Review: Neutrogena Skin Clearing Foundation

Photo credit: Neutrogena website

I've recently gone back to my long-time foundation, Neutrogena Skin Clearing oil-free makeup ($11.99) after some weird, out-of-nowhere breakouts. I was quickly reminded why I once liked it so much. First of all, it matches my skin beautifully. Second, it fights shine. I can wear it all day without looking shiny. Plus, with salicylic acid it helps fight your blemishes as it covers them up. 

Now, this is certainly not new to the market. I'd used it for years. But I've recently read or seen negative reviews about it and felt compelled to put a little bit of a different perspective out there. Here is what I've read or heard versus my personal experience:

• It's not full coverage. Hmmm... Well, I would certainly not call it full coverage, but I wouldn't say it's sheer either. I like the coverage it provides, because I like to treat my blemish covering much like Lisa Eldridge recommends in her video, you only do full coverage on the areas where you need it, and keep your makeup sheer where you don't. This way, your makeup looks more natural, and you don't look like you are trying to hide something -- by default making it easier to hide what you won't want to show. I think this foundation helps you do that really well. You can apply it to your skin and sheer it out, and build it up where you need to. 
• It doesn't cover the red. I have had the opposite experience. One day, I looked in the mirror and just cringed at the red spots around my chin that just screamed out for attention. It made my whole face look damaged, when really, the blemishes were concentrated in a few key areas. I applied my foundation, and the redness was gone. I'd say that the majority of the time, this foundation masks red particularly well, it actually makes me wonder if there are any green undertones in it (green is used to counteract red as they are opposites on the color wheel). I don't think it does, but I like the redness coverage it provides. I've only had it not completely hide one blemish, a particularly stubborn and fiercely red cystic pimple by my nose. It covered a lot of the red, but it was still there, not as well hidden as the rest. I think if it covers more often than it doesn't, then I'm not really going to complain. 
• It's too yellow. Again, I don't think it's too yellow, and I'm what most people would call a winter. I look better in cool hues. I wonder if the people who have this experience possibly got the wrong color, something that can be easy to do with a drugstore foundation, since you can't really test it out before you buy. I can't say much more on this other than, I disagree. I think it matches my skin just fine. Plus, yellow is also a color that helps mask red and stubborn undereye circles, so, I can't see how having some yellow undertones would be a bad thing.
• It's too matte. Well, that's an aspect of the foundation that I like. My once normal, now combo skin doesn't look overly shiny, and it's not so matte that you look cakey or dry. The ones complaining are upset that they don't get that dewey finish. My solution to this supposed problem is to simply apply highlighter to my cheekbones to give that dewey complexion. I prefer this method because my foundation helps keep my skin from getting oily, and I can strategically place my deweyness where I want it, which is to say, not everywhere. Another method I've used when I want deweyness is to mix just a smidgen of my Revlon Photo Ready (less than a full pump) with my Neutrogena since my Photo Ready is just too light for me to wear it alone. 

So, I guess you can say I'm not really getting all the negativity out there for this product, but everyone is entitled to their opinions. I'm simply presenting mine and that's that I've had a positive experience. My skin is clearing up, thanks also to a good skin care routine (I'm loving Biore's Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser, Triple Action Astringent, and Pore Unclogging Scrub) and my Pretika. What I'm saying is that this foundation alone isn't going to clear up your skin, but will help when combined with good skin cleansing habits. It certainly hasn't made things worse.

I do know one or two people who have tried it, and their skin did not react well to it. I wonder if they are sensitive to any ingredients, not sure - it was never really confirmed. I can understand why they wouldn't want to try it again. So if you have any sensitivity to salicylic acid, steer clear of this one. 

Neutrogena's Skin Clearing make-up comes in 12 different shades and it available at drugstores, Target, Walmart and ULTA. I love that it's easily accessible and I'm glad they carry a shade that works well with my skin tone. 

Is anyone else a fan of this product? Are you one of the people that doesn't like it? Tell me your experience. I'd love to hear how it's worked for others. 

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