Avon Simply Pretty Fresh Radiance Gel Foundation & Blush Duo Review

Avon Simply Pretty Fresh Radiance Gel Foundation & Blush Duo

Product claim:
Enhance your natural rosy glow with simply pretty Fresh Radiance Gel Foundation and Blush duo. Looking pretty has never been so easy. Flawless skin with a hint of color with just one product! Oil-free. Dermatologist tested. Won’t clog pores.

I came across Avon Simply Pretty Fresh Radiance Gel Foundation & Blush Duo while looking for the Avon Simple Pretty Swirl Lip Glosses which I saw from a post here on IMBB.  Over here in Manila there’s a small stand of Avon products at a mall near our place, which is cool ‘cause you get to see the products in person- downside is they have limited stock. I did get a Swirl Lip Gloss (which was on sale but only one color was available), and I thought this looked interesting too. It’s cute, small, and pink, plus I liked that it’s a liquid foundation and cream blush in one travel-friendly tube. Cheap too- it was just 150 pesos or Rs 157 (pretty much the same).

This comes in three shades but they had only two of them available at the stall. I first tested the lighter shade of foundation, which came with a pretty, medium pink blush, but it was too light so I asked for the darker shade, called Natural. Natural looked like a good match on the back of my hand, so I went ahead and bought it. I assumed it came with the same-colored medium pink blush, but opening it at home, I was surprised by a blush in a much darker shade. Kind of scary dark. My fault, I didn’t check the label, which says that the blush inside is called Mauve.

In the photos, it looks red, but in actual it’s a dark mauve pink. The blush is very soft to the touch, and very pigmented. Instructions on the tube tell me to dab it on lightly, then use fingers to blend. I had a hard time applying it evenly using that method, and had better luck stippling it on then blending using a small dual fiber brush.
I don’t know why the foundation is called gel when it doesn’t have that kind of consistency, it’s a regular liquid foundation. It gives light coverage, dries to a matte finish and feels lightweight. The shade was neither too light nor dark for my skin, but it leans toward beige and I wish it had more yellow undertones to it to match my warm skin tone better.

Swatched on my arm: top- cream blush in Mauve, bottom- liquid foundation in Natural.

Blended slightly:

Pros of Avon Simply Pretty Fresh Radiance Gel Foundation & Blush Duo

• It seems like a fun yet practical product- a foundation and blush in a single tube.
• The tube is small and sturdy, and I can easily throw it into my bag.
• It’s really affordable.
• The foundation feels very light on my skin. I don’t feel like I’m wearing any foundation when I’m wearing this.
• The foundation is fairly easy to blend and not streaky.
• The cream blush is very pigmented.
• I didn’t develop any pimples after using the foundation and blush.
• The foundation and blush wear well onto the day.
• Both the foundation and blush are unscented, which I prefer.

Cons of Avon Simply Pretty Fresh Radiance Gel Foundation & Blush Duo

• The foundation offers light coverage only. I sometimes follow it up with a compact powder foundation to increase coverage.
• May feel a bit drying on dry skin. I think this is better suited for those with oily skin.
• My skin did itch a little on a few occasions about 30 minutes after applying the foundation, so for those who have sensitive skin like I do, test this product on a small area first.
• I find the blush too dark for the foundation shade it comes with. I think the mauve blush would look nicer on darker skin tones.
• It was hard to get the blush to apply lightly and to blend well using fingers. It looked okay using a dual fiber brush though.
• Limited shades available.
• Well, it claims to be oil-free, but if you check the ingredients listed on the back, it contains sunflower seed oil. My skin has no problems with this type of oil, but I just thought I should mention this.

Overall, this is an okay product, and I can’t really complain since it’s so cheap and I didn’t have high expectations from it. I did wish it provided slightly better coverage, but I think it would do when set with powder foundation. The blush that it came with is just a little too dark for me.

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