Archive for the ‘Foundation’ Category

This product reminded me of one of the cardinal rules of beauty – NEVER try a new product the day of a big event. I know, I know, a beauty guru should be smarter about what she puts on her face. Especially when it’s just a mere 4 hours before her birthday bash, where many a cute boy will be in attendance. But with a dwindling supply of my precious MAKE UP FOREVER foundation and no time to get to Sephora, I took a risk with Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX Foundation. And it was all bad.



Before I get into the epic fail that occurred on my face, I’ll tell you a little more about the product. It’s a light to medium coverage liquid foundation, which is pretty much what I go for since I’m not a fan of the ‘I put my make-up on with a putty knife look.’ When I tested the product – on my entire face – I noticed it was a lot thicker than most liquid foundations, which made it really easy to blend. They also offer a good assortment of shades; I went for M2, a darker medium that looks really lovely on tan skin like mine. Since all signs pointed to this being a winner, I went ahead and bought the stuff, despite it’s hefty $38 price tag.

In retrospect, I should have seen the red flag right away, considering I immediately felt a slight stinging sensation on my face. But being the genius that I am, I attributed my discomfort to the sweltering heat outside and ignored the warning the universe had just sent me. Once I got home and took a shower however, I noticed my entire face was covered in teeny little bumps, almost like a basketball. Since the bumps were small and there was no redness, I was able to cover it up with my regular foundation, but it felt weird to the touch. Which particularly sucked because I had cute boys kissing me on the cheek and wishing me a happy birthday all night. Thankfully I was wearing a really slutty dress so I doubt they noticed, but still!

So I took this crap foundation of fail back to Ulta the very next day, and the girl who did the return for me said several women had returned it for the same reason. So bottom line, stay away from it!

Final Verdict: HATED IT!
Price: $38
Get it at: DON’T!

I’m gonna keep it real here folks – I hate high coverage foundation and only bought this because the consultant who recommended it was super hot. So imagine my surprise when I ended up actually liking the stuff! Wow, a cute consultant who knows his products…oy, that guy just keeps getting hotter.



So anyway, at first the name scared me a little. To me, anything designed to look good on camera is gonna be really thick and look like spackle. And what girl doesn’t wanna look like she did her make-up at the Home Depot? Answer: Me.


So I dabbed this on very lightly, then went over it with a foundation brush. I was amazed at how just a small amount made my skin look velvety and flawless. And because it offers “buildable coverage” as Sephora hottie boy calls it, a few extra dabs on my problem areas – dark circles and blemishes – and my skin was perfect.

And the color selection is outstanding. There’s seriously a shade for every skin color and undertone. Even mine was easy to match, and that’s saying something cuz the last time I bought foundation I ended up at the Lancome counter with three people standing around me trying to swatch my face. BTW – my color – as suggested by Sephora hottie boy – is 153 Golden Honey, for “medium skin with olive undertones.”

The one drawback to this product is that it’s really easy to get carried away and apply it too heavily, so start with a teeny, tiny amount and build your way up. Remember, it’s way easier to add more than it is to take it off. And while you can apply this with a sponge or your fingers, I find the foundation brush delivers the smoothest, most even application.

That being said, I still love it, and will be debuting my new camera friendly foundation in my next tutorial.

Final Verdict- WIN
Price: $40
Available at:
Sephora retail stores
Sephora.com

This is one of those rare occasions when a product actually lives up to it’s name, cuz this stuff really does work like magic.

Now we all know I am forever faithful to my Benefit Playsticks foundation, but Sephora was all out the other night, as was I. So the beauty advisor on duty took a look at my face and suggested the Too Faced foundation, as one of their shades – Miami Tan – matches my skin perfectly. So I decided to give it a whirl and I must say, I’m very happy with my purchase.

The light, creamy consistency makes it really easy to control coverage, and the attached brush applicator is absolutely genius. Since it’s so light it also really helped out my complexion, as I’m currently going through one of my monthly hormone/Ben and Jerry’s induced break-outs.

And did I mention, it also looks really pretty on my face? Cuz it totally does! And it contains cucumber, so it feels really refreshing – like a spring breeze! Or a Britney Spears praise break even!

Final Verdict: WIN!

$32.50
www.toofaced.com
www.sephora.com