Almay • Wake-up liquid foundation • Liquid

rated 2.6(21 reviews)

Average Rating.2.6
Would buy this product again.47%
Package Quality4.0
Price2.9
Ingredients

rated 4 of 5 HWL on 4/14/2013 5:41:00 PM more reviews by HWL

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Very Dry, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I bought it because they were out of my shade of Neutrogena Healthy Skins and I wanted something with SPF. This is not amazing, but it is not bad either. Nice match on the skin color and not too pink. I do need concealer, but that is a given. It's not heavy coverage and no wakeup effect. I do notice a shimmer in some lights. Other than that I haven't had any problems. Goes on easy with a brush or with hands and I don't use nearly as much, as I was with Neutrogena or have problems getting it out of the bottle. It's not for days I need heavy coverage.

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rated 4 of 5 vm1993 on 4/8/2013 3:24:00 AM more reviews by vm1993

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Other    

Almay products used to suck when I was younger. Now they have a broader spectrum and A bit better quality products. I like how it matches my skin tone perfectly but it doesn't really blend in very well. It makes my face look oily and it even makes it feel oily. I also didn't like that it has some sort of shimmer to it. Glittery foundation does not suit well with me. I like the coverage though. I only use it as a primer for my next liquid make-up and my powder. It really helps make-up stay and last longer. The make-up by itself doesn't look too good, but it sure helps to use it with others. i definitely would buy it again.

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rated 3 of 5 booda on 2/12/2013 4:27:00 PM more reviews by booda

Age: 44-55   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I am typically a fan of Almay foundations - they offer good shades for my skintone, don't break me out, and I'm not allergic to them.

It does have a slight shimmer - so I like to wear it in the evening. It's not so shimmery that I feel silly looking. I'm in my mid 40's & I don't feel like I'm wearing a 20-something's makeup.

It's winter now & my skin has a tendency to get flaky. This makeup does emphasize flakes somewhat, but not horribly. I think this will be a great summer foundation.

I'll probably buy it again in a darker shade for summer, or at least mix to shades together. I chose Buff - the next darker shade was sold out.

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rated 1 of 5 helenrena22 on 2/6/2013 8:20:00 PM more reviews by helenrena22

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other, Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Hazel    

I gave this make up a two because of various reasons.
First of all. it smells SO bad. When you apply the makeuo you can literally SMELL it off of you. Second of all, it has like NO coverage what so ever and does not blend in easy at all. The whole "wake up" thing is most definatly not true, I havent had any 'wake up' effect what so ever either. Also, It caused my skin to break out and made my face look oily.On top of that, it doesnt stay on more then maybe 4 hours before it fades away and it creates little balls. The only good thing about this makeup is the color, it matched my skin very well. This product was okay when it came to price, but with the quality it might as well be 50 cent. Lastly, the packaging is a pump glass container, which makes it difficult to get every last bit of it. It is also heavy and can be un sanitary if you dont clean the pump. Overall, i dont like this product AT ALL.

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rated 1 of 5 JessicaSugarplum on 1/14/2013 1:53:00 AM more reviews by JessicaSugarplum

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

This stuff is terrible and is definitely far from hypoallergenic. I used it for about a week, and that was a week too long. The first time I used it my eyes started watering right way, but I thought maybe my contacts were just bugging me. After a week of use I had a rash on my face and as soon as I switched back to Almay's TLC foundation it went away. I gave it to my step sister and it also made her eyes water and her skin isn't even sensitive. She was smarter and stopped using it after that one use. Also, the coverage is very patchy. I didn't notice all the shimmer like others have said or a weird scent either, but it doesn't matter because I would never buy it again.

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rated 2 of 5 regang on 12/9/2012 4:57:00 PM more reviews by regang

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I was looking at this product in the store for a very long time before I went to buy it. I really wanted to like this foundation but its horrible.

Cons-
doesn't last
little to no coverage
brings out my undereye circles
SPARKLES that make skin look super oily and digusting

Pro-
the pump on this foundation gives the perfect amount

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rated 4 of 5 Nades01 on 12/5/2012 12:23:00 PM more reviews by Nades01

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Grey    

Weird comments in here: this foundation is absolutly remarkable and not too expensive. Nothing but compliments for this one: no breakouts, good coverage yet not pasty, odorless, and WHAT SPARKLES?? There is no sparkles whatsoever...

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 1 of 5 Xamberlymx on 11/19/2012 3:14:00 PM more reviews by Xamberlymx

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Within a week broke me out terribly.

Has sparkles in it??!

I like the finish other than that, the price is right... I'm bummed it didn't work. My dry skin got much much dryer and started peeling on my chin after a week. I switched from bare minerals.

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rated 1 of 5 skannin on 11/18/2012 10:52:00 PM more reviews by skannin

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This foundation is HORRIBLE.

My skin is normal to dry, and this foundation slides off it within the first couple of hours of wearing it. Four hours is asking a lot for this foundation.
I dab foundation on my eyelids, powder them, and then apply eyeliner daily. My eyeliner even slides off my eyes when using this wake up foundation!

