Almay • Smart Shade Makeup SPF 15 • Liquid

Where To Buy?

Hunnybear on 6/7/2006 7:01:00 PM more reviews by Hunnybear

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I saw this product just walking thru a store and they had a tester so I thought I would try it. I was a little bit complexed when I saw it come out white but then I tried it out on my wrist and it turned into a color. I thought it was so neat. I bought it in the light shade. It matches my skin color perfectly. Its not overly drying and covers nicely. Definately will repurchase!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

manyheadedhydra on 6/5/2006 2:26:00 PM more reviews by manyheadedhydra

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

No problem with coverage or color - although I bought Light and I would normally expect to be Light/Medium - but it was rather drying & overly matte on my dry skin. Will not use rest of tube or repurchase.

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

nisha_parekh on 6/1/2006 8:58:00 AM more reviews by nisha_parekh

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I can't rave enough about this product! I tried it for the first time this morning and it totally made my face look flawless!

It is a bit pricey but worth every penny.

I bought the Light/Medium shade for my warm/yellow-based skin colour. I have small patches of red on my face from pimples and rosacea and it totally covered them up. I also brushed on a little of my PF Mineral Loose Powder on top. Another plus is that my face doesn't feel like it has any makeup on. And it makes my oily face look very matte.

This is my HG summer makeup! And it definitely is magic!!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Catamia on 5/27/2006 8:21:00 PM more reviews by Catamia

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

Almay Smart Shade foundation caught my eye because it promised to "magically transform into [my] ideal shade"! Magic makeup! It's full of magical gobbledy-gook technology and will magically make you look better! It's magic, folks!!

This stuff looks hella odd coming out of the tube... like a white cream with tiny black dots in it. There are 3 shades to choose from: Light, Light/Medium.

Needless to say, I was very skeptical of this product -- any cosmetic that claims to "magically" do anything raises my suspicions immediately. I figured that the little black dots probably reacted with friction or sebum or whatever to create colour, and that it would match one's skin tone because it was sheer enough to blend out, NOT because it could somehow detect your skintone.

Anyway, I finally caved and picked up the Light/Medium shade. And I'm.... impressed. Really impressed. The shade match really was dead on for my light-to-medium (NC 25) Oriental skin, and most importantly, the finish was extremely natural looking. This is the most skin-like foundation I've tried to date! I was also impressed by the coverage -- this is definitely a light coverage foundation, but it was a notch more than the super sheer tinted-moisturizer-esque coverage I was expecting. A touch of concealer on top of the foundation, and I was very happy with the results.

In terms of oil control, it holds up pretty well. I can go about 3-4 hours without blotting, and even after that, it doesn't let that much shine come through. Unlike other tinted moisturizers which usually look dewy, this makeup gives a smooth-looking matte finish.

I still have no idea how this shade-matching voodoo action works though. I put some of the Light/Med shade on my roommate (who is very pale) and it looked really orangey on her. So it appears that you DO have to use the shade that best approximates your skin colour. I just put some on my knee (darker than my face due to self-tanner), and it blended right in there as well! Weird! Wonderful, but weird!

One tip: be sure to blend the product well. Since it sort of looks and feels like face cream, it's tempting to just smear it on. But don't! I did, and ended up with dark smudges on my jaw line, where I'd failed to blend properly. This foundation is VERY easy to apply, so long as you work with small amounts and blend as you go.

So far, I think this has been the best summer foundation I've tried. An uber-natural coverage plus SPF 15 make Smart Shade a great option for outdoors-y activities. The squeeze tube and screw-on cap means it's safe and easy to toss it in your bag. The cost (~$18 CAD for 30mL/1 Fl Oz) is somewhat prohibitive, especially for a "drug store" foundation -- albeit one that performs as good as some higher end ones I've tried. Aside from that, this product is definitely a rave in my books! I would very likely repurchase in the future!

10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

theman on 5/16/2006 12:37:00 PM more reviews by theman

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

I agree with shiatto's review down below. While the Light shade was a fine match for me (NC20-25, depending on the time of year), I didn't notice any coverage at all. I'll stick to using Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Enhancer. It's cheaper, and has better coverage for a tinted moisturizer.

