Naturally Neutrogena

Not being available in Australia, I was particularly excited to get my hands on Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup SPF 20 when I visited the States last year. It seems to be a favourite of a few YouTube gurus I watch (Marlena from Makeup Geek, MakeupByTiffanyD, frmheadtotoe), so I was curious to see how it would fare on my skin and whether I'd love it as well. Not having any testers to determine my shade, I guessed my closest match to be Nude (40) purely from researching online before my trip.

I'd describe Neutrogena Healthy Skin as having light to medium coverage with a thin, satin finish that is only slightly glowy. I've heard this foundation being heralded as the cheaper alternative to NARS Sheer Glow, which was a major selling point for me. I wouldn't say they're the same — Healthy Skin doesn't have as much of an illuminated, softly diffused finish as Sheer Glow and also is lighter coverage and not as long-lasting.

It actually reminds me in application and consistency more of Make Up For Ever HD foundation, though not as high coverage and less matte. But like the MUFE, Healthy Skin doesn't take well to my skin if it hasn't been slathered in moisturiser beforehand. The first couple of times I wore it, it noticeably caked around my nose after a few hours and clung to a dry patch on my forehead. I've found it works best if I first apply a layer of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, followed by a generous layer of Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré to really prime and boost moisture in my skin. It goes on fine with fingers (better for layering and building up coverage), or my trusty favourite, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Because of the thick moisturiser I put on, I've found that it can feel heavy at first, so I usually blot within 1-2 hours of application, which then manages to control shine for the rest of the day.

What I do like about this foundation is that it's almost undetectable on the skin, and the very natural way that it wears as the day goes on. Even though the coverage fades by the end of the day, it doesn't slip off the skin and leave it greasy and patchy to the same degree as other comparable foundations like Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. The Nude (40) shade I picked out also turned out to be a crazily good match for me, which is probably the part I'm most thrilled about. The addition of SPF 20 is also always handy in an everyday foundation. If only they included a pump.