flawless creator foundation drops

9 Reviews

1. 

   forsakenBobolink3

   Reply

   Oh. My. … I was nearing the end of a Merle Norman Powder Base, and feeling that the shade wasn’t quite right. Since I’ve really tried all “the usual suspects” and since I’m not drawn to any of their other foundations, it seemed a good time to start looking. I‘d just gotten an email from b.Loftin, one of the very few retailers of Alexandra de Markoff’s Countess Isserlyn liquid makeup, which I remembered as gorgeous and thought might be a nice treat. Unfortunately, their shade name numbers are as mystifying as ever, with big and irregular holes between shades, and no returns. But, lo, the site suggested Dermablend’s Flawless Creator Drops as a good alternative, and gave shade equivalents.

   Thought I’d check those out at Ulta. Well, the one that seemed most likely was too light, but the next one looked good. And, wow!, did it cover. More important, since my skin even at 70 (how did that HAPPEN??!?) usually looks pretty good, the Dermablend did not look mask-y even though the MA applied it straight, no primer or any of the other media you can use mixed in. So it seemed worth a try.

   When I put it on over a moisturizing sunscreen, and misting my homemade glycerine and water mix onto the foundation brush, 3 drops (sort-of, see below) gave me a beautiful finish. It was a bit more than I needed, so blotted with a beauty blender. I prefer not using powder, so just blotted nose and forehead with a tissue. After it passed the rearview mirror test, I didn’t check on it again until I got home, a little over 9 hours later. Zero oxidation. A tissue blot was in order, but not direly necessary. By the time I got to bed it had been on over 14 hours, and judging from the washcloth it was all accounted for!

   So. That’s the good news.

   The bad news is that the drop applicator is every bit as bad as others have complained. After fiddling with it unsuccessfully, I tried decanting a small amount into a smaller bottle with a known-good dropper, but it didn’t help. I think I may experiment with using it on a sponge in a compact like the “cushion” foundations. In the meantime, I’m using a brush (still with my water/glycerine mix) to pick up a bit of what’s on the outside of the dropper. This means a little less precision than is theoretically possible with a functional dropper, but it seems to be working just fine.

   Also happy to report, though fearing too jinx it, no skin issues whatsoever.

   Highly recommended.

2. 

   aboardSmelt8

   Reply

   This clung to all my pores…didn’t look good

3. 

   obsessedPlover1

   Reply

   I am 50 yrs old yet still have exceptionally oily skin and finding a full coverage foundation that does not melt off in the heat and humidity has been a next to impossible challenge. I am a believer that makes most high-end, expensive brands have a less expensive duplicate that I can find at the drug store. And I have spent a fortune on both ends trying to find one that covers well, goes on smoothly, and does not melt off. I have tried the most recommended ones in this particular category, especially Ester Lauder Double Wear, which I’ve heard multiple times is the HG for my particular issues. I’ve also heard that Revlon Colorstay is the best less expensive alternative. I have tried both, several times each, but neither would last half way through a hot, humid summer day on my skin. Having become very skeptical of any and all recommendations at this point, an associate at Ulta promised me that she, for her age, had the very same issues I did and had tried even more options than I had, and finally she found her HG in Dermablend Flawless Creator drops. So one last time, I plunked down $40 and gave it a go. Well!! I am happy to report that I was in utter amazement at how well this foundation covered smoothly and stayed the day! Although the drops can be thinned out by mixing them with your favorite lotion or primer, I use them undiluted and apply not quite one dropper full with a good buffing brush. They are so concentrated that I’ve even begun using a little less and still achieve perfect coverage. I also set this foundation with the Dermablend loose setting powder and a little goes a long way. Yes, it is an investment, but after all the money I’ve wasted on other less effective brands, I feel I’ve come out ahead. It take very very little of each, so both will last you a long time. I have tried applying it with fingers, sponge and buffing brush, and the buffing brush by far gives the most flawless result. There are many many shades to choose from so I suggest allowing the beauty consultant to match you to your proper shade. I’m sure there are other brands and formulations that would work equally as well for me, but so far I have not come across them and I am more that pleased with the Dermablend results!

4. 

   panickyEggs6

   Reply

   I’m a fan of these kinds of drops that I can add to my skin care steps so that I can avoid an extra layer of primer and foundation. I put a drop into my serum/
   Moisturizer then mix this with my sunscreen to turn it into a custom coverage foundation that looks great on. For when sunscreen isnt needed It also works great mixed with any primer I’ve tried it with water or silicone based.

