Almay • Smart Shade Makeup SPF 15 • Liquid

EmilyKaulitz on 7/18/2010 9:36:00 PM more reviews by EmilyKaulitz

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

I bought this last year when I was looking for a new foundation, and I absolutely hated it since the moment I first put it on. I have this is the lightest shade possibly (I'm NC15 for reference.) When you first apply it to your desire location, it is white until you blend it in. At first when you start to blend, the color turns into a black/grey color; then finally transforms into your "perfect" shade.
Yeah, right.
No matter what I tried to do, this product looked completely orange on me. PURE ORANGE. It was disgusting, and I will not purchase this again. It's just sitting in my drawer for over a year.

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*TOP REVIEWER* kathrynb23 on 7/18/2010 7:21:00 PM more reviews by kathrynb23

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I purchase this in Light and Light/Medium.
I can not express how much I really hated this product, use them both twice and have never touched them ever since.
First of all, the colour does not blend in to create the same shade as your skin, what a load of crap! It basically has tiny balls/beads of colours which burst when you apply it on, that is why you still have to choose your shade whether your light, medium or dark. And trust me doesnt matter what you choose the colour is way off.
Another thing about this is, the durability is soo bad, it starts to fade as soon as you walk out the door and it also highlights your dry skin. The coverge on this is very light, I think of it more like a tinted moisturizer then anything, and even in saying that, tinted moisturizer has more covergae then this.
This is not dirt cheap, it was around about $30AUD not on sale, what a waste of money.

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Steffachino on 6/30/2010 5:57:00 PM more reviews by Steffachino

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

Pros:
Product formulation, smooth and easy to apply, blendable.
Squeeze tube packaging, rather than a bottle.
SPF 15
Coverage is perfect for me (light/moderate)
(Claims to be) Hypoallergenic

Cons:
Doesn't blend into your skin tone. Yes, it is white and then turns into a skin color, but it is based on the lighting, so unless you have really good lighting, the color will be too light or dark.

The main thing about this is it claims to 'transform into your skintone'. It doesn't really work that well in that aspect. Given that it would just be a regular foundation with different shades, I would love this because of the formula, coverage and feel.

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NadineClaire on 6/25/2010 6:00:00 PM more reviews by NadineClaire

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

So I was really exited about this product and when I first bought it I did like it. One thing I noticed is that it came off darker on my skin (I bought the lightest shade). It also gives you a greasy look to your face once you apply it. It is also difficult to use with a brush which is why I use my fingers. It is also very liquid-like and runny, not thick at all.


One day I used it and noticed it looked a lot grayer than usually. I blended it in on my hand and it was brown! I squirted a little more on and it was the same. I shook up the bottle and it went back to normal. Regardless, I don't think I'll repurchase. This isn't a bad foundation but it isn't my favorite.

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mishika8487 on 6/22/2010 8:31:00 PM more reviews by mishika8487

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Black    

Definitely agree that this should be called a tinted moisturizer; it definitely does not feel/apply like a foundation -- not to me anyway. I was pretty excited about this stuff and well..I was very disappointed with how ineffective it is. Maybe it's my own fault for assuming it would have at least medium coverage...but that's at least what I feel the commercials make it out to be. All in all, it's just okay...good for days when I want very light barely-there makeup. But even then, I need to set it with powder and warm it up with bronzer to make it even the least bit purposeful. Will not re-purchase.

**UPDATE - Yup, still don't like it. Tried HC's tinted mositurizer and it's better than this "foundation".

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Rouquine25 on 6/22/2010 5:46:00 PM more reviews by Rouquine25

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Yuck. I thought this makeup would be perfect for my sensitive, acne-prone skin because it's like 97% natural. Well, it didn't break me out or anything...but the color was AWFUL! I squeezed the makeup out of the tube and it's white with little specks of BROWN! When I wore it, it was hideously obvious that I was wearing makeup, and someone asked me if I went tanning. (Not a good thing either, because I'm really pale, so my face was a completely different color than my neck! Yuck!) Plus, it was a little on the drying side. If you have dark, oily skin, this might be perfect for you! The coverage was pretty decent, except that it emphasized dry patches! I would skip this if I were you! (Oh and the concealer is the exact same thing. Don't do it!!!)

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BellaGlam on 6/18/2010 1:31:00 PM more reviews by BellaGlam

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

This was the first drugstore smart shade makeup that came out in my area so I was super excited to pick it up. Initially I loved it, it acted kind of like a tinted moisturizer. It gave me sheer coverage and didn't look cakey or flaky.


After a while I did notice the shade I bought started to oxidize to an orange color, so I tossed it...maybe it was just getting old, I don't know but I would not repurchase this product or recommend it to anyone.

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*TOP REVIEWER* GothicGal on 6/18/2010 6:39:00 AM more reviews by GothicGal

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Green    

This foundation was ok. I didn't like the fact that the lightest shade I bought made me look dark yellow. But I'll put that down to the fact that I am quite pale compared to the 'general population' that Almay is trying to target with it's limited 3 shade colours for this foundation. For me it definitely wasn't a 'Smart Shade'.

The texture was nice though. I can see how if your skin colour matched the foundation that it would be a good product to use.

Still, if you're pale - stay away!

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paintsmeblue on 5/29/2010 10:27:00 PM more reviews by paintsmeblue

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is the first foundation I bought and I love it. It's not a heavy coverage but a light coverage that will give you a natural look. I bought the light/medium and it matches my skin perfectly. Whenever I wear this I use a pressed powder after it to set the foundation and my face looks natural.
The first time I wore this, my friend's couldn't even tell that I was wearing any makeup because it was so natural, but it evened out my skin tone, and left me with natural, flawless looking skin.
Anyone looking for a heavier coverage that will cover dark blemishes might not want to use this since it won't cover them all that great. But if you have blemish-free skin but just want a more even skin tone, like me, then I definitely recommend this product for you.

