TSABD Edit: Covergirl TruBlend Matte Made Foundation (Dark Shades)

According to a recent press release, Covergirl set out to create a foundation that works for all skin types, so they listened to their fans and were inspired to create their latest foundation launch: Covergirl TruBlend Matte Made. I’m always intrigued when Covergirl comes out with new foundations (because the formulas always seem like they would be bomb.com) but I never get to try them because they never make anything remotely deep enough for me, and then on the Queen collection side, it seems as if they don’t launch very many formulas. But with TruBlend Matte Made they did a first-ever for the brand and launched 40 shades!

That Rihanna reign just won’t let up, huh? LOL.

Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun.

By now you may have seen a number of influencers including myself opening the press package with all 40 shades. Like I normally do with makeup on this blog, I’m going to focus on the deeper shades in this post, but I will show close-up pictures of all the shades. (I wound up giving the lighter shades away—my hairstylist and friend Gabrielle Corney is shade M50 for reference).

This new foundation is said to be inclusive of all skin needs, minimizes pores, controls shine, feels comfortable on your skin, and stays put for up to 12 hours. It also mentions an easy to navigate shade range numbered from light to deep: Light (L), Medium (M), Tan (T), and Deep (D). There are also warm, cool, and neutral undertone call-outs to help you find your perfect match. Great, because we all know how hard it is to figure out your shade at the drugstore

Some more things to know about the foundation directly from the brand:
* It’s oil free
* Transfer resistant
* Pore minimizing
* It provides all day comfort wear

There are also four TruBlend Skin Primer Bases, but I won’t be reviewing them in this post. If I get a chance to try out the ones that make sense for my skin, I’ll post—make sure you’re subscribed to the blog so you don’t miss it if I do.

So my best match was shade D70 (Cappuccino) and I swear I looked at the bottle 50 times and don’t see anything on it that denotes undertone. If you see it, leave a comment…lol. I have neutral undertones and this was a pretty decent match for me if that helps. Shade D80 looked like it would be my “I was in Trinidad for a week” shade as it’s darker and has more red in it than shade D70. The website so far doesn’t mention undertone descriptions so maybe they mean the “undertone call-outs” will be on the displays at drugstores.

But this Covergirl TruBlend Matte Made formula is bomb.com for real. It’s like a hybrid between a cream and a liquid and comes in an easy to dispense pump (you can also twist the pump close which I very much appreciated). It’s not as emollient as a liquid, but you get the coverage of a cream. I needed very little of it to cover my entire face, and got a “this is my skin” finish when I applied it. It also has amazing staying power on near 80 degree days when I tested it. I have oily skin (though not as oily as it used to be—I swear I feel like a broken record because I say this in almost every review but I swear the day I *don’t* say it, someone will be confused…lol) and I only had minor oil breakthrough. I made sure to test it with a moisturizer that would be more of an early spring/late fall moisturizer for me to really see how it would perform and it still held up well (of course it would hold up even better with my summertime moisturizer).

I personally am very side-eye-y when brands say their foundations are transfer-proof. I would say this one didn’t transfer a lot—I wouldn’t go running up on somebody’s white blouse with it on, but you might see less makeup transfer than usual. BUT the thing is, once you put other makeup on with it, I feel like that can still transfer. I always say be more conscious that you have makeup on and you’ll be okay. Keep your hands off your face and hug people on angles…lol.

While I really love the formula and finish, I do need to advocate for more shades on the deeper end. Yes, this is way more than Covergirl has ever done and is like a gazillion times better than the shade selection for darker skin at many of the beauty brands out there (I’m looking at you Almay, Physician’s Formula, It Cosmetics, etc) BUT I still want more shades on the deeper end. 40 shades is cool to boast, but when you have 40 shades and you have a lot of people on the deeper end who still can’t find a shade, it’s not really cool for that segment of the population. And then I wonder how this will play out in stores. We’ve already experienced difficulties in finding darker shades at drugstores even from brands who carry them (though things do seem to be changing—for instance my local Walgreens seems to be getting on board and making sure the shade selection in-store reflects the heavy Black population in the area).

I do commend Covergirl for this though—it’s a step in the right direction. I love the brand and would love to see them do even more. They have a history of embracing diversity and they’re currently rebranding so I can’t wait to see what else they have in store.

Check out The Black Girl’s Guide to Drugstore Makeup

Covergirl TruBlend Matte Made Foundation Video Demo:

Covergirl TruBlend Matte Made Foundation Demo (Dark Skin) from Danielle Gray on Vimeo.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a medium coverage foundation (I would say this is also buildable but not completely full coverage) that covers well, performs well, that feels like a cream on the drugstore level, this is worth a try.

Price and where to buy: Covergirl TruBlend Matte Made foundation will be about $10 each (prices may vary by retailer and region). According to the Covergirl Instagram, this will be in stores in June.

***UPDATE*** Get them for $8.49 each and free Prime shipping on Amazon here.

P.S. Make sure you check out Why MAC is NOT a Foundation Guide.

Would you try Covergirl TruBlend Matte Made foundation? Tell me why or why not in the comments!

See more drugstore foundation swatches and reviews here

See all foundation swatches and reviews here

Here’s a look at the other shades