REVIEW: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation

During a recent BOGO 50% off at CVS, I picked up the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation after seeing a review of it on YouTube.

Product Description:
Neutrogena Healthy Skin^® liquid makeup takes over where your skin care leaves off. Silky-light coverage glides on for a perfectly natural look, while the exclusive blend plus Broad Spectrum SPF 20 work together to visibly improve skin's luminosity, tone, and texture.

• Flawless coverage, lightweight, silky formula
• Exclusive blend of antioxidants and Broad Spectrum SPF 20
• Maintains skin's young and healthy look
• Available in 12 new shades

It retails for about $12-13 at the drugstore which is kind of on the pricey side for a drugstore foundation.  It comes in a round glass bottle and you get 1fl oz. which is about average.  Unfortunately there is no pump so you have to pour it out onto your hand.  For $13 I should get a pump, get with it Neutrogena - even the $8 Covergirl foundations are coming with a pump.  After only a couple of uses the inside of the cap is already gross.

I had expected to dislike it - mostly because the first time I applied it, I was in the car after just buying it and wanted to see how it looked on my skin.  Application with fingers made my fine lines look like the Crypt Keeper's when I smiled - YUCK.  I managed to not run directly back into the store with the receipt and take the time to do a proper test and review.

After using my regular SPF30 moisturizer, I applied the CVS dup for the L'Oreal Professional Secrets Primer, smoothing that all over my face and really pressing it in over my T zone where I get the oiliest.  Then with a dampened Beauty Blender sponge I applied a light layer of the Healthy Skin Foundation in Natural Beige all over my face, then a second just where I needed more coverage (the sun damage on my cheeks).  This will not completely cover very red blemishes or very dark spots, you will need a separate concealer for that.  After giving the foundation a few minutes to set, I finished the rest of my makeup and set my T zone with the Revlon Nearly Naked Powder in Light.

Lovely demi matte finish

Natural Beige was a great match for my medium yellow undertoned skin, I'm somewhere between an NC25 and NC30 right now

Swatching this foundation against MAC SFF in NC30, I think it is less yellow than the MAC, not as dark and the color does not change/oxidize.  This is key if you dont want to turn into an Oompa Loompa after you leave the house.  

It feels very light on the skin, like no makeup at all, and there is no tackiness to it.  I had tried using the Real Techniques Buffing brush to put this on but I thought the finish looked a little cakey and got the best results with a damp Beauty Blender.

This did NOT oxidize like the MAC SFF so stayed very true to color all day

I actually had someone comment on how lovely my skin looked which is always a good thing.  After about 4 hours I am starting to glow a bit in the T zone.  Not quite needing to blot and it's kind of looking like the L'Oreal True Match Lumi finish.  Natural and very pretty,  it photographs very well.  I did not do any flash photos to see if there was flashback from the SPF.

8 hours after initial application - NO BLOTTING

Eight hours after I applied the foundations I can see some break down around my nose where some redness is showing a little, also on my cheeks a bit but it seems to wear nice and evenly so there are no glaring patches.

12 hours after application

Twelve hours later I am a teeny bit shiny but I think the foundation held up really well.  It did a great job of putting a soft focus on my skin and blurring my sun damage and healing blemishes.  After just one day of use, I'd have to say I'm loving it.  I'll be wearing it every day for the next couple of weeks to see if it breaks me out and will update this post if it does.  While I might have been grousing about the cost, I'm going to have to say yep - worth the $13 price tag, it performed like a high end foundation easily.

Ladies with fine lines, use a good PRIMER!  They were only really noticeable when I smiled which I can live with.

What else I have on - 

Eyes:  Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze all over the lid and up into the crease, Urban Decay's Snakebite patted just on the lid, Bare Minerals Ready Shadow Palette in The Star Treatment (the peachy bronze shimmer blended into the crease), Wet & Wild's Brulee under the brow bone,  Bobbi Brown Slate on the brows

Mascara:  Maybelline One by One Waterproof to set the curl and lengthen, and Maybelline The Falsies to volumize

Cheeks:  Milani Rose D'Oro blush, Lorac Spotlight highlighter and NYX Matte Bronzer

Lips: EOS lip balm and Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

Packaging: C

Color Match: A+

Longevity: A

Finish: A

OVERALL GRADE:  A-

DISCLAIMER:  I bought this with my own money and am not affiliated with Neutrogena at all.  All opinions are solely my own.