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

*TOP REVIEWER* imkt on 5/8/2006 8:47:00 PM more reviews by imkt

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I'm really enjoying this makeup. First, it gives a very sheer wash of colour to the skin - it doesn't conceal, although it does tone down my redness. It is just like a tinted moisturizer, but not quite as moisturizing and IMO slightly mattifying - which can be a good thing depending on you skin type. I have very normal clear skin and I HATE foundation. I have been using tints for a long time now, and I find this to rank up there with many of the department store brands I have tried before. I am an NC30 and I bought this in light-medium and it matches may skin very nicely.

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

suist on 5/7/2006 8:10:00 AM more reviews by suist

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

so i first bought this product to replace my fresh foundation which is 45 dollars. Comparing prices almay diffinately wins... almost. I choose the medium color, and I have a tan complexion. At first it was ok, and not the best. It comes out white with brown beads which seams to be the color, and blends when you apply it to you face. I only used it on my checks, and chin as a base to concealer and blush. This product did not break me out anymore than usual. My major problem with this product is that almay seams to only have 3 shades, and the medium shade is not dark enough or just not the right hue for more olive/tan complexions. Also, after 3 weeks of using the product the color came out completely wrong. I mean when I squeezed a small amount on my finger, and started to blend it into my face the color came out 10x darker, and it looked as if i had henna on my face. It was really bad, and I thought I did something wrong. So I rewashed my face, and retried and the same thing happend and it was such a small amout. Needless to say I could not use it again after 3 tries and I had to go to work. Thankfully I still had my fresh foundation to save the day. I will never buy this again, because it's so damn unstable. The package could be better as well like a pump. And while I am not sure how the lighter colors are I can't imagine it being any different than what I experienced.
Right now I am using Stila tinted moisturizer, and it works just fine.

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

juleswink on 5/6/2006 4:45:00 PM more reviews by juleswink

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

Used this right after washing my face and skipped moisturizer due to humidity and my oily skin type. Love It!! Looks wild coming out but really transforms beautifully on my face. Figured it wouldn't look as great in the harsh light of day, but it looked very natural. Added a little concealer in my usual problem areas and I was ready for the day. Maybe too sheer for evening or special events but definitely the best sheer tint with sunscreen out there and it stays all day! Definitely my new staple for my summer "I don't need makeup" look. Wish more came in the tube for the money but I'll definitely buy again and again!!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* asian_vixen on 4/6/2006 6:56:00 AM more reviews by asian_vixen

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

at first, i thought this was a good foundation because the ingredients are really good (antioxidants, spf, vitamins..). but the shade i chose was really off! i know it gives directions at the back and i am between warm and honey so i chose Medium. It looked ok at first, has a pinkish tinge on me and i am yellow toned, and the titanium dioxide in it makes me look so ashy and white! I like the finish, which is matte and it does control the oil on my T-zone. But unless almay comes up with better shades, i will probably go for neutrogena or loreal.

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

doc2003 on 4/3/2006 5:41:00 PM more reviews by doc2003

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I used to use Bare Escentuals foundation at $25 a pop and found that this works just as well (for a lot cheaper). My skin is pretty even and maybe that makes a difference here, but I plan on sticking with this brand.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

laurarae08x on 3/29/2006 7:24:00 PM more reviews by laurarae08x

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

though it is kind of pricy for a drugstore foundation, it is very good. it goes on as a tinted moisturizer but works like a good foundation and lasts all day. love it

