No Foundation Foundation

This is a very strange product in that it's a 'foundation' that's only intended to even out the skin tone, and not cover anything. When I first read about it, I could not imagine how it worked. It sounded impossible -- wouldn't you be covering up discolorations in order to even out the skin tone? But that was probably their marketing strategy, and it worked, because I bought it. And now that I've used it for a few months now, I can say that there is no other way of describing it.

If you want to get the 'foundation look' with this, which I do on days where I'm doing things more important than just dropping by the grocery store, you can put on two layers of this product and conceal areas that you need to. This will give you all the coverage that you need. But if you're looking for just a very lightly covered look, slap on one layer, spot conceal where needed, and you'll have an incredibly natural no-makeup look. That's where this product excels the most. Because if you kept using it for the foundation look, you will be using a lot of product for an effect that you can easily get with one pump of a regular foundation. And at this price, you are better off going with regular foundation. But if you want something that makes your skin look somewhat better, but completely like your skin, this is what this product's for. Completely undetectable once it's on, except for its incredibly dewy finish. I definitely need some loose powder on top of this simply because this dewiness is just too much for me (way past glowy to the point of almost greasy looking) and as an oily-skinned girl, excessive dewiness freaks me out. It is very moisturizing though, so at least there's that (there are so many products that are dewy but drying, and those are the worst of the worst).

What more is that this product is also weirdly sticky. Without powder, it won't set, and will feel very *there*. As in you know it's still on your face kinda feeling. I deal with it because it gives such a natural-looking finish, and because I always, always set it with powder.

Going on a abrupt switch here (because I am obviously terrible at segues), the idea of a 'universal' shade always makes me laugh. No, this is not universal. It is sheer, yes, and will suit many skin tones. However, it is most definitely not universal. If you are very pale, this might be too dark, and if you are very dark, this might look ashy. The shade itself, though sheer, is a neutral medium color. I have a warm medium skin tone, so the color works for me, but yeah, not everyone.

So, even though this product has its pitfalls, I still give it a 4-star rating because this is exactly how it was advertised. If Perricone MD said this was a high-coverage foundation, I'd be pissed. But no, they literally tell you that it's a 'foundation' that's not a foundation, so they're living up to expectations. However, I took half a star off for that awful stickiness (once, I didn't set it with powder just to see what it's like, and it was actually sticky for the entire day) and another half a star off for that 'universal shade' claim which is simply untrue. So if you have good skin and are just looking for something quick and easy that you can slap on with your hands as you're heading out the door, this is for you. You could also just add a drop of foundation to your favorite moisturizer for the same results without setting your wallet on fire. For everyone else, a 'foundation' foundation will probably be more satisfying.