Stila • Complete Coverage • Crème

Where To Buy?

foundationjunkie on 3/30/2008 2:01:00 AM more reviews by foundationjunkie

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

I have been using this complete coverage since I discovered it in 1996 or 1997. Was devastated when it was going to be discontinued and bought up all available tubes in Shade D. They lasted until New Years eve 2007. I have tried every available produt in order to achieve the same look and fell that this product produced on my skin. In fact, I credit this product for making most people think that I am my daughter's sister and not her Mom. It had aloe vera in the original formula and once you mastered how to apply it properly, it was a breeze. It blended well with highlighters and never creased or smeared thoroughout the day. I absolutely hate silicone based crappy foundation that gets stuck in every crease and screams "Hey, I am not 20 years old anymore" There is nothing else available on the market that produces the natural look and skin tone match that this product did. I would give anything....anything... for them to bring it back so that I can quit moaning about how nothing else works. You do have to get used to a quick fingertip application in order to get the smooth finish. I just don't know what I am going to do without it. It never caused a break out and all my friends and coworkers say that my face has never looked the same as when this product was in it's prime. If anyone can tell me what they have used as a substitute after this was discontinued, I would love to hear about it...and if you have an old tube of Shade D, I would be willing to buy you and trade you a product of your choice. I really need this for my daughters upcoming wedding or I am going to be cranky pants all day. Stila needs to bring this back now that the evil Estee Lauder ran Stila into the ground and finally sold the company. I hope Jeanine takes it back over and brings back the items that created the success of the brand. I honestly don't know what to do without it, except look like crap because nothing else matches my skin tone. Boo..... Bring it back

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

pink_cosmos on 11/4/2006 7:21:00 AM more reviews by pink_cosmos

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Yep definitely not a "complete coverage". A MUA at Mecca took one look at me (in my EL double wear) and cringed at how obvious and bad (in her opinion) my foundation was. She took it off and said I don't need a foundation that thick and applied Pivotal Skin on me which was quite light, and honestly I prefer a bit of coverage anyway but she was really persistent. I thought Complete Coverage (judging by the name) would be a bit better so I bought this instead. I haven't worn it much mostly because it doesn't have a good enough coverage and also because I don't find it long-lasting on my oily-comb skin. Another con, is the application, I found it really hard to blend. Although the finish was quite good, kinda glowy. Anyways good thing I didn't like it cos it's been discontinued...probably for a good reason! The tube it comes in is cute, I only wish my EL Ideal Matte came in a similar tube.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ekubo on 11/7/2005 7:26:00 AM more reviews by ekubo

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I received this in a swap in C, and I am so glad that I have it! I knew not to expect complete coverage--and in fact, i wouldn't have swapped for it if I thought it would be full coverage. This is actually a very sheer foundation that feels incredibly light on the skin and looks very natural. The color C is a good match for my Stila 30 watts in Illuminating liquid foundation (which I also LOVE). I used this to spot treat redness in my skin and it blened right in. I do need an additional concealer to for acne. Bottom line is, if you have dryish skin and only want light coverage, this is a good choice. If I had to choose, however, I still prefer the illuminating liquid foundation (i LIKE the mineral oil base for my dry skin in the winter).

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rubyjinx on 11/4/2005 5:10:00 PM more reviews by rubyjinx

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This is a very versatile foundation, I can use it as a sheer or more opaque foundation if needed. It layers really well and has pretty good staying power. Looks really great after setting with a light powder. As for the packaging, while the tube design works, the metal used to make the tube doesn't. It causes a slight metal discoloration around the opening of the tube, which I wipe off with a tissue before every use. I also wish it had some sort of SPF in it.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

midoriaddicted on 8/25/2005 11:46:00 PM more reviews by midoriaddicted

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I tried a large sample of this, after finding out my fav foundation (Stephane Marais Cream Foundation) was discontinued. The make up artist suggested i take this home and try it. It was terrible, the texture is pasty, the colours are chalky and it provides very light coverage, unless you slather it on!!! Very misleading product name. I do not reccomend to anyone wanting good even coverage from their foundation.

