I haven’t really tried too many of Clinique’s foundations, so when I was sent the Even Better Glow Foundation, I was excited to see what it was all about. Could it be a new favorite?
Happy September, Friends! There has been a lot of hype around Clinique’s original “Even Better” foundation, which offers a medium coverage and natural finish, however this is supposed to be an even better version (see what I did there?), offering a more sheer coverage with a more luminous, light reflecting finish.
I couldn’t wait to give this a try.
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
“Moisturizing foundation instantly creates a natural radiance with subtle luminizing pigments. Wear it every day and over time bare skin glows on its own, thanks to vitamin C. Broad spectrum SPF 15 helps prevent future dark spots. Long-wearing, oil-free. Skin looks lit from within, instantly and over time. ”
This foundation retails for $28.00 for 1 fl. oz. and claims its main benefit is to even the skin tone. The foundation also has an SPF of 15.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The first thing that I noticed about this foundation was that I ABSOLUTELY got the wrong shade. I’ve never really owned any Clinique foundations (and the only one I have tried I wasn’t a fan of), so the only impression I had from the shades were online (at Sephora). I looked at the Clinique Even Better foundation for shade comparison. I ended up ordering the shade “CN 90 Sand”, a medium cool neutral tone. To my surprise, this was SO dark. I wasn’t expecting it. Like so dark as in I-will-never-be-able-to-wear-this-foundation-unless-I-change-ethnicity dark. I consider myself a medium foundation shade when I am self-tanned, however this was not what I was expecting. For some reason, I didn’t even think to look at the Clinique website (duh), which has a more accurate description of each shade. For me, it’s SO hard to order foundations online, I usually always have to physically go and try them out, as I rarely (actually never) get my shade right.
I mixed the foundation with this Foundation Lightener in “white” to find a closer shade match. Clinique does have a large shade range with many neutral options, which I sincerely appreciate, because I’m neither totally warm nor cool and sometimes have a rough time finding a match when a shade range only offers those two options.
PACKAGING
This product has the classic Clinique packaging, which I’m neither a fan, nor not a fan of. Their packaging is…meh. It’s practical. Which is fine due to their products being pretty practically priced. I like that the product has a squeeze tube because I typically dispense it to the back of my hand before applying it to my face.
The bottle itself looks pretty small, but does contain 1 fl. oz. of product.
FORMULA + APPLICATION
Clinique advertises this foundation as sheer to moderate coverage with a natural dewy finish. It also claims to be moisturizing on the skin. I found that the formula wasn’t thick at all and it was easy to blend with the lightener (I also want to note that the lightener does not change the formula of the foundation it is mixed with). I mixed the two on the back of my hand. I used about a dime size of each and had plenty left over.
As we all know by now, I have relatively dry/dehydrated skin, and I felt like this foundation didn’t accentuate the dry patches that I have, or make my skin look cakey. I’m not sure if I found it “moisturizing” per say, but certainly not drying, which I love.
To apply, Clinique recommends: “Apply a small amount starting in the center of face and blend outwards using foundation brush or fingertips. Blend well, building coverage as needed.”
I applied the foundation with my finger, dotting it all over my face. I used my Flower Beauty Ultimate Blending Sponge to pat the foundation into the skin. It also works well with a brush, I use the Morphe Y7, to offer a more sheer coverage. I would say the foundation is a medium/moderate coverage, but buildable. I found it to offer more than “sheer” coverage, but it still lets a bit of your natural skin come through. The finish is beautiful too. I definitely agree that it is a more dewy natural finish. I found that there was a gorgeous luminosity to the skin, but it didn’t look overly shiny or oily like some “dewy” foundations can.
LONGEVITY
I applied this foundation in the morning and wore it throughout the work day. My work day can typically range from 9-12 hours and can include a workout in the evening.
I was pleasantly surprised how long it stayed on during the day. Sometimes with “glowy” foundations, my t-zone can look pretty oily after several hours of wear, and I usually notice my pores more through that area. Not this time. I was surprised I really didn’t have to touch up my makeup at all.
This foundation even made it through my insanely sweaty spin workout the other evening after about 10 hours of wear, which I was really impressed with. Typically foundations will break up and separate on my face once the sweat starts pouring, which is not a cute look.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
I really enjoyed this foundation. Now, I wish I would have gotten my shade right, but I think this is truly a foundation that I would repurchase, because it left my skin feeling luminous and natural, it wasn’t heavy feeling or cakey underneath setting powder. I like the lighter coverage that it offers, typically, I enjoy more full coverage foundations because I have a lot of redness in my cheeks that I want to cover, however this foundation does a great job at evening out the skin tone. I see a tiny bit of the redness peaking through, but you can easily build up another layer of product over the areas you want more coverage.
Overall, I think this is a winner for me and definitely made me feel more confident about finding a good foundation in the Clinique line that works for my skin. I’ve been reaching for this nearly every day since I received it.
I definitely recommend going into the store or Clinique Counter to find your correct shade or have them color-match you and give this foundation a try.
Have you tried Clinique’s Even Better Glow foundation? What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!
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Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Clinique and I was send a PR sample of this product to review, however all opinions in this post are always my own. This post may contain affiliate links.
