Are you lovely people ready for a drugstore review?!?
Before we get into the products, here is a quick run down of my face and the issues that plague it:
- dry forehead/oily nose
- redness and large pores around my nose
- acne and scars around my chin
- freckles
- dark circles under the eyes
- the usual things that make a person want to wear foundation
If that little list didn’t frighten you off, let’s begin the review!!
Photo Focus Foundation ($6): This foundation comes in 20 shades and I picked up Nude Ivory, which is a pretty decent match. The lid screws off and there is a paddle type of applicator. A pump would be nice since the formula is a bit on the thin side and has a tendency to run a muck. I used a beauty sponge and brush for applications, but feel like the sponge performed better.
This does have a faint paint smell to it and for me it went away after a few moments but others complained of it lingering. The coverage is on the medium side and does a great job of evening out my skin tone, but did have to use a concealer for redness and dark circles.
This is not large pore friendly! You are gonna need a good, thick primer on areas with pores or it will make them look horrible! Trust me, the first few applications were not confidence boosters!
I didn’t have any issues on my dry areas, but I do exfoliate every morning before using makeup to help with texture. My nose does get oily and there was shine after about 4 hours of wear but every foundation has this issue, so I can’t really complain!
Overall, I found this to be a nice foundation! I like the lightweight formula which makes building up coverage easy and not cakey. It does a nice job covering up problem areas and wears lovely throughout the day. As long as you prep your skin properly before application, this foundation shouldn’t give you any heartache!
Photo Focus Pressed Powder ($5): This powder comes in 8 shades and I bought Warm Light. I actually really love this powder! It is finely milled, so can use it for both setting and finishing my makeup. There is hardly any coverage with this, but it is flesh toned which helps to eliminate the white casting of other setting/finishing powders.
This worked well at mattifying my T-Zone although it didn’t keep me shine free all day. It does give a lovely, natural soft focus effect to my face without looking powdery or clinging to dry areas. I did use a setting spray to help this ‘melt’ into my skin and with longevity, but I do this with every makeup look.
Simply put, this is a great face powder!
Photo Focus Concealer ($4): This has 6 shades and I picked up Light Ivory, which is the lightest shade and too dark for my taste. This isn’t a full coverage concealer, but does a great job of covering up imperfection while looking natural. The texture is really interesting. It is on the thicker side, a bit tacky, but flexible and makes your skin feel smooth. It will look cakey if you layer up too much or set with a heavy powder.
It held up nicely on oily areas, didn’t exaggerate pores, and wasn’t overly clingy to dry patches. This helped with my dark circles along with canceling out the redness around my nose and from breakouts. I recommend building this up slowly, blending out with a damp sponges, and setting with a finely milled powder.
I don’t have much else to say, it’s a good concealer!
I hope this post will help you make a wise choice and that’s really what I strive for with these reviews! So if you found this helpful please follow my Blog and Instagram, also hit those share buttons!!