Essence Fresh & Fit Foundation Review

I picked up the Essence Fresh and Fit Awake Foundation and I’ve been testing it for a few weeks. This foundation is relatively new from Essence and I am happy to report that they are cruelty free and an affordable brand as well.

THE PRODUCT: The Essence Fresh and Fit Awake Foundation is a medium to high coverage dewy/glowy foundation enriched with vitamin B3, B5, E and cranberry water to give you a healthy glow and a radiant complexion.

THE PACKAGING: The foundation is packaged in a heavy, good quality plastic- glass bottle with a pump. Essence deserves full marks for this category, since they are so affordable and the quality has a high-end feel to it.

THE FORMULA AND FRAGRANCE: The foundation has a medium thickness liquid consistency that is easily applied to the skin. There is no chemical smell, but it does have a faint sunscreen smell to it.

THE COVERAGE: The Essence Fresh and Fit Awake Foundation claims to have medium to full coverage. However I have found that one layer of foundation will only give you light coverage. With two or more layers (pumps) you are definitely able to build up the coverage(without it looking cakey) and achieve a medium to fuller coverage.

THE RESULT: The foundation dries quickly and makes your skin feels smooth and velvety. It also works well if you don't set it with a translucent powder. If you do set it, the luminosity/ glowy-ness will still peek through.

THE APPLICATION METHOD: The Essence Fresh and Fit Awake Foundation can be applied with a beauty sponge, brush or fingers. Al three application methods works well.

DOES IT OXIDISE? Yes, unfortunately the foundation oxidises a little bit within minutes after application. It is relatively mild and not that noticeable with other makeup products.

PERFORMANCE WITH PRIMER(S): My go-to primer, L.A. Girl PRO.Prep HD Soothing Face Primer, in combination with the Essence Fresh and Fit Awake Foundation wore like a dream! It dried down quickly, didn’t cling to dry patches or make my T-zone oily. The foundation wears relatively well during the day, but becomes a bit patchy and worn-off after 8-9-hours. I tried not to touch my face as much. Adding highlighter and bronzer didn’t effect or move the foundation around. As for the under eyes, it did sink into those fine lines, but that happens with all of my foundations. I would suggest using a concealer rather than applying the foundation directly under the eyes.

PERFORMANCE WITHOUT PRIMER: The foundation wore well without any primers. It did not settle into my pores and fine lines as much as I expected. However, I did become more oily in my T-Zone and it wore off around 5 hours after application. TIP: setting it with a powder will increase longevity up to an hour or so.

SHADE SELECTION: Unfortunately there are only 4 shades available, all of which are fairly light. I found it a bit disappointing, since woman of all shades can't experience this wonderful brand. I know Essence is expanding their shade range a bit more, to accommodate a broader range of skin tones. I purchased the shade 30 Fresh honey which works well in the summer. I still have to see the shade match for winter.

PRICE: R109.95 or $4.99

MY THOUGHTS? I LOVE this foundation. It is perfect for summer or weather you are very active throughout the day. The foundation is very lightweight and really does look like a "second skin". Considering the price, the packaging, the benefits and the smell I think it is pretty good value for money! The only fault is the very limited shade range.

RE-PURCHASE? I would definitely repurchase this foundation. The product is affordable, works well with and without primers, is build-able for your own coverage taste and has a list of skincare benefits.

Score: 8.5/10