L.A. Girl Pro Coverage Illuminating Foundation

I'm sure you've probably heard all about the L.A. Girl Pro HD Foundation. There's been tons of videos done and reviews form huge beauty vloggers talking about it. It looks incredibly similar, packaging wise, to the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in the pump. So since it's inexpensive, and I absolutely love foundation and concealer, I thought I'd give it a whirl. 
Now I want to say that I went into this with bad expectations. I just didn't like some of the comments being made about it from these bigger names.  They liked the end result but they seemed to have their issues with it. Plus I'm one of the only people who doesn't like the pro concealer from L.A. Girl. So I was a skeptic, hard core skeptic. 

I got shade Porcelain, which doesn't look like a regular "porcelain" shade in no way shape or form. It has a pretty strong yellow undertone (which I prefer) but also a touch of orange I thought. So I was really worried it was gonna oxidize and be a messy disaster. Once I pumped it out though and started working with it, the color wasn't an issue. I use a brush from Morphe which is in their "Gilded" line and I think it's Y8, which is technically a contour and highlight brush but I really enjoy using it for foundation. It's dense enough so that it doesn't absorb too much product. It's more rounded instead of flat so I feel like it does a good job of applying foundaiton if you don't want to use a stippling technique. Which technically you still could but I like just buffing it or swiping it on so that my coverage isn't so intense. There are some people that use it with a Beauty Blender but they find it doesn't look as good as when you use a brush. I've not tried that method but considering I do find most Beauty Blenders sheer out any foundation and make it even more luminous, I'm pretty confident I wouldn't like it for this particular foundation.

So things I'd heard about this were that:

"It absolutely has to be set or else it transfers and slides around so easily"

"has a weird smell to it" (That's true)

"it's very wet looking"

"it feels very wet after applied"

So here's how I apply it. I used it without primer the first day. I was running late and needed to leave so I skipped primer. My skin is normal and sometimes combination for reference. I  basically used one pump and that was enough for my entire face. Using the Y8 brush to apply in more swiping and then buffing motions. Stippling would be fine as well. Like I said, I don't feel like, because it's an "Illuminating" foundaiton, that a Beauty Blender would be the best bet. I feel like it would sheer it out even more and then make it super super luminous. I applied this at 9 am. I noticed that at around 6pm I had some shine. Not a ton but some. Easily fixed with a brush, blotting sheet, or dry sponge without adding more product or powder. I did set mine but not like everyone else did. I set it with my typical ride or die powder which is the Algenist Color Correcting powder. I wasn't super precise or heavy with my powder either. Just a dusting. I did notice a smell but it disapated quickly. 

Now my shade is Porcelain. I didn't notice it being a super luminous foundation, keep in mind I didn't use any primer so it's not that. I only noticed the intense luminosity after around 4 hours of wear. The powder I used wasn't "mattifying" either. So I don't feel like it has a "wet" look on my skin either when first applied.

There are 16 shades including a pure white to lighten any foundaiton.  A statement from the company about the product description is as follows:

"PRO.coverage high-definition long wear illuminating liquid foundation is ideal for a flawless looking, full coverage finish. Lightweight formula is comfortable for all day wear. Paraben free formula with added anti-oxidants helps hydrate and improve the skin's appearance. Now available to extend the color range even further, an innovative white foundation mixer to adjust and customize color."

Their shade range for women of color is really good I think. Since they offer the white shade it could be used to make the lightest foundation you would need if you're super pale, but you'd have to buy two bottles. Which are $10 a piece. That's not a bad price but if you're buying 2 that puts you at $20. 

After 13 hours of wear I was ready to take it off because I felt greasy and just wanted to wash my face. Plus it didn't look too hot anymore after 13 hours. I've worn this pretty much every day since I've got it so maybe about 4 days. Each time I didn't use a primer ( I intended to but in general I don't use primer so why start now), and I either used my Algenist Color Correcting Powder or Too Faced Primed and Poreless Smoothing Powder to set it. My skin is typically very normal like I said, and during the day it can get a little oily. So without primer this needs to be touched up after about 4ish hours I feel, if I'm not doing anything crazy or sweating profusely. By touched up I just mean blotted or powdered a little to take away shine. I don't mean that it's moved on me or gotten patchy. So my overall thoughts about how to wear this is: avoid if you're oily, use some type of primer. Maybe you wouldn't even have to use a "mattifying" primer or a bullet proof primer just a generally good primer that holds foundation well for you. If you don't like primer I think you could probably get away with just setting this with a good setting spray. Like the Ben Nye Final Seal or UD All Nighter Spray even the Wet and Wild Setting Spray is really good so give that a try. Those steps are going to help you to avoid having to touch up or blot a lot through out the day. If that doesn't concern you than any blotting sheet, pressed powder, or even just a kabuki brush in your bag, will take away any unwanted shine. For those of you that are very dry these may be completely unnecessary steps for you in which case good for you, you can wear it and not worry about it.


So to sum this up. I really like it. I think it's a high quality, affordable, medium to full coverage (more on the full side) foundation. That would be a really good alternative for those of you who  didn't like the Milani 2 in 1 Conceal and Perfect because it was too heavy, thick or intense with it's full coverage. I think this would please you. Like I said, I don't really recommend it to oily skin types. I feel like normal, combo, and dry, would do the best with this because of the luminosity. Not to say that just because it's a drugstore price that it wouldn't do well against higher end brands. As a matter of fact I like it a little better than the MUFE HD Foundation (pump) I only prefer the color from MUFE over this one. I also like it more that the Urban Decay All Nighter, the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, I could name quite a few. So what I'm getting at is this is a great affordable foundaiton with high end results.