Almay • TLC Truly Lasting Color • Foundations

rated 3.8(234 reviews)

Average Rating.3.8
Would buy this product again.67%
Package Quality4.4
Price2.8
Ingredients

rated 3 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* emgb on 11/10/2010 5:08:00 PM more reviews by emgb

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

This is the first makeup in a long time (after years now of using various L'Oreal foundations) that doesn't appear to be breaking me out. I'm pretty sure this foundation is the greatest ever! Oil-free, fragrance-free, doesn't clog pores, medium coverage, natural look. It doesn't oxidize or melt off. LOVE!
As long as I have fully moisturized my face, this makeup looks fresh and natural all day. My nose still gets shiny late-afternoon but that's a huge improvement from others when my whole face was. It's worth the price and I will repurchase! :D
Update: Hrrrm... on second thought... the two shades I have aren't really working out for me. I have both Soft Ivory and Buff. It also has become more difficult to apply. Argh. >=/
I still love it because it doesn't irritate my skin, but I don't know if I can continue using it. Sigh...

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rated 4 of 5 cherrybeary on 9/28/2010 10:18:00 AM more reviews by cherrybeary

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This is one of my little drugstore secrets. I heard about it from beautypedia, and I'm really surprised that isn't widely used because I really like this foundation. I have fair skin (NW15) and the ivory looks very nice on me. The coverage is medium and it lasts well, even layered over sunscreen. We're not talking 16 hours by any means, but I can get through a work day with my sensitive oily skin and still look decent.
I am a devoted Colorstay user, but I really like this too. I think it gives a smoother look, maybe a little more natural, if that's possible.
I stick to Colorstay for long days, pictures and anytime I really need a full-on flawless look. I probably wear this more on weekends or when I know I will only be out for a few hours.
I feel like such a snob for not giving drugstore foundations a fair chance sooner. This has been a pleasant surprise. Definitely a re-purchase.

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

rated 5 of 5 janelle321 on 9/1/2010 1:42:00 AM more reviews by janelle321

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I love this foundation! If you're looking for a foundation to match your yellow undertoned-skin, look no further than almay! I have it in buff which is the perfect match because my skin has yellow undertones and most foundations in the drug store are made for girls with pink undertones.
What took this foundation to the next level were all the complements i was receiving from people about how flawless my face looked! My dad who never ever says anything about my makeup (and i've been wearing makeup for about 10 years now) told me my face looked really good! Anyways, this is a great product. It does exactly what it says. The color stays for 16 hours, the makeup looks fresh all day, i have oily skin and this foundation helped control that, and when applied with a sponge, it looks airbrushed! Go to walmart and pick this up, if you don't like it, you can always return it and get your money back. what's to loose?

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

rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* LizWords on 8/23/2010 2:29:00 PM more reviews by LizWords

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

I've been using this foundation for a couple years now. It's one of the few drug store liquid foundations that matches my skin perfectly. I am pale w/ yellow undertones and the buff works great for me. You can use as much or as little as you'd like for varying coverage. Usually I put on a light layer over my concealer and finish w/ some mineral powder or mineral veil depending on how much coverage I want for the day. It is a bit pricey, but generally i can find it on ebay for 6 or 7$ and it lasts about two months when i use it a couple times per week.

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rated 5 of 5 Sniffy50 on 8/20/2010 6:21:00 PM more reviews by Sniffy50

