Let me tell you something: I’m all about that drugstore makeup life. Nobody has the budget to spend hundreds of dollars on makeup AND on a bachelor’s degree. If I can get a good deal, I will. So, a cheaper foundation you can apply on the go? Sign me up! But here’s the thing, with a variety of brands coming out with their own versions, which one is best for me?
I went out and tested three (3) drugstore brands with very different price ranges for one week each and here’s what I got out of it.
First; the three (3) brands were:
- Maybelline®️ New York’s Dream Cushion™️ ($15.99)
- L’Oréal®️ Paris’s True Match Lumi Cushion™️ ($16.99)
- Wet N’ Wild’s Mega Cushion™️ ($8.99)
Each brand claims to achieve different things:
Maybelline
“Dream Cushion™ Fresh Face Liquid Foundation delivers complete luminous coverage for fresh-faced perfection.” -Maybelline website
L’Oréal
“Liquid Foundation. Fresh Luminous Finish. Buildable Coverage. Liquid Foundation revolutionized – build luminous coverage in a tap. Introducing new True Match™ Lumi Cushion, a liquid foundation infused in an innovative sponge that delivers the perfect amount of makeup. Our luminous refreshing formula creates sheer to medium coverage. Tap a little for a fresh natural glow, tap on more to build a new level of luminous coverage. Liquid foundation + tap on applicator puff gives you convenient on-the-go coverage. Formulated with Precise Match™ Technology to match your skin’s tone and undertone. Available in many true-to-skin shades. Finish: Fresh, Natural & Luminous Coverage: Sheer to medium, buildable coverage. Skin Type: For all skin types. Safe for sensitive skin. Does not clog pores.” -L’Oréal website
Wet N’ Wild
“It’s a match made in makeup heaven: Liquid foundation in a cushion compact. Tap the cushion to add just the right amount of coverage or double tap to add more. It’s perfectly portable too, with an air tight, no mess compact that makes applying liquid foundation a breeze. Infused with coconut derivative, the luminous, lightweight, and buildable formula helps boost hydration and contains SPF 15 for added skin protection.” -Wet N’ Wild website
Did they live up to their expectations? One of them sadly didn’t. But there was one that went above and beyond (and it was wild hint hint). A recurrent theme here is going that color matching is quite the task. You can’t test out makeup in drugstores, so I ended up picking the wrong shade. Three times. But alas, I found my matches and gave them a go.
1. Maybelline: this one was the first one I purchased. I had gotten it at Walmart, which tends to sell products cheaper than in other places, in the shade 20 Classic Ivory. I had gotten the shade 10 Porcelain first, and while it wasn’t a bad match, I got far better color matching results from the second shade attempt. The formula has a nice sent, I typically don’t mind strong smells but this one was faint and nice. The coverage will probably never be full coverage, but that goes to all cushion foundations. I found myself reaching for this one frequently on those days I didn’t want to wear a lot of makeup, but still wanted to look decent. It does leave you looking “fresh faced”, which is one of their selling points. It lasts quite a long time, although you should never wear makeup for extended periods of times, it can be really damaging for your skin. Downsides: only 8 shades, not cruelty free, medium price range ingredients contain sulfates and talc.
2. L’Oréal: the first thing you notice is the price. It’s pretty high up there for a drugstore foundation that doesn’t offer full coverage. I got my shade the first time I tried it out, as this one has a color matching technology that allows a little bit of room for error. Sadly, the formula does not work well with my skin type. I’m more of an oily-combo and I believe this one works best for dry-normal skin types. The color range is pretty big. It counts with 17 shades, which for a drugstore brand is really good. Downsides: not cruelty free, high price range, ingredients contain sulfates.
3. Wet N’ Wild: now this one has been a recent purchase, as it got released not long ago. I love the sent of this one. It’s infused with coconut, so it smells great! It also contains sunscreen, which you should be wearing everyday as the sun can age you faster and damage your skin, it even causes skin cancer in extreme cases. I chose the wrong shade twice with this one, the packaging is a little misleading. First, I got Light Ivory, I thought it was the right color, but the color on the packaging is darker than the actual foundation so it ended up giving me a white cast, although barely noticeable, and did not photograph well. Then I got Nude Beige thinking it would be the right one; I was wrong. It was slightly too dark for my skin tone. The price on this one isn’t bad, so I wasn’t mad that I had to keep buying them. I was determined to find my right shade and give the product a fair shot. Then one glorious day I bought the shade Cream Ivory, finally the right shade! This one is the cushion foundation I reach for on most days plus it’s cruelty free AND vegan! Downsides: ingredients contain Mica and parabens, doesn’t look too good when ‘powdered down’.