We Tried 3 Drugstore Foundations, So You'll Know Which One to Buy

Drug Store Makeup: Wet n’ Wild, Cover Girl and L.A. Cosmetics

We tried three drug store foundations to see which one was the best. We only used the foundation. We didn’t prime, set or use blush. We washed and moisturized our skin in the exact same way for each foundation. This gave us a fair comparison.

The foundations we tried were all matte coverage from a local CVS. For this experiment we chose Wet n’ Wild Photo Focus, CoverGirl True Blend Matte Made, L.A. Girl Pro Matte HD High Definition.

Wet n’ Wild

PhotoFocus

$6.59

        This was the least expensive of all three drug store foundations in our list. Unfortunately, it caked and creased into the small lines. Even though Wet n’ Wild Photo Focus covered all the red spots and blemishes, it didn’t cover darker spots caused by the sun. It was very apparent we were wearing a foundation. Super apparent.

        For all you dark haired beauties out there, beware of Wet n’ Wild Photo Focus getting into your hair line. When you have dark brown or black hair, some foundations can blend into your hair line causing a grey color. I was wearing this foundation when I went to visit my uncle, whom I hadn’t seen in 2 years and he immediately exclaimed, “Your hair is going gray!” It’s not (well maybe a strand or two).

        Wet n’ Wild didn’t set and felt tacky the entire day. Some foundations will eventually “set” or dry without a powder or setting spray. This is not one of them. Though it is always preferable to set your foundation with a powder.

        On a positive note, a little goes a long way. You don’t need a lot to smooth all over your skin. We also like that there is a plastic applicator on the inside of the top. 

Cover Girl True Blend Matte Made Color M80 Beige

$11.49

        Cover Girl Matte Made was sticky and we noticed we needed more foundation to get full coverage. It felt wet and sticky, and it caked or creased. It does “set” or dry within a few hours, so you’ll need a powder or it will move around. Without a setting powder you will get that feeling that you are wearing makeup. We did try it with a setting powder and it reversed that sticky feeling, but the experiment is to try each foundation without anything else (that’s the best way to test the product without a variable).

        There is definitely nothing flawless about this foundation. You can still tell foundation is being slathered all over your skin, so it doesn’t make you have that “I have great skin and woke up this way,” look.   

        Does it do the job of eliminating discoloration? Yes, it does the job. And sometimes you’ve gotta just “make it work” like Tim Gunn says on Project Runway. With a little setting powder and the right primer, it’s very doable.

L.A. Girl Pro Matte HD High Definition, Long Wear, Matte Foundation

Favorite

$8.99

This was our favorite out of the three drug store foundations we found. It was smooth and not sticky like CoverGirl. It didn’t sit in any fine lines or pores like Wet n’ Wild. We didn’t use as much to get the same coverage, so a little goes a long way. It sets very quickly without a setting powder or setting spray.

L.A. Girl Pro Matte HD, lasted the longest without any touch ups.

The four of us who tried these foundations were torn between CoverGirl and LA Girl. Wet n’ Wild was the last on each of our list.