Full Coverage Cream Foundation For Acne Prone Skin: Cover FX Total Cover Cream VS Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo

As someone who has suffered with acne, I know first-hand how tempting it is to go out and purchase the first full coverage foundation you see. However, I stress that you really consider what you're putting on your face. Ingredients such as sodium chloride and bismuth oxychloride, which are known irritants for acne-prone skin, are commonly found in some of the holy grail foundations on the market. Now, it might seem like torture to steer away from the beauty pack, but your skin will thank you later. Trust me! The two foundations that I will be comparing today on the blog, the Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo and the Cover FX Total Cover Cream, are ones that I came across while on the hunt for the perfect full coverage foundation. Unfortunately, the Isopropyl Palmitate in the Dermablend foundation caused me huge cysts along my jawline, so I thought I would try the Cover FX Total Cover Cream as a substitute. To view the ingredients of the Cover FX Total Cover Cream, click HERE.

Now you might be thinking to yourself, "those two foundations don't seem to have a whole lot in common". Well, I'd have to argue with you on that one. Despite Dermablend's claims of the Smooth Liquid Camo having medium coverage, this foundation is super heavy duty; it could even cover tattoos if you have any. On top of that, the thick texture of the foundation combined with its full coverage properties, lends itself more to the cream foundation category. So these foundations might have more in common than you think!

Left to Right: Cover FX Total Cover Cream in G50 & Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo in Sienna

♥ What are the specifics on the Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation? ♥

The Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation is a cream foundation in compact form. In the compact you are also supplied with a mirror and a sponge, making it travel-friendly for on-the-go makeup applications. It comes with 10 grams of product and retails for $42 at Sephora.

♥ What are the claims made on this foundation? ♥

According to the Cover FX website, "This anti-oxidant infused total coverage foundation and concealer in one imparts an all-day radiant finish that nourishes with anti-aging benefits. The buildable formula can provide medium to total coverage and offers all-day wear. Provides optimum coverage of skin imperfections such as acne, redness, melasma, under eye circles, uneven skin tones, post-surgical bruising, vitiligo, and tattoos and protection from wind, sun and pollution. This clinically tested product does not contain the Inflammatory Five: gluten, mineral oil, fragrance, parabens or talc."

♥ How do you apply it? ♥

The first time I applied this product I made the mistake of using a dampened beauty blender. When I applied it in this way, I was not at all a fan of it because, while the name boasts "total cover", it applied entirely too sheer. But after seeing other beauty bloggers apply this foundation with a flat top Kabuki brush, I decided to give it another go and I have to say I prefer this much more with a brush than a sponge. What I like to do is give my brush a good two or three sprays with a setting spray or water and then dab it into the product. The foundation is solid at room temperature, so the added moisture gives it that little bit of "slip" that makes it much easier to apply. I have to note, nevertheless, that this is not the most hygienic product for those suffering with acne since you are going back and forth between the pan and your face. However, this is easily remedied if you scoop some of the product out using a makeup spatula, placing it on the back of your clean hand or sterilized mixing palette, and then applying it from there.

♥ How does it wear? ♥

On initial application of the first layer, I noticed that this foundation did have a solid medium coverage. However, having some acne scarring, I wanted to see if I could build it up to full coverage. After applying the first layer, I went back into the foundation and only applied it over my old acne scars, not all over my face, since these are the only places that I needed additional coverage. This foundation most certainly has buildable coverage, however, if you have bright red or purple bumps on your face, I would still recommend color correcting before applying this or any foundation.

For the sake of my wear test, I also wore this foundation with my concealer, bronzer, and blush. I wanted to see how well everything would hold up on top of it--if any fading or patchiness would occur. Once I finished applying the rest of my makeup, I noticed that the foundation had set itself to a powder finish, but not one of those chalky, drying finishes. It looked incredibly natural, despite being full coverage, and felt like nothing on the skin. Four hours into the wear test, I noticed a bit of my natural oils coming through (probably due to me sitting so close to the heater), but it wasn't anything major. In fact, I found it was very flattering and gave my skin a healthy sort of glow. Other than that, there weren't any other significant changes to the rest of my makeup. By hour seven or eight, however, I did find that the foundation seemed to fade away and if I blotted my face, there was visible transfer, so this is definitely a product you would want to set with a powder if you plan on wearing it for a full day of work.

