Review| MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation

MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation ($33) is my new go-to foundation for every day. I think MAC has been killin' the game with their foundation releases this year and this one is no exception.

Let's get to the point. Here are my thoughts.

Product: It's a very runny liquid consistency with no scent and SPF 30. I wouldn't suggest using a sponge. Fingers seem to be the best method to apply. Although it comes in a dropper style bottle that requires you to shake well, there's no drying alcohols in here that will accentuate dry skin concerns or pores. It could've been packaged in a sanitary squeeze tube but the dropper also makes it easy to apply on the skin (it squeezes!) and spread with fingers or a dense buffing brush. 

It squeezes product in and out of that little nub, so be careful that you point it towards your face and not your white silk shirt!

Coverage: I would say it has more coverage than their Face and Body foundation or your average tinted moisturizer, but less coverage than medium. It cancels out any noise on my skin (light hyper-pigmentation, broken capillaries, redness) but won't completely conceal a dark spot. Basically, it's a light to medium coverage foundation that can be layered but won't add more coverage. My skin has returned to its blemish-free bliss zone after battling with cystic spots for over a month, so this foundation is perfect for every day. I use one drop on either side of my face and one on the forehead. 

Color: I was really wary of shade match because the NC range leans very peach on my skin. NC30 looks fine with my NC35-40 chest, but it's not the closest match to my obviously olive/cool yellow neck. I don't care to blend down because the coverage is sheer enough to get away with this mis-match. I noticed that it oxidizes a half-shade darker than the color in the bottle. I will probably get another bottle in NC20 and mix it with a darker shade if needed once the winter comes. 

I also hear that the new Smashbox BB water is an exact dupe of this formula for a higher price (wut.) I remember that their Light is an olive/cool yellow NC20-25 or so, so you should give that one a try if you find this line too warm for your liking. 

See how the skin on my neck and face is not quite the same color? Macro shots are never flattering, but you can see how it has thinly cast a veil of magic over my broken capillaries. 

My chest and body is definitely very tanned. In the picture below I had just gotten a rash from eating lobster (oh, my poor tortured soul) from the last night and this foundation just GLIDES over textural problems. My skin FELT like I had a beard, but it looked presentable with this foundation.

Here's a shot in front of natural sunlight. Again, it's not dark enough to match my body but it matches my face and I wanted a lighter shade for fall. 

Finish: Make no mistake, it's a dewy finish foundation that should be set down with a powder or setting spray after application. It doesn't stay tacky or sticky to the touch, and it will last all day on my skin without setting, but it's a good extra step to take away shine from unwanted areas like the sides of the nose and between the eyes. It looks like healthy skin that's plump and youthful, rather than you dousing yourself in sparkle and highlighter. I choose to skip highlighter when I wear this foundation. 

Here is is freshly applied and this picture was taken in indoor lighting. I'm positively shiny. 

And here it is after I had finished the rest of my makeup and let it settle down on the skin. 

Lasting Power: Whether I set it or not, this foundation lasts all day on my skin and looks good, not just presentable, after 9 hours of wear. It seems to look better as the day goes on! It doesn't break up on my chin, or pool in pores by my nose, or fade away from my cheeks. This is the best part of this foundation as many light coverage/dewy foundations will break apart on my skin after 3-4 hours of wear no matter how diligently I set it. 

This is the foundation with a generous helping of Fix+ on top. Even with the extra moisture this foundation just won't break apart. 

Thoughts? ERMEGERRRGDDDDD RUN OUT AND GET IT NAOOOOOO. 

xo Be

First Look| MUFE Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation

After a brief stint with the new Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation in its liquid form, I wanted badly to love and coddle their Invisible Cover Stick Foundation ($43). The new liquid looks great for about 2.5 milliseconds before it disappears from my skin. 

The stick form comes in 15 shades. Here are the claims from MUFE's website: "Created for the very latest high-definition technologies of the film and TV industry, ULTRA HD advanced formulas look invisible on 4K camera and to the naked eye. Perfect for the makeup pros and for you. ULTRA HD stick foundation feels like a second skin and provides medium to full coverage while looking flawless and natural. Exclusive 4K Complex guarantees invisible, natural and comfortable makeup. The creamy texture blends in seamlessly to conceal imperfections. Perfect for touch-ups, the formula glides on and makes skin look even-toned and moisturized, with a soft satin finish. Great for all skin types, even dry skin."

LOL, "even dry skin"? Does that mean that dry skin types always get the short end of the stick when it comes to foundations? 

You could also buy a darker shade for cream contouring purposes, but there are cheaper options at the drugstore that will do the trick (Maybelline Fit Me has stick options.) If you need a shade match, I would suggest going to their boutique or inside Sephora IN PERSON to swatch all of your possible shade matches. Brace yourself, confusing words are coming...

For the old formulation, I wore #120 at NC20-25 and #123 at NC30, which was very olive and green. The new formulation's 123 equivalent is not as green and is actually a tad red leaning when compared to truly green/olive foundations. The stick's 123 = Y365 is more olive than the Ultra HD liquid and matches me at NC30. It was much darker than the stick #120 equivalent and more olive than neutral as these swatches suggest. 

From left right: MUFE Ultra HD stick in 123= Y365, Marc Jacobs Remarcable Foundation in 36 Beige Golden which is the most yellow foundation I own, and GA Luminous Silk Foundation in #6 which is the MOST olive foundation I own. According to these swatches, the stick should not match my skin at NC30-35 in both undertone OR depth...but it does. Witchcraft?

This is indoor lighting.

This is under natural outdoor lighting. It still looks very grey/neutral compared to the Luminous Silk. 