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

I am shockingly surprised by the genious product. This is the FIRST foundation that I have found, including department stores, that has matched my skin to a T. It is incredibly natural. It does not dry my skin. I almost look like a "doll" with this own. Even my hubby said I was looking kind of hot one day when I was wearing it. Surprised me because I was feeling kind of haggard and that the only thing different I did was use Almay TLC foundation. Might I remind you that in my stash of foundations I have the following items in my foundation department;
clarins
bare minerals
sheer cover
chanel
Revlon Colorstay
Merle Norman
Covergirl
Stila
Amazing Cosmetics
Mac
Estee Lauder
Clinique
So, out of ALL of those listed; this stuff looks better than all of them. What the H_LL?
I thought department store foundations were better than drug store foundations? Have I been mislead? I don't know but this stuff rocks.
UPDATE: So I fell for a trick. Makeup Forever H.D. foundation. It was okay. Still looked like makeup. Kind of drying on me. Got bored with it cause it was just not quite right. Pulled Almay TLC back out. Once again, doll like skin. Not matte. Not shiney. Looks like second skin. I can't tell where this foundation begins and ends. All other foundations just don't become second skin for me like this does. I am very very pale with golden undertones. I use the color buff.

9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

rated 5 of 5 Laceygirl3120 on 8/8/2010 9:57:00 PM more reviews by Laceygirl3120

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

I really love this foundation. It's great! There are mixed reviews on this product-- but for me, it's perfect. I'm using differin and clindoxyl gel for mild acne (which is almost clear!) so my forehead is red and peeling from the dryness. I moisturize before applying this foundation and you can't even tell! It's hypoallergenic and it won't clog pores (it says on the bottle, which other foundations I've had don't--and they broke me out)
I have it in the lightest shade which is ivory 01. It's perfect. It blends great, and surprisingly, covers amazing as well :) I'd say it's medium coverage, but you can build it up without looking cakey.
It lasts all day and doesn't fade or change colours.
It's got a pump which is great!
Also, the almay TLC powder makes you look even more flawless! I love this product!
I highly recommend it for any skin type. It works great for me!

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

rated 3 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* Gaijin on 8/1/2010 2:14:00 AM more reviews by Gaijin

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have this in Buff, which is actually yellow enough for my skin tone, which is rare to find at the drugstore, so I was pretty excited about that. This is good for my oily skin in the summer time. Decent SPF and coverage. I do moisturize underneath it or else it will emphasize any dry spots or flakes. I also make sure to blot any time I start to get oily or else it can start to slide around on my face, and look unnatural, like it's sitting on top of my skin. I tend to prefer Colorstay because the finish is smoother, but this is another option that I sometimes reach for.

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rated 2 of 5 astei on 7/31/2010 9:41:00 PM more reviews by astei

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Black    

I was a bit disappointed with this foundation. The pump dispenser keeps things clean, and is easy to use, and the shade also matches my skin perfectly, however, though it goes on smoothly, it seems to disappear after an hour, leaving a sheen to my bare skin. So, while I really am happy with the packaging, and shade selection for my notoriously pale skin, I will not be purchasing this again, and will look for something with more reliable, less shiny coverage.

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rated 4 of 5 christine30 on 7/16/2010 12:59:00 AM more reviews by christine30

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

Wow, talk about a life saving foundation for this serious rosacea sufferer! I have been making the rounds at numerous make-up counters over the last couple of months, including Nordstroms, and to no avail was I able to locate a foundation that would agree with my skin. I tried everything from Clinique, Bobby Brown, Laura Mercier, Estee Lauder, Jane Iredale and Lancome and none of them came close to the perfection of this foundation. Actually, Lancome's Teint Idole ULTRA turned out to be nearly perfect, though caused me to break-out after a short period of time. It also felt really heavy on my face and had a slight sheen to it that I wasn't particularly fond of after only a few hours of wearing it. Almay's TLC Truly Lasting Color is everything Idole almost was + a few extras! It's extremely easy to apply and a little goes a long way. It's true that it only has medium coverage. You can build upon it for further coverage. After it's been applied, it looks entirely natural and stays fresh for about six hours (I imagine this time varies from person to person depending on one's skin type) before feeling slightly weighted and dry. I also have extremely dry skin, so no matter what kind of foundation I'm wearing, I'm usually inclined to reapply new make-up around late afternoon if I plan on going out. I also use a moisturizer recommended by my dermatologist - CeraVe. This has helped tremendously with my dry skin and is highly favored by Paula Begoun!! Overall, I'm very pleased with this foundation and am keeping my fingers crossed that it continues to work well for me...so far, it's been a couple of weeks and rosacea flare-ups haven't been a problem!

