My friend Kaya over at Comfy Girl With Curls worked with CoverGirl promoting their Skin Perfector Essence, and I’ve been wanting to try it ever since. Keep reading for my review!
(Check out the rest of this series here)
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tl;dr
- $16-21 depending on where you buy it, 8 shades
- I’m between shades 60 and 70, but I bought 60
- don’t love the skincare claims they made
- held up decently well after 9 hours
- ☆ 3/5 stars – it’s fine but not one I’d repurchase
CoverGirl Simply Ageless Skin Perfector Essence Product Info
- $15.99 at Target / $21.49 at Ulta ($15.99-$21.49/oz)
- 8 shades
- no SPF coverage, tranexamic acid and 0.5% bakuchiol included
- “skin-like finish”
[RELATED POST: Maybelline SuperStay Skin Tint Review]
Ok I’m gonna throw this out there right now: I’m not a big fan of skincare in my makeup. Most brands don’t seem to make claims way too high for what you’ll actually get when using the product. Bakuchiol is “touted as a plant-based retinol alternative”, according to cosmetic chemist Javon Ford, which is really just marketing from the clean beauty movement. (I shared my own thoughts about clean beauty if you’re interested). Tranexamic acid (TXA) is said to be good for fading dark spots, but this product has it pretty low in the ingredients list which makes me question its efficacy. I’d rather apply a TXA serum or retinol instead of hoping my foundation will help change my skin.
CoverGirl Skin Perfector Application
I picked up shade 60 but it ended up being a bit too light (shade 70 looked too dark in the store). Serious question: why would a brand as large as Covergirl launch a foundation with less than 10 shades? It’s not marketed as a tinted moisturizer or skin tint, which can usually get away with having fewer shades, but they claim the colors are “adaptable”. It does have pretty light coverage, but IMO 8 shades is unacceptable for a brand of this size. If I were to buy shades 60 & 70 to mix them, that’s at least $32 just to try and ‘fix’ the shade for myself – for a drugstore product! To me, that knocks it out of the drugstore price range.
Formulation wise, this has pigment beads floating in a clear gel. I’ve seen this formula before but hadn’t tried it myself, and it’s pretty cool. You really have to blend to make sure the beads all get popped, otherwise you’ll have a streaky look to your face. The gel texture felt nice going on, and made my skin feel really hydrated. The look at the end did seem pretty skin-like so I’d agree with that claim. After 9 hours my skin didn’t feel heavy or greasy which was nice, but did look a bit shiny. This doesn’t claim to be matte or long-lasting, so I’m not surprised. I’d be nervous to try a gel primer underneath since this also has a gel texture and layering the two may cause pilling.
[RELATED POST: L’Oreal True Match Tinted Serum Review]
CoverGirl Essence Application Video
Is the CoverGirl Simply Ageless Foundation good?
I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but I also wouldn’t say it’s good. Between the too-small shade range, higher price point, and dubious skincare claims, this doesn’t do anything for me. I liked the idea of a hydrating product and the little gel beads are fun to pop, but they’d be more fun if they ended in a shade that worked for my skin.
☆ On a scale of 1-5 (1=bad, 2=meh, 3=fine, 4=good, 5=great), I’d give this 3 stars ☆ – Not one I’ll be repurchasing, and I’ll probably give this bottle away to someone who would like it more.
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