I don’t know why, but it’s been difficult for me to find the inspiration to write my March favorites post. I haven’t really had too many products that made me go “WOW I love this!” but I have tried a few things that I enjoyed, so I will share that info with all of you of course. [Read more…]
MAC Matchmaster Foundation Info
Far be it from MAC to ever do fall launches in moderation, September also sees the introduction of MAC’s newest foundation – Matchmaster SPF 15. This seems truly unlike anything else in the MAC foundation family, and it’s clear that they agree. They even broke away from their traditional foundation nomenclature of NW or NC and a number (or sometimes just N, or sometimes just C!) to make things easier for both artist and consumer alike all around the globe. Anyone else thinking “yes yes finally!” ?
So what’s the deal with MAC Matchmaster SPF 15? Here’s how MAC describes their new brainchild:
- New foundation technology utilizing translucent pigments for the best possible match.
- Broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) SPF 15 protection.
- Moisturizing demi-matte finish.
- Line-reducing soft focus powders.
- Reduces excess oil.
- Medium buildable coverage.
Sounds pretty awesome right? MAC’s goal with this foundation was to create one that would give coverage without looking ashy or chalky due to mismatched tones. Each shade goes darker in depth as the numbers get bigger, but the translucent pigments allow these colors to be undertone-neutral, letting the wearers natural undertones show through for the best possible match. This foundation is more than 2 years in the making, responding to the call from artists for a foundation that would look more lifelike while still offering maximum coverage. How does this new technology work? Here it is in their words:
In traditional high coverage foundations, Iron Oxide and Titanium Dioxide pigments create skin tone using a mix of red, yellow, white and black pigments. When light hits the surface of these pigments they reflect and produce opacity and shade tonality based on the specific ratio of pigments used to create each shade. Often times the result is masky, dull and/or ashy depending on the wearer’s skin undertone and depth level.
Matchmaster Foundation SPF 15 utilizes patented pigment technology of clear acrylate spheres that encapsulate micro-fine Iron Oxide and Titanium Dioxide pigments. When light hits the surface of these spheres, it enters and refracts pulling the natural skin undertone into the mix of micro fine pigments so that the eye sees a more natural, true-to-life look. In Matchmaster Foundation SPF 15, we combine a proprietary blend of our patented pigment technology along with traditional pigments to give the most vibrant, natural shade, while still providing medium buildable coverage to perfect the look of skin and minimize flaws and skin imperfections.
Exciting for me personally is that this foundation is said to come in MAC’s lightest and darkest shades. As a practically card-holding member of the pasty white club, that is exciting news!
MAC Matchmaster SPF 15 launches on Sept 22 in North America and will retail for $32.50. I know I can’t wait to rush in and try on shade 1.0 to see if it matches me!
Available Shades:
1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, 10.0.
I like this nomenclature much better. For example if they discover a need for a shade between 2.0 and 3.0 they could easily insert a 2.5! However, the neutrality of the colors does tend to make them more forgiving and more versatile – two people who aren’t exactly the same skintone but are perhaps the same depth can wear the same shade. I’m very excited for this launch. Are you?
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation Review
It’s been a little while since I’ve done a foundation review, so when I got the opportunity to try out Rimmel Match Perfection, I jumped at the chance.
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation has 3 facets that made me really intrigued by it:
- Smart-Tone Technology – mimics skin’s texture and tone
- Oxygen Complex – helps skin to breathe so the color stays truer longer
- Blue Sapphire Complex – fights yellow tones to keep skin from looking sallow
Sounds pretty advanced. As Mr. Boyfriend would say, “that’s pretty f’ing fancy”. Yeah. Cool right? Here’s how it broke down for me.
Texture – Liquid, not too thick or too runny. Went on smooth & blended easily.
Finish – Satin – Not too matte or too shiny. It’s REALLY shiny at first but kinda calms down.
Coverage – Light to Medium (Buildable) – Minor imperfections and discoloration were covered easily, but if you have post-acne marks or other scars you probably will need an additional concealer.
Sun Protection – SPF 15
Shades – 16, from Ivory to Warm Caramel
Wear – This foundation actually wears pretty decently for a drugstore foundation. I was pleasantly surprised in that regard. It lasted through a 8 hour work day.
