Thread: Review: Cover FX foundation

I was going through the makeup I have playing/experimenting with it last night & one I got but never used was a foundation, primer & powder by CoverFX. It's a waterproof full coverage cream (the kind probably best applied with putty knife & scraped off the same way). So I spackled my face w/it as a potential candidate for the pictures I'm having done this weekend & took it for a test drive with my other cosmetics. My thoughts:

The primer is oil-free & goes on silky. It's very light on the face, doesn't feel thick or heavy. I waited a minute for it to dry before applying the foundation.

The foundation gives decent coverage. I'm fair with freckles & a bit of redness in my cheeks & some broken veins around the nose area. After using a brush to paint my face (not an easy task, the cream is thick so a putty knife may've worked better) I initially thought it made me look way too white & thought the color was off or too light - I thought I looked like a geisha. On closer inspection, it matches my neck perfectly - then I realized it's because it covered my freckles & any redness in my skin & I'm used to seeing both of those so that's why I thought it was too light at first; I haven't seen a milky complexion on my face in years. I had to work a little to get it smooth looking without a lot off brush strokes in it, but eventually got it to look okay. I figured powder would help so I moved on. Translucent powder & it did help quite a bit. Didn't look as harsh/theatrical and softened everything nicely.

Other cosmetics seemed to stand out against it & go on smoother. Eyeshadow shows up well on top of it. I used a white-gold under the brow & it stayed where I put it & really popped.

The fact it blended well w/my neck was great - no 'mask' line of any sort. However, it drew attention to the fact I have some pinkness from sun damage on my chest at the base of my neck. So I painted some of the foundation on, powdered, and it was all gone. I was kind of surprised really, but it looked natural. No discernible makeup lines and it just looked like smooth skin.

When I went to remove it, soap & water didn't get all of it off my face & took none of it off my neck. I used jojoba oil on a cotton ball & that removed it though.

I wasn't super impressed with the primer, I was expecting it to really make my face look super smooth - especially using a cream foundation with it - but it didn't. It was fine, but close enough & at the right angle I could still see some of the fine lines around my eyes.

In my non-expert opinion I'd say probably good for stage, photography (think I am going to use it for pics), & nightclubs where it's dimly lit, or any place where people will not be up close to you. I felt like the closer I got (to the mirror) the less natural it looked, even though it matched my skin. I looked like I had lots of makeup on - which I did, but that's probably not what you want the GP to remember about you.

Is CoverFX one of those brands that is developed for use with HD cameras?

It doesn't say it is. I'm going to mess with it again tonight if I get the chance, to see if I can get a better application of it on. I felt like it could probably be layered for better/more/smoother coverage if you take the time, but I didn't. And I want to try with a different brush, also, to see if it makes a difference. Maybe not, but I'd like to try.

I saw some of those HD foundations at Sephora last night, though. Smashbox has one out & I saw another brand (forget the name) as well - I was in a rush so didn't stop to check it out. I did wonder how those would work, though.

Maybe try a damp make-up sponge with it?

Well I suspect part of the problem may've been the brush I was using with it. I got an actual foundation brush during lunch today & will try it again tonight and with more primer. Someone suggested maybe I didn't use enough & that's why it was hard to blend. It didn't look bad as it was, just could probably look better. If the brush doesn't work I'll definitely try a damp sponge.

If a sample of this foundation is how you look in that picture you posted on Tribe, then it's great stuff because you look absolutely perfect in it - just like your avatar.

Thanks Fotia! Actually I was playing with the home camera on both of those & wearing my plain ol' everyday minerals makeup with just heavy eye makeup and lashes. I considered it for this weekend, but I'm not sure how well it'd hold up under lights. It wears off pretty easily during the day just sitting at a desk, lol.

Thanks for the review! I really need a heavier makeup for stage, maybe I'll look into this one.

I know lots of people rave about foundation brushes, but I bought an expensive one and was SO unhappy with the results. I do better with a dry sponge, or even my fingertips, as long as I sort of pat/spackle the makeup on evenly and then smooth LIGHTLY.

Tried it again last night with a sponge & it went on much easier than with a brush & 'buffed' a little easier, too. Also tried a couple of different primers (at once on different areas of my face) to see if it'd make any difference in the end. Tried the CoverFX primer again, Smashbox Photofinish & Smashbox Photofinish Light. Honestly I couldn't tell that much difference between them all, but I was using small amounts/areas of the Smashbox. I thought the regular Photofinish did give maybe a little smoother look overall, but I had the Smashbox ones under each eye so not a big area to get a good look at.

Still can't tell if this shade (E0) is too light for me - I was matched in store at the time, though - or if I'm just not used to seeing such heavy makeup on my face (feel like a clown) along with no pink/redness in my face & a completely uniform tone (milky white), which does match my neck & chest, so makes me wonder if it'd be a better choice than my minerals stuff, since obvious in costume we show more skin & it'd likely blend better (face to neck to chest).

Still a pita to remove - used cotton balls with jojoba oil to remove it, then soap & water to take the remaining residue & jojoba oil off. Worked pretty well. Can't help but think there's got to be better/easier makeup out there with full coverage that you don't have to spackle on & chip off.

Originally Posted by DancingRuya

Can't help but think there's got to be better/easier makeup out there with full coverage that you don't have to spackle on & chip off.

..l;,

OK, guess I'll wait for a heartier recommendation.

A lot of people rave about the Mac Studiofix, i may try that one.

It's all just too danged expensive to experiment much!

Originally Posted by Lauren_

..l;,

OK, guess I'll wait for a heartier recommendation.

A lot of people rave about the Mac Studiofix, i may try that one.

It's all just too danged expensive to experiment much!

I'm just used to wearing super light mineral stuff, and not much of that. I haven't worn creme since high school & it made me look all even toned then too, but back then they didn't have it in light enough colors so I always looked too dark/had a 'mask' on. This stuff is waterproof, that's why it's probably harder to get off, too.

I'm just waffling on whether to use it this weekend or not. All that makeup plus lashes makes me feel like a drag queen.

It is expensive to experiment, even if you keep to drug store products. I've been having the hardest time finding a day-wear foundation I'm happy with - I'm 36 with oily skin, which means I'm starting to see some signs of aging, such as sun spots, fine lines, and changing skin texture, but the anti-aging products all seem to be too oily for me and exacerbate oily-skin issues, such as enlarged pores.

It's a total PITA.

I believe MAC will make samples for you for free of liquids. That may be the way to go. I know Sephora, if you ask, will do the same. Maybe creams, too, but I'm not sure.

MAC will also let you return stuff within 30 days or so purchase. It sucks to have to go back, I returned foundation to them with no problems when it broke out my skin.

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

It is expensive to experiment, even if you keep to drug store products. I've been having the hardest time finding a day-wear foundation I'm happy with - I'm 36 with oily skin, which means I'm starting to see some signs of aging, such as sun spots, fine lines, and changing skin texture, but the anti-aging products all seem to be too oily for me and exacerbate oily-skin issues, such as enlarged pores.

It's a total PITA.

Hey TamraHenna, try a silicone-based foundation. They're great for oily or dry skin.

In general...
If you prime the face before foundation, you don't need to use that much, so once you do drop the cash on the perfect foundation for you, you won't need that much of it. A brush helps you use less product, too b/c they are synthetic and non-absorbent. A sponge will just suck everything up and make you use more.

With a foundation brush, apply in every direction for complete, non-streaky coverage. Then BUFF in clockwise and counter-clockwise circles with a domed (not flat) kabuki brush. You will get super smooth results, regardless of texture of foundation.