Almay • Wake Up Hydrating Makeup • Powder

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Snosand on 5/4/2013 1:05:00 PM more reviews by Snosand

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

I have rosacea skin which is focused on my nose and the cheek area next to the nose. I have enlarged pores, dryness and oiliness. I used Bare Escentuals for over a decade but it started raising up on my nose. So the rest of my face would look normal but after a few hours the BE foundation would look like it was floating on my nose. I tried other mineral foundation and they all did the same thing.
On a whim I bought the Wake Up make up. This works really well to keep me looking natural. There is not tons of coverage but I've found heavy coverage with my skin just looks funky later as the oil starts to produce. I would rather have a natural look than have everything look fake.

At first the cooling feeling threw me off. I use a kabuki brush and I thought my brush was wet. The feeling now refreshes me.

I found that the colors run a little beige. Every color to me had lots of beige except the lightest color which is what I use.

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Tayla91 on 4/23/2013 5:14:00 AM more reviews by Tayla91

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

This product is my favourite mineral makeup and I have not stopped using it since I first discovered it. It hydrates my skin and has a natural, glowy look that I love. I prefer to use a larger brush though, as the small one does not do the job adequately. Though it is a light foundation, I find the coverage to be excellent. If you like mineral powder I highly recommend this product, it is one of the best I have found.

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hokstr88 on 3/24/2013 5:15:00 AM more reviews by hokstr88

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Sensitive, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

This may be the strangest design of any makeup I've seen. I find it is OK for light coverage, such as over BB cream, but not by itself as it will highlight any dry patches on the skin. The feeling of it on skin is cool and weird at the same time, kinda damp feeling.I find it a bit overpriced, (being a broke teenager and what not) considering the overall quality of the product.I find that there is NO ROOM to swirl a nice big brush anywheres in the packaging, as most loose powder containers do. The tiny brush on the lid? Garbage. I simply leave it there to keep the shape of the package consistent.Consdidering that the product was recently discontinued, I guess Almay finally realized that they needed better products.

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*TOP REVIEWER* skandelouslala on 2/24/2013 1:25:00 AM more reviews by skandelouslala

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Other, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Other    

Note to self, whenever you see Almay anything on clearance...abort mission. I'm still kind of confused how this line stays in business... almost everything I have ever tried from it is utter crap, this makeup no exception. The only cool part was the cooling wet feeling... there was another product back in the day that had that... I think some kind of Physicians Formula powder. Anyways... it didn't cover anything, it didn't hydrate (because powder can't really hydrate anyways), and it was a sparkly mess. Not even glowy. Just straight up sparkle. I used it a couple times and tossed it in the trash... might as well just ripped up a $5 bill, same difference.

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LeMaki on 1/30/2013 6:09:00 AM more reviews by LeMaki

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I bought this as it was on sale and I was looking for a powder foundation that would not dry out my skin too much. My skin is very dry but I don't like the heavy coverage of liquid for everyday wear, so this seemed like it would be the perfect compromise.

Pros: not too expensive, good light coverage, blends well, is hydrating, colour matches my very pale skin, lots in the container.

Cons: the feel is hard to get used to (feels wet and cold, leaving my brush a little damp), the brush at the top is useless (use a proper powder brush instead), the container lid doesn't leave room to swirl the brush around in.

Overall, this is a perfectly adequate powder foundation that does the job. I wouldn't buy it full price, but if it was on special I would repurchase.

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rachel03 on 1/20/2013 12:03:00 PM more reviews by rachel03

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

It makes my skin look great! Unless it's dry, in which case it can make me look patchy but pretty much any mineral makeup will do that on dry skin. It makes me look glowy and I like the fact that it comes with a brush, which is weird because I don't usually like the brushes that come with products but this one was super soft. It has light-medium coverage, which is good because I generally don't like high coverage products. The only thing that gets to me is the packaging. I like that it's loose powder, but when you tip the container over to get to some of the makeup, it dispenses a lot! Which can be annoying and wasteful but other than that, great powder!

