First Look| CoverFX Custom Cover Drops in G40

When the CoverFX Custom Cover Drops ($44) dropped on the market not long ago, I attempted to be an informed shopper, at the very least, and find out if it would be worth picking up. I couldn't find a single review that wasn't sponsored, in writing or video format. Needless to say I was suspicious of the claims. 

Since the hoopla of serum foundations on the market hasn't died down I genuinely thought that these cover drops would be the same thing. Well, kind of. They're pigment that's suspended in liquid and require a good shake before usage and they're on the matte side, but they perform much, much better on the skin than any serum foundation (read: anything recently released by NARS, YSL, Dior, etc...)

Those other foundations like to separate on the face and accentuate dry spots and flakes whether you have primed or moisturized your skin to death. They're also scented or heavily loaded with fragrance but on the upside you need way less product to reach medium to full coverage easily. 

CoverFX drops come in a 0.5 fl oz (so half of a regular foundation product) dropper bottle with a nipple squeezer. Okay, that's not the scientific term, but the rubber top and plastic packaging is a huge relief for fumbling hands attempting new foundation concoctions in the early morning. 

You can use 1 drop for light coverage or 4-5 drops for full coverage. or the shade range there is N for neutral, P for pink and G for golden skintones. I've heard several people say that their match is exact within the CoverFX line, but I'm a total noob to their range. 

Since G30 is around NC23-25 and G40 is a dramatic jump to NC30-35 or so, I picked up the latter to mix in with my lighter foundations so that I can customize coverage, finish, and color all at once. It's rather fun and the results are great with any products. I'm in between NC25 and NC30 at the moment and only a few of my foundations match completely. 

The product can collect on the sides which is a huge con, but I haven't had an accident with it yet. I usually will mix the concoction in the palms of my hands and then just slap it straight onto my face after I've blended in the pigment.

Here is 3 drops mixed with the new BareMinerals gel cream base in 03 Buttercream. It's dewy, very flawless and yet skin-like. This is my favorite combination for every day. I imagine that if you mix with a moisturizer or anything very emollient you'll capture the feeling of that product and the pigment will be determining coverage more than finish. This combination held up for a good 8 hours!

Here is 3 drops mixed with my go-to every day foundation Bourjois Healthy Mix in 52. With another foundation you can feel that the drops are semi-matte in nature and when combined with a satin foundation, you get a satin to semi-matte finish base. Even though it was on the matte side, I didn't notice any fine lines being emphasized and dry spots were forgiven. This held up for the entire day but needed a refreshing spritz of Fix+ and a Becca SSP to give a glow back to the skin.

Finally, here's another mix with NARS Sheer Glow foundation in Ceylon which is much too light for me. I used 3 drops again and the result is a satin finish that also needed an extra powder highlight on the cheekbones. 

My point is, this stuff mixes with everything and anything to create something that's long lasting, pigmented, and very lightweight on the skin. It does NOT separate or bunch at all on my face like every other serum foundation. There is no discernible scent. If you swatch on your hands or use the product alone, you WILL see it sinking into little lines and making your skin look much drier. Therefore, I would suggest always using this mixed in with another product rather than layered on top. 

Here are some swatches of the product so you can get a clue about the depth. From left to right: Bourjois HM in 52, Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 53, EL Double Wear in Rattan, BareMinerals Gel Cream in Ginger, and CoverFX Drops in G40. 

If you like mixing foundations or just messing around to expand your foundation collection, this product is a blast to use. If you're dry skinned, this product is incredibly friendly if you can choose a thick and emollient moisturizer or satin finish foundation. If you're oily skinned, try mixing it with a matte foundation or mattifying primer for best results. 

In any case, the small amount of product is negligible considering how little you need for each use. I like the small and portable packaging and dropper style bottle, and the product has been nothing short of amazing for me. I've even depotted a bunch of my light foundations into little jars so that I experiment with the finishes and color of each base product I have in conjunction with the Custom Drops.

xo Be