Okay, so those are the basics. Now for this skin tone matching complex business. Ivory, on a whole, is quite a bit too dark for me. I don’t think this is the fault of Rimmel because a lot of foundation is too dark for me. I’m paler than the average bear. ;) I do notice that the color/tone does change/adjust after being on my skin a few minutes. It’s kinda wild. Once it adjusts it does look a lot closer to my skin color, but alas still too dark. I think if either I were a little darker or if this were just a little lighter, the adjustment would have been able to compensate. If you’re someone who tends to be in between foundation shades, this might just be your holy grail.
I would highly recommend setting this with powder. If you don’t, it can stay a little sticky. I have normal/combo skin and a couple of eensy dry patches, and this foundation doesn’t make them look way worse like many foundations do. I think this would be fine for any skin type except if you’re at the extreme end of one or the other (ie really really oily, or really really dry).
The suggested retail price of this foundation is $8.99, although we all know drugstore prices tend to vary a little bit from store to store. It’s available wherever Rimmel is sold, such as CVS, Wal-mart, Walgreens, and Target. You can hit up the Rimmel website for more info on where to find it. It would appear that in the U.K. there is a powder and concealer to go with this foundation, so keep a look out for those in U.S. drugstores in the future.
Sample provided for editorial purposes.
November Favorites
Blah blah blah, cliché phrase about how it feels like I just wrote my October Favorites blah blah etc. :) -ahem- Hi! It’s time for another installment of my monthly favorites! Here’s what I was loving on during the month of November.
Old Navy Fuzzy Slippers
See, this is why I don’t do fashion posts very much. Because when I do, I mention things like my new chenille slippers from Old Navy. I normally wear a size 8 shoe so I got medium, and they fit me great. They’re super warm and cozy, and of course very soft. Most of our house is tile or wood laminate floor, and I almost always have cold footies anyway, so I have been much happier now that I have these. They do not have a sole that would make them suitable for wearing outside, but they’re great house slippers. They’re $10 right now, marked down from $12.50. I’ve been living in them this past month.
Make Up For Ever Face & Body Foundation
I reviewed this foundation earlier this month, but it’s worth mentioning again. I have been wearing this a lot! It’s so skin-like once it’s on. People will compliment you on your beautiful skin, not your makeup. It’s a water-based gel formula that looks so natural and won’t accentuate dry patches (hooray!). I still love my HD foundation but this is great stuff too. Yet another awesome product from MUFE. It’s a bit expensive at $38, but foundation is one area I think a splurge is worth it. If you are wondering, I wear shade 38 which is for porcelain skin with pink undertones. Available only at Sephora. I have been using it in conjunction with my next favorite.
A $20 sponge? Really? I had a gift card to DermStore, I swear. Anyway, I decided to give the little pink egg sponge a try to see what everyone’s been on about for all this time. I have the similar sponge made by Sonia Kashuk for $10, and I wanted to see if there was really a difference. Well, yes and no. I think both are absolutely wonderful tools, but the pointed end of the beautyblender gives it that extra edge. It’s also a little softer to the touch than the SK sponge. This gives such a flawless finish to my foundation! I’m glad I got the 2-pack, because I have another to keep in my freelance kit.
NARS Laguna Bronzer
I got an itty bitty mini Laguna bronzer as part of my Sephora Friends & Family haul, and I was anxious to try it. I have heard so many people say that Laguna is universally flattering. But I’m so pale. So many bronzers look awful on me! Much to my surprise, I really like Laguna. It has shimmer in it, which makes it different from my other favorite bronzer (TooFaced Chocolate Soleil). However, applied with a big fluffy brush it looks very nice and pretty on. It imparts a really pretty glow, and I am loving it. Even though the mini is small, it will last a while since the bronzer itself is so pigmented. But when I do run out, I could see myself purchasing a full size. It’s $32 though, and since bronzer isn’t a necessity in my beauty routine, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Skincare-wise my favorites lately are things I’ve mentioned– the Best Bath Store Acne Facial Bar and the ELF Zit Zapper. Nothing really new to report there. Love ’em both still. My acne is reduced to just a couple really insignificant little spots on my chin that are healing nicely.
I’ve been badly neglecting my nails this month. They’re chipped to hell right now, uneven, and yellowed. BUT! I have been really enjoying my first experience with butter LONDON polish– All Hail The Queen. This is a taupe polish with silvery holo glitter. It’s beautiful. When it’s not chipped off and ragged. It’s limited edition I believe, but in stock on Beauty.com the last time I checked.
