Make up Forever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation

Make Up Forever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation

 

Best. Foundation. Ever!!!!  I LOVE this foundation!!!!  Next to my acne my biggest problem with foundation is finding the correct shade because I'm very fair but often lightest shade is too light and the next shade is too dark. Its SO frustrating!  Alas I've found something that works perfectly!

 

(Photo from Sephora.com)

 

Product Details

 

* $ Retails for 36 and Sephora and Sephora.com is the exclusive retailer of it.

* 16 Shades available

* Full Coverage

* Water Resistant

 

Why I love it (and I think you will too)

 Match is perfect.  If you've been reading my blog (or if you view my pics) you'll see matching my skin is hard to do. I was matched as the 3rd shade which 25 warm ivory for pink undertones. I was skeptical at first because I'm never the third shade and only once have I been the second (Urban Decay Naked Skin I wear 1.0 which is the second shade---My review here).  Anyway I couldn't be more wrong, I honestly feel like this is the most naturally looking make up I've worn yet.  Its more like enhanced skin, I love it blend in so well that it doesn't scream "I'm wearing make up."

 

Long Wearing.  I have very oily skin.  To really test out the water resistant claim (in my mind if they are claiming water resistance my oily skin shouldn't melt it off my skin) I haven't been wearing primer with it.  I've been putting it on before work and taking it off almost 12 hour later and while I can tell it has worn off some,  for the most part its still there.  The key here is that I have to take it off, most foundation is almost complexly gone from my skin (without primer and even with if its a super long day) by the end of the day.   To make sure by fluke my skin hasn't magically gotten less oily I wore two different foundations without primer and noticed my skin is still oily. In fact I was rather disgusted at how bad my skin looked by the end of the day.

 

Full Coverage.   As you'll see in my before pictures I have a lot of redness, marks, and acne on my skin.  I am blown away with the coverage of this foundation.  With a very small amount (about the size of a pea) of product I'm able to cover up almost everything.  Best part is even though it covers up a lot it still looks natural.  If I want a really flawless look I use some of their long wear concealer (I'll make a separate post about it later).

 

Enough of my excited babbling lets look at some comparison pics.

Comparisons

 

Sorry for all of the goofy faces I'm making.  Also I know the lighting varies a good bit but hopefully you can still see the amount of coverage.  All of these pics are with the foundation only, no powder or concealer.

 

These are taken after trying the foundation for a couple of weeks.  My skin is really freaking out in these which isn't cool but does help to show the coverage off better .

 

 

Full Face Pics

Again with some pretty ridiculous expressions. I'm not very good at taking the selfies lol.  All of these are my finished out the door look so I have added some finishing powder and blush but no concealer.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

This foundation is my holy grail because not only does it match my skin perfectly but it stays on all day.  Really I couldn't ask for anything else of my foundation.  I think if you decide to try it you'll love it as well. I would love to hear other opinions.

 

 

Thanks for reading

 

~Em

 

 

 

 

 



 



M.A.C Mineralize Moisture SPA 15 Foundation

              M.A.C Mineralize Moisture SPA 15 Foundation

About six months ago I decided to try my first M.A.C foundation, Studio Fix Plus  (see post here) , ever since I've been a fan of M.A.C. Recently I heard about the new M.A.C. foundation coming out, but wasn't sure if I would be able to wear it with my oily skin (Studio Fix Plus is for more oily skin types). I decided to stop by my local M.A.C counter last week to have them try it on me. *Funny aside: She put on moisturizer first and then applied the foundation. Well this foundation literally feels like water drops being patted on the skin so I thought she was still putting on moisturizer when she was putting on the foundation. I actually asked if she had started with foundation yet. She got a pretty good laugh out of that but did say she can see why I thought that. First impression of it really blew me away, I love the dewy finish it has and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of coverage. I was matched at NC15 and its the perfect match for me, I think this one is a bit lighter than the Studio Fix Plus, since it seems to have a touch more yellow tint to it (it still blends well).

Packaging

Pretty standard packaging, but I do like that they included a pump.

