NYX Total Control Drop Foundation Review

Welcome to my first product review on my page. I have been wanting to try this new(ish) foundation out for a little while now, had a gift card from my birthday, and figured I would go ahead with it and write a review for my blog. So here it is. I chose to review the NYX Total Control Drop Foundation.

For some background, I bought this foundation from Ulta online. It is currently $13.99 for 0.43 fl oz of product. Just strictly speaking on the price for this foundation before I get into my review, I find this to be fairly reasonable. You do not need to use a whole lot of the product because of the consistency of it (which I will go into in a bit) so a bottle should last a while. When I purchased it online, of course I was taking a risk on getting the proper shade. I went with shade Vanilla 06. This shade ended up being too fair for me, so I also purchased a bottle of shade True Beige 08 to mix in so it would be closer to my shade. I am still working to get the ratio correct. You will probably notice it is a bit darker in the pictures than I need it to be, but I am continuing to work on getting the correct amount of each shade for my skin tone. I also feel I should note that I wore this foundation every day for a week to test it out. Now that all of that is said, lets get into the review.

Not the most flattering picture, but this is just

the foundation with concealer and set with

powder before applying any other makeup.

I applied this foundation right to my face using the dropper, then blended with a sponge. The consistency of this foundation is very loose and watery. This is not a bad thing at all. I would drop one or two drops to the four main areas of my face (both cheeks, chin, and forehead) and then use my sponge to blend the product into my face and down my neck. This foundation was very easy to work with and despite the loose consistency, I didn't feel like my sponge was soaking it all up. I had no problems blending this foundation at all, nor did I have trouble blending in my concealer or setting it with powder. Just for reference, I used Tarte Shape Tape concealer and Coty AirSpun Loose Face Powder to set. The rest of my makeup always went on as normal as well. I had no issues with eyeshadow, contour etc. Overall I was pretty impressed with the application of this product. 

Unfortunately, I was not super impressed with the wear of this foundation throughout the day. The first few hours it held up great. Yes, I have very oily skin so I honestly am pretty easy on judging a foundation because of this, but this foundation seemed to break up around my nose way faster than usual for me with other foundations. This picture was taken around lunch time at work, so about 5 hours after the initial application and, although my makeup is holding up pretty nicely, around my nose you can see where the foundation is starting to break up. At this point of the day it wasn't as bad as it would later get, but it was already showing signs. Now, the first picture was taken in my bathroom at home, while this one was taken at work. Clearly there is different lighting. I just figured I should note that.

That brings us to the end of the day. When I got to the gym, before removing my makeup for my workout, I snapped one more picture to show how it was holding out. You can clearly see the shade difference picture here, but you also can see the oils that have come through on my face as well. I have had foundations that have preformed much worse, but I have also have had foundations that have held up better as well. At the end of the day my skin did look pretty oily and the breaking up around my nose had gotten worse. The time this photo was taken, the foundation had been on for about 10 hours. The rest of my makeup had started to move around too at this point, but with all fairness most makeup does at this point of the day.

Overall I think there are certainly some pros and cons for this product. The coverage ranges from light to medium coverage. I wanted to try this foundation especially because my skin has cleared up so much that I want a foundation that is less full coverage. In that regard, this foundation is a great option. If you are looking for something more full coverage this isn't for you. The price is reasonable and the shade range is pretty good for a drug store priced option. I believe there are 30 shades available at this point in time which is not bad at all. If you have oily skin like I do you may not love this product either. I plan on continuing to use it, I will just need to make sure on the days I do to bring some powder to touch up with during the day. It is not completely horrible for those of us with oily skin, but there are far better just as affordable options out there. 

If you have dry to combo skin and are looking for a foundation with light to medium coverage, then this is a great affordable option for you. 

My Skincare Routine

With my very first post after my introduction on this page I really debated back and forth for a while when deciding what to choose. After some thinking, I realized that the perfect first post should be about skincare. Skincare is so important especially when applying makeup. If you are not taking care of your skin, you are not applying your makeup to a very good canvas. If you take care of your skin first, then the rest of the work is a little easier.

