Don't believe the hype! (Olay Complete Care Touch of Foundation)

Member Name: Sacheverell

Product:	Olay Complete Care Touch of Foundation
Date:	09/11/09 (78 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: SPF 15; feels light; doesn't irritate skin

Disadvantages: Looks shiny; smells a bit odd; expensive; doesn't blend/moisturise well or provide good coverage

This summer I was looking for a tinted moisturiser, because it seemed better to wear a tinted moisturiser during hot weather rather than a standard moisturiser and slightly heavy foundation. It's more comfortable to do so, and lets your freckles shine through a bit, which I find are naturally more apparent in summer.

I was looking for a tinted moisturiser with a nicer texture than the ones I remembered from being a teenager, and with reasonably good coverage as some of my veins can be seen through my skin, which is a little bit unattractive, perhaps! I also wanted an SPF of 15 or so to protect my skin from the sun.

I had seen a television advert for Olay Complete Care Touch of Foundation which depicted a woman applying the product on a train without even looking in a mirror. This gave the impression that the product would naturally blend into the skin without any orange streaks, which can happen with even the best foundations if you're not looking what you're doing. I knew this was unrealistic and wasn't particularly swayed by the advert.

I chose to buy Olay Complete Care Touch of Foundation, which is SPF 15, because I couldn't find another tinted moisturiser in Boots with sun protection. In addition I thought it was likely to be good quality because it contains Max Factor foundation, and I have always found their foundations to have wonderful coverage and texture. I bought the palest shade as I have fair skin.

I thought £9.99 was expensive for what it was, as I tend to think of tinted moisturiser as being a cheap product. However, I bought it and tried it out the next day.
It comes in a box, and the moisturiser itself is in a pump action dispenser which is convenient to use, but rather too bulky to fit in one's make-up bag.

It has a fairly nice texture but didn't blend very well with my complexion. I found it acted a bit like a cheap foundation in terms of orange streaks appearing if I wasn't careful, and it didn't have a smoothing effect as I usually find with Max Factor foundations. Any areas of dry skin seemed to pick up a very slight orange appearance - despite it being the palest shade - which isn't very nice. However, it generally provided an acceptable, if light, coverage. I was shiny afterwards and had to use face powder. It lasts fairly well, not wearing off any more quickly than most foundations.

The scent is not one I'm keen on; it's slightly sweet but a bit powdery, like old-fashioned talcum powder with a musty hint to it. I can't smell it on my face for long after application, and I doubt it makes me smell like that in general, so that's not too much of a problem.

The product claims to offer up to 24 hours of moisturisation, and vitamins for the skin. I don't feel it works especially well as a moisturiser; it doesn't leave my skin feeling wonderful. It also doesn't act terribly well as a foundation as it doesn't blend terribly well. You certainly couldn't apply it without looking as the lady in the advert does!

I would have expected better from both Olay and Max Factor, and better from a product costing £10. It's a usable product and doesn't harm my skin so I do use it on occasion. I don't use it when I have dry skin because the moisturising element of it isn't effective and it accentuates dry patches. I'm not going to throw it away, but nor am I going to buy it again when it runs out.

Summary: It's not terrible, but I was little disappointed. I won't be buying it again!