The absolute worst part of this product for me is that it maximizes any wrinkles you have to the extreme! I could not believe how horrendous my under eye wrinkles looked, and I didnt even USE the foundation under my eyes!! It just slides on there some how as I apply it to my face and it's atrocious how it makes wrinkles look, within minutes of wearing it. And I've gotten hiding my under-eye wrinkles down to an art... well not after using this foundation! Not to mention any other wrinkles on your face.

This foundation will highlight any imperfections on your face. I had a couple small dry patches, and this foundation made them the focus of my face somehow. As if it dried them out even more.

The only thing I liked about this is that when you first have it in place, and you are in natural light, it gives your skin a nice sheen, as other are saying. I dont find that it makes your face sparkle as much as other reviews make it out to be.
I also didn't notice the smell other people are complaining of...
Oh and I also like how it is packaged.

All in all I was surprised at how bad this foundation was, as I do like Almay as a brand. I will stick to their tlc foundation.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 3 of 5 apaolone04 on 10/11/2012 11:39:00 AM more reviews by apaolone04

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I actually really like this product, when you put it on its kinda cool feeling so i guess it wakes you up. This foundation is not for people who want a flawless cover though, its very light and simple. I saw alot of people on here say there was "ssooooo much glitter" when really ive ben wearing this for over a week now, i had to go look up really close in the mirror yes to see itty bitty sparkles which i dont even care for. And someone even said it smells like dirt... Yea it dosnt it smells like any other foundation would

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 3 of 5 ccarlino on 10/8/2012 12:56:00 AM more reviews by ccarlino

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Silver, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I purchased this foundation based on Beautipedia's positive review and wore it today with moisterizer and a sunscreen underneath. I finished with Shiseido's translucent loose powder and this combination produced a slightly satin velvety finish on my mature skin.

UDPATE: I wanted to love this make up based on Beautipedia's excellent rating. After using this product for a week, I noticed little to no coverage, thus, Almay should label this product as a tinted moisterizer. Even with Shiseido transluncent powder as a finish, the make up did not last till noon in the office. It also has an off smell as others mentioned. Returned to CVS after using for a week. Lesson: I will not purchase any other drugstore foundations.

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rated 5 of 5 kiki1012 on 10/3/2012 1:37:00 AM more reviews by kiki1012

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I was surprised by the reviews on this product. I personally loved it and it gave me the perfect amount of coverage and my skin is far from perfect. I didn't notice the shimmer until reading it on here and yeah it does shimmer when Im outside but other than that its not bad and I like the radiant look it gives my skin. The pump dispenser is awesome and a little goes a long way! I will buy this again for sure.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 3 of 5 itzdianababy on 8/23/2012 7:27:00 PM more reviews by itzdianababy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I never really wear foundation but when it came to trying one I went for the Almay Wake-up liquid foundation. The liquid foundation was easy to apply and you do not need that much product to cover your face. It minimally covers your blemishes but you would have to go over it a couple of times. The foundation itself is extra sparkly which I like cause it gave a glow when the light hits your face. I felt that that it gave my face a little shine which nothing a little sheet of oil blotter couldn't fix.

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rated 3 of 5 cecekath00 on 8/13/2012 6:56:00 PM more reviews by cecekath00

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I'm so upset. I just bought this and put it on. It glided on. The ivory color is perfect for my pale skin and it covered well. Then I looked in the sunlight. My powder foundation sparkles already, so when I saw that this foundation sparkled as well, I was so disappointed. Now I'm worried because my really good foundation from Revlon (Custom Creations) ran out and I can't find it in stores anywhere. I guess it was discontinued. I have to go somewhere tomorrow looking like a sparkly vampire! I hope it isn't too noticeable! By the way the whole "it wakes you up!" stuff is bs because you can't feel it at all. It looks good on pictures though, I'll give it that. Let me just add, GLITTER IN FOUNDATIONS DOES NOT MAKE SKIN LOOK DEWEY. So whoever tells you that is beyond mistaken. This product reminds me of Revlon Photoready - full of glitter.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 1 of 5 kmb584 on 8/10/2012 8:27:00 PM more reviews by kmb584

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Grey    

As a single mom who works full-time as a registered nursing supervisor, my days are too long and nights too short. I came across the wake-up makeup line at a large retailer and was so intrigued that I purchased the undereye concealer, blush/highlighter duo and an eyeshadow pallet. Much to my surprise, those 3 products delivered their claims (something I'm not used to with drugstore brands) and even though I had had only 4 hours of sleep the night prior my skin looked bright, refreshed, and well-rested. At that time I was highly disappointed that the only foundation in the wake-up line was a mineral powder; powders and my combination skin are not a good combination.