   This is a step above the Coverfx drops for a couple of reasons. It doesnt dry out in the dropper bottle, it’s not as matte and doesnt mattify everything you mix it with. The bottle does not leak all over the place so its portable. You can also use this straight from the bottle as a concealer or really high coverage. The color selection is also decent with 20 shades that I know of and a decent selection of neutrals. Its not cheap but I like having something that works so well with sunscreen. Like the Coverfx drops you may want a half shade or more darker than your norm to mix with a mineral sunscreen. I use a tiny bit of the Dr Haushka bronzing fluid in the sunscreen/ drop combo to cancel out the whitening effects of of sunscreen as well.

5. 

   ecstaticApples3

   Reply

   I ran into Ulta on my way to work because what I was wearing on my face was a disaster and I’d seen this on YouTube (it seems to have sent to a lot of makeup reviewers there). And, yes I bought it even though the CoverFX drops never lived up to their promise. This was after I vowed never to fall for a YouTube video again. Anyway…

   This foundation is the most like skin that I’ve ever used. It actually makes the CoverFX Natural Finish somehow an inferior product for me (and like taking down any other foundation reviews I’ve ever done). At first I used it straight over a primer and it just worked with no strategy or muss – coverage was great and seamless, it doesn’t exaggerate pores and – wonder of wonders – I can take this all the way under my aging eyes and over my eyelids. And, then, as the weather turned cold the application, coverage and longevity remained top notch but I noticed drag lines at the end of the day and I looked…parched, is the best way to describe it. My skin was shiny, dry and tight and my under eye was dry and dark. That’s when I remembered the YouTubers had been given a range of drop shades and some wicked expensive serum to mix in it. Hmmm… The Olay Regeneratist Microsculpting Serum has always been suspect to me because it has a dry, primer-like dry-down. You can probably tell where I’m going with this by now… I upped my moisturizing layers and mixed the Creator Drops with the serum and wow: Skin care and dead-reliable long wear foundation. Can I have found my every day?

   It’s so consistently reliable I don’t worry about getting the application just right. I put a pump of serum and a couple drops of this, dip in a brush and get to dabbing it on. The bottle says to use Dermablend setting powder generously and to let it bake a bit to get 16 hour coverage. I daub on some CoverFX loose powder or their mineral powder foundation. After I’ve finished my hair or whatever I sweep over my face with an Eco Tools feather brush to take down any flatness or excess and I don’t even look at my makeup until I’m in my bathroom 10-12 hours later and ready to take it off. I wish I didn’t have to use the powder but I do over everything, and some days I’ll spritz it with Elf setting spray or something else non-drying so it doesn’t look so matte. I’ve learned to be careful with the powder also because just willy nilly dusting it everywhere really causes the worst under eye over time though I’ve been able to easily correct it by dotting some moisturizer on top (the little desk drawer tube of hand cream, for instance). Oh, and it doesn’t transfer.

6. 

   shyPlover1

   Reply

   This is very expensive in Toronto at $58.75 It’s worth it tho. The coverage is sooo good & you may control the look you want. It’s nice that only 3 drops are medium, yet just a couple more in problem areas completely cover my stubborn hyperpigmentation & dark under-eye area. My favourite aspect is that it’s so light weight I barely feel it on & there’s no caking or cakey look. I will re-purchase however can afford this item only once a yr due to the high price.

7. 

   bubblyWhiting9

   Reply

   So I was really excited for this because it finally comes in my shade… 0. Light enough, seems to have lots of pigment and glides smoothly and felt nice on my hand. On my face however a different story happened. I thought it looked perfect on my face immediately after applying, but come an hour, it starts to weirdly separate right at my chin/jaw area in the most disgusting way ever looked like I had a skin disease. Tiny tiny millions of little circles broken apart all over. I was really embarassed, and thought it must of been my primer, or skin care. So I eliminated them all one by one. Same thing kept happening, then someone from the company told me I had to use it WITHOUT a primer and make sure to use the dermablend setting powder on top. So I did, and the problem still kept happening! So bad. I would rather much have the makeup wear off my chin and dissapear normally, then have it break apart into so many disgusting dots. Even a 5$ foundation can outperform that. I have no idea why that happened, nor have had that happen with any other foundation in my life. Strangely, the problem wouldn’t happen if I used it in my air brush machine to apply to my face. But I usually don’t have time to airbrush my face so…. yeah I am stuck with two of these bottles of unusable foundation.

