Almay • Clear Complexion Blemish Healing Makeup • Liquid

Where To Buy?

lucyschenk on 5/14/2013 5:26:00 PM more reviews by lucyschenk

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

This is the only foundation I can use that matches and blends into my skin nicely while covering any red spots. I have combination skin and this product lasts me all day at work while even though i have oily skin I just bloat with tissue paper every once in awhile and I'm good to go. It's not perfect as it doesn't heal blemishes, but it doesn't create them.

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*TOP REVIEWER* FaceofMaleah on 5/10/2013 12:25:00 PM more reviews by FaceofMaleah

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I really wanted to love this foundation after seeing all the positive review on MUA but it just doesn't seem to work for me. I am a huge foundation junkie so I am always looking for the next best product. I haven't tried any Almay products before but I know that they're supposed to be good for sensitive skin which I have and I also have acne so what better foundation to apply than the Clear Complexion foundation. I purchased this for around $14 at Shoppers Drug Mart (it was on sale) in the shade 100 Ivory. I was a little confused since there were 2 bottles left of the shade 100 Ivory and one of them was very pinky toned and the other was neutral toned so I'm not really sure whats up with that but I picked up the neutral toned one. I like that this foundation comes in a glass bottle with a pump that is really nice- a little strange to rave about a pump but you really needed to apply pressure to it to make the product come out which I liked to product didn't end up flying everywhere. I tried applying this a few ways- with primer, without primer, with a beauty blender and with my fingers. Overall I did like how it applied best with my fingers and without a primer- it was a little too think to use with the beauty blender which brings me to my next point. A lot of people have said in their reviews that this foundation is so lightweight which I did not find to be the case like at all. It was thick and I could definitely feel it on my skin. As well, it dried very quickly so you're not really given much time to blend. This foundation has a very powdery matte finish which I hate. I have dry skin and this definitely made me look dead. I can get away with matte foundations the better percent of the time but this was too matte which I'm sure though I could not enjoy it, people with oily skin will love. This didn't cling to my dry patches which was nice but oddly enough, it seemed to make a lot of the imperfections on my face look somehow worse. I definitely will be returning this to Shoppers Drug Mart for a refund. When I took the foundation off at the end of the day, my skin looked just as healed as it does with any other foundation so I can't say that small amount of salicylic acid was very helpful. This was definitely a big old miss for me, it had about every trait in it that I avoid in a foundation. Maybe this would work better for people with combo to oily skin but not for us dry ladies.

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Nebransas on 4/21/2013 11:27:00 PM more reviews by Nebransas

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

I absolutely love this product! I've been using this as a foundation for a long time, and it is by far my favorite. The colour is very natural, matches my pale skin tone perfectly, and leaves me with a nice dewy finish. It does a good job of concealing mild-moderate redness and acne, but doesn't quite cover-up larger pimples. Blends very easily; I simply apply with fingers, and it sets nicely without feeling heavy at all. I have really oily and acne-prone skin, and, while not breaking me out, the salycilic acid does not seem to improve my acne. Great quality for price, and overall a very nice product.

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kimhachey on 4/15/2013 1:58:00 PM more reviews by kimhachey

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this after noticing that my previous foundation was making me breakout. I was hesitant to try this, but now i am glad! In very little time it managed to dry up most of the breakouts I had, and I havent experienced any new breakouts since using it. Overall i am very satisfied with this product!

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escope01 on 4/13/2013 7:01:00 PM more reviews by escope01

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Wavy   Eyes: Brown    

I bouht this because it was supposed to be good for acne prone skin. My skin is acne prone and oily so I thought, Why not! The color matched my skin nicely and looked good when i first put it on. About three hours later, I checked it and it looked rough. It looked cakey in several places and very oily along my T zone. It looked worse as the day went on. It doesnt help with acne either. It breaks me out when i wear it so personally I don't suggest it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* kikidoll27 on 4/13/2013 6:01:00 PM more reviews by kikidoll27

