While the temperatures in New England are still below freezing, it appears that Spring has arrived in the beauty world. Over the past couple of weeks, brands all over have been dropping the first of their 2018 launches, gearing up for what will surely be another epic year in beauty. While I'm currently on a no-buy for January, I did manage to pick up a few of Physician's Formula's latest releases to test out at the end of last year. The new Healthy range includes a foundation and a liquid lipstick, both with wider shade selections than any other product I've seen previously from the brand. They've also expanded their insanely popular Butter range with the addition of the Butter Highlighter - a cream-to-powder formula that sports the same heavenly tropic scent. After about a month of playing around with these products, I've got some thoughts to share.
Physician's formula is a Cruelty-Free drugstore brand that prides itself on being suitable for sensitive skin. They have a wide range of mineral and natural makeup, and try to avoid many common skin irritants in their products. While they've been around on the drugstore circuit for over 80 years, the popularity of their Butter Bronzer has really catapulted the brand into the forefront of the beauty scene over the last two years.
At the same time, Physician's Formula is also often criticized for two key things: their price point, and their shade ranges. The brand is definitely among one of the priciest you'll find at your local drugstore (granted, with rising drugstore cosmetic prices among ALL brands lately the discrepancy is quickly shrinking). But more concerning than the price is the general lack of shade options for their face products. Several of the brands older foundations, BB creams, and powders are only available in 2 or 3 shades (typically light and light/medium). The lack of inclusivity for people with darker skin tones is something the brand has taken a lot of heat for. However, it appears that Physician's Formula is finally taking some steps to move things in a different direction.
The Healthy Foundation ($14.95) is available in 16 shades, broken down into four distinct skin tones (light, medium, dark, and deep) with 4 different undertone offerings of each. To me this should be the minimum standard for any foundation release that has a medium to full coverage. Whether or not Physician's Formula decides to expand the range of any of their previous base products is yet to be determined, but I appreciate the effort with this new launch to be more inclusive. To see swatches of the entire shade range, I would recommend checking out Slashed Beauty's review.
As for the product itself, there are actually quite a few things that I really enjoy about this foundation. First of all, I think Physician's Formula nailed it with the packaging. It's got a very sleek, elegant appearance that feels more high-end than you'd expect from the drugstore. The mega-sized doe foot applicator makes for speedy application, and is something we've seen before from brands like Clinique and Tarte. However, I personally would have preferred a pump for hygienic purposes alone.
Physician's Formula describes The Healthy Foundation as being a "long-wearing, buildable, and breathable foundation that provides lightweight, medium-to-full coverage with a healthy, satin finish". I'm definitely in agreement with everything but the coverage claims. I would personally describe this as more of a buildable light-to-medium coverage foundation. With one layer you are most certainly going to see your natural skin and any areas of discoloration peeking through. However, it does feel incredibly comfortable and give your skin a truly healthy appearance that isn't too flat, dry, or cakey.
The formula also contains Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamins A, C, and E and a "Brightening Complex" to hydrate, brighten, and improve the appearance of skin tone. As someone with oily skin, not powdering this foundation down after application will leave me looking more glowy than I would prefer. However, it's not so hydrating that I find it to be problematic throughout the day. You can definitely get 8 to 10 hours of wear time, with my needing to blot or powder maybe once in that timeframe. Overall, I can see how this would be a beautiful foundation for any skin type, especially if you are looking for something that appears more natural and skin-like.
Also included in the new Healthy lineup is the The Healthy Lip Velvet Liquid Lipstick ($6.99): a matte finish lip with a super comfortable, mousse-like consistency that doesn't ever look dry or flaky. Infused with avocado oil, hyaluronic acid and anti-aging peptides, this liquid lipstick is designed to smooth and nourish the lips instead of sucking the life out of them. The packaging is identical in appearance to the foundation, but with a teardrop shaped doe foot applicator that allows you to precisely trace out your lip line with ease.
One of the only trade-offs of this formula is that it's not transfer proof. As someone that prefers comfort over mileage when it comes to my lipsticks, this doesn't bother me all that much, but if you're looking for a completely kiss-proof liquid lip, this is not the one. The wear time is decently long, and reapplication is a breeze, however, if you are eating or drinking throughout the day you'll definitely notice the product slightly rubbing off onto your cups, glasses, etc. It's certainly no where near as bad as a creamy lipstick, but is still worth noting in case that is a concern of yours.
The Healthy Lip shade range includes 13 variations of pinks, nudes, and reds to enhance your natural lip color. If you're on the hunt for unique, artistic colors, this is probably not going to be the most exciting lineup for you. But if you're looking for that perfect, everyday wearable lip color, I am sure you'll be able to find a shade that suits your fancy. Just as the foundation still looks like skin, this liquid lipstick delivers "your-lips-but-better" vibes, and for only $7, is honestly quite a gem.
Okay, so technically this was more of a late 2017 launch than a Spring 2018 one, but considering the total craze around the Butter Bronzer, this is definitely a product worth talking about. The Butter Highlighter retails for $10.99, and is available in 5 shades (Pearl, Champagne, Rose Gold, Pink, and Iridescent). Unlike the bronzer, which is a powder formulation with a super soft and "buttery" texture, these highlighters are, in fact, cream-to-powder products. To the touch they feel almost wet, and have a sort of whipped, bouncy consistency in the pan. It's quite a bit softer and more malleable than a Colourpop Super Shock eyeshadow, like you could easily press your finger straight through to the bottom of the pan if you tried (...although I have not personally and probably wouldn't recommend doing so).
Also like the bronzer, the Butter Highlighter formula smells like a tropical paradise, and is infused with Murumuru, Cupuacu, and Tucuma Butters to deliver hydration to the skin and avoid a cakey, dry appearance. Unlike other cream highlighters I've tried, this one is not in the least bit chunky or glittery, nor does it disturb your foundation upon application. I find it applies best tapped on gently with your fingers or a beauty sponge. As with most cream products, this is perhaps not quite as long wearing as a powder highlighter, especially on oily skin. However I've never had an issue with it disappearing from my face before the end of a work day.
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| Wearing The Healthy Foundation in MW2, The Healthy Lip in Bare With Me, and Butter Highlighter in Champagne. See how I created this look in the video below! |
Overall I'm really pleased with all of these new Physician's Formula products. I'm hopeful that they will continue to expand the Healthy range, maybe to include concealer and powder. Also to note, two new shades of the Butter Bronzer are also now available, offering a couple slightly darker options to those who felt the original shades were too light. If you've tried any of these products, I would love to hear your thoughts on them! Let us know how they've been working out for you in the comments down below.
Which of Physician's Formula's latest launches are you most excited to try?
