Max Factor Healthy Skin Harmony foundation

A recent but not a new foundation: that is the Max Factor Healthy Skin Harmony foundation. A foundation that I haven’t heard much about. No buzz, no nothing, but I knew the minute I spotted this in stores that I wanted to try this. Why? Because this is the European version of the much talked about US Covergirl Vitalist Healthy Elixir foundation. That had some raving reviews and I of course had to try it out.

The reason why I was interested in this foundation is because it boasts about having some skincare like elements. It contains an SPF of 20, anti-oxidants and moisturizing properties. So this could be perfect for the winter time when my skin can use a little bit extra. Both Covergirl and Max are essentially the same brand, but some products are called different names and the line does differ between territories. The Max Factor foundation, which can be found in Europe, retails for €17.99, but can often be found on sale.

The Packaging

This foundation is only available in 6 different shades, which is the one and only downside to this foundation. I own this in the lightest shade, which is 47 Nude. The packaging is a nice glass bottle foundation with a pump. The lid feels a little bit flimsy, but overall the pump works well and I like how you can see the foundation in the bottle.

The Foundation

A Healthy Skin foundation? That has a medium to full buildable coverage that makes your skin look better, yet still skin like? At a drugstore price point? That sounds almost a little too good to be true. But still, that is what this foundation promises to do and it does. I would say this is quite comparable to the L’Oreal Fresh Wear foundation which I reviewed and tried not too long ago. It has a good coverage, yet feels great on the skin and if you have dry/ dehydrated skin like me, this foundation works really well.

The Swatch

Apart from the shade, which looks straight up orange against my hand, this foundation is creamy, but not too thick. It blends out easily, has a dewy finish and indeed looks like skin once it has settled down on the skin. It is such a shame the shade is too dark for me, because other than that this foundation has everything I like in a foundation going for it. Luckily I own a white foundation so I can lighten this and that way I can still make it work. In the case of this foundation, I don’t mind making that exception. Lasting power is good enough to wear for an entire workday, but this does start breaking up on my t-zone after 8 hours of wear.

The Shade Match

I already mentioned that this shade is too dark, so let’s not sugar coat it. I applied it to my face for this review without mixing in the white foundation, so this is the foundation as is. Not only is it too dark, the undertone is also much too warm. Combined that doesn’t really make for a great look, but suprisingly, once applied onto the face with the rest of my makeup, I find that it doesn’t look all that weird.

The Application

See what I mean? The picture on the left looks quite pale and I have a bit or redness. The foundation has a good medium coverage when applied with a sponge, which would be my recommended application method. This foundation still shows a little bit of my natural skin’s texture, but most of the redness and discoloration has disappeared. The shade, rather than making me look like an oompa loompa, actually makes me look bronzed and healthy.

The Conclusion

A surprise find for me and one that I think more people should be raving about is this Max Factor Healthy Skin Harmony foundation. The reason more people aren’t talking about this foundation has to be the shade range, which is absolutely atrocious. Yet, mixed in with a different shade, this is a very workable, easy to wear foundation that surely makes your skin look like a better version of itself.

Have you tried this Max Factor foundation (or its Covergirl counterpart)?