Covergirl + Olay Facelift Effect Firming Makeup in Medium

Disclaimer:  I received this for review from BzzAgent.  All opinions are my own.

Covergirl + Olay Facelift Effect Firming Makeup is supposed to provide flawless coverage with the powerful hydrating effects of a night cream.  Featuring the "exclusive Olay FaceFirm technology", this foundation is infused with a concentrated vitamin complex that hydrates, plumps, and lifts.  Not only that, but after two weeks of continued use, skin firmness is supposed to be improved.

Available in only 4 shades, Fair, Light, Light/Medium, Medium, I've got Medium to show you.  It leans slightly peach in tone, and was actually a pretty good match for my complexion.  I'm surprised at the lack of darker shades, which does seem rather limiting.

Housed in a heavy plastic jar, the foundation has a whipped cream type of consistency that feels dense but light.  Not sure the jar packaging is conducive to maintaining the integrity of the skincare ingredients, although you can minimize possible bacterial contamination by not sticking your fingers in it, regardless of what the instructions say (to apply with your finger to cheeks and then use your fingers or a sponge to blend towards the hairline).  I used my usual foundation brush after transferring a dab via a clean utensil to a makeup tray, which worked fine.  I did notice some initial settling into larger pores, but using a firmer brush on those areas smoothed things out nicely for a medium coverage effect.

Billed as a hydrating foundation, my initial concern is that this would be too dewy for my oily skin.  Indeed, while the initial finish was a nice semi-matte, I had to blot my skin before even completing my morning makeup routine. Not a good sign.  After blotting and setting with a powder, I got about 7 hours of wear before I noticed fading.  Not quite as long as some of my other foundations better suited for oily skin, but given the weather was still hot and humid on my first wear, my hope was the onset of cooler weather would bring better results.   After all, I needed to wear this for 2 weeks solid to see if there really is a firming effect :-

 

So, it's been two weeks, what are my final impressions?  I can't really tell a difference as far as firmness is concerned, but I can say my overall impression is positive.  I like the initial semi-matte finish, although I do have to set it with powder if I want to minimize shine and extend wear.  The finish is natural looking and does not feel heavy, nor did it cause any issues with my break-out prone skin.

I do think it's on the pricey side for a drug store foundation at $18, although I do see that Walmart has it for $14.  While I do appreciate makeup that has skincare enhancing ingredients and am willing to pay more if it's effective, I'm not sure how stable the formula is given the jar packaging limitations of exposure to air and potential contaminates.  The real test for me is if this will stay in my foundation rotation, however, and I do believe it will, so that's a plus!