Pretty Smart Cosmetics just launched as a new Walmart-exclusive brand from the same female founder behind theBalm Cosmetics. Their products are cruelty free and vegan, and made without certain ingredients like Talc, Parabens, Pthalates and more. I was particularly drawn to trying the Pretty Smart Instant Chemistry Foundation, which comes in 36 shades– impressive for a new drugstore foundation.
Within the 36 shades, they’ve covered cool, warm and neutral undertone options and range from fair to deep. As with most drugstore foundations with wide shade ranges, though, you may not find all options on shelves in-stores, though they are all available online.
The brand calls this a “medium coverage” foundation, with a matte finish. The formula includes Sunflower Lecithin for antioxidant properties, and Coconut Alkanes for skin softening.
Despite the vast shade range, it was a little difficult to nail down my shade. The packaging only has a thin stripe to indicate the color. I ended up trying 4 shades, swatched above left to right: Light Cool, Light Medium Warm, Light Medium Cool, and Light Medium Neutral.
Typically, I find myself in the neutral range of foundations that offer, but their neutral was still slightly too warm on me. In this case, I found that Light Cool was the closest undertone and shade match, even if it was a smidge light on me. But, nothing that bronzer couldn’t fix! After applying the foundation, I warmed up the perimeters of my face with the Pretty Smart Talc-Free Bronzer Powder in the shade Hermosa Too, which made it look much more of a natural match.
Personally, I think the brand was selling themselves short when they called this “medium” coverage. As you can see above, I have quite a few red and dark spots on my face currently. One layer of this foundation had everything completely covered. Throughout the day, if worn by itself, the coverage does fade into medium, however, with some of those red spots peeking through. If you double up with a little concealer, though, you can get 8+ hours of what I consider to be full coverage.
Around this time of year, my combo skin leans dry through my cheeks and jaw, and I currently have dry texture in those spots. While the foundation’s matte finish didn’t help the situation, it didn’t look crusty either. The finish leans more soft matte in my opinion. Not radiant, but not 2016-flat. I don’t experience it getting patchy or separated throughout the day at all, though you’ll want to set the foundation with powder over any prominent lines on the face to avoid creasing.
As with any matte foundation, especially with this much coverage, less is more. Over-applied, it may start to look cakey, but a thin even layer will stay smooth looking. I find applying with a damp sponge to be the best way to achieve this. When applied like this, it also stays feeling lightweight on the skin.
I do find my T-Zone (which is oily) to get slightly shiny by the end of the day… not greasy, just much more radiant than the other areas of my face. If you have oily skin, this may not control oil as well as you may need on its own. However, you could always pair it with an additional mattifying primer.
For the price, my expectations were exceeded with the Pretty Smart Instant Chemistry Foundation! While I typically don’t favor matte finishes, this could be a great option for those who want to stay away from the popular dewy and radiant foundations that have been taking over shelves recently.
– Miranda
