little white truths

This card came with a Sephora order and I chose it as my free sample because I'd heard so much about the foundation online that I wanted to test it for myself. Mind you, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't like it because it's full coverage so it's not my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean I can't recognise a good product when I see one.

I wouldn't call this a good product, but that's just me. More on why below.

Below are light and heavy swatches, indirect sunlight (indoors):

 * L-R: 22 Bisque Light; 34 Beige Medium; 54 Honey Medium

And again, direct sunlight (outdoors): 

* L-R: 22 Bisque Light; 34 Beige Medium; 54 Honey Medium

Verdict

Now do remember that this is a first impressions post and not a full review because I've only used this foundation a couple of times - and that's more than enough for me.

This is indeed a 'concentrated' product and although it doesn't feel too thick to the touch, it performs like a thick product because it looks and feels like paint when applied (you should be able to see that in the swatches above). It also smells a bit like paint to be honest, and it's not something I've enjoyed putting on my face.

The first thing I noticed about it is that it doesn't apply and spread very easily. Now part of the issue here could be that I'm used to tinted moisturisers (which basically apply themselves), but I have used other full-coverage foundations that went on a lot better than this one did, so that's worth mentioning. 

Also worth mentioning now is that I'm probably a bad test subject for a product like this because I have dry skin and it's drier than normal at the moment (damn cold weather), so that of course doesn't help with any application issues.

The second thing I noticed about this product is that it emphasises every single bit of texture on my face because it sits in pores and fine lines, and you can't buff it out of them (or at least I can't). Indeed it only gets worse, the more I try to smooth it out. It's like a radar that hones in on any imperfection and expands it.

Also, it clings to dry patches something chronic - plus it gives me dry patches that I didn't even know I had. So I would say that this isn't the right product for those with dry skin, or at least that's my opinion.

It does dry down so you won't need to set it, but I can feel it on my skin whenever I'm wearing it. It's one of those foundations that not only looks like a mask (on me at least), but also feels like one: I'm aware of it all the time and it doesn't let my skin breathe.

While writing this post I've taken the product out one last time and applied it to the back of my hand - a great place to test foundations, given the texture on the back of our hands - and it's done exactly the same thing. That is, it's sunk into all my lines and there's an un-blended patch of it where it's caught on some dry skin I must have there (but wasn't aware of previously). So there you go.

Do note that I've owned and really enjoyed the Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super Charged Foundation in shade #34 Beige Medium (reviewed here), so of course when I saw that this sample included a shade of the same number and name, I assumed it would be the same shade. It's not. This one's a lot darker and they have different undertones. So don't assume that you'll be the same shade in both formulas: it's worth going in-store to find your match.

All in all, I can't recommend this product and I don't think it's the right pick if you have dry skin. Perhaps it's good for those with normal to oily skin who don't have issues with skin texture, but it's absolutely not the right product for me.