8. 

   wakefulTruffle4

   Reply

   Edit 3/16/18: I ended up going back to the 35w (Utla must hate me) because the 30n looked ashy when mixed with suncreen which is what I wanted this for. I also tried using a stronger moisturizer (a light layer of Vaseline after my moisturizing serums before Boot Protect and Perfect Intense as a moisturizing primer/serum) and the tightness was reduced and the finish became more natural than matte. Also, its getting more humid in my area so that might be helping, too. So this earned one more lippie.

   Original review:
   So real talk, this could have been a 5 lippie product but its been such a pain to find the right shade. I’m a MAC NC25, Nars Ceylan or Fiji depending on how tan I am. Finding a color match in this has been difficult and then you have to account for oxidation which makes it even more difficult. I started with 25n and it was too pink, so then I tried 35w that looked ok at first but got orange as it dried. Now I’m using 30n which has less pink and orange than the others I tried and it looks a little light at first but matches after oxidation. I wish it was a little more yellow.

   Out of all the dropper/concentrate type foundations I’ve tried, I have used this the longest. CoverFX irritated my skin, and Clinique BIY gave a really mask-y finish. This one is very skin-like to matte, and thats my other issue with it, now in the winter I have to moisturize like crazy or it makes my skin feel tight but that happens with a lot of other foundations at this time of the year.I use like half a drop mixed in with either my tinted sunscreen (Elta MD Elements) or a drop mixed in with regular moisturizer (Elta PM or Vanicream if my skin is very dry) when I’m not going to be in the sun. I also mix in a small drop of luminizer/liquid highlighter to cut down the matte finish. Dermablend makes their own product like this but I use the Makeup Revolution one because its much cheaper and I like the colors more.

   It can be used on the skin alone and I use a tiny bit like that on spots and it works very well. However it does not replace undereye concealer for me as I’m very dry there and need a creamier finish. I have acne-prone skin that is drier than usual because of Retin-a and because I live in a very dry climate.

9. 

   needfulMagpie0

   Reply

   Another purchase made on a whim looking for something different and thought a product like this would give new life to my current 1/2 dozen or so foundations & bb creams that I’m bored or unhappy with. Not to mention the exciting idea of transforming my moisturizers, sunscreens and facial oils into a bb cream/tinted moisturizer…
   The product itself is a thin liquid and doesn’t have any smell whatsoever, and dispersing the desired amount of drops is easy. Anyone familiar with dropper foundations know how the bottles can be a pain and get messy… There is a sort of washer that wipes most of the product off the dropper tube, but being cautious when removing and replacing it helps and wiping the bottle if there’s any noticeable product on it as well. However, the testers in store weren’t a huge yucky mess so either the sales associates are on top of them or things aren’t going to get as messy as I fear.
   I can apply the Demablend straight up over my moisturizer or sunscreen and get good coverage without looking cake-y, and go back over areas like under my eyes and around my nose and build up more. The finish depends on what it’s applied over or mixed with, and I’m still experimenting mixing it with my bb creams, sunscreens, and the like. The Dermablend seems to water everything down quite a bit and I’m having a hard time judging how much base product to dispense to get the right amount of mix I need.
   So I can say for sure if you are willing to experiment to find a combo that works good, then give it a try, but if you don’t have the patience, then pass. But on its own it can be sheered out or built up to what is the fullest coverage product I’ve used thus far. I seem to get a good 3-5 minutes before it will set up and not budge, even without a setting powder, so blending is easy. I highly recommend getting matched in store because this can be built up to full coverage and I found getting the right shade tricky, I’m currently blending the 10N and 30N. I am also getting a little oxidation with the shade 10N when I use it over marula oil or LRP lipikar balm, which is ok because then it looks right. I need to use this quite a bit longer to decide if I’d repurchase it as I have both a foundation and a bb cream that I currently love on their own.
   The overall value is good in comparison to other “pigment drops” because the glass bottle is 1 oz., Cover FX is half as much product for the same price, and Clinique’s BIY is a little less $ but way less product (0.34 oz). The only dropper style foundation I have ever tried is the Smashbox BB water and I felt it was too sheer and took a lot of product to get any noticeable result, and as I’m not familiar with and others I can’t say how this product compares to a drop style foundation.