Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation and wet n wild Photofocus Foundation Dewy are two great foundations with wildly different price points. But which one is better?
In Bougie vs. Broke, I compare two similar products at different price points. In this edition, the Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation is the bougie foundation, wet n wild Photofocus Foundation Dewy the broke.
Why Wear Foundation?
Because foundation is magical.
You should wear foundation because it:
- minimizes pores
- blurs or covers imperfections
- acts as a barrier against environmental pollutants
- evens skin tone
- increases skin radiance (some formulas can mattify oily areas, too)
- may contain SPF and other skin care benefits
While testing these foundations, I noted the ease of application, blendability, pigmentation/color, coverage, texture, longevity, and the verity of product claims. My face was entirely covered in Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation one day, wet n wild Photofocus Foundation Dewy the next. Some days I went half and half to test both products at once.
Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation Review
Clinique’s Even Better line has long been a cult favorite, but in the last few years it’s gone mainstream.
What started as extremely effective Even Better serums and moisturizers has expanded into different foundation lines.
With Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation, Clinique marries an intense concentration of the Even Better skin care formula with their best tone-correcting foundation.
So…did Clinique succeed?
Ease
You could apply this foundation in the dark and still have a good skin day.
I’ve never experienced anything like it. A half pump of Clinique Even Better Serum Foundation smeared quickly and carelessly, makes my face look like a million bucks.
I pat it into place with a beauty blender, too, but more out of habit than necessity.
Blendability
The amazing blendability of Clinique Even Better Serum Foundation is probably why it’s so easy to use.
It just melts into the skin. Or, that’s what it feels like. But you know it’s sitting on your skin, as imperfections are covered.
Pigmentation/Color
This foundation line offers a wide shade range with a variety of undertones.
Coverage
As I mentioend in my article on affordable skin care, my skin issues are broken capillaries, hormonal redness, and uneven skin tone.
And a tiny bit of Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation covered all of it, no second layer needed.
Texture
This foundation feels soft on the fingers and weightless on the face.
Longevity
The Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation wears wonderfully, with no signs of patching, fading, or transferring for over twelve hours.
This foundation didn’t rub off on my mask, either.
Verity of Product Claims
The copy for the Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation reads, “Forget everything you know about foundation,” and you know, they’re not far off.
I’ve never used a foundation that felt so light, blended so easily, covered so much, and required so little product. Therefore, I agree with all the company’s claims about texture, coverage, etc.
The Clinique website claims that the Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation contains ingredients (salicylic acid, Vitamin C, “UP302,” and hyaluronic acid) that improves the appearance of bare skin over time. I haven’t used this foundation long enough to verify this claim.
wet n wild Photofocus Foundation Dewy Review
Remember the ’90’s? wet n wild was a bit of a joke in the makeup world. If you wanted to try a new or unusual color, you’d head to Wal-Mart and get a 99 cent wet n wild garish nail polish or lipstick.
Well, that’s a ’90’s trend that’s never coming back, cuz wet n wild is practically chic now.
When the original Photofocus foundation was released, beauty junkies everywhere lost their minds. We’d never before seen a foundation perform so well at that price.
There was only one complaint: some found the matte formula too drying. wet n wild answered with Photofocus Foundation Dewy line. Does this foundation deliver glowing skin while remaining faithful to its original coverage ability?
Ease
wet n wild Photofocus Foundation Dewy is easy to blend, but not as easy as the Clinique Foundation.
I can apply the wet n wild foundation with my fingers, but it requires a beauty sponge to blend completely into the skin.
Blendability
The wet n wild Photofocus Foundation Dewy is very blendable, but not as much as the Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation.
Pigmentation
I love the shade range that wet n wild delivers in all the Photofocus lines. However, most shades run warm, with yellow and orange undertones.
Because of that slight tone difference with most Photofocus products, I’ve found it’s even more important to make sure the foundation is completely blended.
Coverage
The wet n wild Photofocus Foundation Dewy provides great, but not otherworldly, coverage.
One layer covered most of my skin imperfections, but I needed another application for a few stubborn spots of redness or broken capillaries.
Texture
This foundation is practically weightless, but feels more watery than the Clinique foundation.
Longevity
The wet nwild Photofocus Foundation Dewy wears for over twelve hours with no patching or fading but it did transfer onto my face mask.
Verity of Product Claims
Just as the wet n wild website states, the Photofocus Foundation Dewy is a weightless foundation that provides medium to full coverage while minimizing pores and providing an overall glow.
Perhaps it isn’t quite as long-wearing as the copy claims, but not enough to accuse wet n wild of lying.
And The Winner Is
Clinique Even Better Serum Foundation sweeps every category.
But.
It’s so much more expensive than the wet n wild Photofocus Dewy Foundation.
In the online (Amazon, Ulta, and Sephora) reviews, most consumers raved about the Clinique Even Better Foundation. However, there was an extremely disgruntled minority of consumers.
So, I have a caveat.
The Best Foundation For Combination or Oily Skin
The Clinique Even Better Foundation is best for combination and oily skin.
Those who have dry skin (or even just lean more towards dryness than oiliness) did not have good reactions to this foundation.
Perhaps the acids react poorly to dry skin, causing the formula to be problematic and patchy on that skin type.
The Best Foundation For Dry Skin
Ditto, but in reverse, for the wet n wild Photofocus Foundation Dewy. It’s a much better foundation for drier skins, especially this particular formula.
Those with oily skin found that this formula made oil slicks brighter and didn’t blend into skin as easily.
Since my skin is more oily than dry, I had a phenomenal experience with the Clinique foundation. But the wet n wild one is by no means bad, especially at such a reasonable price.
Do you think a really good foundation is worth the splurge? What beauty product do you pay the most for? Let me know in the comments.
Happy blending!
Love,
