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 :)

CoverGirl OutLast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

The Claim 

All-in-one foundation with a long-lasting formula that fuses primer, concealer, and foundation in one easy step.  This foundation is an all in one primer, concealer and foundation in one that promises to last all day.

How it stacks up

My skin is very oily, so I was definitely hesitant to use this without my primer, but I decided to try it anyway so I could fully test out the claim.  I must say I was pleasantly surprised.  I've worn it several different times over the last month and I have not noticed my face getting shinny or excessively oily.  In fact it looked the same way that it would if I had worn "regular" foundation and primer.   As for the concealer promise my skin has several marks (from acne), redness, and surface acne and I was pleasantly surprised how well it covered them up.  I would compare the coverage to be about the same a medium coverage foundation paired with a  concealer, it definitely conceals as promised and is a very full coverage foundation.  I dare say using concealer with it would be overkill. 

I'm so glad it comes with a pump, I always make a mess with foundations that do not have one.  I got shade 805 Ivory which is their lightest shade, it is a very good match for me.  I sometimes run into even the lightest shade being too orange but I did not have that problem with this.

Consistency 

As expected it is a little thicker than most foundation  but it is not so thick that it feels cakey or looks unnatural on .  Once it is on I did not notice it feeling any different than other foundations.  It is a little bit watery (not exactly sure what to call it) which is probably what helps it not to feel too thick on.

Before Vs. After

*Sorry for the lighting difference in before and after pictures.  Also after pics make me look a bit orange thats the light, one of these years I'll get that right.

 Notice the redness/marks from my acne in the before shot and the after it's been smoothed out.  Also notice that my blemishes aren't nearly as noticeable.  I've applied concealer before foundation and after and still had more showing.  To say I'm impressed is an understatement!

I don't have as many blemishes on this side of my face but I do have a fair amount of redness and acne marks.  Notice my skin tone is very close to even in the after picture.

I sometimes apply a little extra under my eyes as a concealer/extra coverage.  Please ignore that I have on very little eye shadow and need to work on my brows.  Also sorry that before and after picture is a different eye, but they are pretty much the same.  I have a little bit of discoloration/spots under my eyes and this evens them out pretty well.

Not the most flattering picture of me but I wanted you all to see a full face shot (I also hate having my hair up but it is not fixed so I would look like a made woman with it down).   I've got a good amount of redness in my skin (as seen above) that is nicely evened out, I really can't say enough about how much this covers.   I wish I had taken pictures when I was trying it out, but most of the time I was in a hurry to throw on some make up and run out the door.  That's probably my favorite part that I can cut out so many steps when I use this.

Bottom Line

This foundation far exceeds my expectations.  It is excellent for those on the run or those like myself who simply do not get up early enough to fuss with tons of steps.   I especially love it when I go to gym before work and still want some make up--so much easier bringing this instead of primer, concealer, and foundation--just put his on and go.  Give it a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Those of you that decide to try it, I would love to hear your opinion.

Thanks for reading,

Em :--)

CoverGirl Clump Crusher

CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara promises  200% more volume and zero clumps.

(Image from CG website)

I usually prefer straight brushes since they are easier, in my opinion, to use in the corners and bottom lashes but I do think it gives volume to lashes.   I did have some trouble getting corner lashes but I was able to hold brush up and down and get them pretty well.

     Without                           With

 My lashes aren't very long or full, but they do seem to be improving (I'm not treating them or anything but I have been trying to be easier on them).  I think it does live up to the claim of providing length to my lashes, I can see a noticeable boost in length.  I'm very impressed in lengthening ability especially because this mascara does not have added lash fibers.   I think the formula is good as it didn't clump much and I was able to use the brush to separate out the clumps.  I'm especially impressed the length it gave my bottom lashes. *To the left of my lashes what looks like a clump is actually where my lashes cross over--not sure why they do that but it doesn't seem to help even if I pull them apart. *



     Without                           With 

After picture above isn't as clear as I would like so I decided to use this mascara while playing around with my mascara (I usually don't wear bolder colors out but I am learning to branch out more).  Small amount of clumping but considering the amount I used to discover my fine lashes I don't think its bad.  I usually have huge clumps when I do this.

     One  Coat                      Two Coats 
As mentioned above there is normally a small amount of clumping due to how heavy I apply it, I can usually even it out on the second coat.  I'm really impressed how well the brush works to even out the mascara and remove clumps.



Final Thoughts

My eyes are really sensitive and I did not have any issues with this mascara.  I have to be careful what mascara I use because if they flake and get near my inner eye its likely to cause swelling, and some mascara actually makes my lashes/eyes itch.  I did not have any of those problems with this mascara, I also did not have any flaking and I do mess with my eyes a fair amount (contact wearer/suffer from allergies ).   This is in this is not a water proof formula, I usually do opt for water proof since I do wear contacts, but I didn't have any problems with this staying put.  I would definitely recommend this mascara and I will be repurchasing when it runs out.

Thanks for reading,


Em :)

BareMinerals A Vision in Velvet Eye Shadow Kit

BareMinerals released an awesome 20 piece set around the Holidays this year with 10 velvet shadows and 10 satin shadows. I waned it when it first came out but didn't want to pay $79 for it.  Its down to $49 at Ulta now. I'm not sure if this is exclusive to Ulta only or not but worth looking for IMO.  I"m a huge BareMinerals fan and this kit does not disappoint.  These shadows are as high quality as the regular single shadows. I snapped some quick pictures of them.

Cute little gold containers 

                                            All of them together, as a make up junkie this is a beautiful site :)



Bottom Line


These shadows rock.  I love them all!!  What do you think?  See one you think would be your favorite?