I don't even remember the last time I bought anything from Neutrogena because they don't launch products all that often and when they do, nothing is really jumping out at me to make me want to buy them.
But that particular day, my skin was really parched (as it alway is when the temps drop and the heat is running non-stop) and I was feeling frustrated with my usual foundations looking cakey and clinging to dry patches like they always do this time of year. I guess the promise of a foundation that could plump and hydrate my skin for 24 hours with hyaluronic acid sounded pretty darn great at that moment so I took the plunge and purchased both the foundation and the concealer.
Keep on reading to see my thoughts!
Let's talk about the Hydrating Skin Tint first...
Benefits:
- Moisturizes and plumps skin for 24 hours
- Doesn't settle into fine lines
- Boosts hydration for 24 hours for more radiant, smoother skin over time
- Better for your skin than wearing no makeup at all - makeup your skin better, even after you take it off
- Oil-free, non-comedogenic
- Weightless, no makeup feel
- Non-greasy
This costs $14.99 at Ulta and comes in ten shades. It's packaged in a glass bottle and at first I thought it was going to be the kind you just pour out into your hand. Thankfully, it has a large doe foot applicator (just like Tarte's Shape Tape) which makes it easy to apply.
The formula feels very creamy at first but as you blend it into your skin, it starts to break down and feel like you're applying a cooling watery serum to your face! It just sort of melts in and disappears leaving a very natural skin-like finish that's not dewy or matte...it just looks like you don't have anything on. It gives more coverage than a tinted moisturizer but not enough to call it medium coverage either. For me, it's enough for every day wear and if I need more coverage under my eyes or around my nose, I'll just use the concealer.
The first day I wore this, I checked my skin in the mirror after about an hour and was so impressed with how great it looked...even better than when first applied! My skin looked plumped up and smooth, fine lines almost non-existent, and I looked younger overall. Not only that, it lasted all day...I couldn't believe it was still going strong by the evening because usually hydrating products break down faster than more drying matte formulas.
Overall, I loved how it made my skin look and feel hydrated all day long...that's quite a challenge in the middle of winter and it really exceeded my expectations.
Overall, I loved how it made my skin look and feel hydrated all day long...that's quite a challenge in the middle of winter and it really exceeded my expectations.
Now on to my Hydro Boost Concealer review...
Benefits:
- Unique hydrating core designed to instantly quench skin
- No cakey finish
- Better for your skin than wearing no makeup at all - makes your skin better even after you take it off
- Oil-free, non-comedogenic
- Ophthalmologist tested: safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers
The Hydro Boost Concealer ($12.99 at Ulta) comes in five shades and is a twist-up stick formula with a hydrating core, similar to Benefit's Fake Up. I've been using Fake-Up for the past few months and while I love that it doesn't get cakey, I also find it to be kind of heavy and greasy. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Neutrogena Hydro Boost is actually a lighter version of Fake-Up!
It glides on so smoothly and doesn't cake or settle into fine lines, but the best part is that it's very lightweight and non-greasy. It does a nice job of covering minor darkness under the eyes and a little bit of redness I have around my nose. I'm not sure that it's going to cover major dark circles but you can certainly add a few layers of this with no fear of it caking up. It brightens my under-eye area nicely and pairs really well with the foundation because it gives a very natural "your skin but better" look.
Swatches:
Here are the swatches on my hand (which is really dry and chapped, sorry about that guys!). I ended up getting the third-lightest shade in the foundation (Buff) because CVS only had four shades available. It's slightly too dark for me, but it works fine because it's a sheerer formula. I chose the Fair shade in the concealer which is the lightest color they offer and it works well, despite being a bit yellow for my pink undertone.
Overall, if you have dry or mature skin I think you'll love the new Neutrogena Hydro Boost Skin Tint and Hydrating Concealer as much as I do. I don't know that this line will work well on oily skin types as they're marketed toward dry skin and I think that's who will benefit the most from these products.
What do you think? Have you tried either of these yet? I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below! :)
You can find these now at Ulta.com
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I bought both of these after I saw your mini review on your IG page and they are the BEST! Yes they are a little on the expensive side of drugstore products but well worth it IMO. I also have drier skin and the skin tint makes my skin feel like normal skin again even when my skincare isn't doing its job. The concealer is exactly as you said, a lighter version of FakeUp. These are worth every penny and to anyone reading with drier or aging skin you need this in your life. Thank you for your amazing blog and I'm so glad you are back to posting reviews. I missed you over the holidays!
ReplyDeleteAww...sorry I wasn't posting there for a while! Between being sick and all the family get-togethers and stuff I was just too tired, haha. Glad to be back though and I'm so glad you love this too! :)
DeleteI have VERY oily skin. But for some reason, the 1/2 inch right under my eye gets dry when I use most concealers. So I may give the concealer a try! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis one is great if you're dry so I think you'll enjoy this for your under eye area! :)
DeleteI bought the foundation, loved the look and coverage, and then immediately broke out. So I would say if you have oily or combination skin, only buy it from a place you can return it if you need to. So maybe it's non-comediogenic, but not non-acneogenic? Still looking for a moisturizing foundation that doesn't drive my chin crazy.