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

I remember reading somewhere that Almay has the best makeup for acne prone skin. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but as of now this foundation is the only one ever that hasn't broken me out. I don't know if it helps heal beakouts since I only get a few blemishes a month now that I've found a routine that works for me, but I have pretty bad hyperpigmentation I want to cover on a daily basis. I wanted a foundation that was medium coverage, provided a slightly dewey finish, was pale enough for me, and wouldn't break me out. Since this has 'BlemisHeal Technology' (meaning it contains 0.6 percent salacylic acid), I figured I'd give this a try. According to Almay, this foundation "helps clear blemishes while it conceals, so your complexion looks beautiful, shine-free and even all day. our formula with blemisheal technology™, contains salicylic acid plus meadowsweet, licorice extract and aloe to help your skin look its best every day. in fact, 91% of the women saw an overall improvement in the appearance of their skin". Sounds pretty great, right? Well, it's definitely not 'shine-free' since it gives my skin a slightly dewey finish, but it does control oil throughout the day. It costs 13.99, but I've seen it on sale for 11.99 at CVS before, so it's on the higher end of drugstore foundations. It comes in a cylandrical one ounce (or 30 ml) glass bottle with a pump (yay) that seems to dispense just the right amount of product. I usually use about one and a half pumps for my entire face. I apply this with a stippling brush from Real Techniques and stipple it all over my skin, concentrating on areas where I need heavier coverage, then apply CoverBlend by Exuviance's multi-function concealer in light and lightly dust E.L.F.'s Studio Hih Definition powder all over my face with the E.L.F. Studio Complexion Brush. All of those combined offer full coverage. I'd say that this alone offers medium coverage at best. It can be light if you apply it in a thinner layer though. The color 100 ivory is a pretty good match for my skin-- the best I've found so far. It's still slightly too dark, but not orangey and it doesn't oxidize on me. The consistincy is creamy- not thick -and blendable. It doesn't apply streaky/patchy nor does it cling to any dry spots, but mine are minimal. I does a nice job of blurring small blemishes and covering redness. It doesn't cover all my scars, but it covers a lot of them easily and doesn't fade throughout the day which I like because it means I don't have to do touchups. It also doesn't settle into fine liner or crease when I smile nor does it appear cakey or unnatrual looking unless I really pack it on. It also blends really nicely into the skin. Almay makes some pretty big claims by saying 91 percent of women saw an improvement in their skin. I honestly don't know yet, but I sure hope I see an improvement too. It comes in seven avalilable shades ranging from fair to the darker side of medium, but if you have dark skin I don't think they have any options that would work, which I've noticed with a lot of Almay products. They tend to have a lack of range when it comes to shades (both in the lighter and darker sides of things), so honestly if you do have darker skin I'd reccommend skipping this brand's foundations in general. But for medium toned skin, six out of the seven shades would be options. For fair skin, only shade 100 ivory would have a chance of fitting your skin, and for most of the lighter skinned people, it still may be a tad too dark. There is a slightly makeup-y scent to this, the same as in the Smart Shade Smart Balance foundation from Almay.
My overall thoughts: I really like this foundation. It's medium coverage, blendable, creamy and smooth and fits my fair skin pretty well. It doesn't break me out, controls oils, and stays on all day even without a primer/setting powder to keep it in place. I love the packaging since it comes with a pump, and I love that it has 0.6 percent salacylic acid in it to combat breakouts. The shade range needs work, but all in all I'm really happy with this foundation and prefer it over my Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3in1 Foundation. I would reccommend you get this if you're acne prone, looking for medium coverage, and like more of a dewey finish. It is now my everyday foundation and I plan on repurchasing.
UPDATE 4/17/13: I also find that it doesn't get that gross feeling after I sweat in gym if I'm running a mile or something. You know how sometimes your face looks alright, but feels nasty? That would sometimes happen with Cover Girl 3in1, but thankfully this one feels and looks really nice. It doesn't streak from sweat either. While it's not sweat/water resistant, it is a bit hard to wash off...even with a makeup removing cleanser.

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*TOP REVIEWER* candystripelegs on 4/11/2013 9:06:00 PM more reviews by candystripelegs

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

Really enjoying this foundation. My skin is oily but sensitive, and mild rosacea. Occasional dry/flaky spots. This comes in a pump bottle (at this point, I refuse to buy liquid foundations that don't). No added scent or SPF which is nice for sensitive skin. The salicylic acid in this isn't really enough to get rid of acne but at least it doesn't add to it, either.
I will compare this to Revlon Colorstay since most of us have used it before.

