Almay Smart Shade Smart Balance Skin Balancing Makeup by Almay, Foundation Review

6

Just "ok"

I've used this off and on for the past year and ahve decided that this product is just "ok". Its color matching abilities aren't as great as I'd like. If you're really fair skinned, you may find the lightest shade is a bit orange and deeper than you may want (this is my main issue). I used this over the summer and it worked but I know I can't wear this in the winter when my skin is paper white....read more It is very sheer in coverage, almost a tinted moisturizer without the moisture part. It did control oily fairly well and didn't irritate my skin or cause any breakouts.

jenn8779 | 135 reviews

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7

Smart shade but with SPF

This liquid foundation with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as the only sunscreen ingredients is Almay's latest version of their Smart Shade makeup. The original formula, with the same name, is still available, at least for now; the only differences are the price (this one is $5 more) and the claims Almay makes. This improved version not only carries on the skin-matching pigment technology claim ...read moreof its predecessor, but also adds the claim of being able to sense where skin is oily and where it’s dry and act accordingly. We've seen this claim before, and it never works. Simply put, there's no way a makeup can know where skin is dry or oily and then be able to deposit the right ingredients to improve these disparate conditions. Where would the moisturizing ingredients go when the oil-absorbing ingredients are "activated," and vice versa? In terms of moisturizing, this silky foundation provides little moisture; the ingredients are primarily about absorbing oil and moisture. It goes on smoothly, blends readily, and sets to a soft matte finish that becomes powdery a short time later. The finish is incredibly skin-like, making this one of the most natural-looking foundations available. Coverage goes from sheer to light. Only four shades are available, and they're said to self-adjust to each level (light, medium, and dark), depending on your skin tone. They can't really do that, of course, but the shades are versatile enough to work for most people with light to slightly tan skin. Note: this foundation dispenses white with small colored specks. The specks "burst" as you blend, and the whiteness disappears, so there's no ghostly look to be concerned about. This foundation is best for normal to oily skin. Due to concerns about people not applying sunscreen liberally enough to get the amount of SPF protection stated on the label, it is often recommended to look for SPFs with ratings higher than 15. If you plan to use foundation as your sole source of facial sun protection, consider using one rated SPF 20 or greater. If the foundation with sunscreen you choose is rated less than an SPF 20, we strongly advise applying it over a daytime moisturizer rated SPF 15 or greater and following it with a pressed powder rated SPF 15 or greater. That way, you’re ensuring sufficient broad-spectrum protection which is essential for having and maintaining healthy, younger-looking skin at any age.

hiddenexpose | 45 reviews

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7

Ok

This foundation is ok . It has very light coverage. I love how it blends with ur skin tone. The big problem I have with it is that it comes off after an Hour or so I recommend this for beginners.

blueaqua | 19 reviews

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