Consistency 

The consistency is unique compared to most foundations--it is runny but not sheer in color if that makes sense at all.  For example Urban Decay's naked skin (See Urban Decay Naked Skin blog here) is runny in consistency and somewhat sheer due its formula.

Rubbed in a little--it has a semi-dewy finish.  

 This is dotted on my face and then smeared a bit with my fingers.  I wanted to show the finish, even after rubbed in it has a dewy appearance.

How it wears

It feels very moist when applying it, it literally feels like I'm putting water on my face,  I absolutely love this!  The finish is dewy but not overly shinny. I was a bit worried about how it would do on my oily skin, I've also never tried foundation that wasn't matte in finish for this reason.  I went to M.A.C. counter to have them try it on my to make sure it wouldn't literally melt off of my skin (yes, I've had this happen--gotta love oily skin, not!)  I wore it roughly 8 hours after they applied it with no primmer or powder added, and to my surprise it was exactly how they put it for the most part.  I say for the most part because I'm sure some wore off in that point but there were no oily spots or areas that needed touching up. I decided to really put it to the test by applying it myself the next day with no primmer or powder.  Again it stayed in place for he most part the entire day.  I'm beyond impressed at how well it holds up because it definitely does not have a matte finish.  I've always liked the dewy finish look of foundation but up until now I haven't been able to wear it---I've had a couple of fails with this finish such as Loreal Lumi foundation. The Lumi foundation went on really nicely but didn't stay on very long.  I've played with it everyday since I've gotten it so the next day I did my regular routine (Primmer--smashbox photofinish on this day, and powder--Bare Minerals pressed mineral veil) and a touch of Bare Minerals concealer)  and was really pleased with how it came together to create pretty close to a flawless look.

I could go on and on (if you've read any of my posts you know I'm long winded) but instead i'll sum it up by saying this oily skinned girl was able to wear it.  I think it would work for most skin types but I would suggest  getting a sample first to make sure it works for you.

Before vs. After Comparisons

Sorry for the lighting difference between some of the before and after pictures.  I wanted to post several different angles/pictures to show the coverage.  M.A.C. claims the foundation has a blur effect over imperfections, I would say that's true.  Instead of blabbing on I'll let you decide from the pictures.  

 

I said I wouldn't comment on every photo bu wanted to comment here (lol) just to say that I love how it blurs out imperfections .  Even when my acne isn't acting up I have marks from it.  I love how they are hardly noticeable  when using this.

 

Full Face

Foundation only, no powder or concealer

Foundation only---no powder or concealer

Foundation only--no powder or concealer.  The lighting is a little off on this one but it shows the dewy finish somewhat so I wanted to add it.

Foundation with BM translucent powder, no concealer, and a little Tarte blush.

Final Thoughts 

I Love this foundation! I love how it wears and even more I love the radiant look it gives my skin.  I'm definitely becoming a M.A.C. fan.

If you give it a try I would love to hear your thoughts/opinions.

Thanks for reading

Em :)

                       

Too Faced Air-Buffed BB Creme Complete Coverage Makeup

Too Faced Air-Buffed BB Creme

I admit when I first heard about it I was excited (I've been on a bit of a BB kick lately and I already love Too Faced ) but I wasn't so sure after hearing others opinions on it.  I ended up going to Ulta last week to check it out, even the Ulta employee (I so wish I could remember her name so it would sound more personal but still not sure I would use it for privacy reasons) that helped me did not like it upon first impression.  She had tried it with the brush it comes with and wasn't impressed with how it applied.  She put on me with a regular foundation brush and we were both pleasantly surprised at the coverage.  

Too Faced's Claim:

The first complete coverage Beauty Balm that evens skin tone and banishes imperfections with an air-buffed second skin finish.   They claim five benefits:

* Perfects

*Mattifies

*Primes

*Moisturizes

*Protects with SPF 20

How it compares to their claim:

As you've probably gathered from my babble above despite some negative reviews  of others, I really like it.   As you'll see below my skin is pretty uneven from acne/blemish scares and it does blur out/even out these areas well.   As mentioned in most of my posts I do have very oily skin so the priming quality is very important to me.  I've been wearing this everyday since I got it last week and I have not had any trouble with oil on my skin.  Some of my days are pretty long such as on Tuesday I put on Makeup around 7 am and take it off around 10 PM, and I'm pleased to say I did not have an oily areas.  I would dare say my skin was better than when I wear a primer under my foundation instead of the BB (I do wear foundation over this).

