Who wants to get fresh with me?! (Almay Skin Stays Clean Foundation)
Written: Nov 04 '03 (Updated Jan 14 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: non-comedogenic, allergy tested, cheaper than always buying concealer
Cons: smells a little funky at first, pretty runny
The Bottom Line: If you like foundation with a sheer to light finish, give this one a try. If you need full coverage, this isn't the foundation for you.
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| pnutmom's Full Review: Almay Skin Stays Clean Makeup |
Okay, I have been inspired by Rock_On's essay I read earlier this morning: "A How To Guide On Writing An Essay in Under 15 Minutes". I'm now going to attempt to write this review in 15 minutes. Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt. But here I go...crap, only 13 minutes left...
A Prelude: (I like to start the majority of my reviews this way for some reason)
I haven't actually worn foundation for a few years now. I gave up on the whole idea during the summer of 1998. I'll spare you the details and just say that I decided then and there that I was not going to bother wearing foundation anymore. I decided to skip liquid foundation all together and just use concealer and powder foundation. After spending copious amounts of money on concealer that doesn't last very long, about a month ago I thought maybe it was time to try drugstore foundations again. Surely I could find something that worked just as well as concealer, and would be a lot cheaper in the long run. I noticed that Almay had trial sizes of their Skin Stays Clean foundation available. The first color, Pale, looked too pink for me, but the second color, Buff, looked like a great match, so I bought a trial size.
Almay states:
The back of the packaging on the trial size I bought says "The look and feel of fresh, clean skin...all day."
Beta-Hydroxy Complex helps keep dirt and oil out.
Skin feels clean, looks fresh all day.
Vitamins A and E plus Aloe.
Weightless, natural-looking coverage.
Non-Irritating * Oil-Free* * Fragrance Free * Non-Comedogenic * Clinically, Dermatologist and Allergy Tested * Suitable for Sensitive Skin
*No animal, vegetable, or mineral oil
Packaging:
Usually, this Skin Stays Clean foundation comes in a 1 fl oz (30 ml) clear glass jar with a silver screw-on lid. There is no pump or anything, and this foundation is very liquid-y (ie. runny) so be careful when pouring it on a sponge, or your fingers!
Texture and Scent:
Well, like I just mentioned, this foundation is pretty liquid-y. Even though you may have to be careful when pouring it out of the bottle, Almay is right when they say it's weightless. I wear this 3-4 times a week, and it doesn't feel like I have makeup on. Almay also claims that this foundation is fragrance-free. There may be no added fragrance, but this stuff definitely has some smell to it, I would guess from the ingredients. It's not really a bad smell - not fresh, it's more of a chemical smell - but you won't notice it after putting it on. My husband has yet to say to me "eww, what's that weird smell on your face?", so I think it's safe to say that no one else will notice the smell either (for the record, he has said that about my lip balm a couple of times, so it's not that he just doesn't pay attention!)
Coverage and longevity:
I will say, I don't understand why all these foundations are supposed to give you "natural-looking coverage". If I wanted that "au natural" look, I wouldn't be wearing makeup! (I have a natural redness to my cheeks that no liquid foundation has ever been able to cover). But anyway... Skin Stays Clean gives me sheer-to-light coverage initially, but if I apply more, I can build the coverage up just a little bit. I was surprised to find that if I apply the right amount, this seems to give me the same coverage as concealer would. That's good to know, seeing as buying a 1 fl oz bottle of this 1-2 times a year would be cheaper than buying concealer every few months. I don't know for sure how long a full size bottle would last, but I've been using the trial size 3-4 times a week for about a month now, and I probably still have another month's worth in it (however, I only use it on my cheeks, but I imagine if I did use it all over my face, I still would have gotten at least a month's worth out of the trial). Almay doesn't claim that this is a long-wearing foundation, but I haven't noticed it rubbing off on my clothes or my hands (I tend to touch a my face a lot during the day). It doesn't seem to cake up or settle into fine lines either. I haven't had any problems wearing this either - no breakouts or allergic reactions. Does my skin feel fresher and cleaner? Not really. The only time I'd consider my skin fresh and clean feeling is right after I wash it, but that's just me.
Available shades:
Almay seems to have a good color selection for their Skin Stays Clean foundation. It ranges from the lightest pink-based shade (Pale) to a dark brown (Espresso).
The colors are: Pale ** Buff ** Naked ** Neutral ** Sand ** Warm ** Honey ** Soft Tan ** Tan ** Caramel ** Mocha ** Espresso
"Almay Pure Ingredients": (taken from trial packaging)
Water, Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Copolyol, Sodium Chloride, Talc, Methicone, Silica Silylate, Tribehenin, Salicylic Acid, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Menthol, Laureth-7, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines.
Where to buy, Cost, & Contact Info:
A full 1oz bottle of Skin Stays Clean is priced at $8.69 at my local Walmart. (Walmart also sells a small trial size for about $1.50 - it's a great way to try this out first!) Seeing as I'd probably only have to buy this 1-2 times a year, vs. the 3-4 times a year I was buying concealer, I'll definitely be picking up a bottle of this once my trial runs out. You should be able to find Almay products at any local grocery or discount store or pharmacy. You can also order online at www.drugstore.com. Almay's website is www.almay.com. You can also contact them at 1-800-992-5629 Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5:00pm EST, or fax them at 919-603-2953. I don't know if Almay tests on animals or not - sorry!
Thanks for reading! This was an entry in MaggsMomm's Write Your Butt Off W/O!
© MH 2003
By the way, this didn't take me 15 minutes to write. It took 1 hour and 45 minutes. Told you so. ;)
Recommended:
Yes
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pnutmom
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There is no evolution. Only a list of creatures Chuck Norris allows to live!
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