that is a little ridiculous but hey whatever makes them money I guess. I tried the Almay smart shade and it sort of worked but the black beads in it stayed on my face some of the time and made it look like I had dirt on my face. Maybe I applied it wrong?

Jami, Almay SmartShade isn't a pH-based color changer. It's a white base with micro-encapsulated color; as you rub it, you break the beads and it "magically" changes to your skin tone. If you don't play with it enough, or if you use a sponge to apply, it'll just stay white. That's what I hate about it: by the time you've rubbed it around enough for it to match your skin tone, the coverage is so thin that it doesn't cover up problem areas. Also, if for some reason you mess with it too much, it ends up darker than you need it to be. It's foundation for people who don't really need it.

honestly I think people should just suck it up and take a few minutes to buy a foundation that matches their skin tone. How lazy people are becoming haha

I love photos of celebrities at big events where their face is a totally different color than the rest of their bodies! Personally I use a mineral foundation by Aromaleigh called Glissade. I found one that matches my winter skintone exactly straight out of the jar. For summer, I have to add a little bit of a slightly darker shade, but once I've mixed up a batch, it lasts all through the season. I chose Aromaleigh because of their extensive range of pale shades, plus their price is about half of Bare Escentuals. However, I did notice they're formulating Glissade without a preservative now, due to the anti-paraben clamor, so I'll have to think before rebuying. Luckily it lasts a decent while.