♥ How does it compare to the Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation? ♥

Unlike Dermablend's hygienic squeeze-tube packaging, the Cover FX Total Cover Cream comes in a compact that you might potentially have to double-dip into. This is easily remedied by scooping some product out prior to application as I mentioned earlier. While the Total Cover Cream comes with a mirror and sponge, making it travel-friendly, it's a bit bulky and just not my favorite packaging. Also worth noting, you only receive 0.35 oz. of product for $42 compared to 1 fl. oz. for $35, so the Cover Fx Total Cover Cream isn't as much value for your buck. That being said, the Cover FX foundation is tons better for your skin, contains a SPF of 35 (compared to Dermablend's SPF of 25), and has a much better color selection. I always felt like the Dermablend foundation read a little too peachy for me, so since Cover FX has a brilliant color undertone system -- P for Pink, N for Neutral, & G for Golden -- it is much easier to find a color match. What I also like is that the Total Cover Cream doesn't feel as heavy on the skin as the Dermablend foundation. The coverage is just as heavy duty, but the finish is somehow still natural.

♥ What are my overall thoughts on this product? ♥

Once I switched up my application method of this product, I instantly saw what all of the hype was about. Somehow the Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation manages to make you look flawless, yet still maintains a beautiful skin-like finish. I even got some compliments from guys! While the packaging isn't my favorite, I can certainly look past that for such an amazing product. To extend the longevity, you can pair this foundation with a primer, powder, and finishing spray of your choosing. I give it two thumbs up for changing my mind about cream foundations!

Before (Left) & After (Right) Of The Cover FX Total Cover Cream in G50

Other Makeup Deets

♥ Eyeshadow - Mac Nylon, Saddle, & Brown Script, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Chocolate Suede, Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Solstice

♥ Lashes- House of Lashes "Smokey Muse"

♥ Brows - Nyx Tame & Frame Tinted Brow Pomade

♥ Concealer - LA Girl Pro Conceal

♥ Bronzer - Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder in Naked Dark

♥ Blush - Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Sculpting Trio in Medium

♥ Highlight - The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer, Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights, & Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Opal

♥ Lips - Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Heathers

XO♥

Tips & Tricks: Glowy Base On Sensitive/Acne Prone Skin

Having sensitive, acne-prone skin means that just about anything sets my skin off--weather changes, greasy foods, skincare products. You name it, my skin probably hates it. But that doesn't mean you have to stick to the same old matte foundation routine. Below I've listed the tricks and products that work for my overly tempermental skin when I want to achieve a flawlessy healthy, glowy complexion.

♥ Tip # 1: Add an oil into your moisturizer.
My first reaction to my skin drying up was to apply a heavy, creamy moisturizer, but my sensitive, acne prone skin was not having any of it. It was like "nuh-uh, honey" and broke me out in areas that I don't normally have issues in, like my forehead and cheeks. But what has been working for me was adding Tarte Maracuja Oil into the Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer, which has a more light gel-based formula. The oil gives the moisturizer an extra kick, making your skin smoother and more supple for applying makeup.

♥ Tip # 2: Trade in your mattifying primer for an illuminating one.
The overly flat matte look has not been a favorite of mine as of late. I started to notice that my skin was looking dry and even patchy in certain places. By using a moisturizing, glowy primer in place of an oil-control primer, you're combating that in a sense. Once the foundation is laid on top of the primer, you get that "lit from within look" that is mentioned so often. My go-to for fighting off the crustiness has been the Cover FX Illuminating Primer.

♥ Tip # 3: Bring the glow to your foundation.
While this post is all about "the glow", I don't always use a dewy foundation to achieve this look. I find that they can be too heavy on my skin and end up clogging my pores. Instead, the trick is to transform your matte foundation. By adding the Nars lluminator in Copacabana, which comes in liquid form, to my L'Oreal Infalliable Pro Matte Foundation I can control the level of glowiness. You can do something subtle or go all out disco ball if you prefer.

♥ Tip # 4: Prep THEN highlight.
Powder highlighters are all the rage right now. They've literally cornered their own little section in the makeup industry and every company seems to be flooding the market with them. That being said, some of the most popular concerns I hear about these products are: "How can I make my highlight last longer?" and "How do I get rid of the powdery look?" While there are a bunch of different solutions to these dilemmas, my favorite method is to layer the powder on top of a cream or liquid highlight. This will instantly change the highlight game for you, increasing the longevity and decreasing the powder-iness of your glow. As I want this post to be short and sweet, I won't go in-depth about my favorite powder highlighters--that can be done on a separate post. However, I am obsessed with the Sephora Radiant Luminizing Drops in Ultralight, which creates such a beautiful subtle glow on its own, but can also be layered under a powder highlight to really make it POP!


These are all of my die-hard glowy tips and tricks. However, another thing you could potentially do to amp up your glow if you have particularly dry skin would be to use a setting spray that has glycerin as one of the main ingredients as it traps and locks in moisture. Also, simply wear a gloss--they help your lips look juicy and plump, which can't possibly hurt when you're going for a healthy glowy look. Try these tips out and let me know how much they've UP'd your glo-game!


XO♥