I'm not really sure how I feel about the brush being attached to the package but I suppose it makes it easier to carry around.  

 The brush is tiny, as hopefully the photo shows.  I usually use one of my other foundation brushes to apply it.    I have taken it on the go a few times (sometimes I put on makeup at work after gym) and the brush does okay in a pinch.  If I do use the brush I use my fingers in conjunction with it to make sure I get it blended in well.

 Its about the same texture as a foundation that's been pressed (eh maybe that's not the right word) into a compact).  My shade is snow glow--Porcelain skin with pin undertones and once I can say its the perfect shade match for me.  The other BBs I have tried (I'll review them soon) have been a bit orange (they still blended okay, but honestly I think it helps when match is already accurate without a ton of blending).

 As mentioned in their claim it starts off as a liquid and turns into powder.  This finger swatch shows how light its is.  I can't even begin to say how excited I am that this does not have the typical yellow tint.

Comparisons

Left side is before/Right is after on all pics below

I took a ton of pictures because I wanted to really show off how well it works.  Note that is a BB so it was never intended to provide full coverage but I do think it accomplishes the goal of evening out skin tone while priming for foundation.

The full face comparison doesn't show as much as I would like (I still need to learn how to use lighting properly) so I have several side views to help show what I'm talking bout coverage wise.   Even though this picture isn't the best I think you can see that overall my skin is evened out and redness is much less noticeable.

As you can see I have a good amount of redness/marks from my acne.  This BB doesn't complete hid these imperfections but it definitely takes the attention from them while evening out my overall skin.

 
Extreme close up to demonstrate how it camouflages redness/acne marks

Notice the redness near my check in the before and how its not as noticable in the after pic .  Also my skin is really broken out near my chin, I feel like it takes some of the attention away from these blemishes.

 Extreme close up to show redness/acne.  This is not full coverage so I would use a foundation over it, but I do think it takes away from my imperfections.

Ignore my goofy smile, but I wanted to include a full face picture. I totally forgot my lip gloss :(.   If you take anything at all from all my babbling know that it evens out skin well while camouflaging redness.  If you do not have acne/or as serve as mine it will work for you even better.

Sorry for the lighting (I feel like I"m always having to say that :( ) but I wanted to include a full face picture.  I know its a little zoomed out (hence all my close up side shots) but I think you can see overall the improvement of my skin.  Side note my hair is getting really long.  I'm totally in love with my Chi I got for Christmas--makes straightening my hair so much easier.

 Bottom Line

This BB is my new must have for my makeup routine.  I just love how flawless (okay maybe not flawless but much improved) my skin looks using this.  To finish off my face I add foundation (usually Urban Decay Naked Skin (its my favorite) , and little bit of loose powder (Bare Minerals Mineral veil) .  I really could skip the powder but I'm used to using it to give me a bit more coverage and to finish off my overall look.  I did wear the BB only one day to test how well it combats oil and I was very impressed.  I have also gone several days with the BB and foundation, with no powder. To be honest less is more for me with makeup routine during the week (I admit I sleep to the last minute).

I'll hush now and say this in conclusion:  Go out to your local makeup counter and give this a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed (Once you figure out how you want to apply it tool wise).


Thanks for reading,

Em :)

Urban Decay Naked Skin Versus Revlon Nearly Naked Skin

Urban Decay has started a trend with their naked line and I believe most of us think that Revlon's Nearly Naked Skin is their answer to UD's version. I'll compare a few things I noticed and let you all decide.  I would love to hear some feedback if you've tried one or both.


Packaging

I really don't worry too much about the looks of the packaging but rather how the product is dispensed.  I really like the the UD Naked Skin has a pump to help with dispensing and control how much.

