Not many people talk about The Balm Cosmetics but they do have some hidden gems. This Even Steven foundation is one of them.

This foundation comes in the smallest pot. It looks more like a concealer pot than foundation but don’t be fooled by the small packaging. Even Steven is a powerful little guy. The tiniest amount goes a long way.I like wearing it on the weekends to run errands or just hang out. It has a nice light medium coverage and when buffed out it’s not cakey. I don’t like cakey foundation. I prefer a light skin like texture. It dries to powder, no need to powder unless you have oily skin. It does last better on my chin when I dust a little translucent powder and around my nose but other than that I don’t add powder. Covers under eye circles pretty good too. Usually when I use this foundation I don’t use concealer.

This foundation has a good wear time. I find that it looks nicer as the day goes on. When first apply it its matte. I usually have it on about 8-9 hours and by the time I have to wash it off its pretty and glowey. Your skin has the most beautiful satin sheen. Not oily shiny. Just healthy glow.

I use primer with every foundation I apply. My skin gets clogged pores very quickly so I try to find primers that are non-comedogenic. My current everyday primer is Loreal Paris Magic Perfecting Base. This  primer blurs the pores, fills in lines and prevents foundation from clogging my pores. Win Win.

I like to use a foundation brush with this foundation. I find that the sponge doesn’t spread it evenly. I dip my finger into the pot very lightly and dot three dots on my foreheads, two on each cheek and three dots on my chin. This is enough to buff all over my face with decent natural coverage. I don’t have to dip my finger into the pot again. I have used this tiny 0.45 FL OZ pot for over six months every weekend and I haven’t even used quarter of it yet.

The foundation really doesn’t have any harsh scent. No perfume or chemically smell. To me it smells like a damp beauty blender.

The shade selection is small. It only comes in 8 shaded-Lighter than light, light, light/medium, medium, mid-medium, medium/dark, dark and after dark. The in between shades are ok but anyone who is very fair and very dark will have a hard time finding a matching shade. Im usually porcelain or alabaster so the lighter than light is a bit dark for me. Probably about half a shade darker than it should be. Lighter than light is a little too warm. If it was neutral or cool it would match my skin better. It almost color matches to your skin when you buff it in. When you first apply its much darker and warmer and after it settles the shade difference is barely noticeable.

The cost of the foundation is $22 but if you wait for a sale on http://www.thebalm.com site you can get it much cheaper. It last a long time so I don’t mind paying the $22.

I highly recommend this foundation to anyone who wants an easy natural out the door look. It doesn’t require a lot of work and it wears for a long time. Gets nicer throughout the day. The foundation seems to play nice with your natural oils.

Have you tried this foundation? What do you think about it?

Love Kat