New Favorite Foundation? Neutrogena SkinClearing Mineral Powder

Hello, loves! I'm a huge foundation addict, I have a ton already and I'm constantly buying more. There's a definite sense of excitement when I buy and try a new foundation: could THIS foundation be the perfect one? Is this the magic foundation that makes my skin look perfect? More often than not, the answers are no, continuing the vicious cycle where I keep buying new foundations. All makeup has its pros and cons, and different foundations will work for different people. Half the fun of makeup is trying new things and figuring out what's perfect for you, hence my huge collection! Did I find my new favorite foundation in the Neutrogena SkinClearing Mineral Powder? Keep reading.

I don't have a lot of Neutrogena makeup, as it's usually pretty expensive in terms of drugstore makeup. I am a huge fan of their skincare, and they are my preferred brand of face wash and moisturizer, but other than a random lipstick, I don't have much makeup. Rite-Aid recently had a sale where Neutrogena makeup was 40% off, something that rarely happens, so I decided to take advantage of it.

During my busy season at work, makeup (unfortunately) is not a priority for me in the mornings. I am usually waking up at obscenely early hours, working late into the night, traveling all over the Tri-State area, and I usually have a camera pressed up against my face. So my makeup routine is drastically cut to foundation, concealer, and some blush if I'm lucky. I was looking for makeup that was quick, easy, transportable, and had great coverage for my cystic acne-prone skin. A pressed powder foundation seemed to fit that bill, so I decided to try the Neutrogena SkinClearing Mineral Powder in the shade Natural Ivory.

This foundation contains Salicylic Acid, which while it generally won't help me with my cystic acne, I thought it was a nice addition to a foundation. It also is oil-free, non-comedogenic, and promises to be able to cover breakouts without drying the skin. In includes a two-sided sponge, one side to provide sheer coverage and the other to provide fuller coverage (I haven't tried the sponge).

The SkinClearing Mineral Powder looks super dry in the pan, but feels pretty smooth and creamy to the touch. I will usually put a small amount of concealer first underneath the foundation, and then I apply this with a kabuki brush. Dipping the brush into the pan, and then buffing the foundation onto the skin in circular motions provides a buildable finish that I would consider a medium coverage. It doesn't really cover everything with one pass, and I usually need go back to the pan with a concealer brush and just put a bit more onto my trouble areas for extra oomph.

The kabuki brush application literally takes less than a minute. If you are pressed for time, or are already on the go, this is a great foundation option! Dip, buff, done, go. Love it! The compact also feels really solid, not cheap at all, so I wouldn't hesitate to throw this in my purse and bring it on the road.

At the end of the day, the foundation still looks decent, and I haven't had any issues with it drying out my skin (something I was worried about). I've never really had to touch it up at all, but it does claim to be oil-absorbing so I would imagine it would do fine for midday touchups. Again, since salicylic acid doesn't do much for cystic acne, I can't really speak to the "skin clearing" claims, but if you've had any experience with this foundation, comment below to tell me if it works or doesn't!

This foundation got me through the busy season at work, and I think that this will be my go-to travel bag foundation. The ease of use, speed of application, amount of coverage, and heartiness of the packaging really makes it an ideal foundation choice for those days where my makeup needs to be done in five seconds. Is it magical makeup? No, but it is pretty great.

What's your go-to travel bag foundation? Comment below! And be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin to keep in touch!