The packaging isn't bad but I wish it had a pump.  I had a hard time getting it out the first time I used it and that hasn't gotten much better--though I suppose most drug store foundation have this type package.

Consistency

 UD Naked Skin. More runny in consistency than Revlon version.  I really do think the change in consistency helps with application and attributes to the coverage.

Revlon Nearly Naked Skin is also a bit runny but a little thicker.  

Both go on very well and have a more natural appearance than "regular" foundations.  In my opinion the thicker consistency of the Revlon version makes it a touch more heavy feeling on my skin, but doesn't make the coverage any better than its UD counter part.  

Coverage 

 I hit on coverage above but to sum it up I think Urban Decay's Naked Skin has a better coverage while not being as heavy in feel as the Revlon version.  In the Revlon versions defense it does have very good coverage for a "naked foundation" its just a bit heavier in feel than its counterpart.

Staying Power

I consider this "category" (since I just starting picking things to rate the two) to be a drawl.  I use a primer with both ( I used Urban Decay's pore perfection with both while trying them out) and found that both foundations stayed on all day long.  I have also tried both without a primer and found my skin to be oily, especially around t-zone but I didn't notice either "allowing" my skin to get more oily than the other.  Both foundations wear very well.

 Availability of Shades

Naked skin has 18 shades and it seems Nearly Naked has just about as many (I believe I counted 16 online).  I wear the lightest shade in the Nearly Naked and it is a good match but I would say its about the same as other foundations, I'm not sure its my exact match (but its not noticeable).  I was able to find a slightly better match with UD.  I'm not sure if that would be true for others or just because I am so fair.  I really don't know if I could use color match along (its really not that much) as a deciding factor for others unless you're in the same shoes as me with matching.

Price 

UD Naked skin is considerably more than Nearly Naked at $38 while  Nearly Naked is $9.99.    Naked Skin is definitely much more expensive than Nearly Naked so it really comes down to if one is willing to pay the price for it.

Bottom Line

 To me the purpose of the idea of a naked foundation is to provide as much coverage as possible while still maintaining the natural look.  In my opinion Urban Decay's Naked Skin is the most light weight in feel while providing the best coverage. I also prefer the shade match on the Naked Skin because I feel it to be an exact match for me rather than a "good enough match".   To be fair to Revlon's Nearly Naked Skin it is a drug store foundation so its not going to be exactly the same.  I do think they did a very good job of providing a more natural feeling drug store foundation.  I  like that it is  the most light weight drug store foundation I've worn and the coverage is very good to boot.  I'll even go on to say that some drug store foundations do not wear well at all while the  Nearly Naked feels really nice on my skin.   I think to directly compare the two is like apple to oranges but I will say money aside I would pick the Naked Skin for its coverage and match to my skin.  

I hope my ramble/logic makes sense to others.  I would love to hear other's opinions.

Thanks for reading.

Em  :--) 

Urban Decay Naked Skin

Urban Decay Naked Skin 

I really like the fancy packaging although the only thing that really matter is that it has a pump.  I find foundations without a pump more difficult to use, and I tend to make a mess with them (yes I'm clumsy lol).  I also like how little it takes, I use about a half a pump for each side of my face so one pump total.

Urban Decay's Claim

Coverage without compromise.  Our weightless formula blurs imperfections for a flawless finish that feels invisible, but looks professionally retouched.



How it stacks up to the Claim

I really do think this foundation lives up the hype and so much more.  I love how light it feels once its on and how it truly does disappear into my skin.  Another big selling point for me is the large selection of shades (I'm so fair that I have a hard time finding a good foundation match).  With 18 different shades I was hoping to find just the right shade and I was able to do so with shade 1.0. I normally wear the lightest shade or next to lightest shade if it super light with pink or cool undertones, so I thought .5 would be my match.  I decided the get a Ulta rep to match me though just to be sure and turns out that 1.0 is a better match for me.  According to Urban Decay's website 1.0 is for very fair (yep) skin with soft warm undertones (I'm pretty sure I'm cool) so I wouldn't have picked this one for myself but indeed its the best match I've had so far.  I really could go on an on as to how great the match is (that such a huge deal to me--I"m also most always slightly off in the match).