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

rated 2 of 5 natsumik on 7/12/2010 7:03:00 PM more reviews by natsumik

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Black    

I disliked this foundation. After reading all the positive reviews, I am starting to wonder if the one I got was off or something... mine was so sticky (it felt like applying some adhesive/glue on my face) and never dried out completely. Yuck. The liquid is so thick and it's really hard to blend. As soon as I put it on, it became patchy around the dry areas of my face. Before I used this foundation, I was never even really aware of my dry spots...but this foundation just accentuated them so much! On the other hand, on rather oily areas like my nose, it sat on top of my skin and slid off after a few hours. This foundation never blends in with your skin; it just sits on top of it. So if you touch it with your finger, it will just come off.
I use Revlon Colorstay (oily-combo) usually, and I just thought I'd give this one a go as it had a similar description. I am definitely going back to my Colorstay.
I am giving two lippies only because: I could find a (near) perfect colour match to my fair & warm skin tone, which was Buff. And it has a decent sun screen, and I heard that it gives broad spectrum protection (UVA/UVB) which is pretty rare for a drug store foundation.

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rated 5 of 5 frecklefaceforever on 7/2/2010 7:32:00 PM more reviews by frecklefaceforever

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I love this product! I am fair skined and freckled, and I bought the lighrest shade, i also have warm undertones in my skin and it was PERFECT. Plus, the coverage wasn't too heavy, so i didn't cover my freckles!(: LOOOOVEE it.
Pros; Has great color range, stays put, great for warm undertoned skin
Cons; Made of glass, and my first one broke when I dropped it.

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rated 1 of 5 yitz on 5/31/2010 2:41:00 AM more reviews by yitz

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is probably the worst foundation I've ever tried. I used it during the winter, when my skin is naturally a little drier, and it was absolutely horrible. This foundation seems to somehow suck the moisture out of my skin, causing it to have a hideous, "cracked" texture. If you have dry skin, this foundation will show all your dry patches! The coverage is alright, but the shades seemed to be too pinky. So if you have oily skin with pink undertones, this might work for you.
Pros: Nice packaging. The pump is helpful. Didn't break me out.
Cons: Terrible for dry skin. Shows rough patches. Too pinky.

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rated 3 of 5 fashionmaven93 on 5/30/2010 7:40:00 PM more reviews by fashionmaven93

Age: Unknown   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

The best part of this foundation is that it matches my skintone perfectly. It's so hard to match liquid foundation, but this one did the trick. I liked the pump bottle, but it was useless once the foundation began to run low. I think this is suitable for normal to dry skin, since it just made my oily skin feel slick and greasy. If you have the complexion for it, it's a great, medium-coverage foundation.

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rated 4 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* stellar on 5/26/2010 1:59:00 AM more reviews by stellar

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

My skin is currently between NC15 and NC20 and I have this in Buff 02. It's a perfect match for my neutral/warm skin which is so awesome! It's very hard for me to find foundations that actually match my fair/light netural/warm skin. This foundation is long-wearing as advertised. I would even go so far as to say it really does last 16 hours on my normal/combination skin, but I do get a bit shiny in the t-zone after about 10 hours, which really isn't bad at all. By that time I'm usually home anyway and it doesn't really matter. If I'm not home, blotting sheets do the trick. I would say this is a medium coverage foundation. Looks natural and has more of a matte finish than I was expecting, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I love the pump! There's a slight foundation-y smell (lol) but it's definitely not as strong as MAC SFF or Revlon CS. It doesn't bother me. My only slight complaint about this product is that there's really nothing super unique about it. It looks natural enough, but I like a foundation to give my skin something extra! Whether it's a little bit of glow, luminosity, silky satin matte appearance, etc., I don't like it to just sit on my skin. Still though, it *is* a very nice foundation and I would repurchase, unless I found something way better.