And finally, hair. I have been sticking with my new holy grail shampoo and conditioner – Alterna Caviar Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner. It’s still love with these guys. My hair has truly never felt better. Despite needing a cut badly (I’m months overdue), my hair isn’t dry looking or raggedy. I’ve also added Alterna Caviar Rapid Repair Spray to my arsenal, which is an extra conditioning boost that adds shine, too. Alterna is available (online only) from Sephora, and at least some of it is at Ulta. The prices aren’t for the faint of heart, but the results are amazing. This would be a great thing to splurge on with those xmas gift cards! Yes, I do still use the It’s a 10 Miracle Product I raved about previously. It just depends on what the weather’s like, how I can expect my hair to behave, etc. Sometimes I use the It’s a 10, and other times I use the Rapid Repair. It’s a 10 is a bit heavier. I got a great tip that you can cut it up to half and half with water and it still works just as great, so I will try that out.
Make Up For Ever Face & Body First Impressions
When I went to see the MUFE boutique opening last month, Cat, my adorable makeup artist for the day told me I have just got to try the Face & Body foundation. “It’s sick!” she said, saying it feels just like nothing on your skin and gives a very natural look. Well, today I finally tried it! And I must say, it’s everything Cat promised it would be.
First of all, here’s how it looks on me:
(Don’t believe the “lie”. I may look like I have nothing to cover but I have all sorts of little tiny red marks and stuff. Blah!)
I have shade 38, and if you remember, I wear 110 in the HD foundation. These two shades are very similar. MUFE HD #110 might be slightly more pink. However, 38 is a great match for me too.
I applied it with my Sigma duo fibre brush. I didn’t like how that brush applied the HD foundation, but I think it works really well for Face & Body. The texture of this foundation is very liquidy. I did shake it before using as directed on the bottle, but it’s almost runny. However, the wetter formula is nice because it’s not one of those foundations where you have to blend super fast or it will set in blotches on your face *cough, Colorstay*.
The coverage is light at first, but buildable. When I applied this I purposefully went over some areas several times to see if it would cake up and it did not. You’re still going to only build this to about medium coverage, in my opinion. However, I really don’t like those “full coverage” foundations most of the time. They’re usually too thick and mask-like anyway. I ascribe to the same school of thought as makeup artist Lisa Eldridge when it comes to covering spots on the face: limit the heavy duty concealer/high coverage foundation to only the spots that need it, and use a sheerer more natural foundation everywhere else. I have yet to see someone who really does need full coverage foundation on their entire visage. ;) In the photo above I used a tiny (we’re talking smaller than a grain of rice) amount of MUFE Full Cover concealer to hit those spots that needed a little extra help.
First impression of the finish is definitely natural, and pretty. It’s luminous but not shiny or oily-looking. Kind of a healthy, alive glow– like skin. Just like Cat said!
But of course there’s also the wear! I have pretty much normal skin. I get a tiny bit oily during the day but right now, it’s just normal. Not particularly dry or oily. I set this foundation with my beloved Purely Cosmetics Diamond Perfect Finish powder. I did not use any primer. The foundation wore like a champ! I got over 12 hours of wear without it melting off of me or anything.
So! So far, so good. I’m going to continue using this in regular rotation with my other foundations. If my feelings change, I’ll definitely let you guys know!
Want to know what else I used on my face in that picture?
Eyes – MUFE Aqua Creme #15, Wet ‘n Wild single eye shadow in Nutty (crease), and MUFE Aqua Eyes #3L. Maybelline The Falsies mascara. Brow powder from Billion Dollar Brows. Under-eye brightener: Milani HD concealer #01.
Contour/Cheek – TooFaced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, Pout Pearly Queen blush (discontinued) – these were a bit washed out in the photo
Lip – Bare
Sample provided for editorial purposes.
October Favorites
It’s seriously November already? Insane. I feel like the month of October flew by so fast!
Favorite Things for October
Make Up For Ever HD Foundation
This isn’t new to me, in fact I’m just about finished with the bottle and my second bottle arrives tomorrow. I hadn’t been wearing foundation much lately but then started reaching for this more and more often. I love how it wears, and shade 110 is the perfect match on me.
Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner
Oh. Em. Gee. Probably the priciest shampoo & conditioner I’ve ever used but this stuff is amazing. My hair is left so soft and smooth and hydrated. Over the last few months I’ve really noticed my hair being more dry. Not sure why that is as nothing changed for me, but this shampoo & conditioner are really helping me get my hair to look great. It’s definitely not cheap though and I’m going to reluctantly have to shell out the money for full sizes when my little minis run out.
