If you’d have told us just a few weeks ago that there was a foundation out there that could give us everything we’ve ever wanted from a foundation for the price of our Caramel Frappuccino order at Starbucks, we’d probably have (politely) laughed at you. Now that we’ve trialled and tested it for ourselves, we’re still a little in shock, but it’s proven to us that you really don’t have to cough up a small fortune for a bottle of foundation. Let us tell you more about the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation, and just how it exceeded all of our expectations…
Firstly, the packaging is fairly impressive for its price point; the foundation is housed in a glass bottle, and the lid doubles up as a sort of spatula-like applicator which makes for a very easy, quick and hygienic application. In fact, dare we say that the packaging reminds us a lot of NARS’ Sheer Glow Foundation? The foundation itself is called ‘Photo Focus’ as it claims to perfect the skin and create a flawless, camera ready finish perfect for selfies, Instagram and Youtube.
So, does it deliver on those claims? Yes, yes and yes. It has an almost blurring effect and the high coverage creates a really flawless base. Cleverly though, the intense coverage doesn’t come at the price of having a cakey looking complexion; the formula is creamy, fluid and blends beautifully so it doesn’t cake and pile on the skin, but still sets to a matte finish for increased longevity and camera readiness. When photographed with the flash setting of a camera or phone turned on, it doesn’t flash back or give a white cast which again, makes it camera friendly.
It’s available in 20 shades ranging from fair to deep, with differing undertones for all colourings and with four ‘deep’ shades on offer. This is definitely a step in the right direction for the drugstore, and hopefully even more shades will be added as time goes on (three of the ‘deep’ shades are the latest additions).
The before and after
On the left is a close-up picture of my skin without any product on it, and on the right is a photo of my skin with just the Photo Focus foundation on (one layer and no other product such as concealer, bronzer, blush etc):
The only negative we can find with this product is the scent; it smells like something between a can of paint that you would use in kindergarten, apple flavoured sweets and a magic marker. Not the best, but nobody’s perfect, and for $5, we’re picking at straws here. Good job, Wet n Wild! So, let’s try something new here and do a summary/breakdown of the foundation by rating it out of five for each of the parts that we think are important when scoring a foundation!
Finish: Matte
Comfort: 4/5
Scent: 2/5
Packaging: 4/5 (1 point deducted for it being glass as glass doesn’t travel well)
Shade range: 3/5
How long it lasted before showing signs of wear: 10 hours on normal skin, 8 hours on normal to oily skin
Will you be using it again? Yes
Would you recommend to readers and a friend? Yes
Have you tried this foundation yet? It’s widely available and we’d highly recommend checking it out!
Jess Hall