Wet n Wild PhotoFocus Foundation and Powder Review

*As of May 2019, Wet n Wild is no longer considered cruelty free. For a full explanation of the situation, please see this post on Logical Harmony.*

Foundation tends to be one of the more important products in your makeup routine. It’s the most visible part, and helps create the canvas for the rest of your look. It also happens to be one of the hardest to find a great match. For a long time, general consensus was that you got what you paid for, and great foundations wouldn’t be found in the drugstore.

But lately, options have been booming, though cruelty free options are still somewhat sparse at the drugstore level. So, when I found the Wet n Wild PhotoFocus Foundation and Powder, I was really excited! Some have called it a dupe for the Estee Lauder Double Wear, which I have used and loved in the past, but had to eschew due to their animal testing policy. After testing it out for a few weeks, how did it hold up?

From Wet n Wild

On their site, the Wet n Wild PhotoFocus Foundation and Powder is described as skin perfecting, mattifying, and photo friendly. The finish is described as light diffusing, matte, and natural. They also claim that there will be no white cast if you take pictures with flash. This last point is especially important for those who take a lot of photographs, in a variety of situations. In fact, Wet n Wild even says they tested the photo readiness of the foundation under nightclub lights. As I’m a homebody, I admittedly didn’t test that particular setting.

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3

I have combination-oily skin, and finding a foundation that works well at obscuring pores and texture, while covering whatever my skin decided to throw at me that day can be challenging. To add to that, I live in Florida, which should be technically classified as underwater with how humid it gets. So, foundations really go through the ringer with me.

So, to test out this foundation, I wore it for two weeks, with a few different primers to see which it worked best with. including the Glossier Priming Moisturizer, my usual moisturizer, and the Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer (my go to). To see how it held up, I also tested it out using a variety of different applicators: the ELF Ultimate Blending Brush, the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, Beauty Blender, and the Royal and Langnickel Moda Perfecting Face Brush.

Results

Frankly, I’m really happy with how this foundation worked for my skin.

Regardless of how I applied it, the foundation blended out well and didn’t grab onto any texture or dry spots, and it built up nicely without looking cakey. My skin tone was even, and pores were blurred out without looking artificial. I like most that the coverage was buildable, and still looked more like skin than a layer of foundation. I found the best application with using a large round brush and a pore minimizing primer. Keep in mind, this foundation is silicone based, and works best with silicone based primers.

Wear was wonderful. There was no patchiness, and didn’t break up over time, nor did it settle into any fine lines that I have. Cream and powder products both layered well over it, and the foundation didn’t budge when I was blending. An issue I have with a lot of foundation is oxidation, however I didn’t experience any of that with this foundation. About halfway through the day, I experienced some shine, which you can see, but it isn’t anything heavy or unexpected.

I really enjoyed using the powder. It’s fairly finely milled, so it applies smoothly and evenly. I found the best application to be patting and pressing with a pointed powder brush rather than a large powder brush. The powder didn’t feel heavy, and a light application was all I needed to get rid of any shine.

I have seen a lot of people comparing this to the Estee Lauder double wear. Honestly I wouldn’t make that comparison at all. It’s more of a medium coverage, not super full, and I find that it wears more comfortably than the Double Wear. Also, I found the Double Wear to oxidize quite a bit. With the Wet n Wild PhotoFocus foundation, I haven’t experienced any.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I would definitely recommend this product to anyone with combination or oily skin, as well as acne prone. I didn’t have any reactions to the product, even though my skin can be sensitive. Wear, both time and quality, was fantastic, and the powder works well over all kinds of foundations. If you want your skin to look like skin, give this a try.

If you need a lot of coverage, you may want to layer this over concealers and correctors. It doesn’t give a doll-like look, but natural, so consider that as well. For drier skin, ensure that you use a moisturizer before application.

The shade range is a lot better than I expected, but I can’t speak entirely for the deepest shades. The powder shade range is a little more limited, though they say that the colors are suitable for a variety of tones within its area. I can vouch for that to a degree, as the powder is beige, though my shade is Rose Ivory, and I didn’t have a matching issue. It is cruelty free, but isn’t vegan.

For approximately $6, I would say this is definitely worth picking up.

4 Comments

  1. Katie 10/23/2018

    Wet N Wild for me growing up lets just say it wasn’t a brand my mom approved but OMG now it’s some of my favourite stuff from the drug store !! I havn’t tried their foundation yet or powders but their other products that I’ve tried have been my favourite !!! Also you can’t go wrong for the price either and the quailty of product you feel like your doing something wrong lol

    This was a great reveiw and I may have to check it out now !!

    Reply
  2. Lauren 03/12/2019

    I am so clueless when it comes to make up. I appreciate your post and even learned a few terms!

    Reply
    • makeupbykaelin 03/12/2019

      I’m so glad this was helpful for you!

      Reply
  3. Lauren 04/09/2019

    I haven’t tried this foundation yet! I love the 10 pan palettes from wet’n’wild though!

    Reply

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