I love a good multi-tasking cosmetic, so I’ve always been a fan of tinted moisturizers and well-formulated BB/CC creams, especially during the warm, humid summer months when I can’t stand to wear a full face of heavy foundation. Nowadays (i.e. since the birth of our darling daughter, 8 months ago today in fact) I simply don’t have the time I once had to devote to my makeup routine. So finding products that combine 2 (preferably more steps) is not merely a luxury. It’s a necessity!

Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Work It! Marathonista Tinted Moisturizer SPF40

I have used and enjoyed several Physicians Formula BB/CC creams for several years. I think they’re a great alternative to some of the more expensive BBs and tinted moisturizers out there and those I’ve referenced here. My favorites are the Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream and the Super CC Color-Correction + Care CC Cream SPF 30 (both $14.95). I also love their Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Powder ($13.95). The Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Stick ($12.95) is a great portable option for touch-ups on the go. And their Mineral Wear® Talc-Free Mineral Airbrushing Pressed Powder SPF 30 ($13.95) is one of my all-time favs! I use it to set BB cream or light foundation and adore the coverage and SPF it provides without looking chalky or cakey. I also find Physicians Formula colors fairly consistent, especially in the cream products (BBs, CCs and Tinted Moisturizers). I always, always, always wear Light/Medium.

All that to say, I was really excited to try this new higher SPF Tinted Moisturizer from the Organic Wear® line, and I confidently selected the Light/Medium. I have tried this product 5 times over 2 weeks since purchasing it because I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. Honestly, I wanted to love it. I REALLY did! But I can’t make it work, not for me.

First, the color is off. It’s got an orangey undertone which does not work on my skin and which differs significantly from their BB and CC creams mentioned above. I decided to swatch it with the other Physicians Formula products I own to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating the color difference. Turns out I was correct – it is more orange in tone. The difference is especially noticeable between Marathonista and the Super BB Cream. Super CC Cream is a bit warmer and closer in tone to Marathonista but still easier to blend. See swatches below. The shade issue might not otherwise be a deal-breaker except that Marathonista is pretty thick, and that orange tint is pretty tenacious. It was pretty noticeable no matter how well I blended.

Speaking of the thick texture – this stuff is tough to blend, and believe me I tried! I tried a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and got a patchy, uneven application. Then I tried a damp Beauty Blender without any better results. Every time I got a patchy orange result that really bunched up around my brows and hairline. Worst of all I noticed the product tended to emphasize my fine lines which was confusing because Physicians Formula claims it “nourishes, soothes” skin and provides both antioxidants and a special amino acid complex said to “boost and support long-term hydration and skin elasticity.”

Also, I noticed the product was catching onto dry areas and “kicking up” flakes of dry skin making my skin look really pasty and uneven. I decided this was related to the recent introduction of Retin-A into my skincare routine and decided that I would lay off the Retin-A for a few nights, then give my skin a good exfoliation and few days intense moisturizing before writing off Marathonista. So I did that and tried it again. Still patchy, still orange but fewer flakes. I waited a few more days (still without using any retinoids); gave my skin one more good exfoliation with my fav chemical exfoliant: M2 Skin Care High Potency Skin Refinish, and did some serious coconut oil treatments before trying Marathonista the final time. This time, I used Wayne Goss’ method (video below) of adding a drop of oil to the product and applying with damp sponge. And still I was left with an orangey face, a patchy application that took way longer than I wanted to dedicate to foundation alone and flakiness around my nose and eyebrows. At that point, I exclaimed, “I give up. This product does not work for me!”

Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t get this product to work for me – note the spotty coverage and orangish tint. Yuck!

The company makes a lot of (almost outlandish) claims for this product. However, there is nothing particularly alarming among the ingredients (listed below). I was concerned about the statements regarding inclusion of lemon-derived ingredient because generally any lemon-based ingredients (especially in an SPF product is a BAD thing; Source). However, Physicians Formula used “hydrolyzed lemon protein” which should be less of a problem and is present here is fairly small amounts. Based on the reviews at Physicians Formula’s website and ULTA.com it appears it does work for some people. And if it works for you, awesome! Use it in good health and beauty. I’m sad that it didn’t work for me. But it just really did not.

Price: $14.99

Summary:
This tinted moisturizer from Physicians Formula earns positive marks for its high SPF (relative to other drugstore products in its category and price range). However, this was ultimately an unwise purchase for me. I found that the color was off and just looked orangey on me no matter how I tried to blend it out. Despite Physicians Formula’s claims that this “do-it-all” product would sooth, nourish and hydrate my skin, I found that it magnified my fine lines and clung (tenaciously) to areas of dryness causing patchy application and substantial flaking around my nose and chin. I’d definitely recommend Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream or Super CC Color-Correction + Care CC Cream SPF 30 (both $14.95) from this brand before this product and suggest pairing one of these far superior products with a well-formulated daytime moisturizer with sunscreen if you need more SPF. Daily Beauty Wisdom Rating: ** 2/ 5 pearls of wisdom

Ingredients (as listed on ULTA.com website)
Active: Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide.
Inactive: Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Water*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil*, Dodecane, Glycerin+, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate / Polyhydroxystearate / Sebacate, Lecithin*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water*, Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polylactic Acid, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Hydrolyzed Kale Protein, Kunzea Pomifera (Muntries) Fruit Extract, Syzygium Leuhmanii (Riberry) Fruit Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata (Pepperberry) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Alcohol Denat., Alumina, Beeswax*, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax*, Hydrolyzed Carrot Protein, Hydrolyzed Lemon Protein, Jojoba Esters, Lauroyl Lysine, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc / Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Mica, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Silica, Water, Xanthan Gum. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides.

Wisdom for the Day:
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you 45 so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. ~Matthew 5:44-45 (Common English Bible)
Read more here.

Beauty Resource of the Day:
The incomparable Wayne Goss shares his tip for flawless and natural foundation application. Enjoy!