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kjb1689 on 5/28/2010 1:28:00 AM more reviews by kjb1689

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

This foundation gave me light coverage and matched my skin tone well. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who likes a heavier coverage, but for a light natural look it's great.

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*TOP REVIEWER* jqsuared on 5/26/2010 8:04:00 AM more reviews by jqsuared

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I bought this and I loved it. A nice, light cover, blends well, good package. I recommended it to my mom. She bought it, used it and hers turned her poor face orange and I am not about to let my poor mom walk around like and Oompa Loompa. So she re-gifted it to me. Same thing. It made me orange. Same color I bought, same product. Maybe it was a bad batch. I gave it to my sister. Now she's orange too. I don't have the money to buy stuff and not use it because it's a bad batch. Companies have a responsibility to provide exactly what they sell and stores need to make sure they are not selling expired make up. I hate being orange and so does my mom. I will not re purchase any Almay foundation again in fear of being orange.

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*TOP REVIEWER* yoyocanary on 5/26/2010 3:07:00 AM more reviews by yoyocanary

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I don't really have problem skin, so I found the light coverage of this foundation acceptable. I always used my fingers to apply it, and it always came out exactly the right color. It made my skin look Fantastic! It's very good for the price, and I would repurchase, but I haven't because I have tons of other foundations to use at the moment.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tempest322 on 5/18/2010 2:52:00 PM more reviews by tempest322

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

I bought this at CVS since the Clinique tinted sunblock that I've been using in place of foundation started breaking me out terribly. Unfortunately, Smart Shade makeup will not work in its place, even temporarily! I am very pale and the lightest shade was too dark for me, certainly did not "match" or "complement" my skintone, in fact it made me look yellow! I look very bizarre. The only reason I give this two lippies is because, if it did happen to work for your skintone, it does come out of the tube smooth and creamy and feels nice going on. If you don't get it even, though, you get streaks. Definitely wouldn't purchase this again.

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emilycarmignani on 5/11/2010 5:52:00 PM more reviews by emilycarmignani

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

It really matches any shade! I absolutely love this product. It doesn't feel like makeup and it's a real bonus that it's spf 15. I tried this on several people with different skin tones and it magically blended to match. It's become sort of a party trick for me when my friends come around. I have confidence that when I get a tan in the summer months it will adjust to my perfect shade. Love it!!

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misseattle on 5/9/2010 10:24:00 AM more reviews by misseattle

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I never wear liquid makeup or concealers/foundations, as my skin is in pretty good condition, and I have usually preferred light powders...however, I decided to give this a try to provide some light coverage just to even out from time to time....I must say that I like the lightness of this product. I didn't have a problem with the color changing (I chose the lightest one), as some reviewers stated. Overall, a nice cheap product for light coverage.

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halesss on 5/6/2010 3:31:00 AM more reviews by halesss

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Other, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I used this years ago and I was SO disappointed. For the first few minutes/hours it looks like it just disappears onto your skin. When you check on it later, it darkens to an awful blotchy tan patch :/ I have really fair skin and bought the fair shade, so maybe if you have medium/dark skin ti would be better, but not for me at ALL.

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fortheloveofeyeshadow on 5/5/2010 2:13:00 PM more reviews by fortheloveofeyeshadow

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I have this foundation in the shade light. When I first bought this, I didn't like it. I was using my fingers to apply it, and it was turning orange.
I tried using it with a makeup wedge or a brush and then it went on the right color. I'm not sure why it does this. When I apply it with a makeup wedge it turns orange on the wedge, but not on my face. When I set it with a powder it lasts all day.

The coverage of this foundation is light, so while this may be good for someone who has good skin, it's not right for me. I prefer a foundation with a medium to heavy coverage. To get any sort of coverage with this foundation I have to really apply it heavily to my face.
I will say that when wearing this foundation it does look quite natural and it's not so obvious that I'm wearing makeup.

I like the packaging. It's easy to squeeze out the amount of product that you need without wasting any.
I don't remember exactly what I paid for this, I would guess around $8, which I think is a fair price for this product.

I wouldn't repurchase because although this is a decent product, it's not what I'm looking for in a foundation. This provides very little coverage on my skin, so I have to apply it heavily to slightly mask imperfections. I'm looking for something with heavier coverage, but if you have good skin you might like this product.

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Catharsis on 4/28/2010 3:00:00 PM more reviews by Catharsis

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

Despite reading comments about poor coverage, etc., I decided to give a try. I was pleasantly surprised! It is indeed very sheer, but does a great job at evening out my skin tone. It gives me a great glow that looks very natural and un-made up.
This wouldn't be for everyone, especially those with oily skin or those who require more coverage. However if you're looking for a sheer, lightweight foundation, I'd recommend it.

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hootersbaby10 on 4/28/2010 12:25:00 PM more reviews by hootersbaby10

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

this is great for my dry skin..it seems like someone with oily/combination it would just leave a shiny mess but for me it felt airy and didnt even look like i was wearing anything and covered all my redness..this is a staple for me

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Roksolana on 4/25/2010 11:30:00 AM more reviews by Roksolana

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Not the best foundation out there... The coverage is poor, it smells terrible and feels sticky on the skin. For me it also caused clogged pores although it says that it is not supposed to. The shade match was alright, but that alone is not enough for me to repurchase it. As far as Almay foundations go, Nearly Naked is much, much better.

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