Review: Clinique Even Better Foundation

I'm sure by now you realize that I don't have perfect skin and am thus continuously searching for products that will help remedy this. I first heard about Clinique's Even Better makeup in a magazine and had been wanting to try it for several months, since I've use the Even Better serum before and have liked it (although I didn't see dramatic results, really). After reading several reviews and watching some YouTube reviews, I decided to go ahead and try it. The foundation is very affordable compared to other high-end brands at $24.50 for 1 oz. (compare to ~$35 for Estee Lauder Double Wear and ~$42 for Lancome Photogenic Lumessence) and comes packaged in an easy-to-dispense, yet mess-free, bottle (it has a small spout that dispenses a tiny blob of product when squeezed).

According to the Clinique website:

Wear oil-free, dermatologist-developed Even Better Makeup SPF 15 and something amazing happens: Without any makeup, see improved clarity, a more even skin tone, visibly diminished age spots. For all ethnicities. In just 4 to 6 weeks.

- Recommended for Skin Types: 2 - Dry Combination, 3 - Oily

- Coverage: Moderate to Full

- Benefits: De-aging, Covers or treats uneven skin tone, Long wearing, Natural skin-perfecting look, Mineral enriched

What I think:

From an overall perspective, I liked almost everything about this product. The makeup itself is very creamy, but not too thick. My skin is dry-combination, and it went on very smoothly without caking and dried to a very dewy, luminous finish, which I also like, because I enjoy setting foundations with powder and if they are too dry on their own, I turn my face into a powder puff instead of a smooth, even surface. The coverage was also amazing and hid nearly all imperfections with one coat -- I didn't even feel like I really needed concealer on blemishes or under my eyes with this makeup on!

The color I was matched with was their lightest shade, Alabaster, and I'll admit it wasn't a perfect match to my skin tone, but actually a shade or two darker/peachier. It was a bit striking when I first put it on, but once the whole face was blended (and this product was super easy to blend into the hairline/neckline), it matched wonderfully and gave my face just a tiny bit of a glow. If you are very fair skinned; however, and prefer that your foundation matches your skin tone exactly, you may have a difficult time finding the proper color with this product.

I also definitely would not recommend this to women with oily skin, as it's certainly quite moisturizing and would exacerbate oily areas instead of mattefying them. Secondly, if you have dry skin, but still prefer a more matte finish, this might not be the best line for you, unless you are okay with using a separate setting powder.

Now for the only truly bad news: after several uses, the product totally and completely broke me out. Instead of the "Even Better" ingredients creating a more regular surface, I got lots of small red pimples on my cheeks where things had been clear before. Now, I had also used a new MAC MSF with my Even Better, so I discontinued both for a few days and let my skin clear up. Then, I tried using my MSF with my regular foundation (Lancome) and was fine, so a few days later I re-tried the Even Better without the MSF and the same thing happened -- lots of new blemishes and pimples by the end of the day. So obviously, something in this formula didn't work for my skin, and very sadly, I had to return the product (I feel like I am doing a LOT of returning lately, but I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't keep a product that you're not satisfied with, especially if the company has a good return policy and will help you find something else that you will like.).

The woman at the Clinique counter mentioned that I wasn't the first person to return the foundation with that particular complaint, so I wonder if there truly is something in the product that makes certain skin types break out. Instead, she recommended that I try another one of their foundations (the Acne Solutions) line and see if that was a better fit (it has Salicylic Acid in it, so I was worried about using it with my dry skin, but she said it should be fine). I'm going to give this a try next and give you a report in a few weeks about how this is working for me. In the meantime, if there are any foundations that you particularly like (or dislike!), please share your thoughts in the comments section!

To recap:

Pros:

- Very creamy, smooth formula is moisturizing for dry skin and gives a very dewy finish

- Coverage is excellent and hides most imperfections with a single coat

- Package design makes it easy to dispense just the right amount of product without a huge mess

- Among high-end brands, is fairly affordable at $24.50

Cons:
- Color range might be somewhat limited for those with very fair skin tones who want an exact match

- Not appropriate for women with oily skin

- Broke me out after several uses!