Clinique Even Better foundation and wet n wild Photo Focus foundation help even out my skin tone. But which is better?
Bougie vs. Broke is a feature where I compare two of the same products from different price points. In this article we’re comparing liquid foundations: Clinique Even Better Refresh foundation and wet n wild Photo Focus foundation.
I’ve got these broken capillaries on my face, and man, are they a pain. I’m always looking for the best foundation to cover them without looking cakey. Fine lines get a bad rap when we talk about aging, but skin tone (broken capillaries, redness, brown spots) issues are the more serious enemy, IMO. Wrinkles can be filled with primer and detracted from by highlighter. It takes a good foundation to provide a more youthful, even-toned complexion.
How do these two foundations compare in their ability to even skin tone, look great in photos, last all day, and improve skin texture? Read on to find out!
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Clinique Even Better Refresh Hydrate and Repairing Foundation
Clinique Even Better Refresh Hydrate and Repairing Foundation is a full-coverage, 24-hour wear liquid foundation. It’s ideal for dry, dry combination, and oily combination skin types.
I’m a long-time fan of Clinique makeup and skincare. Or, in the case of this liquid foundation, both. Clinique foundations often marry coverage and correction. Even Better Refresh is no exception. It contains hyaluronic acid to plump skin (thereby lessening appearance of fine lines), peptides to smooth skin, and salicylic acid to retexturize skin. The Clinique website describes it as being able to “make your skin look good, even after you take it off.”
wet n wild Photo Focus Foundation
wet n wild Photo Focus is a medium to full coverage, long-wearing liquid foundation. It has a matte finish and is best for oily and combination skin types.
This liquid foundation aspires to good selfies. In fact, it was tested under different lighting conditions to make sure skin looked flawless in every photo. The wet n wild website claims this foundation is specially made with a “light-diffusing complex to give your skin #nofilter perfection.”
wet and wild tested their foundation under seven light conditions tested, with and without a smartphone camera flash:
- Clear Blue Sunlit Sky
- Outdoors PM
- Indoors PM
- Electronic Flash
- Fluorescent Light
- Bathroom Light
- Nightclub Light
That’s pretty thorough for an under $5 liquid foundation.
The Ish Mom Review of Clinique Even Better Foundation
Clinique Even Better Refresh Foundation: First Impression
I noticed this foundation’s blendability first. A little goes a long way and spreads evenly. 
On my skin, the product is darker upon application, lightening as it dries down. The Clinique Even Better Refresh feels beautiful going on, soft and light. My skin continued to feel even and smooth hours later, as if I was wearing moisturizer instead of foundation.
Coverage
Clinique wasn’t lying: this foundation is most definitely full coverage. I didn’t need to use as much concealer with this product as with other foundations or BB creams. It’s awesome that the such a full coverage foundation is also so blendable and easy to work with.
Wear
Even Better Refresh Foundation did seem to get shinier as the day wore on. I recommend keeping blotting sheets ready. If your skin is extra oily, this may not be the product for you.
However, even with the added shine, this foundation did not fade, break down, or patch for over twelve hours. Even through hot mornings at the park with the boys and fifteen minute HIIT workouts.
Skin Care Benefits
I could tell a difference in my skin after using the Even Better Refresh Foundation for two weeks. My pores seemed smaller and my skin felt smoother (retexturizing benefits, just as the copy claims). I’m pretty sure my fine forehead lines are less noticable. But my dumb butt forgot to take a before pic with bare skin, so. Just take my word for it, k?
Ish Mom Review of wet n wild Photo Focus Foundation
wet n wild Photo Focus Foundation: First Impression
Is my bottle expired? Did something die in here and get then get embalmed? This foundation smells terrible. What’s the deal with this spatula thing? OK, I’ll just scrape some on my hand and apply it with a makeup sponge.
Omg, I don’t care how it smells or how it’s applied, how in the world is the wet n wild Photo Focus Foundation so cheap?! It’s amazing.
Coverage
The wet n wild foundation doesn’t feel nourishing, because it doesn’t feel like anything. It’s an extremely thin and rather watery product. This makes its coverage ability even more amazing. It spreads easily, but requires more focused blending (than the Clinique foundation) to look its’ best.
Wear
The wet n wild Photo Focus wore nearly as well as the Clinique, but with no shine. There was a bit of product breakdown around my nose.
Do The Photo Claims Hold Up?
I dunno, man, do they? I think so. There’s something about that matte finish that covers yet doesn’t make me look dead. My skin looks really even, too. It’s not that the Wet n’ Wild Photofocus looks bad IRL, but it looks even better in photos. I dare say the Clinique looks better IRL than in photos.
Bougie vs. Broke: Clinique Even Better Foundation and wet n wild Photo Focus Foundation
Both foundations deliver great coverage. The Clinique Even Better Refresh Hydrate and Repairing Foundation boasts more ease of use and ingredients that double as skin care. The two foundations deliver different finishes as well. When I asked others if they could tell a difference between the two sides of my face, one friend noted, “That side is…glowier.” She pointed to the Even Better Refresh side of my face.
I will say this: I wouldn’t care if a foundation smelled like all my old farts in a bottle, if it performed like the wet n wild one. For around the cost of a large Starbucks, I’d slap it on my face errrrry day. The wet n wild Photo Focus Foundation is an amazing product for its price. Period. End of story.
However, if glow-y skin looks are more your thing, or you’re noticing the first signs of aging-and you have a few extra bucks then you may want the Clinique Even Better Refresh. The added skin care ingredients make it a more expensive foundation than the wet n wild, but that’s understandable. Some may find this product’s ease of use worth the higher price tag too.
I love trying out and comparing makeup products, it injects a little science into shallow rituals. What products would you like to see me try out? What’s your favorite foundation? Let me know in the comments below! Did you enjoy this article? Share it!
Check out my last Bougie vs. Broke.
P.S. In the first photo I’m wearing wet n wild Photofocus foundation on my left side, Clinique Even Better Refresh foundation on the right.
Happy blending!
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