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

Springncts on 3/26/2005 9:43:00 AM more reviews by Springncts

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

I found this foundation *very* similiar to Revlon's Even Out nakeup. It isn't heavy, it's actually pretty light. It doesn't cover blemishes or dark circles well . What it does is gives skin a nice, even , smooth finish. It also minimized my pores. I'm not sure if I would buy it again, but I said I would cuz you never know. Shade A is a tad too light for my NC20 skin.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

EveryGreatLove22 on 2/4/2005 12:29:00 AM more reviews by EveryGreatLove22

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I think that the coverage is great. It is buildable. I have terrible acne scars and I still have existing acne and along with the illuminating powder (also by Stila) I got perfect coverage. TIP: If you want more of a full coverage you should apply with you fingertips and rub it into your skin in all directions. You can keep doing this and layer it until you have the coverage you desire. The lady at the Stila counter taught me this. My only complaint is that it is NOT oil free. Some websites will tell you it is and the sales lady told me that it is, but I contacted Stila and they confirmed IT IS NOT OIL FREE. I do think that it caused me to break out a little bit more- but covered it up well!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* ocarina on 1/14/2005 7:26:00 PM more reviews by ocarina

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

"Complete", my foot. Very, very misleading name for this foundation. I like the tube (more foundations should come in a tube) and color A is a good match for me, but the texture is pasty and the coverage is medium, at best. It also leaves a sticky residue on my face for longer than I'd like, and provides no mattifying whatsoever. Heck, my trusty BE covers better than this. If you want real complete coverage, try Illuminare.

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

*TOP REVIEWER* AsiaChick on 11/25/2004 11:25:00 PM more reviews by AsiaChick

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I find this very reasonably priced at $28 for 1.3 oz of product you don't have to use much of at all. I like the thick creamy consistency and how smoothly this goes on my skin over my moisturized face giving me a very natural look. Suits my skin tone pretty well.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* divafx on 11/7/2004 10:53:00 PM more reviews by divafx

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I guess i'm in the minority too. I do love this product. I have acne prone skin and when my acne is at it's worst this covers it up beautifully. I also use it in my pro kit and have great results when dealing with anyone with skin problems. As far as the ingredients go, this product is made very well with no known pore cloggers anywhere in the list. That doesn't mean that no one will ever break out from it but it means that a good 98% of the population can wear this and not have any acne problems. A lot of full coverage foundations rely on heavy pore cloggers to cover imperfections (think mac full coverage foundation) instead of relying on pigment to do this. Stila's version definitely relies on pigment which makes it a higher quality product. This wasn't exactly meant to be an everday foundation for those of you that hate it for everyday use. This product was designed for photographs, movie shoots, bad skin days, and sufferers of severe acne or rosacea. If you feel it's too heavy you can always put it on with a damp sponge to thin it out a bit, since it's heavily pigmented thinning it out won't completely kill it's coverage like with some foundations. All in all, I love this foundation! It's one of the best full coverage foundations I've seen to date. *** Update Feb 2007***
I noticed the amount of negatives around this product and the amount of people who said this wasn't giving a full coverage. I couldn't figure it out because I always got completely full coverage from this. I did some research and discovered the problem. I bought my tube back when Stila was owned by Stila Cosmetics. I did the review much after the fact. I discovered about the time of a lot of your negative reviews Lauder bought the line. They "lauderized" it. The lovely pigment payoff that I experienced in my tube most certainly was watered down in the Lauder version. Pore cloggers were added and basically it wasn't that great. The good news is that Lauder alienated the original Stila Fans (much like they are doing with former MAC using professionals),ran the company into the ground, and were forced to sell it recently. The new owners are promising to bring back the quality and all the things that originally made Stila so phenomenal. I'm keeping a look out to see if they change this back to it's original un-lauderized form. Darn that Lauder!

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

NaturalMU on 10/27/2004 6:50:00 PM more reviews by NaturalMU

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I know I'm in the minority, but I like this stuff. I don't use it all over, but when appiled to my nose and cheeks, it completely masks my redness. It does make me a bit oily though, so I took off one lippie.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Beachgirl on 8/8/2004 11:15:00 AM more reviews by Beachgirl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

I have never had skin problems (breakouts, acne, etc.) until I put this foundation on my face. It was HORRIBLE! My skin broke out so bad I was embarrassed to leave my house. Not to mention the coverage is certainly not full.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

cdoliver on 7/26/2004 5:58:00 PM more reviews by cdoliver

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

In my seemingly neverending quest for a full coverage foundation, I ran across this on the Stila site. I have used Pivotal Skin in the past, so I already knew what color I needed. Needless to say, I was very disappointed in this. COMPLETE coverage? Who are they kidding. I guess if you have no pores, no blemishes and no flaws at all, them it might be complete. But then would you really need foundation at all? I applied this with my fingertips and it looked more like a tinted moisturizer than foundation. Then I read that you were supposed to use a stippling motion with your fingertips to apply, that didn't work for me either. This would be all right for someone looking for a VERY sheer foundation, but I definitely expected something a lot better from Stila. UPDATE:I ran across this foundation in my drawer as I was cleaning and decided to give it another try. I went to the Stila counter and asked if they could give me tips on application. The MA showed me how to apply it properly and I now love it!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* glossgal_01 on 3/19/2004 1:57:00 AM more reviews by glossgal_01