Applied with my fingers, used a bit of moisturizer first and applied this at 6am. Touched up with a bit of powder at 12pm and 330pm. It is now past 7pm as I type this review and I can still see the coverage and I don't look super oily! My skin looks even toned, the redness from my cheeks is still covered and my oily nose has not totally eaten this foundation. Plus, I wear glasses to work everyday and the majority of foundations just don't last long on the nose area at all.

I got the Ivory shade, which isn't really Ivory. This came out a pretty neutral color for me, neutralized my redness but not too pink or too yellow which is nice because I have a lot of surface redness but I definitely have warm undertones. MAC NCs are WAAAY too yellow for me and NW's too pink. I do use MAC N3 (N4 in summer) Studio Fix powder foundation pretty successfully. Colorstay in Buff and Sand Beige were pretty close to my coloring but too yellow. CS Ivory was too light.

The coverage is light/medium, the same as Colorstay. IMHO, CS is NOT a full coverage foundation. Both can be built up to full coverage for photos but seeing the same person in real life? yikes...the texture it can leave on the skin is not attractive. Almay's formula is a bit thicker than Revlon's, and you have to work quick to blend it but don't worry, it doesn't dry as fast as CS.

All in all, this is a "comfortable matte" foundation but I could see how it might make pores more visible. Definitely a good option for oily/combo girls depending on your skin texture. If you have dry spots/large pores or acne, you really need something to smooth out the skin before applying this.

Right now, I think this is the best matte foundation at the drugstore. The texture of Neutrogena's matte foundation is very grainy and while Colorstay does last a long time, the bottle is a pain to deal with, it smells like paint and dries too fast for me to feel like I can really blend it properly. While Almay doesn't claim this to be "long lasting", I think it holds up well and didn't experience much transferring when using my phone. For $10, this is good stuff!

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Simpliciti3 on 4/8/2013 8:47:00 PM more reviews by Simpliciti3

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this because I saw that it was suppose to be good for acne prone skin, and as someone who has acne prone skin, well why not give it a try?

First off, shade match was really good. I got the shade in buff. I have yellow tones and this foundation is the only drugstore foundation I found that really matched my skin tone! I was pleasantly surprised.

As far a helping with my acne, I didn't really notice anything... I don't think it helped but it didn't irritate my skin any further. Generally speaking I find that Almay products don't irritate my skin.

This foundation does not last long on my oily skin. It gets oily maybe 3 hrs more or less on my skin. It also does not wear very well on the skin, it looks worse as the hours go by.

Coverage is okay. It has a medium coverage. For severe acne or red spots concealer is needed. It can get cakey if you apply on too much, and it starts to looks cakey throughout the day. It also emphasizes dryness and flakiness.

Overall I didn't really like this foundation. It does not stay well on oily skin and I don't think it really did much for my acne. I would not repurchase nor would I recommend this.

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Allllllly on 4/8/2013 5:40:00 AM more reviews by Allllllly

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I love the whole range of Almay's Blemish Clear Technology products. This is one of the few liquid foundations that I feel confident wearing because it does not break me out.
It has 0.6% Salicylic Acid which I find works in with the rest of my skincare routines Salicylic Acid amounts (as in it isn't too drying).
The packaging is brilliant. I love how it is a glass bottle and has a pump which all works pretty efficiently. I don't have to worry about it leaking when I am travelling and it also fits nicely in my make up draw- Yay!
I put this on after my moisturiser and powder over the top, but not too much, as this foundation dries to a matte surface.
It has medium coverage but the colour range could improve, sometimes i mix in a little of my Revlon Colourstay in Ivory so this isn't too dark.
This product has great staying power and lasts for most of the school day.
It dries fairly quickly so fast blending is required, and this needs to be done deeply as I find that if I don't blend well on an area of my skin, it sinks into my fine lines and i look like I have wrinkly skin haha!
I have the shade- Buff- which suits my skin colour pretty well and I am tanned, occasionally I add a drop of another foundation in a lighter shade to make it a little more natural.
I recommend this to those who are looking to control their blemishes and to have a foundation in which gives medium coverage.
:)

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HeavenlyHelenly on 3/26/2013 2:29:00 AM more reviews by HeavenlyHelenly

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Been wanting this for a while now, and finally got it a few days ago :). My skin is really oily and acne prone so i thought this would be perfect. The coverage is sheer, which i like because it appears more natural. After application, it feels like i am not wearing any makeup! It lasts about 7-8hrs for me and it seems to reduce oil production a little. The foundation dries to a matte finish, so powder is not really necessary. The bad thing about it is the lack of shade selection :(, none of them correctly match my skin tone.

