Review: Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Skin-Transforming Foundation

Purchased by Me 

So you know I had to purchase this new Maybelline foundation the moment I found it locally. I picked it up a few weeks ago at Walmart (it's now starting to pop up elsewhere and you can also purchase it online at Ulta) and I've been busy testing it ever since. I'm ready to give you my verdict, so keep reading for the scoop...

Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation
(retail: around $11.99 depending on the retailer; 1.0 oz.)

If you missed my original post about this new line, there's also an accompanying concealer (which I did not purchase). There are twelve shades in this foundation line, and I went with the second-to-lightest shade in the range (which is usually the best match for me in any given foundation range).

20 Classic Ivory

The pics above and below are a much better representation of the actual shade (the very first pic in my post was taken in very bright lighting and not accurate, color-wise.).

Safety seal

Pump dispenser

Made in USA

Full ingredients list:

To put it bluntly, I dislike this foundation. I had such high hopes for it, considering that I loved the original Superstay foundation, and especially the original Superstay concealer (serious holy grail territory). But I find that this foundation in no way behaves like a longwear foundation on my oily skin.

Allow me to explain.

First of all, this feels quite creamy during application. So creamy that I had to keep checking the bottle to make sure it actually said "Superstay." This is not a foundation reminiscent of Revlon Colorstay, CoverGirl Outlast 3-in-1, etc. It doesn't feel like a traditional longwear foundation at all. It feels like a foundation that is specifically made for very dry skin--it almost feels like you're applying a rich moisturizer instead of a foundation. On my oily skin, this foundation just sits on top my skin and it never fully blends in or sets as I was hoping it would. It does end up becoming thinner once you start to blend, but even then, it just looks like there's a thin layer of foundation on my skin and I don't get any type of "skin-transforming" effect at all. I can't get it to become one with my skin, no matter how hard I try (I have applied it with my fingers, a foundation brush, a stippling brush and a sponge, and the results are about equal for me).

As for coverage, again, this is NOT like a standard longwear foundation. The coverage is medium at best, but I would consider it sheer-to-medium coverage. I tried building for more coverage on multiple occasions, and I'm afraid that this is where I ran into the most trouble. This foundation becomes extremely cakey on me, no matter how much or how little I apply, but it becomes excessively cakey when I try to build for more coverage. It settles into all of my fine lines within about an hour of wear, and if I have my sunglasses or reading glasses on for more than a few minutes when I'm wearing this foundation, I can see marks on the sides of my nose where this foundation used to be, after I remove my glasses (that is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to foundation).

In my t-zone, where I am the oiliest, this foundation cakes up and then fades within just a few hours (even after I use an oil-control setting powder). To add insult to injury, the areas that this foundation DOES cling to on my face become patchy and they also oxidize after a few hours. Every day that I wore this foundation, my entire t-zone became cakey and then faded almost completely, while the area around my eyes and the sides of my cheeks still had patches of visible foundation (and the patches turned orange).

And for the record, I tried wearing this foundation on bare skin, over a light moisturizer and also over primer. It did not work for me with any of those combos; I still got cakey and patchy results.

The nail in the coffin for me was when I applied my makeup and, no more than ten minutes later, I got in my car and looked in my rearview mirror to discover that the entire area around my upper lip was completely cakey. I KNOW you know what I'm talking about. The kind of cakiness that occurs when you're wearing foundation and you sweat a little bit on your upper lip? Usually I can sort of buff that out, but I'm afraid that the cakiness that this foundation creates when it reacts with my skin is beyond saving. I tried to use a clean makeup sponge, a tissue, and even my (clean) finger to take away the cakiness but it only made it worse, to the point where I just wanted to wash my face and reapply my makeup altogether.

As for this particular shade, it is actually a bit too light for my NC20 skintone, so I probably should have purchased the next shade up (the third shade in the range as opposed to the second shade in the range).

Even though this foundation clearly didn't work for me, I always, always try to look on the bright side and imagine who might benefit from a product that didn't work for me (in this case, a product that REALLY didn't work for me). I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I think this foundation might be best reserved for those with dry to very dry skin. I'm not even sure if it would work on normal skin, because it's just that creamy and emollient. I don't know...perhaps it's just my body chemistry and the natural oils that my face produces just really do not agree with this foundation. Perhaps there are some of my oily-skinned peeps out there who really like this one. I wish I was one of them, but I'm afraid this foundation is not one that I plan to ever revisit.

But on the plus side, I do love that this comes in a pump bottle, and that there is a wide variety of shades in the range (12 altogether). I also love that there's essentially no fragrance to this foundation.

FINAL VERDICT: I'm one of the biggest Maybelline fans you'll ever meet, and I've written dozens of glowing reviews for Maybelline products here on the blog over the years. Some of my favorite holy grail products are by Maybelline but, sadly, this is not one of them. This foundation failed me on every level--from staying power to coverage to consistency, and I'm sad that I could just not make it work (and believe me, I tried). I really hope that this product works for some of you, but it just didn't work for me and my oily skin. Which is such a shame, considering that those of us with oily skin need longwear foundations the most.

Do you own the new Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation? If so, I would absolutely love to know how it's been working for you!

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.