Two days ago I happened to stumble across a display featuring the LIQUID wake-up makeup and didn't hesitate in purchasing in. The foundation itself went on smooth and the Ivory (shade) matched my very fair, NC15 skin almost perfectly. There was also no oxidation that left me looking like I tanned my face and nothing else.


Once I got to work people kept commenting that my face was "sparkling" and, at first, I took their words as compliments. It wasn't until an Alzheimer's resident asked, "Did you glue glitter on your face?" that I entered the nearest mirror to get a look at myself. Sure enough, I was sparkling - A LOT. This foundation is jam packed with micro glitter and when outside in the sun I looked like one of the Twilight characters. At the age of 28, the glitter/sparkle phase has long since passed and the only sparkle I wear now is in the form of jewelry.


By mid-day the foundation was separating and slipping off of my face, despite the fact that I used my favorite BB Cream prior to application as a primer. Since I began use of said BB Cream, I have had no issue with makeup staying on and in place.


For those with oily or combination oily skin, steer clear. For those with dry skin, you may like this. If you don't want to glitter like a kid's school project, run away.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 momosonia on 6/21/2012 3:21:00 AM more reviews by momosonia

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

i am extremely picky when it comes to foundation. this is my favorite! the color (buff) is perfect for my skin and looks extremely natural. it does not provide heavy coverage, just enhances your skin. it may not be for everyone because it definitely gives off a luminous sheen, but it works for me b/c i have very dry skin. i normally apply the makeup and then blot a little with a tissue. it enhances and evens out my skin without giving me the dry, mask-ey look. it looks like my skin, but better. i've been told my skin looks "fresh," "dewy," "glowy," and "radiant." i love it!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 1 of 5 nicoleolovesyou on 6/21/2012 12:46:00 AM more reviews by nicoleolovesyou

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This is officially the WORST foundation I have ever tried. And, trust me, I've tried A LOT.

First Impression- I loved that there was a pump, I really wanted a pump foundation after using squeeze tube foundations, and I loved that there was SPF 20. PLUS, an energizing makeup for summer I was so ready to buy this and try it out. I thought this would be my new HG and replace my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, boy was I wrong.

First Application- I was so eager to try this I pumped it on my hand and home and tried getting an idea of the consistency. Then it smelled really nasty, like dirt. I thought I accidentally touched my mud mask which smells like that so I washed my hands and face and tried applying to my face. As soon as I put it on I got a whiff of dirt it was so disgusting. It literally smells like dirt! And it blotched up on my face after about a minute of applying then I noticed tons and I mean TONS of sparkles! Sparkles, and glitter Honestly? I was experiencing the worst foundation of my life in less than 15 minutes of purchase


PROS: has a pump spf 20


CONS: Smells horrible Sparkles/glitter in the foundation Blotchy Zero coverage Cakey Oxidizes Way to pricy, not even worth 10¢


Over all: Horrible foundation. NEVER, EVER, EVER WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 3 of 5 kittyinglasses on 6/15/2012 10:41:00 PM more reviews by kittyinglasses

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is a nice foundation.
It's a medium coverage, hydrating, dewy finish foundation. Some people say it's got glitter in it, but I didn't notice any, even in sunlight.
It spreads easy, it doesn't oxidize and it doesn't break me out or make my skin itchy. It's hypo-allergenic & contains no oil whatsoever (even lanolin!)

It's a bit less expensive than L'Oreal & Revlon's foundation (I got it for $16.00, Revlon & L'Oreal where I live is usually in the $19.00-$20.00 range) so for what I got I'd say it was worth it.

Bonus: it comes with a pump and contains SPF 20!

Negatives: it comes off with profuse sweating, but it does not claim to be waterproof, so I can't actually fault them on that.

I definitely recommend this foundation to those with dry/combo
acne prone/sensitive skin.

UPDATE: I noticed that, about 3 weeks into using it, that it was a little TOO pink in certain lighting and really dark, not orange, just dark in others. I gave it to my sister, who loves it and uses it daily and it looks great on her, so my review still stands. I just wish it had stayed true to the colour.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 2 of 5 alpert815 on 6/12/2012 11:19:00 PM more reviews by alpert815

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

GLITTER. Why oh WHY do cosmetic companies do this to us ladies?! I gave it a 2 because Buff was a decent color match. Too bad my face shimmered like stars in the night sky. Also the pump was a plus too. Ah well. I'll stick to the Almay Blemish healing foundation. It's also in the shade Buff, comes with a pump, and doesn't shimmer.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 1 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* Branny43 on 6/4/2012 1:18:00 AM more reviews by Branny43

Age: 44-55   Skin: Very Dry, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

I rated this product as pricey because, in my opinion, anything more than a dollar--that doesn't work--is too expensive.

It's not my usual practice to rate something after using it once. Sometimes a good product takes awhile to enjoy, but a genuinely bad one can be spotted pretty early.

Absolutely zero coverage--didn't even minimize my few discolorations--and vanished in a matter of less than 4 hours. A makeup wipe showed NO product remaining on my face. Won't buy it again, wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

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