little white truths

I meant to write this first impressions post ages ago, but it's taken me a while to actually use up my sample and work out exactly what to say about the product.  

Fortunately it was a huge sample and you only need a tiny amount each time, so I got seven applications from it and I could have managed two or three more, but in the end I decided I just didn't want to use it again because it's inconsistent and I don't love it, so I mixed the last bits with my sunscreen (to make a tinted moisturiser) and finished it that way.

Anyhoo. There's a shot in direct sunlight of the shade Adventurous:

And in natural light:

And in natural light:

Blended out, direct sunlight:

My bare face for reference:

On my skin this is a really temperamental, inconsistent product - and that's reason enough for me not to like it because who wants a foundation that needs extra work to look good (and even then there's no guarantee that it will)?

On the first couple of applications, this went on like paint and I just couldn't blend the stuff out - plus it was really streaky and I couldn't seem to remove the streaks no matter what I did. I left it on the first time to see how it wore, but I didn't on the second occasion because I was going out and didn't want to look rubbish.

What I've found is that my dry skin needs to be seriously prepped and hydrated before I use this, or it will grip onto the product and it won't blend in. So if you have dry skin like me, I suggest using a hydrating primer first or you might experience the same issue (and I've seen others complain of this problem too).

Also, if your skin isn't hydrated enough beforehand, you won't be able to get a fine-enough layer - and this stuff looks like paint on your face if you apply even a little too much. It's honestly one of the most unnatural-looking foundations I've ever used if you go even a hair's breadth overboard, and I've noticed this on others when watching youtube videos so it's obviously a problem with the product and not just how it performs on me.

On top of that, the stuff looks and feels drying on me. I'm not sure how an argan oil foundation could be drying or require you to use super hydrating products beforehand (you could also try mixing in a drop of oil to help with application), but that's what I've found.

Worse still, this has the tendency to sit in pores so it leaves me with little dots on my face, meaning I need to wear a pore-plugging primer under it as well. Any foundation that requires two separate primers to manage the issues it creates belongs in the too-hard basket, or at least it does in my books.

Of the seven times I've used it, I was only happy with how it looked on two of those occasions, and it did wear well throughout the day. It still felt heavy on my skin though, and it stays tacky so you'll need to set it with a powder - particularly if you intend to apply eg powder blush or bronzer over it (otherwise you'll risk your powders looking patchy because they'll grip onto the product).

I've had a look online and the reviews of this foundation are mixed: some people love it while others complain of the same issues I have. So I definitely wouldn't buy this blind - it's absolutely a foundation that needs a good few tests first so you can see whether it will work for you.

Inconsistent and too much work.