I finally used up one of my Revlon Color Stay Whipped Makeup (RCW) foundation jars from my hoarded collection, so what better time to write a foundation review? Yes, I’m itching to crack open another jar of my beloved (although discontinued) RCW, but as I said before, I’m an equal opportunity experimenter and there are many bottles/tubes/jars/compacts awaiting my brush.

After perusing my entire collection, I decided to revisit a bottle I bought several months ago and then completely forgot about: The Body Shop Oil-Free Foundation SPF 15 in 07 (For convenience, I will call it TBS). For your reference, I’m an NW35 in MAC, Toast in Revlon, and W7-Caramel Beige in L’Oreal True Match. I will test this foundation to see if the claims of the description hold true and to see how it lasts throughout the day. As in my last foundation review, no primer, setting powder or spray will be used in order to get true results, and as always, all of my photos will be unedited/un-retouched. Before the full review, below is the website’s description of this foundation line:

A range of innovative lightweight, oil free balancing foundation that provides medium to full coverage for a luxuriously smooth, matte, shine-free and healthy-looking finish. Dermatologically tested.

How to Use: Smooth evenly over a clean face using our Foundation Brush or Professional Makeup Sponge.

Overall Rating: 4.3/5 Stars (from 47 reviews)—85% would recommend it to a friend.

Before buying it ($23.00—now on sale for $5!), I had already noticed one immediate detractor: this line only comes in 5 shades. How limited! Luckily, there happened to be a shade for me. Please note that the only reason I hadn’t used this foundation until now is not because I doubted it in any way, but because this purchase was made around the time I did a serious Sephora haul (read: I still have more reviews coming for you) and truly just forgot about it. Plus, I got sidetracked when I found my discontinued RCW shade. I digress. On to the trial.

As a reference point, take a look at my naked face on the left, fresh from a breakout. This is actually the perfect time to test a foundation’s coverage and longevity; so, here’s to looking on the bright side of stress acne! Now take a look at my face on the right, after applying one pump of TBS foundation with a Coastal Scents Bionic Buffing Brush. What is staring you in the face? A glaring white cast from the camera flash due to the SPF 15 in the formula—a major con in my book. However, since you don’t see that off camera, let’s try to get past that for the moment. Coverage is excellent and full, there’s no offensive scent. It applies with ease, has a matte finish and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. So far, so good! Let’s see if it will hold up by the day’s end.

No dice. Major makeup meltdown. Undereye concealer? Gone. Blush? Nowhere in sight. Shine? All over.  Scars? Visible. The formula has broken up due to oiliness and has transferred like crazy. Whatever is left is sliding all over my face. The only things that still look fresh from my morning routine are my “mascara’d” lashes, which coincidentally, are the only things that don’t rely on foundation. The only positive result is that the white cast from the camera flash is gone, thanks to my oils breaking down the foundation…

NONE of the claims on the website’s description hold true. Maybe they will with some help from setting powder and spray? On to Round 2.

There’s less shine, thanks to setting powder and spray. Setting the foundation preserved some of the white cast flashback, however it didn’t prevent the formula from breaking down. By looking closer in the mirror, I noticed breakdown started around midday. On both days, I was tempted to blot and blend in the office bathroom because I felt like everyone would be looking at me strangely, but no one seemed to notice; I even received compliments the second night when I went to an event with my girlfriend. I think it was due to it being dark outside. Go figure.

Final answer on TBS Oil-Free Foundation SPF 15: OHN (Oh, hell no)!

This is going straight to the trash bin to make room for better formulas. If you have tried this foundation and gotten different/better results, please let me know. I’d love compare notes!

Since this didn’t work out for me, stay tuned for another review soon. Until then, keep celebrating life!