April 6, 2011

mark Cream to Powder Foundation Review & Swatches

mark has a new Cream to Powder Foundation launching in June that some of you might wanna try out! Could prove a cheaper option for those that enjoy or have wanted to try Urban Decay Surreal Skin Cream-to-Powder Foundation.

Let’s take a look!


A cream to powder foundation with a mineral formulation!


The first thing I noticed about mark’s Cream to Powder Foundation is that it’s extra creamy! Where as Urban Decay’s version runs thinner and more powdery upon application with my skin, mark’s version is thicker and creamier. Even with my skin so dry I’m still experiencing a rather perfect finish with this. It doesn’t accentuate dryness and isn’t so matte that it looks too dry on my face, it ranges more dewy.

I tried it in a really crummy shade, Buff Natural, which was way too dark but they have seven other shades to choose from so you have a good range of color to locate one for your specific tone.

The packaging is a dual compartment compact that features the cream foundation on the top with a full size mirror and a stealthy little compartment on the bottom that contains the sponge for application.

The formula is infused with something called Lumiskin which helps to brighten skin plus mineral pigments which make the foundation extra buildable for super coverage. It applies very easily as I mentioned above and glides on simply without alot of drama plus it’s oil, talc, fragrance, and paraben free so if you’re sensitive it’s missing alot of the bad stuff that may irritate your skin.


It actually wasn’t something I personally liked because the coverage is too much. I prefer more of a lightweight foundation and this was heavily pigmented and builds up crazy easy so I felt like I had a bit too much makeup on.

But those with really problem skin can easily embrace such a formula as it really does have an excellent, flawless finish with a comfortable wear.

If you’re super oily you might want to be a tad wary as I didn’t feel like the it dried down to a complete matte powder finish. To me it felt extra creamy and dewy which my dry skin loved but those with oily skin might not love.

  • Anyone with dry skin who likes cream foundation.
  • Anyone looking for a cheaper version of Urban Decay’s Cream to Powder Foundation (this is $18 versus their $34 price tag).
  • Anyone seeking super buildable coverage to conceal problem skin.

  • Those with oily skin (be ware this is pretty heavy, creamy, and hydrating).
  • Those who do not wear foundation all over their face (I don’t and this is something that looks patchy when applied in just certain areas).


mark Cream to Powder Foundation will make some lovely lady quite happy with it’s pigmented formula and super buildable coverage but it wasn’t quite for me. I loved the creamy, dewy finish and felt like my skin looked quite happy with it in place but it also felt like I was wearing a little too much makeup and when I applied in just certain areas I felt like it looked odd and wrong for some reason.

If you have problem skin, redness, or want more even coverage this will please.

This will be available from meetmark.com in June for $18 or from your favorite mark Rep.

Will you try it?

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Lindsay

    I’m so sad this didn’t dry down to a super matte finish! My oily, broken out skin needs something with mega pigmentation and a mega matte finish! And my wallet needed something inexpensive. Such a bummer.

  • LaurieS

    This looks nice. I buy Avon’s cream to powder foundation for my daughter who has to have full coverage for dance events but the colors seem to run dark and we are super pale. Do you know if this will come in a fair as freshly fallen snow shade?

      • LaurieS

        I’ve embraced my paleness and it’s so difficult to find a ghostly shade of foundation. Tarte, so far as I know, is the only one who got it right!

        • the Muse

          laurie don’t knock it, pale is good ;-D! Tarte does it right, Stila has some pretty pale shades as well perhaps you should start using BB Creams!

  • Daisy

    Hi Muse, thank you for the update! Will you happen to be reviewing the Ibiza Shadow Stick? Especially in Aqua.

  • Charmaine

    Wow, $18?!! I was just saying to hubs that mark. started off as inexpensive [for those who don’t have tons of extra cash, like students, or just plain poor folk, like moi;-)], but the prices have gotten a little crazy, IMO.
    Anyhoo, I’m looking for a heavy-coverage fdn, but yeah, the colors Avon/mark. offer are often weird. They’re usually not pale enough for those with peaches-and-cream complexions [hubs is like that, but he doesn’t wear makeup, thank goodness! lol], and the darker shades often run orange-y [orange does NOT equal tan!]. I’m yellow/golden/med-tan, and I have a helluva time trying to match with what they got, everything’s either too orange, too pink, too peach, or in the case of one fdn, too GREY, bleah. I’m sure I’m driving my rep bonkers with all the sample requests, lol!
    mark. does have really nice formulations, though. I really liked their Speedway stick fdn, and the powder compact fdn is really smooth. I think I might have to try this one out, high price tag and all, just to see. I’m a greaseball, but you never know if something works or not if ya don’t try, yeah?
    Awesome review, as always, Musey:-)

    • the Muse

      mmm charmaine mark has gotten considerably higher in price lately but the quality is there so I def can’t complain. aw glad you enjoyed the review hopefully you can get the color spot on dear ;D!

  • LaurieS

    I agree Charmaine. Mark started out (and still is, I believe) as a line for teens/young 20somethings to sell and wear and the prices are a bit steep but they’ve always been higher than Avon. They didn’t seem too steep initially until I purchased some of the hookups and boy were they mini! Fortunately, you can shop the outlet bin on Avon.com and usually find some of their nice palettes for cheap $.

    As an aside, I just received a new “soft ivory” compact from Avon in the cream to powder and it looks tan 🙁 I’m going to have to find another (inexpensive) brand for my daughter because right now she’s using my Tarte and I love that stuff!

  • Isabella

    mark. is steering away from that “teen brand” image they started with, its more of a trend, higher end brand 😉

    I’ve only used samples of the Min-A-Real foundation, but I really like it so far, and I have oily skin. A little goes a long way and still provides decent coverage, and I never felt greasy or shiny. I’ve been loyal to Powderbuff for years, and have always loved its coverage, but Min-a-real will be great when I need more coverage as well.

  • MissMercurial

    Thanks for the review! I love the idea of cream-to-powder, but I have oily skin so I need reviews to remind me why it’s a bad idea 😛
    Also, it isn’t paraben-free; from the ingredients listed online, hydrogenated polyisobutane is one of the top three or five for both the original seven-shade and newer doubled in size shade line.