Rock & Republic blush in Spank
Spank is the perfect shade of pale pink! However, this blush is very pigmented. Some pale blushes can be chalky and sheer. Not this one! The quality of these blushes is soooo nice. They’re so soft and finely milled. They look great on the skin, too.
OPI Sparkle-licious nail polish
If you love glitter, you need this polish. It’s gold glitter with some pink and blue glitter mixed in. It looks ADORABLE as a blinged-out pedicure, which is how I’ve been wearing it for a couple weeks, and will look really cute as a holiday manicure too. This is one color that I would consider matching my toes and tips in the same polish, which I hardly ever do.
Purely Cosmetics Foundations
Hello hello my lovelies!
As you know I was working at the Purely Cosmetics booth for IMATS this past weekend. The event was a huge success. Even though the weekend was exhausting, I had a great time! I also got to learn a whole bunch more about Purely Cosmetics. I was a fan before I volunteered to work the booth, but by no means an expert. I learned a ton about it that I hope will be helpful if you are considering trying them out. I also wanted to introduce those of you who might be new to the brand with some background info. This is part 1 of my overview, talking about foundations!
Purely Cosmetics is a line of mineral makeup based in Valencia, CA. I absolutely love the idea of supporting local businesses. The economy in CA is still crap right now, so I feel strongly about patronizing its small businesses. Purely Cosmetics is also in another category near and dear to my heart– it’s woman owned! Robyn Bloom, the hard-working founder of Purely Cosmetics, is a one woman show. To prepare for IMATS, she said it took 3 months of pulling down 18-hour days! Her dedication really shines through in her fantastic line of products.
Purely Cosmetics – The Foundations
There are 2 formulas of foundation in the line, Pure Mineral ($18) and Skin Smoothing ($19.99). Both can work for most skin types. The shade range is from light (Fair Maiden is the lightest shade) to medium-dark (Cornsilk is the darkest). Here is a brief description of each foundation shade:
Fair Maiden – Fair w/ pink undertone (This is what I wear)
Peaches & Cream – Fair w/ peach or neutral undertone (I can also get away with wearing this, great for neutralizing redness if you tend to be ruddy-faced)
Neutral Light – Light to medium with neutral to pink undertone
California Blonde – Light to medium with pink undertone
Olive Beige – Light to medium shade w/ mostly beige undertones but a slight yellow tinge
Neutral Medium – Darker than Neutral light but w/ beige undertone
Sunkissed – Medium shade w/ bronzy/red undertones
Maria – Medium shade with golden/olive undertones – perfect for Mediterranean or Latin ethnicities
Cornsilk – Medium shade that has yellow/red undertones (darker than Maria)
Pure Mineral Foundation is medium to full coverage depending on how much you apply. One of my biggest gripes about most mineral foundations is I just can’t get the coverage I want. Not so with this bad boy. You can swirl and buff your way to completely full coverage. Depending on what you’re trying to cover, you might not even need a separate concealer. There is no shimmer or shine to this formula at all. It’s completely matte, but not that dead corpse-like matte. It’s a “your skin but better” look. Pure Mineral Foundation performs very well for any skin type, even those who are very sensitive (like me!) or very oily (also like me– damn, I hit the lottery). The ingredients in this formula are very simple: Mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, ultramarine blue, zinc oxide. No bismuth to be seen. Hooray.
You can opt for an extra $3 to add pure silk powder to your Pure Mineral Foundation. This is a great option for those who have combo skin. If you aren’t familiar with silk powder, it pulls moisture from the air, hydrating your skin while mattifying it. It contains amino acids essential for the human body and helps reflect UV rays. Hooray for silk!
Skin Smoothing Foundation is light to medium-full coverage (I find it doesn’t give quite as much coverage as Pure Mineral Foundation), but contains more ingredients. This formula’s ingredients are: titanium dioxide, mica, zinc oxide, pure silk powder, boron, silica, iron oxides, jojoba oil, and magnesium myristate. May also contain ultramarine blue (depends on what color). Skin Smoothing Foundation’s added ingredients keep the skin nourished and hydrated. It also helps minimize the appearance of fine lines. It performs well on all skin types except those who are extremely oily.
If you weren’t sold already, Purely Cosmetics sells sample packs to try out colors before you commit to a full size. And if you can’t find your absolutely perfect match, Robyn also offers custom blend foundation. See the site for more details!
