Drugstore Foundations: Cover Girl, Maybelline and L'Oreal

The three colors I wear + the color I *wish* I was. And, yes, I keep my eye brushes in an old Frappuccino bottle.

Yearly, I go on a quest for the ‘perfect’ foundation color. I have one of those odd, browny-olivey skin tones that is super brown, yet super golden and super hard to match. Sad day for this gal. I end up mixing foundations and they’re usually too orange or too red. It’s tough finding that nice olive-based brown. (Which is why I privately sank in desperation when MAC discontinued their Studio Stick foundation. Pour a little whiskey out for NC 50.)

L’Oreal True Match in W 9.5 Deep Warm

L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup in W 9.5 Deep Warm Review

So let’s start off with the wrong shade. Okay, not totally wrong, as I had plans to mix it with W8 to get my perfect olive, warm toned brown. This SO looks like it would be my color, right? I bought both foundation shades in the dead of winter, and to my cusp-of-light-skint disappointment, L’Oreal True Match in W8 was the color for me. I was super pale. Since it’s summer and I’m starting to get some color back–HOLLA!–I decided to try this foundation again. And it was still a touch too dark. In the bottle, it looks like it’d be a near perfect match. Theory vs. practice, I guess.

L’Oreal True Match in W 9.5 is such a pretty warm, shade of brown. So sad I can’t wear this one on its own.

L’Oreal True Match in W8 Creme Cafe

L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup in W 8 Creme Cafe

This was the shade I ended up wearing for part of the winter. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I was a ghost. The thing I love about L’Oreal True Match is the color selection. They have some gorgeous deep browns that aren’t red-based. I also like that the formula isn’t heavy for those who don’t like the feel of liquid foundation on their faces. It’s quite thin, but it’s buildable for us faux-queens who like to layer up.

Now for the Bad: The formula takes forever to dry, so if you apply foundation first, you’ll find little creases where the makeup hasn’t completely set before you’ve moved on to do your eyes. Result? Forehead wrinkles. I also can’t use a primer with this foundation. It slides all over the place. Basically, L’Oreal True Match doesn’t ‘set.’ It slides around on my face, separating in smile lines, fine lines around the eyes and in forehead creases. Whatever it is about this formula, it creases on my face like no other. Even if it’s mixed with another foundation. Oh, and don’t wear white anything with this foundation. It’s not transfer resistant. No ma’am.

Verdict: Good for hard-to-match skin tones. Best for dry skin, or new foundation wearers because of its light formula

Maybelline Super Stay in Caramel

Maybelline Super Stay Makeup in Caramel

Miss Hunty Ma’am. Girl. Chile. Dawh-tah. If you want be PAINTED and make your STATEMENT, you want this foundation. Maybelline Super Stay is a full-coverage foundation and a competitor of Revlon Color Stay. I like Maybelline Super Stay because the coverage rivals that of cream foundation. (I’m like an old lady: give me cream stick foundation and loose powder!)

Maybelline Super Stay lasts for 10-12 hours. I find that it starts to break down a little in oily spots after about five or six. Touching up with a bit of translucent powder, or dotting–not swiping–with a tissue takes care of it. The color selection is minimal for brown girls, with most of us settling for Caramel, however, its undertone is a nice golden color. It’s a so-so match for me, though I found it to be a bit orange.

Now for the Bad: Though it’s a liquid, the formula is heavy like acrylic craft paint and doesn’t glide over the skin. Work quickly or Maybelline Super Stay will set, leaving you splotchy! This means it takes longer to apply because you’ll want to work in smaller sections of the face.

And, you’ll use more product.

Since the coverage is full and the formula is long-wearing, I noticed when washing my face at night, I needed to do triple duty: break the makeup down with coconut oil, swipe with a baby wipe, then wash my face. And, I always had a brown sink. I swear I’m not a dirty girl–just a drag queen.

Verdict: Good for a night out, for photos, or a 12-18 hour day when going from work to play.

Cover Girl 3-in-1 in Tawny

Cover Girl 3-in-1 Foundation in Tawny

The last foundation I picked up was Cover Girl 3-in-1 foundation. My sister loves this stuff and encouraged me to try it. I like it well enough. I opted for the ‘traditional’ Cover Girl 3-in-1 line instead of Cover Girl Queen Collection 3-in-1 versions because the Tawny shade had that olivey-golden undertone I need in a brown foundation. Alas, could my sister have chosen a match for me from afar? The shade was pretty good, though a touch green when I put it on my skin. But, that’s good for me because it dried and set to the right shade. (Which, takes me back to the earlier point about True Match in W9.5 It’s not about how it looks in the bottle or when you apply it; it’s about how the foundation looks when it dries.)

What I like about this foundation, of course is the color, and the shade range. Though the Queen Collection shades aren’t separated in to warm and cool, there is a difference between the warm (golden & orange shades) and the cool tones (pink & blue based tones) in the collection. And, can we talk about The Pump? It’s so much quicker than pouring it out, AAAANNND one pump is enough to do an entire face if you like light coverage. I also like the feel of this foundation on my face. It glides on and it doesn’t ‘itch’ after a few hours of wear.

Now for the bad: I’m not a fan of the coverage level. I find Cover Girl 3-in-1 to be a light coverage, though most will say it’s medium. My chin is a bit darker than the rest of my face and I like to have an even tone without applying layer after layer without progress. I noticed with building the coverage (I use three pumps from The Pump), the foundation didn’t set as well as it should. It’s nothing a touch of loose powder can’t fix, though.

Verdict: Good for overall, everyday use. Plus, it has sunscreen.

There’s your run-down on the three foundations I’ve been using for the last few months. I experiment with mixing the formulas and I get mixed results. I’ve since tested MAC Matchmaster foundation in 7.5 (love the shade. Like cinnamon!) and I have a sample of Makeup Forever HD foundation in 177. Alas, the quest continues.