First of all, you must know that Maybelline is one of my favorite drugstore brands. I haven't tried many of their foundations but I'm a huge fan of their mascaras and lip products. I was super excited to try this foundation stick and had high hopes for it. Before I share my opinion, let me tell you a little more about the foundation.
According to Maybelline's website, the Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation Stick comes in 12 shades, is oil-free, has a "powder-core" that is supposed to help eliminate excess oil, and leaves your skin "flawless, shine-free...and natural matte coverage." The website also suggests applying the product then blending with your fingers.
The shade I picked up is in 220 Natural Beige and I must say it is a near-perfect match. I applied the foundation directly to my face and blended it in with my fingers, just as Maybelline suggests. I noticed that with just one layer, the foundation appears to be light-medium coverage. I still could see some of my acne scars and blemishes through the foundation, so I let it set for a few minutes before applying a second layer. The second layer did a better job at concealing the areas where I needed more coverage.
Once the foundation was set, I noticed it felt powdery on the skin -- not oily or sticky like some other foundation can be, and not drying on the skin either. I didn't noticed any excessive shininess to my normally oily skin.
To really break it down for you, here are my personal pros/cons and final thoughts:
PROS
- Good range of shades to choose from; mine in particular was a near-pefect match
- Quick, easy to use. No special brushes or other tools needed
- Lightweight -- does not feel too heavy or cakey on the face
- Powdery, somewhat matte finish. Did not feel oily/sticky on the skin and did not cause skin to appear excessively shiny or oily
- Buildable. Can easily apply more than one layer to build higher coverage
- Inexpensive price tag. Target has it for just $6.99!
CONS
- Light-medium coverage. Personally, I prefer a higher coverage foundation to a lighter coverage because sometimes layering too much foundation can cause the skin to look cakey
- Not a lot of product in the tube. I feel like I've been going through my stick pretty fast. Maybe that's because when I wear this foundation I layer it to have higher coverage, but I was surprised when I saw how low the stick was getting after having it for only a couple weeks (and not even wearing it every day or every other day for that matter)
TIPS
- As with most foundations, using a primer before applying the product and setting it with a translucent or tinted setting powder afterwards helps to extend the lasting power of your foundation. I always recommend doing both of these steps when wearing any type of foundation
- Do not twist the product up too high! I made the mistake of doing this and broke part of the stick. Luckily it was salvageable, but I have to be careful how high I twist the tube now. Oops!
- Use your fingers to blend. After trying my Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques to blend this foundation, I definitely prefer to use my fingers, just as the website suggests
FINAL THOUGHTS
- Would I repurchase this product? Probably not -- but only because I prefer my higher coverage foundations (like the Revlon Color Stay Whipped foundation), and don't necessarily like to add multiple layers to my skin.
- Would I recommend this product to a friend? Absolutely! For anyone I know that likes light-medium coverage foundations and needs a quick, easy foundation routine...I would say definitely try this out. For me, however, it just isn't my favorite.
What are your thoughts? Have you tried this yet? Let me know what you think if you have!
xoxo