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st3f4n42srb on 3/8/2013 6:34:00 PM more reviews by st3f4n42srb

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

It's aight. I used to use this daily for one or two years before they changed the packaging & I just bought it recently in the new packaging, because I needed *something* to replace my skin stays clean (hg foundation).
First off, I love the new packaging. Good on Almay for creating a glass pump bottle. It looks great & it's very convenient & doesn't waste product.
As for the formula, it's very good. It's not cakey or too thick, but it's not thin & runny either. Coverage is medium (which I Iike).
What really disappoints me though is the colour selection. I have pale skin so I chose the lightest shade (200) & it's just too dark & yellow. All day while I was wearing it I felt so self-conscious & was trying to find ways to hide my neck & chest because my face was yellow as a banana, but my neck & chest were completely pink! So that pissed me off...
In relation to oil control, it's alright. I have 12-hour days so of course at the end of the day I was an oil-slick, but hey what's new. The important thing is that with a very good powder this can get through 6 hours with minimal oiliness. That should be good enough for most people.
So to conclude, I love the formula & the packaging, but I am really upset about the colour selection. I just don't understand why they would make the palest shade so yellow.. It's very rare to see an extremely pale yellow-toned person.
I'm just so upset that I can't wear this
EDIT: Apparently they have a lighter shade called Ivory which would have been *perfect* for me, but it's not available in Australia. I hate this country...
However, I've just now bought the Ivory shade off of Amazon, so I'm happy.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Gabster90 on 3/7/2013 11:46:00 PM more reviews by Gabster90

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

The Good:
No breakouts with this foundation
No 'heavy' feeling
Did not develop a reaction such as itchy skin, dryness

The bad:
Lack of shade selection :(

The ugly:
They discontinued the shade I used (tan 340)

This evens your skin tone very well without being to heavy I use the MAC 190 foundation brush to apply. I love how Almay updated the bottle with a pump (its more sanitary)This foundation is the best drugstore foundation I have used so far but please Almay, expand your shade selection!

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soonermitzi on 2/5/2013 8:39:00 PM more reviews by soonermitzi

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

As a teen, I rarely had acne. Different story as an adult! At the time I purchased this, it was THAT time of the month and I was really broken out on both sides of my chin. Love how easily this makeup blends, it's easily buildable if you need more coverage in some areas. It also lasts me all day, and looks pretty decent come the end of the work day. Also, I noticed immediate improvement in my breakouts, and those areas never stung or got too dry. Makeup was not cakey and felt great, smooth and silky. Will definitely use when I am broken out.

***UPDATE: I quit using tis stuff because it was making my eyes sting CONSTANTLY. Just having it on my face and around my eyes was painful. Took me a little time to figure out it was this foundation causing it. Quit using and would not buy again.

***UPDATE: This stuff oxidizes pretty bad, turns orangey and dark.

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jianing23 on 2/4/2013 4:42:00 PM more reviews by jianing23

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I have acne prone skin thats really sensitive, and this is the first drug store foundation i bought that was amazing. im in shade 220 neutral and i have like, olive skin and it works very well!
it lasts amazingly, id say, i like this even BETTER than the Revlon colour stay.
It covers my acne scars pretty well, and is very light weight.
The 0.6% salicylic acid helps i guess since i dont break out
and this lasts about 3-5 hours without a primer or powder
with a good primer, say tart, it could last you around 6-10 hours depending if you use a setting spray :)

love it!

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Watties on 1/8/2013 4:26:00 PM more reviews by Watties

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I really like this foundation, i have tried the tlc for a short amount of time but dont really remember whether or not i liked it. As a teenager i get the odd blemish here and there and this foundation helps alot when im trying to get rid of them! If the blemish is really bad i do use a tinted spot cream aswell, but usually its fine.
I dont set it with a powder as the finish is pretty matte in my opinion, but it is still natural looking.
For me (combination skin-normal, depending on the season) this founation lasts up to 5-6 hours which is a day at school for me.
I have very rosy cheeks and this foundation helps cover it, but not too the point that u cant see them which i like.
It is roughly $30 NZD which is a bit pricey, but its worth it. I will probably continue using it if i cant find a better HG.
I bought the shade buff, but wouldve preferred a slightly lighter shade.