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clp53 on 12/28/2012 4:17:00 AM more reviews by clp53

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

Very weird product, feels like your face is wet (wakes you up I guess?) uncomfortable. But it's a decent product. I like almay because my skin doesn't break out with it . Wouldn't buy again because a cold and wet face in morning really sucks

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*TOP REVIEWER* Bellona on 12/16/2012 7:01:00 AM more reviews by Bellona

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I got this for free as part of a Almay prize package I won. So I didn't get to chose the shadeI got, which is Naked. It's one shade too light for my skin, but since it's winter now and it's normal to look paler, plus the coverage is so sheer, I can still use it. I use a Tarte bronzer for contouring after.
I think this would be classified as light or sheer coverage. I don't have much to cover up, just some slight redness across my nose, cheeks and chin, This does an ok job, covering by blurring instead of masking your skin. it definitely doesn't leave you looking like you're wearing makeup, which I love.
The "cool" effect is different, at first I didn't realize it was supposed to feel like that and thought I had got the brush wet somehow lol. But I actually like the feeling. For someone with sensitive skin, I like the soothing feeling of coolness on my redness. One MUA member mentioned the cooling is due to the brush, but it's not. It's the formula. It feels the same even when I use my own brushes with it. Oh and speaking of brush, the one it comes with is actually not that bad. I find it allows for heavier coverage than when I use my own powder brush with it.
The formula is loose powder, which I'm normally not a fan off because I feel like you have less control of how much you use and end up wasting instead. But it was free, so hey, can't complain I guess.
It does feel hydrating, which is great for the winter months, plus it's got a light SPF in it, which I like as well. It lasts fine, and keeps my skin feeling hydrated without the oily sheen.
I don't notice much sparkly or shimmer to it as other members pointed out, so maybe it varies??? For me, its the lightest shimmer undertone. Not anything remotely sparkly or cheap looking. I'm not a fan of sparkle on my face believe me. Even my bronzers are matte.
Overall I like this. It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin or break me out. I wouldn't repurchase because I don't like loose powder. But I would recommend this to anyone who does.

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WinkaWay on 11/29/2012 9:49:00 PM more reviews by WinkaWay

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

- Colors: The selection is limited in terms of color. I went with "Ivory" which is their lightest shade, and it matched my skin.

- Powder: This was the worst part. The powder has shimmery sparkles in it. They were very noticeably if within two feet of my face. It is not a good look for your entire face to be unnaturally shimmering. The makeup also has this effect that it advertises as "cooling."

- Packaging: This comes in a small cylinder type container with a brush that slides out from the lid. The brush is small. You can extend it from it's plastic protecter by sliding it, once you remove it from the lid.

- Coverage: This product is extremely transparent. It offers very little coverage, which is not what I want at all.

- Skin reaction: When you apply it, it feels like the brush is cold and wet. It's a very strange sensation, but I didn't mind it. It didn't give my skin and "awake" appearance as it claimed to do, but I wasn't looking for that effect anyway. It didn't seem to work well with my acne prone skin. Has some perhaps coincidental breakouts after trying it. I plan to return it.

- Price: It was about thirteen-something dollars at Target. I plan to return it there when I get a chance.

- Miscellaneous: The Revlon Colorstay Aqua loose powder which also promises instant hydration, comes in the exact same packing, except Revlon's lid is black, and the Almay's is light blue/ the brush and everything else is exactly the same.

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yalcrab on 10/18/2012 3:47:00 AM more reviews by yalcrab

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This stuff is alright if you're looking for a powder foundation with sheer coverage that also makes you sparkle like a frikkin' Twilight vampire! It looked nice under artificial lighting, but as soon as I went out into the sunlight--sparkles, everywhere...maybe it could work as evening makeup?

The feel of it is really interesting, kind of cool and moist-like. It's not very 'spreadable' though, especially with the brush it comes with. The brush itself has really soft bristles, but the shape of it (flat and wide) isn't really my thing. Mixing a little bit in my moisturizer made it go on a little more evenly (if a sheer look is what you want).

Didn't last more than a few hours on the oily parts of my face, and the package isn't really something I want to carry around for touch-ups.

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sammyleighox on 10/17/2012 11:17:00 PM more reviews by sammyleighox

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

This product was really interesting for me when I first tried it out. It almost seems like the powder turns into a liquid when you apply it, which I guess gives the rejuvenating "wake up" feeling, but it's really the brush. The brush has this almost wet feeling to it, which really isn't the greatest feeling, but it does wake you up. I guess it gets the job done. I'm not one to heavily apply makeup, so this powder really doesn't do too much for me, not too much cover up. Also a lot of product comes to the top of the container, and sometimes results in too much product on the brush, which can be problematic for a light makeup user.