Samples of both foundation formulas were provided for consideration. Although I worked the booth at IMATS, I am not an employee. Just a fan!
Mad Minerals Liquid Foundation
Happy Friday everyone!
I have been wearing the liquid foundation from Mad Minerals for a few days now and I am really loving it. I bought a little sample of it a while back and kinda forgot about it until recently. I love the ease of liquid foundation but wanted something without silicones to wear right now since my skin is hormonal and angry.
What I love about this foundation is that it is jampacked full of skin-loving ingredient like aloe vera, jojoba, and vitamin E. It also includes DMAE for helping to get rid of wrinkles and protective carrot oil to condition the skin. Mad Minerals claims these ingredients will hydrate and nourish the skin, smooth out the skin’s surface and diminish fine lines, and that it it has anti-aging and healing properties. The ingredients are 89% organic.
Sounds pretty nice doesn’t it? It is! The coverage is a buildable sheer to medium, and it definitely makes my skin look smooth and soft. It’s so blendable, too. It just melds into my skin and looks like nothing on. The concealers I use blend really well with it too. If you need heavier coverage you could layer this with a loose mineral foundation and I’m sure it would be a fantastic combo.
Mad Minerals describes this as for all skin types. I have combo to oily skin, and I find I get a little bit shiny midday, but really nothing to write home about. Nothing to make me stop using the foundation. This is a winner!!
Mad Minerals is having a 20% off sale, and that code is good on the already discounted foundation. A full size bottle will only be $8 + shipping after the discount. I wear the lightest shade, and it’s a great match. The foundation comes in a pretty wide variety of shades though, including deeper shades suitable for WoC.
If you’re seeking a more natural approach to liquid foundation, give this a shot!
Maybelline SuperStay Makeup
Hey everyone! I’ve been road testing Maybelline’s newest foundation, SuperStay Makeup. Not to be confused with SuperStay Silky:
I’ve actually tried Superstay Silky as well but I ended up giving it to my mom. It was a great formula but slightly too dark, so to mom it went. Well it seems Superstay Silky has gone the way of the dinosaurs and we now have this:
This is SuperStay Makeup. I can only assume this is Maybelline’s answer to Revlon Colorstay. It has similar packaging (clear glass bottle with an open mouth and a screw on lid), and promises pretty much the same things:
– stands up to humidity, heat, sweat
– won’t rub off
– flexibile, breathable
– oil-free
Sounds familiar right? As can be expected, the formula is chock full of silicones. Ah silicones. They are so wonderful. They are what keeps foundation from settling in pores and overall wear much better.
So I’ve worn the foundation a few times, and my initial impression is that like all other foundations from Maybelline this one is a touch dark. But now I have my FACE Atelier Zero Minus (see review from yesterday), so I can mix in a drop of that and be good to go. The formula is nice, but frankly I prefer Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse way more. The Dream Liquid gives my face an overall more flawless look and takes less product to cover any imperfections or blemishes. I feel like I need to layer/build more SuperStay to cover redness, whereas just a little bit of Dream Liquid gets the job done. Length of wear is just about the same between the two. They both last pretty well through the work day. I will say though that the SuperStay is indeed a lot more transfer-proof than Dream Liquid.
If you are curious about the shade range, check out the swatches posted by Kristina at Sasquatch Swatch!
So, there you have it. :) Have you tried either of these foundations? What did you think?
FACE Atelier Zero Minus
FACE Atelier’s Ultra Foundation Pro in Zero Minus is my new secret weapon in my vast stash of complexion products. Their foundation itself is a dreamy formula, chock full of imperfection-smoothing silicones. Zero Minus is the pure white shade of this foundation.
I have a few foundations that more or less match but aren’t 100% perfect. All I need to do is add a drop of this stuff to the usual amount of foundation I use to do my face and I’ve corrected the color to be light enough for me! If you run into this problem, or finding yourself getting pale in winter and don’t want to need to keep 2 foundations around, just pick up this little beauty. It’s $30 for a small bottle (yikes, I know…) but since you only need to use about a drop every time, it should last for ages.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with FACE Atelier, it’s a Canada-based brand and not available in very many retail locations here in the US. Here’s a list of stores from their website. The line is designed with the professional makeup artist in mind, and all of the products are very high quality. Another thing I love is their swatches are VERY true to life. I have seen the products in person and the swatches on their site are some of the best! Yes, the eyeshadow pans are the same size as MAC. ;)
