfect shade match for such incredible longevity. But eczema? I cannot abide.
Maybe it won't give me eczema this time? (It did.)
I would recommend this wholeheartedly to anyone with oily skin who's not super pale and neutral-yellow-beige-pink-whatever the hell my skin is. They have a nice selection of shades, including darker ones, and I think most people should be able to find a match. It also saves the step of primer, which can be a pretty hefty chunk of change, and if you have only moderate acne, will probably provide enough coverage to skip concealer, which makes it not only an excellent value for your money, but super handy for mornings when you've overslept. If your skin is sensitive and/or prone to eczema, I would still suggest trying it, since you can always return it if you react poorly like me. If you prefer sheer coverage, or have non-oily skin, it may not be the foundation for you, but I think overall it's incredibly high-quality, and it has really made me reconsider my view of CoverGirl. Seriously, all the drugstore brands have been stepping up their game! I just wish their packaging were similarly classy...though the pump on this one is a nice touch.
You can find Outlast at drugstores and various retailers online. Again, I got this for free (MY FIRST THING FOR FREE YOU GUYS AAAAH! Though does it count when they didn't know I have a blog?), but all opinions are my own. Obviously. If it hadn't given me eczema, and if the shade had been right, this would be an A+ foundation. I would give it a B for how it performed on me (lost points on pigmentation, for the lightest shade being way too pink, and senses, because eczema is hella itchy), but I don't feel like that's really accurate, since I have lots of B products that I love and wear, and this one I just can't. So let's give it an INC and call it a day, okey?
Have you tried this foundation? What did you think? What is your ideal foundation?
