Maybelline Superstay Active Wear 30Hr Foundation Review

Hi lovelies,

My Smashbox foundation has finally come to an end, sigh*. Oh and since Loreal have discontinued the Infallible Pro Glow, I’ve had to find a new one….sad times. The Active Wear formula is different to the original Superstay and I think it has replaced the OG foundation.

You can purchase this at most drugstores as well as online at Boots, Superdrug, Beauty Bay as well as the Maybelline website. This retails for £10.99 and contains 30ml of product. I purchased mine from Beauty Bay as part of a larger order and it arrived the following day. When I’ve ordered from Boots and Superdrug online in the past, it took a few days to arrive.

So, the shade range leaves a LOT to be desired. If I’m completely honest, the shade range (like the original Superstay) is absolutely terrible. It’s 16 shades of beige with 4 darker shades. C’mon Maybelline you can do better than that surely? Also, finding your shade is hard. The images online offer no help and the shade finder on Maybelline was next to useless. I mean it suggested Porcelain….I’m not that pale. I ended up using a variety of reviews on Youtube to find my shade finally settling on Sands which is a pretty good match. Thanks Youtubers of the world.

The packaging matches with the rest of the Superstay collection and is very similar to the original foundation. The only difference is the black stripe up the front and the added name on the cap. But its the rectangular component of the collection and has a pump dispenser. It’s not the smoothest or cleanest dispenser; you have to be careful to not press it too fast otherwise it can go everywhere.

According to the product description, this is a full coverage foundation that can last up to 30 hours. The high pigment formula should cover and even out skin imperfection while leaving you with a lightweight, matte finish. As this is active wear, it is transfer resistant, water resistant and sweat resistant. This is an oil free formula that doesn’t clog pores and has been dermatologist tested. It is suitable for all skin types.

I’m not overly blown away by this one I have to admit. The foundation oxidises a lot making it a few shades darker (see image below). Bare this in mind when making your purchase. The formula is really thick which can make it difficult to apply and blend evenly. I found it easier to work with when I apply it with a stubby foundation brush and go over it with a blending sponge. It is definitely a full coverage foundation that is highly pigmented and evens out your skin tone. It’s also pretty good at covering blemishes without highlighting them and leaves you with a flawless matte finish.

What it doesn’t do is stay on the face…..transfer resistant my ass! Honestly the slightest touch will move that around and away. Even after powdering. So yeah, can’t say that it’s water or sweat resistant either. I’m not entirely sure how they can badge this as a 30hr foundation with that issue (I didn’t test it that for that long). Surprisingly though, it didn’t settle into my fine lines or crease around the mouth for hours. Also, I can’t describe it as lightweight. It felt heavy on the skin but it hasn’t caused me any breakouts even after wearing it for consecutive days.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this one. So I’m loving it for online; it looks amazing in photos and tutorials. To be fair it looks amazing in person as well when fully blended with everything else. However, its not very practical for actual wear. It transfers way too easily for me which is such a shame because aside from that it performs great.

Thanks for reading. Have this foundation…send us your images and looks for a social media feature. Don’t forget to hit that like, follow or leave us a comment. Maybe even join our email list if you loved it.

Rach xx

Donations…Everything Helps!!!

Want to help fund us? Send a donation and get your name added to our social media pages!!!! I’m a poor Odeon worker and certain brands are expensive. Everything helps.

£1.00