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kiki1012 on 10/3/2012 1:34:00 AM more reviews by kiki1012

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

I love this makeup! Love the way it feels putting it on and it gives me the perfect amount of coverage and my skin is far from perfect. I would definitely buy again.

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*TOP REVIEWER* lindsey835 on 9/20/2012 12:41:00 PM more reviews by lindsey835

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

The "wake up" effect on this is strange. I'm not sure why anyone needs the powder equivalent of cold water on their face, which is what this initially feels like when applied. However, I am willing to overlook this because the result is fanstastic. It's the perfect amount of coverage for someone like me, who prefers tinted moisturizer or a simple concealer/powder combination. If you like mineral powders like BE, this is even better.

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banapple on 8/23/2012 7:49:00 PM more reviews by banapple

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this because I was in search of a lower end priced mineral powder. Since I've never tried Almay before I decided to purchase. I definitely bought into the whole "cucumber cooling effect" gimmick.

Packaging: I wasn't really expecting much from the packaging since most drugstore mineral powders are similar in packaging, with the little brush (which doesn't do much).

Price: At 13 dollars this was a bit pricier than a couple of my other options.

Product: First impression was interesting, because of the cooling effect. It feels like a spritz of water on skin. The powder is very finely milled and looks very fluffy and light in the container, which I kind of like. If I just use it with a bit of concealer the coverage is about light to medium, which for a lot of people is great, because it's summer and it's hot. I intended my routine to be light,but I go an extra step with this by using a bit of foundation and then set with this power. I got the color "Buff", which at first looked like a good match to my MUFE powder, but the actual color came out a tad darker than I expected. This also did not break me out like some other mineral powders do.

Overall: It's not bad, it's not great. I will not be repurchasing, I'm only using this for the summer :)

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maddey21 on 7/26/2012 9:21:00 PM more reviews by maddey21

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

This product is just ok for me... When I first put it on, I was concerned because it felt wet- but that's what it's supposed to feel like. It doesn't seem too different from anything else that I have used. The search for the perfect powder continues...

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blush1989 on 7/10/2012 12:22:00 PM more reviews by blush1989

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

I loved how this product went on my skin - Started as a powder and smooths into a liquid on your face. Very cooling and feels like it is moisturizing your skin.

Provides light to medium coverage and worked well on my acne prone skin. The brush was really nice but hard to slide off the container sometimes.

Only reason why I won't buy again is because it has limited shades available and didn't match my yellow undertones sufficiently. It's also quite expensive for a drug store product.

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lyongurl123 on 6/18/2012 12:44:00 AM more reviews by lyongurl123

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

This product has a great intention. But it only comes in 5 shades. It is a mediocre product and if they were to come out with more selection, and made the packaging more "portable" I would definitely re-purchase this

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anniekwan on 6/3/2012 11:53:00 AM more reviews by anniekwan

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

The packaging is bulky. The brush that comes with it is pretty soft. It very cooling to the face when you apply. This powder doesn't provide as much coverage as I want. It's too shimmery for my liking. I was looking for a powder foundation and not just a shimmery powder. I don't recommend.

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FireflyMelody on 6/2/2012 4:22:00 AM more reviews by FireflyMelody

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

I'm not a huge fan of this packaging. It is kinda bulky to put in my makeup bag. The shimmer is nice....but there could be less. They need a lighter shade...as the lightest shade is a bit too dark for my skin.It works though. I love the way it feels on my skin. Very lightweight and the wet refreshing feeling during the application is very neat. I love it. Not much coverage, but nice for summer and works really well for my t-zone area. I love to wear it as a setting powder over the smart shade foundation. Really gives a smooth skin finish look. Overall, very nice and lightweight. Easy to touch-up throughout the day.

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atroquinine on 4/27/2012 8:18:00 PM more reviews by atroquinine

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

This product works extremely well as a lightweight powder foundation. It comes with a great little foundation brush that works well for giving a bit more coverage than you would get with a fluffy brush. That being said, I do prefer to apply it with a kabuki brush for even, light coverage. It gives a very nice matte finish without being cakey. I would definitely recommend it for someone who doesn't want super heavy coverage.

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