{Review} Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation

I finished my beloved Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation a while ago and then decided to try out the (at the time) newest foundation in the Maybelline family, the Dream Smooth Mousse foundation. I was really looking for something easy to apply, convenient, and above all, natural looking. If that's what you want, this foundation may be a good choice for you!


I have this foundation in the shade 150, Classic Ivory. I bought it at Target and I guess Target doesn't stock the full range of shades, because they do make a shade lighter, 100. I was really disappointed when I got home and found that this foundation is a bit dark for me. I can use it in the center of my face (nose and cheeks) fine when covering up redness. I can't use is anywhere near my cheeks because my face will be darker than my neck and look unnatural. Targets return policy doesn't allow exchanges or returns of opened cosmetics so I'm kinda stuck with it.


It comes with a sponge housed over the foundation in a separate compartment. I like the shape of the sponge. It makes it really easy to hold and get into the little nooks and crannies on my face. It is really good for blending under eye concealer or around the nose. I know a lot of people have reservations about using the sponge, but you can wash these sponges. I've been washing mine every 2 applications (just with regular liquid hand soap) and it does wash out. I also picked up a few extra sponges (circle ones) for $1.99 at Target for when this one gets old.


The actual foundation is a cream/gel formula. I don't know how to describe it. It's cream, but when you rub the surface, it's hard. Unless you really really press hard you won't pierce the surface.


See what I mean? I also noticed that the foundation was already separating from the edges of the compact which had me worrying about it drying out so after using it for a week, I scooped some into an old Mac jar (from a used up Tendertone).

A swatch:

Ignore the glitter! It's not from the foundation. I was just swatching something before and I guess I didn't clean my hand off enough. You probably can't tell, but it's a bit too orange for me. It matches my hand better because my hand is darker than my face, but on my face, especially around my chin or forehead, it looks artificial. Just one shade lighter would have worked.

As far as the formula goes, it's not the best foundation for oily skin. Cream foundations rarely set well on oily skin and tend to give a glowy finish. The finish of this foundation isn't too dewy, but unless you have dry skin you will have to set it with a powder and touch up throughout the day. It blends into the skin nicely. It has a very natural finish and looks like skin, not like makeup on top of skin. It's medium coverage, but you can thin it out or build it up pretty quickly. It won't cover up zits or dark circles, so you'll need a concealer. I do like using it around the eyes on days I don't feel like packing the concealer on. It doesn't settle into fine lines so it works around the eyes pretty well. If you don't need that much coverage this foundation will work for you.

The only negatives I can think of with the formula is that it doesn't last very long. But then again, it is a cream foundation and I do have oily skin. I would use a primer, though, because without one you'll notice that it wears off pretty quickly. The only other negative I can think of is that the packaging feels cheap and unnecessarily bulky. Unlike the Dream Matte Mousse foundation, this one is housed in a plastic, not glass container. The top which holds the sponge is rounded out, taking up more space than necessary with little gain in aesthetic appeal. It feels very light and insubstantial.

Other than that, if you have dry or normal skin, this may be a good alternative to more high end cream foundations. It isn't the greatest pick for combo or oily skin, though.

Pros:
-Good coverage.
-Natural finish.
-Doesn't skin into lines.

Cons:
-Not long lasting.
-Looks dewy.
-Cheap feeling packaging.
-May dry out.
-No sun protection.

Info:

Price: $9.49

Ingredients: Water, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Candelilla Cera (Candelilla Wax), PEG 9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin 3 Crosspolymer, Ozokerite, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Propylene Glycol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Citric Acid, PEG 9, Royal Jelly Extract (Royal Jelly), Chamomilla Recutita Extract (Matricaria Flower Extract), May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499)

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was purchased by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about privacy don't hesitate to ask in comments!