Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in Classic Beige and Amber Beige Review, Swatches, Shades and FOTD

I was looking for a photo-friendly foundation, and my search ended with Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in the shade Amber Beige. But when I received it, the shade was a tad darker than I anticipated. My skin tone if described would appropriately be Medium Tan Neutral. I have Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation in the same colour, and it is a good match in summer and is completely undetectable on my skin. Though Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in Classic Beige is described as Medium Tan Neutral on the website. I thought probably going a shade darker would be a good choice; I was wrong!

Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in classic beige is a decent match for me when I am not tanned (update: this did not oxidise on me for a few uses, but now after being exposed to light and air, it does oxidise on unprimed skin). Amber Beige has a bit of red undertone to it which brings out my redness and looks darker than my neck and chest. I prefer mixing classic beige and amber beige in 2:1 when I acquire a bit of tan. I am not sure of my shade in MAC studio fix, but MAC Master Match Foundation in 5.0 is almost a good match. I have looked up and have watched videos for all the medium/tan shades to make the guesswork for the shade that would be my closest match. I will be mentioning MAC equivalents of Wet n Wild Photo Focus shades for Indian skin tones.

Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation is now available in India exclusively on Nykaa. I purchased classic beige and amber beige on Beautdor for 850 and 600 INR, respectively. And I am glad the price point on Nykaa is decent and retails for 599 INR.

Why I picked Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation?

A drugstore foundation which is vegan, gluten-free and fragrance free  Also sulphate, paraben and oil free. Wet N Wild is cruelty-free and is certified by PETA and Leaping Bunny.

Shades

The fact that I would find my perfect match for $5.99 or 599 INR left me exhilarated. Although I am unsure of my match in MAC, I had got shade matched in Lancome. I am in shade 03 for Lancome Miracle Air De Teint (leans more warm on me).

I have neutral undertone which was evident only after brainstorming research. I used warm under-toned foundations and always wondered why my skin tone looked muddy.

The shade classic beige oxidises on me and looks better than amber beige which shows up a bit too red on my skin. The picture below is quite evident; it is stark in person.

For tan/olive/Indian skin tones the shade referencing as per my finding:

For neutral/warm undertones ~

Cream Beige/Golden Beige would be equivalent to MAC NC35–NC37

Classic Beige/Bronze Beige would be equivalent to MAC NC37–NC40

Amber Beige/Dessert Beige would be equivalent to MAC NC40–NC42

Caramel/Toffee would be equivalent to NC44–NC45

Left to Right: Classic Beige, Amber Beige

Left to Right: Classic Beige, Amber Beige

Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation Review

First of all, I am in love with the light-weight texture. If blended well with a beauty blender or makeup sponge, it is does look and feel weightless. Though Wet N Wild claims that the foundation is fragrance-free, it does have a slight paint smell to it. 

The consistency is medium, and it blends effortlessly on primed skin. I did test this foundation with and without primer, and it works best with a primer underneath. Without primer, it does cling to dry patches and accentuates them. The coverage is light to medium and is buildable upto full coverage as per the claims but honestly I prefer just one layer for photography. I did apply three layers and it accentuated my non-existent pores and clung onto my peach fuzz. I am guessing it would accentuate texture? probably!

A single layer evens out the skin tone and conceals the fading blemishes and scars but fails to cover fresh acne scars.

I dislike setting this foundation with setting powders that I own. But finishing with the Hourglass Ambient Light Powder in Diffused adds such an ethereal glow. I am waiting to receive the Photo Focus Powder and Concealer I ordered from Nykaa.

The finish of the foundation is a cross between satin and matte. It makes the skin appear flawless in daylight and soft flash photography.

It does oxidise on me, and the only way I know to fix it is to use a brightening powder. It did not break me out. I prefer this foundation for quick makeup because it blends in effortlessly. Lately, my skin has been drier than usual. In the pictures below, I am wearing the foundation without primer and setting powder.

Tested Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in Natural Light and Iphone 7 Flash

Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in Classic Beige: Left~ Natural Light <-> Right~ Flash

Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in Amber Beige: Left~ Natural Light <-> Right~ Flash

I love how it looks in natural light, but it looks more flawless in person than in pictures. Silica is the reason why it blurs out all the imperfections. I have both warm white and cool white lights installed in my room, and I find that it does flash back under cool daylight. 

Amber beige flashes back slightly pink due to its red undertone.

Tested Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation with Canon 70D Flash

Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in Amber Beige tested with Canon 70D flash

The camera flash is quite harsh and it did accentuated the dry patches on my nose. Also all my flaws  including facial hair/peach fuzz. But then I had been sitting quite close to the camera.

Overall, I am quite impressed with the texture, finish and how flawless it does make my skin look!

It did not oxidise (one at first, but now when the bottle has been exposed to light and air, it does oxidise on me). The finger marks on those shiny, black caps make me uneasy, but  I am in love with everything else it has to offer.