As I have red, blotchy skin, foundation is an essential step in my routine - which is probably why I've been buying so many recently. Even though I love my Gosh Mineral Powder and Revlon Colorstay, I'm convinced that there are other foundations out there that are perfect for me. Unfortunately, the Max Factor Skin Luminizer in 40 Light Ivory isn't one of them.
I bought it because I don't have a glowy foundation in my collection and this looked like a nice option to go for, and the tester in the shop looked like it would be the perfect for my pale skin tone. As other pale girls will know, sometimes a foundation that looks pale in the shop turns out to be far too dark once you're at home in decent lighting, which was the case with this. I think the problem is that it oxidises about half a shade darker after application, which would explain why I didn't notice in the shop. At first I tried to reassure myself that maybe the first pump hadn't mixed with the white highlighter that's swirled with the product, but every pump since then has been the same so I've accepted that "Light Ivory" actually means "Not Quite Light Enough Ivory".
But I didn't accept defeat! There's no way I'm giving up on a £12 foundation without a fight - cost aside, there were actually some things I liked about this so I really wanted to try to make it work. Firstly, no matter how you apply this - buffing brush, hands, or sponge - it always goes on beautifully. Secondly, I have zero irritation when I wear this, which is rare for my insanely sensitive skin. My genius idea was to mix the Skin Luminizer with my Makeup Revolution The One Foundation in Shade 1, which is a completely white formula that I often use to lighten up darker foundations (I would highly recommend every pale girl has one of these in their kit).
In the photo above I used the Skin Luminizer on it's own on one side, and how it looks when mixed with white foundation on the other side. I think it's quite hard to tell on the photo but if you look at how my jawline compares to my neck you'll see that it matches better when mixed with the white foundation.
Whether I lighten the Skin Luminizer or not, another difficulty I have is that it doesn't cover redness particularly well. I'm aware that not everyone will have as much facial redness as me, but I thought I would mention it just in case I have any readers who do who were thinking of buying this. I find that layering the product doesn't make a huge difference, unlike the Revlon Colorstay which you can easily build up until you have the coverage you want.
Summary
I really wanted to love this foundation. I don't think this is quite right for me, but I've found a way to make it work so that I get my money's worth. I think some people will really like this - if you have a more even (and slightly darker) skin tone and want a light, glowy coverage that you can slap on with a buffing brush then this might be your new staple. It's just not for me, I'm afraid. Sorry, Max Factor.
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