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lillil0150 on 1/3/2013 11:38:00 PM more reviews by lillil0150

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

I originally bought the no-pump version. It was great!! That version was my HG. Then Almay updated the packaging and color choices. Why?! I re-purchased the product, except in its new packaging (pump version). It was pretty good, except the coloring was a bit darker and had more pink tones, instead of the non-pump formula, which had more yellow tones. At least both versions did not make me break out or irritate my skin! Overall, I'm sticking with it until I find a better suited HG...

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xkimberr on 1/3/2013 10:12:00 PM more reviews by xkimberr

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I use to wear this in high school and continued to wear it for a while before I decided to start investing more in my makeup. It is ok! Offers light coverage and never broke me out or gave my sensitive skin a rash. It is a bit watery so it doesn't go on thick. But there are a lot of cons. It dries cracky, especially around blemishes. It does not cover dark spots or really red blemishes. It also is very drying and settles into lines and pores. Also, when you first put it on it seems to match your skin but it dries a lot lighter and almost powdery. I won't repurchase and don't really know why I used it for so long!

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zoohousekey on 1/3/2013 1:43:00 PM more reviews by zoohousekey

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

The coverage looked like a clay mask, plus it broke me out. That kinda defeats the purpose of a blemish healing makeup...

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kikibutternut on 12/31/2012 9:23:00 PM more reviews by kikibutternut

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I researched this foundation before I bought it b/c I hate wasting my money on makeup I won't wear ever again. Most of the reviews seemed positive, so I decided to try it. I have pretty fair skin, so I wanted to get the lightest shade.They didn't end up having it so I got it in buff. I was so excited to use it, but it ended up totally sucking :( It had terrible coverage and made my skin even drier & redder (I have eczema). I would definatley not reccomend this to anyone.

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domisol on 12/26/2012 1:53:00 PM more reviews by domisol

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

Once I figured out how to manuever the new formula (much thicker), I have been a happy camper. It takes a few steps, but worth an oil-free face all day. First of all, this product will dry to a powder finish but you have to give it time. If you want to put it on and go, then this is not for you. In the summer I use neutral, in the other months I have to add "buff" to the mix to lighten it a bit. Based on the time of year, I add more or less of the buff. I do find this product blends best with clean fingertips. My foundation brush just did not work well with the consistency of this foundation. After application with my fingertips, I go back and do an all-over circular motion to blend in the foundation. Here is where I have realized the difference in the shine-free time: after the foundation dries for about 5 minutes, I use the tarte bamboo airbrush finish foundation brush (the best brush on the planet) to "pat" in the foundation to set it. It does something to this foundation that is unreal. It sets it while providing a flawless look. I cannot really explain it, but know this is a step that cannot be skipped. After the patting of the bamboo brush, I let it try about another 10 minutes. Then I set it with Makeup Forever DuoMat powder foundation (#202 or #203 depending on the time of year) and I am flawless and oil-free all day. Believe me, at 41 years of age, I don't have the best skin by any stretch (sun spots, uneven skin tone, wrinkles forming, oil slick in t-zone/dry patches elsewhere) but after these steps for application with the Almay foundation, you would never know. At work, I am told I have flawless skin. I just laugh to myself because if they saw my skin without makeup, they would never say that!! Now, I take the time to put in the steps to achieve this and if you are in a hurry, this may not be for you. However, if you want the end result to be oil-free and flawless looking skin, then it is worth the time. Recap- I use the Almay foundation in conjunction with the Tarte Bamboo brush (not to apply, but to set after) and the Makeup forever DuoMat foundation (which lasts forever, by the way). You can get the foundation for next to nothing with coupons at Ulta or CVS, and the bamboo brush is a one time purchase of $32 (again, I could NOT live without this brush- it is unlike anything you have ever used). The DuoMat powder is $34 and lasts forever because you will just use it to set the foundation and possibly for touch-ups about 12 hours into your day. WORTH THE TIME AND MONEY if you are serious about controlling your oily skin, don't want to break out (which many other brands such as MAC and Lancome will do), and want to make your skin look great even if it really isn't. Trust me- I am a former makeup artist and have tried hundreds of foundations, primers, etc. Don't waste your money on all of the expensive and less-effective foundations.

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