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

cuteboringlove on 3/10/2006 12:31:00 AM more reviews by cuteboringlove

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

I bought this cause I was looking for a sheer foundation with SPF and this is one of the only ones I've seen aside from Healthy Skin enhancer which doesn't stay on your face well and I think it has pore clogging ingredients. Anyways, I saw this and had to try it and I really am pleasantly surprised. It blends well and does match my skin quite well (I checked while I was in the car and it was undetectable!). I like how it blends so well around my forehead..doesn't look orange around my hair line and eyebrows. It really is very yellow based which is hard to find in foundations! I do have to put powder over it to give it a matte finish because it's more like a moisturizer but that's good because it doesn't dry out my skin or enhance dry patches. I do want to try Maybelline's new Pure Makeup, but if I don't like that then I most certainly will purchase this again. I'm impressed! The only downfall is it doesn't seem like there's much in the tube.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

shaiutto on 3/9/2006 3:22:00 PM more reviews by shaiutto

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

I had really high hopes for this one, but didn't like it at all. I tried the light shade. I usually use only tinted moisturizers or very sheer foundations - I don't want to cover anything up, I mostly just want to even out my coloring. So basically, I'm not looking for a lot of coverage. With this foundation, I couldn't see ANY coverage. It didn't really tone down the redness in my cheeks. I didn't really like how it felt, and I wasn't convinced it had the magical ability to match my skin color. Would not repurchase.

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

CyNYC on 2/18/2006 12:08:00 PM more reviews by CyNYC

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I just bought this product yesterday so I may have to update but my initial impressions are positive. I'm fair with yellow/olive undertones (half Greek, quarter Irish, quarter German, I guess that's what happens!) and contrary to one of the other fair reviewers, found that this matched nmy skin perfectly. I am also taking one lippy off for the matte finish as that is not my preferred finish but we'll see what happens after a full work day. I think this would be the perfect summer foundation if it stands up to the heat.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

shelleypend on 2/10/2006 11:05:00 AM more reviews by shelleypend

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

This is a new & innovative idea for a foundation, the foundation comes out white with blue dots and looks similar to a facial scrub. The foundation goes on smoothly and seems to blend well enough...it just did not match my skin as well as I'd hoped. I'm a PPP/cool undertone, and I thought that the color was a bit off, I purchased it in the 'Light' shade as they did not have a 'Fair'.
I did not think that it really gave much coverage, it is more on the lines of a tinted moisturizer rather than foundation. I think that if you don't have anything you are trying to cover and are more on the normal to dry skintype this would be a fine product to try.

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

*TOP REVIEWER* PeggyA on 1/30/2006 6:30:00 PM more reviews by PeggyA

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I am reviewing this after have used it for a couple of weeks. I have combination skin which is clear 99% of the time but I do need and use tinted moisturizers to even out my complexion and conceal some slight redness around my nose. I found the finish of this foundation leaves my skin matte and dry looking. I am not interested in having the aging of my skin accented. I can't think of a foundation (other than some that are just straight powder) that have had this same affect on my skin. I got zero coverage in the few places on my face where I need a little coverage. On the plus side you really couldn't tell I was wearing foundation. It goes on white but then does magically morph into my skin color (I bought light for my fair, yellow toned complexion). In my opinion this foundation might work if you oily skin all over and have zero imperfections to conceal. I also did not find that this foundation kept my skin matte for long - I still had my t-zone break through with oil within 2 hours of wearing this foundation. I do not see myself purchasing this again.

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

VicklePickle on 1/29/2006 11:55:00 AM more reviews by VicklePickle

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Blond, Wavy   Eyes: Blue    

Rave, rave, rave! I was using Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer, but this is even better! I have oily skin, but also some wrinkles, and I have a hard time finding something matte that doesn't emphasize them, but this does it. It is matte, but natural and light. I got it in Light, but I think it's a little too light for me so I may try one of the darker shades. This is the best matte tinted moisturizer I have ever used! UPDATE: Today I noticed a few dark specks on my face, as if the little pigment dots hadn't blended completely. Yuck - I'll stick with makeup that doesn't use this dot technology!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