Consistency 

Sorry that the picture is a little blurry, I was trying to keep the foundation from sliding off my hand.  It is very runny (for lack of better term) but I find this to be a nice quality.  The extra liquidity of the formula helps it live up to the claims about how feel and how well it blends into skin.

Coverage

  I would consider it to be medium coverage as it does cover up a good bit, but not everything.    For those like myself that have acne or redness you may want to use a concealer to cover up redness that shows through (as coverage is sheer but does even out complexion well) or any acne that needs additional coverage.   This foundation does have a nice finish, therefore, powder if not necessary to seal up the foundation but you may want to use some if you require additional coverage.   Even though my complexion is uneven I have worn just the foundation for days I'm not wanting to use the whole nine yards (concealer, and powder etc) and felt fine doing so.

Primer

I always use a primer before putting on my foundation because my skin is very oily.  I've been using this primer for a while and think it works very well.  Even when it was extremely hot (I'm late doing this review) my make up would still be in place at the end of the day.  I've also found the primer does hold up to its claim that it fills in pores and smooths out complexion.  

Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush

I've just recently gotten into brushes (aside from my bare mineral brushes and a few eye shadow brushes that I have), this was actually my first foundation brush.  The ulta rep helping me select a shade suggested I get the brush also, I was skeptical at first so she let me try it out.  I love how it helps to blend the foundation evenly and easily into my skin (this foundation really does disappear as promised). I usually use a sponge and my fingers to apply foundation so this is a big change, but definitely a great one. I'm really loving having this foundation brush and the idea of using it over a sponge.  I'll also have to get some other kinds to try.  I'm open to suggestions if you have one that you love.

Before Vs. After 

Sorry about the lighting difference in the before and after pictures.   Its a little harder to see any specific unevenness of my complexion/redness or any acne marks current or past but it does give a little bit of any idea of the over all improvement.  I can not safe enough about how awesome this foundation is with evening out skin tone without being heavy.  It seems many foundations can do this but they end up being cakey or requiring what seems like coat after coat, and then it doesn't look natural.

Notice how it helps take out the redness on my lower chin.  If I were going for a "more polished look" I might add a little bit of concealer to finish covering  these spots, but I am very happy with coverage as is for foundation only. 

I look really mad in the after picture haha.  It's a challenge for me to take my own photos without a front facing camera.

I really like this angle/picture because it shows my complexion being evened out.  This is probably more true to most people's skin needs--as I feel many need their complexions to be evened out some but may not have acne as well. Lighting is off a bit--my face isn't as red as it looks but it was a bit red from me playing with make up (I took off my make up  after work--the Revlon Naked Skin makeup and then put this on--hence the same shirt and necklace lol).

Full Face/ Pictures from other days for comparison

I'm still working on lighting (I know you all are tired of me saying that) so my skin looks a little splotchy that its not in real life.  I think the extra light does help to show how well it blends into my skin and just how natural it looks.

These are taken back in the summer, hence why my skin is clearer.  The acne comes and goes, but never seems to stay gone forever.  I like these pictures because they were taken outside and give a better look of how it looks outside.  I should have written this review a while back since I've had this foundation since not long after it came out.  Revlon's release of naked skin gave me the idea to do the review (I'll compare the two in another post).


Bottom Line

I LOVE this foundation, it truly is the holy grail foundation for me, while it is not full coverage (closer to medium) I prefer it to other full coverage foundations because of its natural look.  I really do like  that it blends in to look like skin, thus looking more natural than other foundations.  In my opinion full coverage foundations are nice (don't get me wrong they are a girl with acne's best friend, especially when its really acting up) but they aren't as natural looking, as I feel it can be seen that they are being worn (not that its a bad thing but not as natural looking for lack of better words).   I'm not even sure if my rambles make sense to anyone outside of my head (ha) but I saw all of that to say that it goes on very easily and provides great coverage while still having a natural finish.

If would love to hear what you all think.

Thanks for reading.


Em :)