little white truths

Hello and welcome to another first impressions post!

As you may know, whenever I receive sample foundations I make sure to do these posts so I can show you the colours of any shades I get my hands on.

I also like to give you my first impressions on each product, and while of course that's never going to be as useful as a dedicated review, I think it still offers something so hopefully my comments will be helpful to someone.

This is a foundation I've been interested in trying for a while because a lot of people love it (Temptalia included) and I haven't tried much from Tarte so I've wanted to see how it goes.

Unfortunately I don't love the formula and it's not for me, but better I know this from a sample card - rather than ordering the foundation blind and discovering that I don't like it.

Swatches now.

Indirect sunlight:

 * L-R: Light Neutral, Light-Medium Honey, Medium Honey and Tan Sand

Direct sunlight:

* L-R: Light Neutral, Light-Medium Honey, Medium Honey and Tan Sand

Verdict

Let me reiterate that this is a first impressions post and not a review, so if you're interested in trying this foundation then I would certainly look at the comments from people who've used it more than I have.

It's described as a hydration-boosting, 12-hour water foundation. It claims to offer a concentrated, full-coverage formula that features 20 per cent water to quench dry skin as it covers and masks any redness, dark spots and uneven skin tone while softening the look of pores and fine lines.

I've used this twice now and it's not for me. The first thing I noticed about it was the scent. This stuff stinks. It smells like chemicals and paint, and I don't like putting it on my face for this reason because the scent is strong and it lingers. Blurgh.

The second thing I noticed was that it spreads and applies reasonably well, and it offers more coverage than I expected for a lightweight, fluid foundation. I was able to blend it out ok with my fingers but it did take some extra work and I needed to smooth out the streaks with a makeup sponge.

The third thing I noticed was that it dries down to a powdery finish, which I wasn't expecting - the mention of 'sea' and 'water' in the title made me think it would be dewy. It's not. It's powdery. My dry skin doesn't like that.

As for how it looks, it looks ok on my skin but the powdery finish makes it look like paint so it's noticeable on me and I prefer a more natural-looking foundation. If you have oily skin, this may look more natural on you - but on my dry skin, I can see it.

I also found this incredibly drying and my face felt dry underneath it all day long. Sure, I could add a drop of oil to it (or lay down an oil before application), but it felt as though it choked my skin and sucked the life from my face, and no amount of sprays from my facial mist would bring relief to my skin. Again, not for me.

Still, it wore well and the coverage is decent and also build-able, and I can see why some people love it. I guess the other thing to note is that the shades run dark and while a 'Light-Medium Honey' would normally be a good depth for me, in this formula it was way too dark.

Overall I don't like this foundation for the reasons mentioned but I can see it working for other skin types.

Not for me.