Makeup Mondays: Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

$8.59 at Target

I picked this foundation up right before a work trip to Las Vegas at the beginning of the month. I needed something new once I found out the Urban Decay All Nighter foundation was oxidizing on my skin past the point of wearable - I couldn't show up to a work conference with mismatched foundation! But I also wasn't willing to shell out an additional $40 for new foundation, so I picked this up on a whim the day before I left, and I'm very glad that I did.

PROS

First things first, this foundation did an amazing job holding up not only in the 95+ degree dry heat of Las Vegas, but also in the 90+ degree humid heat of North Carolina, and that's already off to a great start in my book. Full disclosure, I do have combination oily/normal skin, but my T-Zone never gets to be too oily and the normal parts of my face never tend to get too dry, so keep that in mind if you're considering your own skin type. But I have had really great success getting this foundation to stay put for most of the day. I've found that it applies best with a beauty blender and I am particularly fond of it with the Wayne Goss Method.

Also, you really can't go wrong with the price of this. I think the price at my local Target was a little more than the website - about $10 - but even so, that's a great price considering the foundations I've been using have been ranging in the $35 to $40 range. And I find that I don't need a ton of product to get the medium coverage that I like - just about a pump and a half does it for me, even on the days when I'm dealing with breakouts. The finish is nice and I haven't noticed any oxidizing on my skin, which is a huge relief after my last purchase!

And finally, I love the pump on this foundation. It dispenses just the right amount of product and it even has a locking mechanism so you can make sure you're not spilling foundation everywhere if you're traveling with it and you've lost the cap or it falls off. This is a very easy foundation to travel with in general. It holds up well in multiple environments, it's safe to travel with, and there's not a lot of unnecessary flair to the 1 fl oz packaging, which makes it very easy to throw in your makeup back and get moving with.

CONS

While I do really like the pump on this foundation, I kind of wish the cap wasn't clear. Mostly because, like most pump foundations, after you've dispensed the product, you do tend to end up with a little left behind. And on a clear cap? Well...

It's not hard to clean out or anything, but I'm pretty lazy so I just end up with a super messy looking foundation bottle sitting on my counter.

Also, I don't know that I really believe everything boasted in the "3-in-1" claim in the name of foundation. According to the foundation claims, it should do the work of a primer, concealer, and foundation. I definitely don't think it does all of those things. I still use a primer and I definitely still use a concealer because this is more of a medium coverage foundation. Now, the "primer" and "concealer" inside of this may contribute to some of the lasting power, but I wouldn't throw out the rest of my routine just for this foundation.

And finally, unsurprisingly, there isn't a fully rounded range of colors here. For the drugstore, it's not bad! But this foundation definitely lends itself more to light and medium skin tones than deep skin tones. There are only about three on the truly deep end of the spectrum on the Covergirl website. So while there's an abundance of undertone differences across the medium skin tone range, the deep end doesn't get nearly as much attention.

THE VERDICT

Overall, I've been really happy with this foundation. It's become my current day-to-day foundation and it does a great job getting me through the work day. It's easy to apply, it lasts, and it comes in at a great price point. Right now, this is hands down my favorite drugstore foundation, and if you're looking for a new foundation at a good price point, I recommend giving this a try!

But if this isn't at the top of your drugstore list, let me know what is! I'm always looking for new drugstore foundations to try out, and would love to hear your top recs!

Makeup Mondays: ipsy

ipsy

Monthly Subscription $10 (plus tax)

For anyone who isn't familiar with it, ipsy is a monthly subscription service for beauty products. It's probably one of the most popular beauty subscriptions alongside Birchbox. For $10 a month, you get a themed makeup bag and at least 5 products that range from sample sized to full sized. When you sign up for the subscription, you complete a questionnaire designed to get an idea of your style, taste, and preferences, and that contributes - to a degree - to what items you receive. And if at any point you think you're getting too much of a product you aren't happy with, you can always redo the profile questionnaire to change up your preferences!

I have been receiving an ipsy for over a year at this point, and I am incredibly happy with it. Do I love every single item in every bag I get? No, of course not. But even in my most disappointing bags, I've come away with one or two great items. And one of the best parts about ipsy, for me, is that you really do get a good range of beauty products to try out. I've received hand creams and hair products and makeup removers and full sized brushes alongside my makeup items, which is great. Everything in the picture above I received from an ipsy. It's by no means a comprehensive shot of everything I've received, but I think it does a good job of showing off the range of items you can expect to receive.

And unlike most of the brands featured in Birchbox, I find that the ipsy brands tend to be more affordable. It's a good mix of "drugstore" and "prestige" level items, so if you do find something you love, odds are you won't have to break the bank to get a full sized version.

Another great feature of the ipsy subscription has to be the bags! Every month your samples come in an adorable new makeup bag that denotes whatever the theme of the month is. And what I've found is that you can really always use a handful of these little bags. I keep a few in my purse - one for tampons and one for a battery pack and phone cord - and I use a few others to store things or to organize my makeup products. They're incredibly convenient to have on hand and some of them are gorgeous!

And finally, I couldn't leave this review without commenting on the fantastic customer service I've received from the ipsy care team on Twitter. In the 14 bags I've received, I have only gotten 2 damaged items. Both of those times, I've sent a direct message to the ipsy care team with a photo of the broken product, and they have immediately sent a new one my way. I don't think it's ever taken longer than 3 days for the replacement to show up. They're always quick to respond and even quicker to act, which makes it incredibly easy for me to overlook a broken doefoot here and there!

Ultimately, if you have the money and you're a makeup junkie like I am, I highly recommend giving ipsy a shot! I've been introduced to so many new brands through this subscription, and a number of the items I've gotten have become favorites and staples in my regular routine. And if you found my review helpful and would like to signup, I'd love it if you did so through my referral link! I do get reward points for the ipsy store if you subscribe through that link, but other than that, there's no difference from signing up from the main page!

If you're already subscribed to ipsy, what's your favorite bag and what's your favorite item that you've received to date? My favorite bag is a tie between the makeup princess and the pixelated love letter, and my favorite item is probably going to have to be the blue makeup brush in the first picture - it's the perfect brush for dragging out eyeshadow or eyeliner and the wand is covered in adorable little whales!