AshleyBrooke on 1/22/2006 3:14:00 PM more reviews by AshleyBrooke

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Okay, first off, let me start off by saying that my skin color is just.. weird. I tan (bottle) and i go natural (aka pale) so finding the right shade for me has always been an expensive trial and error. I'm normally accustomed to mixing numerous foundations to get the right color. A little bit of Estee Lauder, a little bit of L'Oreal and a little bit of Stila and Chanel seem to be my normal mix! :) Anyway, right now i'm tan (Clarins - which, btw is the greatest tan in a bottle i have ever tried...) so i decided to go to Walmart and get a new shade (my estee lauder was running out and it was my darkest color to match my tan) and i stumbled across Almay. Now, i have used Almay before and i wasn't particularly impressed, but not so dissatisfied that i couldn't use up a full bottle (this was years ago and i never went back) ANYWAY I saw this smart shade makeup and thought the concept was awesome. Blends to your natural shade - cool huh? I thought why not. I bought the Medium Light because i would prefer to bronze myself if its too light instead of powder myself to look a little ghostly. When i got home i couldn't wait to try it so i cleaned my face of all makeup - applied some MAC prep + prime and opened the squeeze bottle. A TON OF MAKEUP CAME OUT!! OOps. This stuff is runny, and i ended up wasting some product, due to not being able to "put it back in" - a hygene thing i guess, but honestly, my hands were clean and i use my hands anyway to apply foundation so i wasn't too impressed with this. Immediately on my hand, the white lotion started to turn brown.. very close to the color on my hand! (Now, i don't know about you, but if i get any foundation residue stuck on my hands, i go crazy because it is so obvious on my skin) I applied it to my face and wow.. it looked really good. And this is a drugstore product??? I got this for 11.99 at Walmart and wow.. i can't believe i'd spend $20 - $50 on various foundations. This stuff was awesome. It blended wonderfully and looked very natural. The color was a great match! It had medium coverage - nothing too sheer like my Stila tinted moisturizer and nothing too thick like my Estee Lauder Double Wear. This stuff looked great. Sure, i had to still apply my concealer and Chanel powder (also a hint of BM warmth - it was a tad too light) but i really like it! Staying power hasn't been tested through a working day yet but so far so good!!! I definately would buy this again. I still can't believe its a drugstore product! I wouldn't call this HG but its quite close!!

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

*TOP REVIEWER* ahryb on 1/20/2006 9:25:00 PM more reviews by ahryb

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

This is a fun, innovative new product. I saw when it first came out (a while ago) at Walgreens but at approx. $14, I figured it was just yet "another" tinted moisturizer or light foundation with SPF 15. However, after reading the reviews on here, I decided I had to try it out of curiousity alone (with a $2 off coupon with Walgreens Easy Saver). I chose the light/medium shade and I must say, it is nice to not have to worry so much about picking exactly the "right" shade! The product is primarily white when it comes out and has tiny beads of color distributed throughout. This makes it like no other product that I know of! The fun part is when you spread it on your face, it blends in quickly, smoothly and really does seem to match your skin beautifully. The texture is smooth and light, not grainy and not heavy. I would say the finish is moderate-light. Like someone else said, a little heavier than a tinted moisturizer. The finish is also more on the matte side (I would prefer a more luminous finish) but it's not too chalky either. It is ideal for the office. The best part, and a big selling point for me, is SPF 15 using only physical sunscreens (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide). Even a higher SPF would have been better. I also like the tube packaging although the price is a bit steep for a "drugstore" brand.

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

maddiesmom4 on 1/20/2006 2:05:00 PM more reviews by maddiesmom4

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

First of all I am a LLL with brown hair w/golden highlights and brown eyes. I absolutely LOVE this product! I went to my local Eckerds to purchase a l/l and saw the stand for this new product from Almay. I have no other makeup from Almay besides some Whipped Gloss, so I was virtually clueless as to how I would like this stuff. It comes in Light, Light/Medium and Medium. I purchased Light, there were no testers but I took a guess. I could't wait until I got home and I wanted to see this product on my face in natural light. Let me also say that I NEVER purchase foundation from a drugstore as they all turn orange on me and I have NEVER found my perfect match. Anyway, got to the car, opened the package (which, BTW, is a flat tube and a little bit expensive for the amount of product $13.98) the product itself was white with little black dots. Similar to a granular type product but no grainy in texture. It applied very smoothly and evenly. I could see the color change once I spread the product on my face. It evened out skin tone and the color that it morphyed into was a true skin color and not orange or brown. No oxidizing later either. It has SPF 15 which is a plus as well! I love this and will definitely be purchasing more!

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