UPDATED! It's Not a Time Turner, But It'll Do: CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-In-1 Foundation

My time is not my own.

Between my job, rehearsals, teaching, the other job, the other other job, buying a house (we signed yesterday!! Done!!), filming...well, I think you get the picture. I'm busy. Aren't we all?

Seriously, I don't know a soul who isn't practically killing themselves trying to make a living and maintain some semblance of a personal life. I could get into a rant on that topic (and probably will), but it'll have to wait for another day. Frankly, I don't have time to rant.

I love a good one-step wonder. Anything that can save even a minute or two is tops in my book. Back in the day, I was a huge fan of the Stila One-Step foundation. It claimed to be a primer, concealer, and foundation, all in one, and it actually lived up to the hype. True, it was a little thick, but it covered like a champ, and was, flat-out, my Holy Grail foundation...and they discontinued it. Of course. Not only that, they discontinued it somewhere around the exact minute I discovered that it existed...because the universe has a sick sense of humor.

Imagine my delight when BzzAgent asked if I would be interested in trying CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation! It made all of the same claims as the Stila, but at a drugstore price (plus, they sent me a coupon to pick up a free bottle)--how could I refuse? Could this be as good? My curiosity was definitely piqued.

Now, trying to colormatch a drugstore foundation can be tricky because you can't swatch anything. Some brands have little cards you can hold up, which is helpful, but this isn't one of those brands. The product comes in a glass jar with a pump (yay! It's hygienic!), so you can see the color, at least, but there's a lot of room for error. I wavered between Classic Beige (810) and Buff Beige (825) for a while, and finally settled on Buff Beige. I figured it would be better to be slightly too dark than slightly too light. At least, this way--worst case scenario--I could use it over a fake tan. Luckily, it matched perfectly, so if you're a MAC NW15, go with Buff Beige.

Application was a snap. I used a Real Techniques Expert Face brust to buff the liquid (not the cream I was expecting, given the claims) into my skin. It applied smoothly and evenly, and I was pleasantly surprised by the coverage. Here's a shot, sans concealer or powder:

I feel pretty. Oh, so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and...really brave, actually

A little ruddiness around my cheeks and nose remained, but nowhere near as much as I'm used to seeing. Also, my dark spots were still visible, but just barely. I did need to use a little concealer under my eyes and on a blemish, but only the teeniest amount. I am extremely impressed by the coverage.

The formula is light and comfortable. I can see that I'm wearing makeup, but it doesn't look cakey, and I feel like my skin can still breathe. Given the heat and humidity down here in the ninth cir--Deep South, makeup weight can be a dealbreaker. This is perfectly wearable. The foundation also has what I would describe as a semi-matte finish; it's not completely matte, but not dewy, either. To me, it just looks like skin, which is kind of the point. My only complaint is that it does seem to settle in the lines on my forehead. Normally, I wear bangs, so it's not really a problem, but my hair was "not being its best self", as my mother would put it. I had to pull my bangs back, and my lines are prominently on display. Oh, well. Other than that, I'm super happy with the look.

Okay, so it looks fantastic when you first put it on, but how does it hold up? Pretty darn well, actually. Today is a hot, humid, rainy, miserable day (in other words, Wednesday), and I had a million errands to run. Here's a shot of me at the three-hour mark:

All other makeup used for this look (ha! Thrown on to run errands and go to work...) is drugstore, with the exception of my mascara, eyeliner, and brow pencil. And my brows still suck. Oh, well.

Not bad! None of the foundation has worn off, and there are no oil slicks in sight. I checked again at the four- and five-hour marks, and while I could top off my powder if I wanted to, it wasn't really necessary. I'll keep checking throughout the day, and update here if there's anything to report. My first impression of this is that it's a keeper. Honestly, I think I prefer it to the Stila, and that's really saying something.

The Good
Scent is very light to non-existent
Even application
Medium to full coverage
Light feel
Natural-looking finish
Eliminates need for primer
Hygienic pump
Wide selection of shades
Good staying power
Easily available

The Bad
On the expensive side for drugstore ($12.99 at Ulta)
Concealer is still needed (though minimally)
Colormatching is a bit tricky
Can settle into fine lines

Final Verdict: 7.1 out of 10. This isn't just a good drugstore foundation. It's a good foundation. Period.

UPDATE!! After twelve hours of continuous wear, the foundation still looked pretty much like it did when I put it on. I didn't see any fading or caking. I did top off the powder around the six hour mark, but that was it. Darn good stuff.

*Disclaimer: BzzAgent sent me a coupon for this item so that I could try it out for free. They are a word-of-mouth advertising company, but I am not required to review it here, and all opinions are my own. Y'all know me; if I don't like something, I'll tell you. For more information on BzzAgent, please click here.