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

I didn't have too much luck with this one at first! I think it's all in the technique. It takes a bit more time to get a good application with this one. First of all, I would say it's a medium coverage that's buildable to a fuller coverage. The best part is that it doesn't go cakey when you build it up. I looks completely natural in both natural and artifial light. It's best to use a small amount of product (pea-sized) and work small amounts at a time around the face. The first time I used it, I just slapped it on, and it looked cakey and uneven. Usins small amounts with the fingertips works well with this formula. I have C (I'm NC25-NC30) and it seems to adjust to my skintone quite well. In the summer, I could probably go for a shade deeper though. I would recommend this for the girl that wants the natural look but don't mind spending a few extra minutes in front of the mirror to achieve it!!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* bunny207 on 3/8/2004 8:23:00 PM more reviews by bunny207

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This is the worst foundation I have ever used. First, the consistency- thick and opaque. Second, the color was too dark and has grey and green undertones (shade C). For almost $40 USD you would think that it the formula would be decent. I quickly returned it!

If you are looking for buildable medium to full coverage foundations, try Laura Mercier's or Fresh.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

actionsport on 3/1/2004 10:42:00 PM more reviews by actionsport

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

shade e works great on my nc35 south asian skin-- i don't understand why everyone is saying it's expensive-- at US$28 for 1.3 oz, it's much cheaper than every other foundation sold at sephora, which are usually US$30 for 1 oz. or less- also i like this product because you can wear it sheer (by blending a pea-size amt. on back of hand & stroking on face w/ finger) or use a sponge and use more to get complete coverage-- in both cases, i got a nice bright, smooth finish to my skin-- i think if you want to cover zits, you should apply the foundation directly to the problem area-- then it will work-- also be sure to moisturize before applying foundation-- i like the tube packaging-- great for travelling-- would buy again

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

luckie on 1/14/2004 11:10:00 PM more reviews by luckie

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

RAVE RAVE RAVE RAVE! i realize i'm in the minority but this is hands down the BEST foundation i've ever tried...and i've been on a massive foundation rampage lately trying everything from sticks to creams to liquids! such great buildable coverage i can wear this sheer or totally full. even when i wear it to the max it does not look the least bit mask like. D color is a perfect match to my NC30 skin. truly looks like my skin but perfect! and stays on ALLLLLLLL day! kind of expensive but i just use a tiny but so i could see it lasting forever.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* taurusgurl5984 on 11/4/2003 12:34:00 AM more reviews by taurusgurl5984

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I tried this foundation maybe a year ago and hated it. It wouldn't build, it kept sliding all over my face, and puddled into my pores (and I don't have large pores). So, when I started working for stila and received this item as a gratis, I was disappointed. I was about the ask them if I could exchange it for the Illuminating Liquid, but I thought maybe I didn't give it a good enough chance and tried it again. Same problem. I just shoved it in the back of my drawer and forgot about it. Well, I just went to stila basic school about a week ago and we were taught about all of the foundations and how to use them. First of all, stila foundations are correcting or neutralizing, so you need to match the color to the intensity of the problem. For example, in depth of skin tone, I am a shade a, but because I have quite a bit of pink in my skin, I am bumped up to a B. I get way more coverage with the B than the A because it has more yellow in it. Anyway... after stila basic school, I decided to try this foundation again. I made sure to let my moisturizer soak into my skin for 10 minutes, and then started with a pea size amount, and work it off of the back of my hand with my fingers. It's heat activated, so it won't look very good if you apply it with a brush. If you work one section of your face at a time, in quick, short light strokes, with a mix of some stippling into the face, it works great! I now absolutely LOVE this. I know that the name is deceiving, but upon first application, it's not supposed to be complete coverage. The idea is that it is buildable to complete coverage, so you can have lighter in areas where you don't have much discoloration, and layer more in areas that you do to cover better. I now think that this is a wonderful foundation, but not for those who are very dry or very oily. I am combination and I am loving the semi-matte, semi-glowy look it gives my skin. ;) Carrie

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* fairylis on 10/21/2003 7:38:00 PM more reviews by fairylis

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I thought this was a decent foundation. I really like the yellow in this. I mixed it with my moisturizer and never had any problems. I probably won't buy again because of the price. I think Dior would be better.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

jesha on 10/8/2003 1:02:00 AM more reviews by jesha

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

This is the worst foundation I've ever tried. I bought it because it looked light enough to match me, and I thought since Stila is a somewhat well-respected brand it must be at least decent. Wrong. I couldn't even get it on my face without these little clumps of foundation curling up and just sitting there. I've tried a few a few foundations in my day and have never seen anything remotely like that. I wouldn't leave my own bathroom in that stuff. I can't believe they put it on the market. At first I thought it was just me and then I read here that it's happened to other people too. Jeez.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No