Review: theBalm timeBalm Foundation

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about theBalm's timeBalm Foundation in Lighter than Light.

"Good things start with a good foundation. Our cult-classic timeBalm concealer was such a hit with its vitamin-packed, rejuvenating formula that we took it to another level! Perfect for all skin types, our medium to full coverage timeBalm Foundation crafts a flawless face by smoothing out imperfections and leaving a perfect canvas." (theBalm)

The timeBalm Foundation comes in a sleek palm sized plastic tub with a screw top. I definitely don't mind this type of packaging, but I do find that if I have the foundation on my fingers it's slightly irritating to screw the lid back on, as opposed to having a click top lid you can smoosh down with your palms. Yes I could apply the foundation, wash my hands and then screw it back on, but the longer it's exposed to the air, the faster it'll dry out.

In the tub, this foundation looks disappointingly dark, however when swatched the formula is super thick, pigmented and surprisingly light. Lighter than Light is rather pale, but also very warm (yellow) toned which is exactly why I bought it!

Nicola from Blush Baby is totally amazing, and has swatched all of the colours of the timeBalm Foundation! I borrowed this image from Blush Baby's Facebook page. If you are interesting in trying out this Foundation, but don't know what colour you are, Blush Baby has an amazing deal where you can select 3 sample shades for $10 to try before you buy the full size!

As you can see from the photo's above, the timeBalm Foundation is absolutely brilliant for covering blemish scars and redness. The timeBalm Foundation is marketed for all skin types, but I found that the timeBalm Foundation emphasized my dry spots, existing blemishes, and didn't do anything for my oily skin at the 6+hours mark.

Coverage

Absolutely fantastic. This probably has the heaviest coverage of all the foundations in my collection, but it still provides me with fresh, non-cakey, but still perfectly covered skin.


Colour 
Quite pale and warm toned. This is very similar to my Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Compact Foundation in Alabaster, but marginally darker. They are very very close though!


Texture
Very thick and creamy. Personally I found it slightly challenging (bothersome) to blend, but it worked out in the end.


Oil Control
Not great. It's not marketed specifically for oily skin, but it is marketed for all skin types. I think it would be fine if I had blotted and reapplied my setting powder at around the 5hour mark, but for review purposes, I left it alone.


Lasting Power
My oily zone turned oily, and my dry zone turned dry. It was a little flakey around existing blemishes, but the colour and coverage lasted the 6 hours.


Things I Love
- Very light and warm toned (almost perfect for me!)
- Great coverage
- Coverage and colour lasts well


Things I Don't Love
 - Expensive ($42) and hard to find in New Zealand
- Difficult (personally) to apply
- Excentuates oily and dry skin

Final Thoughts

I am totally 50/50 about this product! On one hand, it's a very good colour match for me, some people (like Nicola from Blush Baby) wear it and it looks amazing, and when I first apply it, it looks great! On the other hand, it's very close to my Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Compact Foundation (although it is half the price) but it doesn't last nearly as well, it's not as perfect a colour match, and tends to make me look oily and dry after 6 hours or wear.

To be honest, what I like most about this product is that the colour is very pale and warm because that is quite hard to find! I don't love the formula, and for the price, I would rather stick with the Bobbi Brown Compact that I had bought previous to buying theBalm timeBalm Foundation.