Foundation Face Off: Matte Foundation

I’ve got another Foundation Face off for you (see my Longwear foundation Faceoff) and this one is a doozy when it comes to price difference! I’m comparing a $42 matte foundation with a (less than) $5 matte foundation. I wouldn’t say the cheaper one is a “dupe” for the more expensive one, but they both claim to be a matte foundation. What better time of year to test that out than during the humidity of late summer in West MI?

Liquid gold vs. cheapest foundation I’ve ever put on my face

If you’re new around here, a quick background on my skin- I have occasional acne (usually hormone related… I break out when i’m on my period), large pores, and i get oily in my t-zone area especially. I like a full coverage foundation, so I look for medium to full build-able coverage that is long wear- I don’t like to stop and touch up between the gym and errands! 

How I ended up with these two foundations:

I’ve wanted to try the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation for quite sometime because the reviews are amazing and so many women swear by it. I’ve hesitated to try it though for fear that i’d love it so much and get hooked on really expensive makeup that i can’t afford. But after getting a gift card, I decided it was time to “treat myself”.

I got to chatting with the Ulta worker who was color matching me for the Estee Lauder foundation (more on that process below). I mentioned that I’m a blogger and that i like to share budget friendly makeup with my readers and he asked me if i had tried the latest Wet and Wild foundation. He said it’s one of his favorites! So on a whim I picked it up last minute. The checkout girl smiled and mentioned how much she loves this foundation. seriously. ULTA! are you keeping secrets from me?!

I’ve been alternating between these matte foundations for the last couple weeks.

Wet and Wild Photo Focus Foundation:

Get it here. The website descriptions says: Wet n Wild’s high-performing, skin-perfecting Photo Focus Foundation underwent major road testing under seven different photo lighting conditions to deliver flawless camera-ready makeup every time. Specially made with a matte, light-diffusing complex to give your skin #nofilter perfection.”

Pros-

I can see why the ulta workers were raving about it. It looks SO good on my skin! My husband commented on my makeup the other night (He hardly EVER comments on my makeup. He said that it looks nice and asked if it was the cheap one or the expensive one because he knew that i was trying both out! Goodness, he’s a keeper.)

it’s a medium buildable coverage- i have to use quite a bit (but why not? it’s cheap) to get the full coverage i like. It blends really well with my under eye concealer and my cream contour. It sets like a dream with some setting powder and stays put pretty well (minimal makeup stains on my husbands shirt when i hug him). It doesn’t claim to be a longwear foundation so I won’t fault it for not lasting as long as some other foundations I’ve tried. I hadn’t used a foundation with a “paddle” applicator before but it wasn’t bad!

Cons-

it doesn’t smell the greatest when applying- a little bit like perfumed play-doh. Fortunately the smell doesn’t linger once it sets. It does feel “heavier” than the Estee Lauder foundation and other foundations I’ve used. Like I’m definitely aware that i’m wearing makeup, do you know what I mean?

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Makeup 

Get it here. The website descriptions says: “24-hour staying power.Flawless. Natural. Matte foundation. Unifies uneven skintone, covers imperfections with buildable medium to full coverage. Feels lightweight and so comfortable, you won’t believe it’s super long wear. Waterproof. Transfer resistant. Lasts in hot and humid weather.”

Pros-

This stuff is a dream. I’m beyond impressed with this foundation. It really does feel super lightweight and a little bit goes a long way! That’s important to me at this price point. It blends really well and I do think that it’s pretty transfer resistant. It has a ton of different shades and options for cool, neutral, and warm undertones. One great perk to purchasing this at Ulta (not sure if it’s the case at other stores too), you can get a free 10 day sample to try it out before you decide to buy it!

Cons-

the one downside is that don’t know that it lasted as long as it claims. It faded a bit around my nose/chin area, but i’ve yet to find a foundation that holds up against baby kisses all day long. It also doesn’t come with a pump, you have to buy one separately. Although a little hack- I’ve heard that the Covergirl Outlast foundation pump fits, if you have an almost used one up on hand!

And finally, the price- I have a really hard time spending that kind of money on a foundation. that just not our lifestyle. For some, its not a big deal to invest in a more high end foundation and that’s so great! But I’ll reserve this as my “special occasion” foundation to really make it last.

So which matte foundation wins the humidity test?

Out of the two, Estee Lauder is the winner, perhaps because it’s more of a longwear staying foundation.

What to expect when getting “color matched”:

This is a must if you’re going to invest in high end makeup. Basically it’s the process of matching your skin tone to the right color. Fellow drugstore beauty shoppers, you know how tricky it is to try and find the right shade standing in the aisle at the grocery store. When you purchase a high end makeup, someone in the store can assist you to find the perfect shade!

Estee Lauder has a little machine to help. They put it up against my face in a couple different spots and it calculated a couple shade suggestions. Very cool. Then the worker tried a couple shades on my skin and we picked one from there! For your amusement, here’s some of f the thoughts I had while my worker was doing this- when’s the last time i checked for rogue chin hairs? is my foundation even blended in to my neck? did i remember to brush my teeth after that coffee i had before coming here? I should have put my perfume on. Ugh. 

The first time can be awkward, fellow budget beauty darling. I know. but it’ll be ok. 😉

See my longwear foundation routine here 

#Beauty #Budget #Foundation #Makeup