First and foremost, I love this moisturizer!! It's actually the best tinted moisturizer I've found, I don't like foundation so this in particular was a good alternative for me. It has a really thick, creamy texture and goes goes on very smoothly. The tube is small (50mls/1.7 oz.) but it goes on very sparingly. Surprisingly, it actually provides a decent, very natural looking coverage. Skin feels soft and dewy, and it is NOT greasy at all. Hallelujah. I'm guessing that's the oil absorbers in it. I live in New Zealand and the sun is INTENSE so SPF 15 UVA/UVB filters are great. I should say to watch what shade you get because to colours are unusually dark, so a person with say...olive skin tone may want to go for the light shade instead of medium etc I have fair skin, but I got the light shade because I don't mind going a little bit darker with tinted moisturizer, given it's sheer-ness I think you can get away with it without make-up.
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I have this in Luminous, and my skin is a bit oily (esp. on the nose) with some acne and acne scars. I was looking for something that would even my skintone while remaining very natural -I'd rather have a few blemishes than visible foundation.
This product seems to have a rather thick consistency, but it actually spreads very smoothly and feels very light. It has a slight smell, but it is rather pleasant and, at any rate, weak. Like others, I did feel some sort of burning sensation the first few times I put it on, but that went away rather quickly. I don't think it made me break out (but then my skin's rather tough in that respect -or I'm bad at establishing correlation.) EDIT: I don't use it everyday...but I've slept in the stuff without breaking out.
It does not hide blemishes, but it does even my skin tone, blurring some of the acne scars, darkness and redness. It isn't exactly mattifying -I still need to use some powder or blotting paper. I don't look oilier with than without though, and it doesn't feel greasy either. It's very sheer and it does look very natural.
The packaging is nondescript; however, I had to return the first tube I bought because of a hole near the base (and then I had to go to three different Sephora stores to find a shade that would fit -not even the one I initially wanted, though Luminous turned out to be fine.)
All in all, I'd say it's a very good product -but unless you have very good skin to begin with, you still have to use blotting paper/powder and concealer as well. It's also pretty expensive.
Edit: I'm now using it with a greenish primer and it looks absolutely lovely. Just enough coverage, but looks fresh and natural.
I received this as a 100 point perk at Sephora (the mother ship). The shade I received was light.
APPLICATION/FEEL OF PRODCUT:
The first time I applied it to clean skin, no primer, using my fingers. I felt a slight burning sensation in certain parts of my face. Tingling as well. It was odd, but not uncomfortable. There was not odd odor, really no smell at all that I could detect. The product itself is thick and creamy and spreads easily, giving thin to medium coverage. I find it buildable. The color match for my skin is almost exact (light in Smashbox/NW25 in MAC). I also tried it over primer the next day and got the same tingly reaction, yet less severe. I set the tm each time with Guerlain meteorites Teint Rose 01. and followed with my regular blush/eyeshadow/masacara etc. routine. This held up even better than MAC tm in hot, humid southern temperatures.
REMOVAL OF PRODUCT
At the end of the day, some of the mu had been patted away with sweat, but I still had a quite a bit to wash off with the makuep remover cloth before cleaning my skin. It has a much more waxy? emulsified? oily? I'm not sure what the word is...the consistency is like Revlon Photoready, to put it succinctly. The same water-resistant qualities as PR, and the same need for an actual mu remover to be used to take it off prior to cleansing the skin. Using a regular mu remover cloth does the job easily, and following up with plain facial cleansing cloths is sufficient to clean the skin.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
It's a good product with great lasting power, plus it has spf, which I'm sure accounts for the initial tingling/burning feelings. Used over a primer, these side effects are markedly decreased. It is buildable for more coverage if you want it, and it has great staying power, especially if set with a powder. I did break out in 2 small zits after using this product, however, my trial run of the product happened to coincide with PMS and a trip to the deeper south where it rained the entire time, so I strongly suspect it was the combination of those factors, not the product, that gave me the zits. My very sensitive skin did not have a sensitivity reaction to this product, which speaks volumes for me.
May repurchase. Not quite certain yet, as it is quite expensive at $30USD for 1.7 oz. of product. I am on a hunt for my ideal foundation, and while this is a nice product that works the way I want it to work, I am not quite sure it is worth the price yet. Will continue to research other products. Nice product, though. Definitely try it out if you get the chance.
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LOVE this stuff!!! It supposed to be sheer but even on my acne-prone/ blemished and oily skin, this actually really helps to even my skin tone out quite a bit. Love how light it feels and would definitely repurchase. The only thing that bothers me is the price vs. quantity. It's $35.00 Canadian, and you only get 1.7 Oz, that really isn't a great deal. However that being said, a little goes a long way. So I guess it evens out....a little.
A Smashbox make-up artist put this product on my face. As I have combination skin, I normally avoid products that give shine to the skin. But this tinted moisturizer provides a very natural and soft kind of shine and my T-zone doesn't look oily with loose powder over it. I like it for every day looks, when I just need little coverage - plus it has SPF 15, which is great for my fair skin. It's sooo easy to apply, blends nicely, makes my skin fresh and smooth.
If there wasn't the price! EUR 29.90 in my country - and it is a product for every day use... I really like it and so I will still buy again, but I will keep on looking for an equal product with a lower price.
The coverage is sheer, but can be built up to provide enough coverage. It stays on a long time, and provides a dewy glow. With any brightening or spf-contained products, it can become oily. This is not the case for this little wonder because it goes on matte. So a little goes a long way.
I would recommend exfoliating and wait for a few minutes before applying anything else to allow this product to absorb. Also apply your usual concealer on major imperfections.
I really like the light it goes on, and makes my skin appear smoother. I prefer wearing this daily during summer time and alternating with foundation on date nights.
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The color that I used is Light but it is still too dark. The coverage is better than most tinted moisturizer out there. But I found its quite greasy although it is oil-free. I look like a greasy ball when I put this on. I have combination to dry and acne prone skin, I still find this too rich for my skin. Sorry, this is not for me.
I am MAC's NC43 for reference in use this in Medium. I have received a lot of compliments on my skin since using this TM. Even my doctor touched my face and complimented how milky smooth it looked and feels. I was nervous about trying this due to old acne scars but this goes on really light, gives your skin a nice glow without looking greasy. I've been using it for about a month now and so far, no breakouts. I use this with MAC's concealer on my darker spots + Smashbox Halo powder = flawless face that looks natural. :D
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i have combination skin that gets oilier throughout the day. coverage is super sheer and i notice my skin slightly breaking out with little bumps on my forehead and on my cheeks. the only good thing about it is that it feels very light on the skin.
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More reviews by sertasheeplover
I really liked this product. The coverage is very sheer, but it provides a fabulous dewy glow. Not something to use if your looking to hide imperfections, thats for sure. I prefer the luminous color, as it is sheer and hits my winter pale face perfectly. My only complaint is, the last one i bought , i dont know, its like the hole was too big and it used to come out and pool in the cap. Since this is expensive, I was quite annoyed. As a poor poor student this is a luxury purchase and i was disappointed to not get my full value. Other than that, fannntastic!
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