A few years ago I struggled with acne. To me it was a pretty horrible case of it and it wrecked havoc on my confidence, but I know mine was probably considered mild compared to others. If you are at all curious about that, I wrote a post on my other page, My Acne Struggle. For this post, however, I wanted to go through my skincare routine and mention the products I use. I know it is a lot, but it works for my skin. If you want to, use my routine as a guide and find what products work best for your skin.

The most important part of skincare and really the basic idea behind it is removing your makeup. Please do NOT sleep in your makeup. It is absolutely horrible for you skin. Without removing all the products on your face you are leaving all of it to remain in your pores and they are not breathing. When I go to the gym, I always remove my makeup with just a wipe. I really don't have a favorite brand of these at all. I just find it better to remove my makeup before I workout. On the nights that I don't I remove my makeup with the Simple Micellar Facial Gel Wash. This wash is so gentle and honestly works far better than any cleanser for removing makeup I have ever used. It leaves my face feeling moisturized and clean.

I personally always do a double cleanse of my skin. Because my skin is so problematic, I always go in with a second cleanser and my Clarisonic. For years I have heard all the beauty influencers rave about the Clarisonic and I completely understand why. It is such a gentle brush for your face but it really does clean it so much deeper. It usually has visible makeup on it after my second cleanse that the first just didn't get. I have the basic Mia 1 version and it honestly works so well for me. 

As for my second cleanser, what I use may surprise you. I actually make my own cleanser with liquid castile soap, jojoba oil, distilled water, and Young Living essential oils. I use lavender, tea tree, rosemary, and frankincense. I found the recipe for this cleanser on Pinterest and will post a link to the recipe at the bottom to give the site credit. This cleanser is a foaming cleanser and it supports my skin so well! As soon as I started using it I saw a noticeable difference in my skin.

Once my skin is cleansed and dry I go in with a toner. I actually also make this toner. I use witch hazel, distilled water, and the same essential oils to make this toner. I found this recipe on Pinterest as well and will also provide the link to that. I just take a cotton pad with some of the toner on it and swipe it all over my face.

After my toner I go in with a serum. I just recently started using this  Derma-E Vitamin C Concentrated Serum. My skin has some scaring and such from my acne battle, so I use this just to boost the healing of those. This serum has a nice light fruity scent. I honestly feel like it smells like Froot Loops.

I give my skin a couple of hours to soak in the serum before I go in with a moisturizer. Yes, even though I have oily skin I still use a moisturizer. Oily skin is simply overcompensating for a lack of moisture, so the best way to combat it is by moisturizing your skin. I have been using the Garnier SkinActive Balancing 3 in 1 Moisturizer. I also have been using the Soothing version of this moisturizer. Quite honestly I am not that fond of the soothing version. I only use that one when my skin feels like it needs a little extra TLC as it is much thicker. I love the balancing moisturizer. That is my go to moisturizer at night.

Lastly I go in with an eye cream. I know many people do not think that is a necessary step for someone that is only in their 20s but I personally think it is never too soon to start adding something like this into your skincare routine. I find it better to get into the habit early rather than late. I have been using the Mario Badescu Skin Care Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream and I love this as well. It really is just a basic moisturizer for your eyes and I feel it gives my eyes just the boost it needs.

In the morning I usually just go in with my toner and then apply my makeup. I know everyone is very different in their morning skincare routines. I feel this is all I need. 

If you got through all those steps I applaud you! I know there is a lot there but honestly my skin has never looked better. Sure I still get breakouts from time to time but that is going to happen. Take care of your skin and you are sure to be glowing for many years to come. I know I already said it but I cannot stress enough how important it is to remove your makeup before bed. This is my routine every night. You do not need to go this extensive but at the very least use a makeup wipe and remove that makeup! Also make sure you are drinking enough water. I always find my skin starts to lack when I am not making sure I get enough water.

There is my skin completely naked. Not an ounce of makeup on and that picture was taken shortly after I had showered. I never would have shared a picture like this a few years ago when my skin was at its worst. Consistency is key and finding what works for you is so important. I hope this post inspired you to maybe tweak your skincare routine to what is right for you!

Links:

(Where the recipes call for lemon oil, I substituted with Rosemary and Frankincense.)

Foaming Face Wash (when I went back to this article the page was up for review, but I still wanted to include it. Message me if you would like the recipe.) 

DIY Acne Toner