Maybelline FIT Me Foundation... Not exactly.

I have to admit that I give mostly sugary sweet, positive reviews, because honestly... I just like make up. I can usually find appreciation for all different types, textures, shades, and formulations. However, for this one, I could not.

I found it to appear (and these really surprised me)...

• heavy
• uneven
• cake-y
• too yellow
• dull
• flat
• lifeless

But, since everyone is different and you may wish to try this, I will write the full review...

Keep in mind I have warm tone, normal skin. Small blemishes every now and then. Maybelline FIT Me Foundation in Natural Buff #230 was my best match and I purchased it for... I believe it was $6.48 from WalMart. Quite cheap. As it should be for the results I got.

Product Info/Claims:

• SPF 18
• "No Oils, No Waxes, No Nonsense" (So... Oil free. We get it.)
• "Exclusive translucent base and lightweight pigments allow skin's natural highs and lows to show through."
• "Matches Natural Tone"
• "Blends Seamlessly"
• "Lets Skin Breathe"

First, the packaging isn't wonderfully practical, but I do give them an A for appearance... However, this A is for effort, not for being just that darn good lookin'. Because it's not. The packaging is clearly trying to be reminiscent of a higher end cosmetic product with the modern, chic plain glass bottle & solid black cap... And I actually quite like the oversized, super thin sans serif font on the bottle that also lends to the clean minimalist feel, but the cheap shiny stickers immediately take away from that. As for the practicality of the bottle, it's a fail. Similar higher end packaging, nearly always has a pump dispenser. Well, not FIT Me. Instead you have to pour a bit on the back of your hand to dip your brush (or do the old cap it with your thumb and flip the bottle over with a force like someone just cussed your mama). I've never really had a problem with pouring too much, but it is extremely difficult to keep the top clean in a bottle like this and you'll probably find that you end up with gooey, partially dried left over foundation all over everything. Yuck. But since the packaging isn't even close to what makes or breaks a foundation in my book... Ahh, well.

Second, application actually does feel as if it's going smoothly. Now I did apply this at night, after a shower & before going out, so the lighting wasn't perfect. Therefore, I expected this foundation to be amazing since I was only going on the feel due to shadowed lighting. When I poured the foundation, it was very liquid-y (I happen to like this although I know many don't...). But don't worry. It wasn't too runny. Just... Smooth, I guess. Easy to pour. So anyway, I dipped my brush in and swept it down my cheek... I thought it felt nice. And it went a long way so that's a plus I suppose. As for coverage, it feels like a sheer, but it gives you... Eh, sheer to medium, I guess. I say sheer to medium, because it still feels so sheer but actually appears to cover quite well. I actually did happen to have a little breakout that had become quite inflamed (thanks to my OCD...) between my eyes and it covered that right up. Basically this foundation feels great going on, but...

As far as appearance, this is just not my cup of tea. I have... A weird skin tone. My grandmother calls it olive toned, but I'm not so sure. Some days it looks yellow, usually in the winter, when I'm paler. However, when I begin to tan, it turns a golden color with a slightly... Okay, orange hue. Yes, orange. I have naturally orange hued skin. At least, that's what it seems like to me. So anyway, this foundation was way too yellow for my skin which is really, really unusual for me. Typically the problem is that the foundation is too pink-ish or too orange (I know that doesn't really make sense, but like I said... Weird skin tone). Maybe the shade was just too light so it appeared too yellow. I don't know. But I got the darkest medium available and I highly doubt that I'm considered a "deep" skin tone so... Another problem was that the foundation appeared insanely heavy and cake-y on my face. This was really surprising to me since it felt so light and smooth going on. I'm not sure how Maybelline managed that one! Another thing that was extremely unexpected was that it came out uneven. I used my flat foundation brush to apply the foundation and then, like always, used my stipple brush to blend all over my face in a quick, circular motion. This usually blends EVERYTHING. Even the hardest to blend products so I don't understand how that happened. The last thing I have to say is that, judging from the consistency, texture, and advertised "main point" of the foundation, I expected a more natural finish, a fresh, slightly satin finish. This foundation, called FIT Me, is supposed to be a foundation that will give you your own skin, only better! It's supposed to allow you to glow and let your own skin shine through... And it does not. At all. I found it to look very dull and flat. No glow whatsoever.

How long does it last? Well, this is downright awful and don't judge me for this, but... I didn't remove my make up before bed. Eek! I'm know, I know. I was just so tired! Anyway, my skin still looked cake-y, uneven, and yellow in the morning so I guess it's safe to say it has a reasonable amount of staying power! You know... On the bright side? But seriously, all sarcasm aside, any kind of make up tends to hold up pretty well on my face... I don't know what it is. I've never had the sliding eyeshadow or the melted off face or the raccoon eyeliner. That being said, I honestly feel like this foundation is probably pretty long-lasting since it was unfortunately so well preserved on my face the next morning, but just be warned that there is a chance it was just my skin.

So that was my experience... Remember, yours may not be the same!

Here are two very blurry, Blackberry camera shots of the whole experience from the other night that really aren't going to be any help to be honest... I had originally hoped to apply the foundation during the day and take photos in natural light with my camera for you guys, but after seeing the results... I don't think I want to waste my time putting it on again. Ick.