Almay : Smart Shade Foundation

Brand:
Reviews
3.6
21 Reviews
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Active Ingredients:
Titanium Dioxide (4%) and Zinc Oxide (2.1%).

Inactive Ingredients:
Aqua/Water/Eau (water, eau), Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Talc, PEG/PPG 18/18 Dimethicone, HDI/Trimethol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Cetyl/PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, Nylon 12, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Alumina, Sodium Chloride, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl Acetate (Vitamin A), Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Trisiloxane, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract (grape), Centaurea Cyanus (Cornflower) Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Galactoarabinan, Acrylonitrile/Methacrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Boron Nitrate, Alcohol Denatured, Methicone, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Silica, Ammonium Polyacrylatedimethyl Tauramide, Tetrasodium EDTA, PVP, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, May Contain (+/-): (CI77891), Iron Oxides (CI77491, CI77492, CI77499), Zinc Oxide (CI77947).

The list of ingredients above is provided for informational purposes only. Always check the actual product label in your possession for the most accurate ingredient information due to product changes or upgrades that may not yet be reflected on our web site.

5
33.3%
4
23.8%
3
19%
2
14.3%
1
9.5%

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January 6, 2011

Pros:

A lightweight formula.
This product will not break you out!
It works great with my pale skin.

Cons:

It will become cakey if you use too much. You have to learn how to apply the proper amount to your skin, especially if you are fair skinned like me.

Con for some: This is NOT for severe acne, only mild or scars.

I'm a guy and I love using this product! I am very pale skinned so I was very worried the concealer would be too dark for my skin, but with the proper amount spread evenly it blends very nicely! I had awful acne as a teenager, which left me with a bit of deep scarring. Let me be the first to sound vain and say that I am an attractive person (as most of us are, even with acne!), but my acne scars have always bothered me. Now, with the daily taking of zinc and omega-3 vitamins (plus, my multivitamin) and using this product my acne scars have decreased dramatically, giving me a much smoother skin tone! Again, I would not recommend this product for those who have severe acne. It doesn't cover up well enough to completely hide huge breakouts. If you have severe acne I'd recommend taking vitamins, especially zinc to help calm down your breakouts. It helps a lot! Also, cake on that benzoyl peroxide when you go to bed everynight! You have NO IDEA how much this helps you NOT breakout until you try it! I wash my face only at night (in the shower with an exfoliating cleanser containing salycic acid), and lightly dab in the morning to clear away the benzoyl peroxide. This routine has kept me quite clear for years. I also use Vaseline Total Moisture Conditioning lotion nightly. A great, light lotion with pro-vitamins A, E, and B5, which have also helped my face look much healthier. Thanks for reading!
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August 5, 2014
Great makeup!
I tried this per Dan's recommendation. It offers decent enough covereage, though I still need concealer for spot treatment coverage. The whole "smart shade" thing is a gimmick (color releases from the beads as you crush the little granules while rubbing the foundation in your palms or on your face...it gets darker giving the impression that it is "matching your skin"...No, the whit granules are releasing color). Gimmicks aside, this is one of the very few foundations that doesn't break me out. That alone earns a 5 star rating from me since almost everything breaks me out. I wish a little more product came in the bottle though. I might try the other Almay foundations in bigger bottles since Dan mentioned all of Almay caters to acne prone skin.
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December 28, 2011

Pros:

Natural Look
Matched my shade
Doesn't cause breakouts

Cons:

Not a lot of coverage
Dislike rubbing foundation in to broken out areas of face

I had been stippling creamy foundations previously, which provide lots of coverage, but it felt suffocating sometimes, and i was afraid it may be causing some pimples so i bought this for a change, off of Dan's recommendation. It amazingly did match my skin tone, which rarely happens. But, it didn't completley mask redness and the redness of pimples like my stippling did. Next time if i use more smart shade concealer it might be better. Overall, its an ok product. Does the job, but not amazing. Im sticking with it because it wont break me out.
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October 21, 2011

Pros:

-matches my fair skin color well without looking super pale
-light coverage--doesn't feel heavy, but enough coverage to even out my skin tone and hide my pores

Cons:

-dries my skin out--makes my face super flaky
-when you get to the bottom of the tube the color can get weird and way dark

my favorite makeup I've tried so far, but the flakiness it causes means I will probably keep looking. If you don't have dry skin it will probably work great for you.
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December 19, 2009

Pros:

Non-irritating, hypoallergenic natural looking foundation. This stuff doesn't burn or itch, and it goes on well over topical acne medications. Provides light coverage with spf from zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Doesn't aggravate acne prone skin. Doesn't settle into scars, large pores, or fine lines. I love this stuff.

Cons:

It's not a full coverage foundation, which I think is a "pro", but some people might want more coverage from their foundation. If you like a light coverage natural looking foundation, give this a try.

This is a great foundation, imo. For easier application, I don't dot it on like the package recommends, but I squirt a blob into my hand and "activate" the color beads by rubbing my hands together, then I apply it with both hands to my face. Goes on quickly and easily without the little beads settling into pores (which it can do if you dot it on). I recommend this for anyone who has picky skin and who may be using topical acne medications.
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November 12, 2012

Pros:

does not break out skin
Product is : non-comedogenic and oil free

Cons:

does not match skin color (too dark)

This is a good product for those with problematic skin that breaks out easily. It goes on 'white' and when blended in it will start to become darker to match your skin tone. I used the lightest shade that it came in and it still did not match my skin tone. My skin is pretty fair and it was pretty noticeable ( did not have a natural look at all). Perhaps next time I use it, less is more. I really like Almay products though and i think it is for the most part free of ingredients that harm and break out skin.
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April 6, 2010

Pros:

--I didn't spend too much money on it, got it on sale.
--Color matched my skin tone pretty well.

Cons:

--LIGHT coverage
--Expensive..otherwise
--Streaky/cakey
--End up using a lot of product at one time
--Not a whole lot of shades to choose from

I bought this foundation because I heard a lot about it and thought "why not?" The coverage isn't all that great, it's more for a person who has very light acne. If you're looking for coverage this is NOT the foundation for you. I found myself applying it a few times through out the day because the coverage didn't last long. I liked the "color beads" that blend into your skin, it matched me spot on but I know it's not for everyone considering there aren't very many shades.
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January 24, 2011

Pros:

it moisturizes

Cons:

i feel like im using a lotion not a foundation. i have to rub for so long just to get the color to come out. the color doesn't even match me how it said it would. i see way too much whiteness afterwords

pretty much i would only say to use this if you don't have any acne. not even scars. this has zero coverage. it moisturizes really good but as far as doing what foundation is supposed to it? ehh
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December 27, 2009

Pros:

Super light and not irritating .I usually see little bumps the day after using an irritating foundation. I highly recommend using the conclear, i think it works amazing along with foundation.

Cons:

It is a bit streaky,but with good blending this can be a great foundation.

Should only be used if your skin is not dry and only have a few pimples left and red marks. Not recommended for those who need more coverage. I thought,however that i would need more coverage, bc i have red marks,hyperpigmentation and freckles, but it did a great job at evening that out. And if i needed more coverage i think the concelear is great for everything, even for dark circles. (bought this buy one,get one free)
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January 16, 2010

Pros:

Non-irritating, won't clog pores, doesn't cause breakouts.

Cons:

Light coverage (a con for some). Did not match skin tone, lightest shade too dark for fair skin. Requires thorough blending.

If you want a light coverage foundation that won't break you out (and you aren't super fair skinned), it's worth a try.
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