ReplyDeleteOh no! That really stinks! :(
DeleteThere is no such thing as non-comediogenic or non-acneogenic. Those are made up terms used by the skincare industry. It's not the company's fault you broke out either, it is impossible to make a product that won't break anyone out because the truth is everyone has their own individual acne triggers. You need to keep track of products that break you out and compare them for common ingredients to help narrow down your triggers.
DeleteIt looks interesting and I wanted feedback on if anyone actually used the applicator to apply their foundation and if there are any concerns about contamination?
ReplyDeleteI do! I've been using it to dot the foundation all over my face. I always start with a clean face so I'm not too worried about contamination. Especially since I'm going to go through this bottle in record time! :)
DeleteI tried both of them last week and I had the same reaction to the foundation - loved it while my skin is so dry in winter. I found a good shade match in the foundation, but the lightest concealer is way too dark and yellow for me. I really loved the texture of the concealer, I just wish they made a lighter shade. For a concealer, the lightest shade is the equivalent of many brand's medium color, IMO.
ReplyDeleteI agree...the concealer is very yellow and not as light as I would prefer but for my skin tone it gets the job done. I do hope they expand the line and make a true "Fair" shade because this one isn't what I would consider Fair.
DeleteI can't believe it lasted all day,i need to try this!!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing! :)
DeleteI bought the skin tint but had to return it because even the lightest shade was too dark. I LOVE the concealer. Again, it's a little dark , but once I put my Tarte Shape Tape over it, it all blends nicely. I wish the skin tint would work for me because I think my skin would love it. I love the Hydro Boost skincare line and I use every product from it. You should give it a try!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely disappointed that the shades are running too dark on the lighter end of the spectrum. I hope they come out with more shades soon. Now that I've tried the makeup, I'm definitely interested in the skincare line...I think I'm gonna try it! :)
DeleteFor anyone wanting to purchase this now...Neutrogena is BOGO 50% off at Ulta until 1/28!!! Now would be a great time to try both out and use your $3.50 off of $15 coupon!!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome...thanks for the heads up! It's appreciated since this line is on the more expensive side. :)
DeleteI love the concealer. It's the first stick concealer I've tried that doesn't pull during application and blends so easily without looking cakey. When I tried the skin tint, it oxidized on my skin badly, so I had to go with a lighter shade. It also didn't provide much coverage. However, I do want to give it another try before I form a final opinion on it.
ReplyDeleteI agree...most stick concealers are way too drying but this one has such a beautiful, melty texture. That's a bummer about the Skin Tint oxidizing on you! It doesn't give a lot of coverage but I build it up in layers to get a little more since it doesn't get cakey.
DeleteI need to try skin tint after your wonderful review. I bought the concealer recently and have been super impressed. It gives me enough coverage while not settling into my fine lines! It wears well during the day and does not creep or cake. As a comparison, I finally tried Tarte Shape Tape, which so many people rave about. It was really drying under my eye and immediately settled into the lines. I like the Neutrogena much better. Granted, they are different types of concealer. I think for those with fine lines you will adore the Neutrogena.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you love it too! :)
DeleteI'm having a different experience with this. I have the lightest shade, since it's winter, and honestly, it's pretty chalky. It dries fairly quickly, and doesn't feel particularly hydrating. I suspect it's the very light pigments causing this. I was expecting something between It CC Cream and Dr. Jart's ceramidin day wear, but it is nothing like either of them. I think it is a bit too light, and that may be the problem.
ReplyDeleteOh maybe! I have the third-lightest shade and I'm not having the chalky issues...but it is a bit too deep for me. I agree, it's not like the formulas you mentioned, definitely not as much coverage and has a different feel to it. :)
DeleteYou know what's crazy -- I read so many reviews of these 2 products before I bought them, and I tried them out for the same reasons as you: it's so cold and dry out, even my winter moisturizer doesn't seem to be doing enough to plump up and hydrate my skin lately. But this seemed to o the opposite: It went on kind of dry, it clung to any dry patches around some small blemishes, and it looked noticeably too yellow on me. I am very fair, too, and lean somewhere in the middle of neutral and warm fair. I am not giving up yet. I saw a couple of YouTubers talking about adding a tiny drop of facial oil *to* your foundation instead of on top of your skin to make it a little creamier and more hydrating. I'll try that because I agree, this was expensive for drugstore, and I don't want to chuck it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try that too. I was really surprised. My experience was that it seemed to dry down really fast.
DeleteI Have a question you might be able to help with. I use a gel moisturizer before bb cream. I also have primer, but don't know when or how should it be applied. Also, how do serum or essence come in the picture? Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteNeutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Review