The product has a really fascinating texture. It’s not exactly gel-like, but it’s not greasy either. Smooth and blendable are the two best words for it. The coverage is light to medium coverage. I found it best for evening out my skin tone and giving a perfect “no makeup” look. The shade Classic Ivory 120 is EXACTLY PERFECT for my skin. I have to give Maybelline some serious props, because this is the third complexion product I’ve tried from them that blends with my skin tone perfectly. My preferred method of application is to put three stripes on each cheek, one stripe across my chin, one down the bridge and on each side of my nose, and two stripes on my forehead. Then I blend with my fingers.
First, the positives. Like I said, it blends out perfectly, giving a nice, even sheer coverage. Cream or gel blushes apply evenly on top (as if it were a liquid foundation). The finish is matte, although less matte than a powder. While my skin will get shiny as the day goes on, this foundation doesn’t make it worse. I personally thought it slowed the shine down better than a liquid foundation does, although not as well as a powder will. I really liked the natural finish. It wore very well through sweaty, humid weather, and didn’t fade or slide right of my face. It was a great option for a summer foundation. (I find powder foundations too heavy in summer.)
There are a few mild negatives. The product has no sunscreen, so a separate sunscreen is necessary if you want sun protection. If my moisturizer wasn’t totally dry, the foundation sometimes wanted to ball up a little bit on top. It’s not got heavy coverage, so a separate concealer is necessary for dark circles and blemishes.
Once summer was over I did go back to the Instant Age Rewind powder for work wear. I’ll use this when I want to wear a cream blush, since they play so nicely together. I also intend to take this with me for travel, since sticks travel better than powder foundation (which can break up in the compact if it gets dropped). Overall, this product got a LOT of wear from me this summer, and I definitely recommend checking it out!