Clear + luminous: The Healthy Foundation and Spotlight Illuminating Primer from Physician’s Formula

Foundation… a product I could not live without.

Okay, so that’s maybe a touch dramatic, but in all seriousness, if you were to ask me my top three makeup items? It would be lip balm, mascara, and foundation. Really, that’s all you need (okay, and maybe a brow pencil; can I sneak an extra one in there?).

Anyways, since I love foundation so much, I’m always so happy to get in a new one, especially from a brand that I don’t often get to write about. A few months back, London Drugs sent me a box of fall beauty goodies and a ton of stuff was from Physician’s Formula. Physician’s Formula has really been stepping up their game lately, as it went from a brand that was mores associated with doctors to a line that has a bunch of really cool – and cute – products. Anyways, two of the products in that box was their Spotlight Illuminating Primer and The Healthy Skin foundation.

Physician's Formula Spotlight Illuminating Primer Before and after swatches of Physician's Formula Spotlight Illuminating Primer

The Spotlight Illuminating Primer is a universal skin illuminating primer that blurs, corrects, and protects the skin to give you a radiant glow. The formula is enriched with antioxidants and age-defying actives to protect the skin against environmental aggressors (which sees to be a huge trend lately in the beauty world). It also has optical blurring agents and five unique filtering pearls to improve the appearance of skin, leaving you with a radiant and bright complexion.

The first thing you’ll notice when you apply this is how pearlescent it makes your skin look.  They weren’t lying when they said “filtering pearls” as it definitely leaves a radiant sheen on your face (almost shimmering like).  Since I wouldn’t just wear this product alone, it is nice layered under a foundation, although depending on how much coverage your foundation has, it does tend to lose some of its radiance when your full makeup is applied.  If you are looking for that strobing kind of look, then I would definitely recommend trying this out and pairing it with a low to medium coverage foundation.

Physician's Formula The Healthy Foundation Physician's Formula The Healthy Foundation wand

If you are looking for a lightweight foundation, then you may want to take a look at their The Healthy Foundation (C$19.99 at London Drugs), which is a long-wearing, buildable and breathable foundation that gives you a light-to-medium coverage with a satin finish, plus an SPF 20.

This foundation, available in 16 shades, is perfect for any skin type as it’s comfortable on the skin and features their exclusive brightening complex. Also in the formula is hyaluronic acid to hydrate, brighten, and improve the appearance of skin tone, as well as vitamins A, C, and E to give you a flawless, healthy coverage.

I received the shades LC1 (light-cool 1, the lightest shade) and MW2 (Medium Warm 2). I’ve been wearing LC1 since I am quite pale, and since it is a lighter coverage, I’ve found this suits me nicely. I layer it over the primer to give me a nice coverage with that added boost of glow. To be honest, this foundation reminds me of the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation, both because of the doe foot applicator you use to apply it, as well as the way it looks and feels. The foundation is incredibly lightweight and blends out perfectly to a nice coverage on your skin.

Before and after swatches of Physician's Formula The Healthy Foundation LC1

I have pretty clear skin so I did find that it provided me with a nice layer of coverage. It’s definitely more of a daytime foundation for me since it gives me nice skin and is comfortable to wear (you don’t even feel like you’re wearing it, that’s how light it feels on the skin). If you are looking for something easy to wear everyday, I would look into this foundation. Also, to tie the primer back in, since this is so light on the skin, I would look at purchasing the primer to go with it to give you that “glow from within” kinda look that is so coveted right now. Best part is that these products are drugstore, meaning that you often find them on sale (as I’m writing this, the foundation is on sale at London Drugs).

What’s your favourite lightweight foundation?

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