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- Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation hydrates, gives medium coverage.
- Drugstore foundation with premium ingredients.
- Hyaluronic acid plumps and hydrates.
- 2 % niacinamide assists barrier repair.
- Doesn’t settle into fine lines and wrinkles.
Review article below
The Search
I’ve been searching for a foundation that’s friendly to dry, mature skin with fine lines and wrinkles. For years, my go-to was powder foundation. Now I fund it can dry out during the day, feeling tight and decidedly uncomfortable and some brands accentuate texture.
I used Perplexity (perplexity.ai) to help me find a new foundation, and it picked a hydrating formula and a shade that’s a near-match for my skin tone. (Notes on how I parsed my search in note following my review.) Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation in shade 112 matches my fair skin and neutral undertone. Its ingredients add oomph to my skincare routine.
Vampire Makeup
That’s right. I have foundation that makes me look like the undead, courtesy of three bad experiences trying to match my skin tone via beauty brands’ websites. Nothing I bought matched. It was all too light. One company made an exchange. Another had a no-return policy. It reminded me of buying drugstore foundation in the 80s. Without a tester, it was a money-losing experience, hence my trip to the department store for foundation.
I Turn to AI
First, I acknowledge the etical problems surrounding AI, especially environmental damage. However, once I upgraded my phone, I couldn’t escape it. I downloaded Perplexity because I don’t like Google’s new AI assisted search.
When I was entering my search terms, I felt like I was entering a list of gripes. I entered info on five foundations, all my likes and dislikes, as well as notes on how well the shades listed matched my skin tone. Perplexity suggested Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation in shade 112. When my bottle arrived, I swatched the product on my hand. It’s a near match. I had a sense of eerieness, in a Minority Reoprt kind of way.
Wear Test
Still, I needed convincing. I am a snob when it comes to foundation. Early in my life I turned to department store brands and relied on a professional to help match my shade. I was skeptical about using a drugstore foundation.
First, I’m impressed with the skincare aspect of this foundation. Maybelline has incorporated hyaluronic acid to help skin stay plumped and hydrated. I don’t feel like my face is dried out by mid-afternoon.
This product contains 2% niacinamide that assists in barrier support. If your skincare routine includes a stronger niacimamide serum for lightening age spots and decreasing sallowness, this is a nice boost. However, this foundation by itself does not contain a niacinamide concentration sufficient to help lighten age spots.
I am happy with the medium coverage from this product. It masks most imperfections, even though it doesn’t completely cover my two darkest age spots.
Unlike other foundations, it does not accentuate lines, wrinkles, or other texture. That’s a big relief. On my 60-year-old skin, Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation does not separate during the day. I easily get 10 hours of wear from it, and that’s all I need.
The finish is natural, not too dewy, and not matte at all, either. My skin looks hydrated and naturally glowy. Lately I’ve become disillusioned with matte products. I think they make my skin look dry and most settle into lines and wrinkles.
Application Tips
This is a liquid foundation. Throughout my life I used makeup sponges like these to apply liquid products. Recently, though, I switched to a brush designed for liquid foundation. This one is budget-friendly. To use the foundation with the brush, I pump 2-3 pumps of foundation onto my non-dominant hand to use as a pallet, picking up.product as I need, tapping excess from my brush onto my hand. I don’t waste makeup and I don’t need an actual pallet.
I apply liquid foundation by brushing product onto the center of my forehead, blending out toward my hairline. Next, I complete my forehead and move downward to the center of my face.
Setting Maybelline Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation
Setting this foundation with powder is ok, and it would work beautifully for oily to normal skin. But adding powder to my dry, Gen X skin risks more dryness, caking, and discomfort. Setting powder works, but it’s not the best choice for me. I want to stress that dryness is the issue with powder, not a downside of this product. A hydrating spray can help alleviate powder-induced dryness, but I’d rather go about my day without that worry.
My solution is setting spray. Setting spray fuses layers of makeup, helping makeup performance better and las longer. I’ve been using this product from NYX. It adds hyaluronic acid and hydration. There are lots of setting sprays available. Some give skin a glow or sparkle or they add a dewy texture. NYX Plump Finish works well with my skin. I still own setting powder, but I don’t use it to set my full face of makeup.
Verdict
Final verdict: Definitely part of my regular routine. Im impressed with this drugstore foundation.
A Note on How I Searched
Using AI to find a product:
AI performs best when it has specific information.
Probably the most important information my list of products and shades, including very short critiques, like “Tarte Face Tape shade 112 much too light, formula feels comfortable.” I included notes for approximately five foundations.
Next, I listed what I wanted in a formula: hydrating, non-matte finish, won’t settle in fine lines and wrinkles, medium to full coverage. I needed help covering sunspots and I’m tired of using concealer on them. Everything went into the list.