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

rated 5 of 5 mrsferg on 5/10/2010 8:05:00 PM more reviews by mrsferg

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Just got this one the other day and am very happy with it so far! This is the first foundation that I have bought in a long time that is a perfect match for my skin tone, which is very fair and warm. After moisturizing I applied a primer and this lasted all day on my oily skin with only a t-zone touch up at around 2 pm. Which for me is exceptional!!

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

rated 5 of 5 ana_bela on 5/6/2010 9:45:00 AM more reviews by ana_bela

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

This is my most-used item, in Buff, which matches my NC20ish skin tone very well. I've gone through 3 bottles, so it's a keeper. Goes on smoothly over moisturizer, blends very nicely, with medium coverage.
This doesn't stand up to my oily skin, but *nothing* does, so I buff in ELF's HD powder immediately after applying. It also isn't full coverage, so I use Estee's Maximum Cover in Creamy Ivory as a concealer.
This is a winner because it doesn't upset my skin, matches my skin tone, and doesn't bleed off during the day, provided I use a good powder. Every foundation breaks out my skin, even other Almay fdts, so this is a sort of miracle. The finish also isn't flat and pancake-y; most bases have gotten this look out of me.
This must never be discontinued. Look for me buying out the area's stock if it does. I'd gladly pay as much for this as any HE foundation.

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rated 2 of 5 labellarosa on 4/20/2010 4:07:00 AM more reviews by labellarosa

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

Shade Buff 02 matched my NC15 in winter skin
My skin is very oily and acne prone. This burned my face and was streaky. Color match was good. I have oily skin and as I went threw the day at work, I looked in the mirror about 4 hours into the day. My face had actually gotten very oily and the foundation was separating on my face. I could wipe my finger on my face and the foundation would just wipe away. It had no sticking power onto my face, just sat on top and became a big oily sloppy mess. Would of returned but couldn't find my receipt.

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

rated 4 of 5 hallieelizabeth on 4/19/2010 3:06:00 PM more reviews by hallieelizabeth

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

I recently picked this foundation up after catching an episode of What Not to Wear (haha), where Carmindy recommended a liquid foundation. Usually, I wear powder, so I thought I'd give liquid a try.
I bought Almay's TLC in Ivory, because when I quick-tested it at Target it went on very close to my skin shade.
To me, this product is all PROs! It goes on relatively light (so I don't feel any icky caking or clumping on my face), stays on through hot and sweaty California summer days, and the colour matches my skin perfectly! It has wonderful coverage, too... Don't need any extra powder or concealer.
The packaging is a little uninspired, but it is just a drug store brand. I do like the pump bottle because it makes for easy application (can even put it on in a flash during the car ride into work).
Definitely buying this one again.

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rated 3 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* gorbe on 4/19/2010 1:38:00 PM more reviews by gorbe

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I didn't wear this too much due to it not matching my skin perfectly, but it seems decent. It applies fairly well, has moderate coverage, and claims it does not clog pores (which is hopefully true). The packaging is pretty nice, and makes application easy. Wouldn't buy it again as it did not personally amaze me, but I can see this working great for some.

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rated 5 of 5 dollief on 4/13/2010 9:35:00 PM more reviews by dollief

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

EDIT: I had this stashed for about a month or so, and just went back and tried again, and I love it. It is a pale neutral ivory (hard to find at the drugstore) and it wears well on my super-oily skin. Doesn't feel sticky and heavy, and doesn't stink like Colorstay. The coverage is OK -- I would say on the light side of medium -- I wish it were a little more. But this is a great drugstore option for oily skin, and the pump bottle is GREAT! EDIT AGAIN 7/23/10 - Loving this more all the time! Stays all day, looks natural, matte without being chalky... great buy!

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