It Cosmetics celebration powder foundation in fair [review] [swatch]

I purchased the It Cosmetics celebration foundation in fair from the It Cosmetics website a few months ago while looking for a powder foundation. I was swayed by claims of excellent coverage and the color match. I went through Ulta and swatched all of the powder foundations available, and the It Cosmetics fair was one of the best color matches for me. I have cool toned fair skin, but I prefer powder products that skew slightly yellow to help combat redness in my face.

The It Cosmetics celebration powder foundation sells for $35 for 9 grams / .3 ounces of product. This powder comes in a black rubberized compact (similar to NARS) with a mirror inside. I find the compact itself to be very standard, with no real complaints or standout features.

It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation in Fair compact (back)

Marketing Claims

I think what lets this product down is the marketing jargon - It Cosmetics promises "flawless looking skin" and "true complexion perfection in 30 seconds" that "completely covers everything." I think It Cosmetics has totally overshot this - this is not a full coverage powder foundation. In order to build it up to a more full coverage, you need so much powder that your face inevitably ends up looking powdery. This powder foundation also comes with some pretty hefty anti aging claims, which I can't really share my experience with. I am in my twenties and can't speak to the needs of more mature skin.

It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation in Fair

Review

I purchased this powder intending to use it as a powder foundation. I wanted to find a powder product that would give me some coverage quickly on days when I was in a rush or didn't want to use a liquid or cream base product. Especially on weekends, I love using a powder foundation and a synthetic buffing brush to give me a more even skintone.

The It Cosmetics celebration foundation doesn't offer the coverage their marketing materials led me to expect, but is what I would describe as a standard light plus coverage. As with most powder foundations, this applies poorly over moisturizer and sunscreen as it catches on any places that are still slightly tacky. Worn alone, I get average longevity. In a standard work day, I am wanting a touch up around lunch time. This powder doesn't look powdery or chalky on my dry skin, which is nice.

My favorite use for this powder is to set a liquid foundation to add a little extra coverage and longevity. I like it just as well as my previous favorite powder for this purpose, L'Oreal True Match N1, but the price of the It Cosmetics celebration foundation is 3x of the L'Oreal.

It Cosmetics celebration foundation in fair swatch (one swipe, no primer)

Coverage

In order to show the coverage, I set up a quick demo. My hand was not prepped with any primer. On the left, you see a wavy line of pencil eyeliner. On the right side of the dotted line, I did one swipe of powder foundation with my finger to show the coverage. (When applied with a brush, the density of the brush will impact the coverage significantly.)

It Cosmetics celebration foundation in fair, no foundation (L), one swipe to show coverage (R)

Overall, I'm in like, not in love.  This is an average to good powder, but anyone who judges it against the marketing claims is going to be disappointed. After using this for months, I'm still looking for my dream powder foundation: quick to apply, low maintenance, with decent longevity.