Maybelline Fit Foundation - Review

I bought this foundation on an absolute whim.  I was having a money worry, and decided my Diorskin foundation was far too expensive to justify.  So I set out to find a cheaper alternative, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t hold out much hope.  I have been on a foundation crusade for almost ten years now....so you can’t blame a girl for getting cynical.

I don’t even know why I bought this foundation.  Did it say it was hydrating? No.  Do I struggle to colour match? No.  Did it offer any revolutionary new cosmetic breakthrough?  No. Have I had success before with Maybelline?  No.

But I purchased it anyway.  Pretty bottle and all that.

And I love it!  I can hands down say it comes a close second to my Dior foundation.  I don't think it matches the impressiveness of the Dior foundation, but I’m definitely a fan.

 

The consistency of the foundation is very smooth, very creamy and with an almost gel-like base.  As soon as you pump it out, the consistency gives a clue as to how easy this is to apply and blend.  The USP for this foundation is that it has no waxes or fillers.  I’ll be honest, these buzz words are new to me.  I didn’t even know I had waxes or fillers in my foundations, and I certainly don’t know their function!  But maybe this is at the route of the silky texture of the foundation.  Who knows.

 The application is a doddle.  It applies easily with a brush or your fingers, and it melts into your skin very quickly which means you don’t end up with any brush marks, and you don’t end up just dragging the foundation around your face. 

The finish of this foundation is quite tricky to describe.  It is definitely moisturising because I didn’t get any flakes or dry patches, and my face didn’t look chalky or ‘mask-like’ even after a full day of wearing it.  Having said that, it isn’t greasy or dewy at all.  I think this is why I am attracted to it, and why I lump it in the same category as the Dior foundation.  Matte-based foundations for truly dry skin are SO difficult to find.  This is, in my opinion, what makes this a bit of a gem.  Don’t get me wrong, there is a very slight dew to it but I barely had to dust any powder over it to completely eradicate it.  It also then gives you flexibility – dewy complexions work with some make-up looks whereas others demand a more matte base.  You can get both from this little bad boy.  Having said that, my skin is very dry and therefore this may be a bit too greasy for people who don't suffer from dry complexions.  It isn't greasy on me, but it feels like it has the potential to be.

Coverage-wise I was impressed.  I was worried the lack of these mystical waxes and fillers may mean the foundation isn’t quite as heavyweight in its coverage, but this does not appear to be the case.  I’ll be honest, the coverage isn’t as good as the Diorskin but it is not far behind.  It doesn’t take much layering to achieve an acceptable level of coverage.  I’d compare it to Chanel’s Vitalumiere, in that it evens the skin tone out and covers imperfections, but wouldn’t hold up well against a big hot red spot.

One thing I preferred about the Maybelline foundation was its lightweight appearance.  It is definitely not as thick as the Dior foundation and doesn’t sit on the skin quite as much.  I look quite heavily made-up in Diorskin, but in Maybelline I just look like I have quite nice skin with a bit of tinted moisturiser over the top – (bearing in mind I don’t have quite nice skin!)

I bought mine in shade 210 (Sandy Beige).  The Maybelline display in my local Boots actually showed which shades relate to light, medium and dark skin, and (what I thought was a nice touch) it also then matches the concealer and powder to the foundation shade you pick.  I don't use their concealer or powder, but oh well.  The 210 shade was the lighter end of the "medium skin" range, and I'll be honest, it is a tad too dark but as it is summer at the moment I am just about pulling it off.  I might indulge in a lighter shade for winter though.

Overall I’d give this product an enthusiastic thumbs up.  Something holds me back from declaring it a worthy advocate of the Diorskin, and I think this might be the slight reduction in coverage and the fact it is slightly less matte in its finish.  I also think this might be a bit of a marmite foundation, where it will totally work for some people and be completely unsuitable for others.  But it gets ticks all round from me.  Who would have guessed!?