Here it is on the skin. I used Becca SSP in Champagne Pop only on the highest points of my cheeks and the Urban Decay Naked Beauty Balm underneath as a primer. I think that it's a direct match and I don't have to blend down my neck....I am confused. Since this is in front of a natural lighting source, I'm even more confused about my true undertone. I know that my skin is naturally more red when I tan up, but the foundation stick *looks* olive in the pan and on my skin. 

True to their claims, it's a very lightweight but hydrating CREAM formula that offers medium-full coverage with one swipe. It's creamy but not thick at all and can easily be sheered out with a buffing brush. I noticed a medium coverage with a satin finish with one coat.  It feels comfortable and skin-like (no tackiness or sticky residue comes off) to the touch. It was instant love: there was no foul play with my textural issues like larger pores, lines, or flakes.

 I won't recommend this for combination and definitely not oily skin as it will slide right off of your face. I am normal in the heat of summer and find myself blotting furiously if I do not set it down with a powder. I will most likely pick up another for winter. 

I think it's nice (but not completely ideal) for dry to normal skin and not the best for oily skin types. I keep mine in the work bag for days where I can't be bothered to apply foundation before walking the dog in the morning. 

xo Be

First Look| Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in Light Beige and Sand

The Too Faced Born This Way Foundation ($39) is a medium to full coverage foundation that's supposedly friendly to dry skin and comes in 12 shades. 

Ignoring the claims, because all foundation claims to make you beauteous and flawless, this foundation is infused with coconut water, alpine rose, and hyaluronic acid. The third ingredient is what piqued my interest, because it does help to keep moisture on (in?) my skin and help prevent the office AC from sucking the life out of my face. 

Below are the ingredients if you're interested. 

I didn't want to buy off of the Too Faced website, because all of the swatches on their website, PR samples sent to bloggers and vloggers, and general Internetz hullabaloo didn't seem to be accurate. There were many many complaints of the shade range not encompassing very light and very deep skintones. I wasn't sure if the shades were TOO BEIGE (as the names suggested) or very friendly to olive and yellow skin tones and the swatches were just grossly inaccurate. 

When it was released on the Sephora website, I was able to scientifically guesstimate my shade as Light Beige, described as a light/medium shade for neutral to golden tones despite the ALSO HORRENDOUS swatch box featured. 

The labelling seems to suggest that it's an olive shade! The foundation comes in a weighty frosted glass bottle and pump. Very fancy on the vanity. 

Below are swatches in outdoor lighting. I also received a small sample of the shade Sand, in case I tan up to NC35-40 this summer. It seems to be very peachy and golden at the moment, but it may prove to be a perfect match later on. I compared next to Maybelline Better Skin foundation in Warm Nude and Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 4.0. 

The consistency is lightweight and blendable, but you'll want to work quickly in small sections. Two pumps were ample to cover my face. The coverage is medium-full with one coat and I could forego concealer on my biggest blemish.

I wouldn't say it's an ultra-polarizing olive. Light Beige is more neutral-yellow than true olive, and in direct daylight you can see that my face is more neutral than my neck. While this matches my chest and doesn't look completely wacky in pictures, it's still not olive enough for my skin.  I am currently NC30, more or less. 

Here it is with no setting powder or primer underneath. Even with no moisturizer, my skin didn't feel dry. Please note, my skin is now normal with minor oil breakthrough in the t-zone halfway through the day. There are no obvious flakes or dry patches, so I can't tell you how the foundation sits on truly dry skin. The area around my blemish and the sides of my nose are drier, and the foundation did not noticeably cake up around these areas. 

Here is a closer look. I think that this foundation wears best over a moisturizer or primer. The one big con: this stuff can settle into your pores if you have larger ones. I will have to use a primer underneath for best results because the skin on the sides of my nose seem to take on an "orange peel" texture when I wear this. BOO!!

Even without a powder, it did not transfer onto clothing and dried with no tacky "dewy" feeling on the skin. It's a satin foundation on my skin, but I don't think it will be the friendliest to combination and oily skin unless you use a very matte powder. 

This foundation wore for a full day (7-10 hours) with minimal transfer and *bunching* around the nose and on the chin for me. From a human distance this foundation holds up well. It lasted through a sweaty kettlebell session without any obvious fading! However, there are many other medium to full coverage foundations that hold up just as well. I don't think this particular foundation is any kinder to dry skin than most. 

My biggest gripe is the shade match and the fact that it settles into my pores when most foundations do not. I can technically buff my Too Faced Primed and Poreless on top in order to get rid of that problem, but shouldn't a foundation perform well on its own with no fusing? 

It's a shame that the shade range is limited, so I suggest you wait for even more swatches to pop up so that you can compare for yourself. 

xo Be

Edit| For That Dry Winter Skin

If you don't already know by now, my skin is normal leaning dry. For most of the year my skin is normal enough for most foundations (and a generous setting of powder in the T-zone). Come wintertime, however, I often struggle with dry patches and flaking skin, especially on the nose and chin area. This winter, however, I've been able to keep those problems at bay. In fact, I don't think I've ever been as normal-skinned!

Here are a few good ole' reliables that I pull out of the fridge for my winter skincare. 

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream- Though surprisingly scented like citronella, this stuff is magic for dry patches on the skin, either on the face or hands. I didn't care for it as a lip balm (too smelly) but it's a miracle worker for dry skin. I also use it as an eye cream when certain folds and lines are getting prominent. I believe there's an unscented version as well.

Lanisoh HPA Lanolin- Yup, it's a nipple cream that I found on Amazon thanks to a MakeupAlley member recommendation. Besides the embarrassing "NIPPLE CREAM" on the tube, it's actually a miracle for chapped and cracked lips. It's very thick and hard to squeeze out, but it has been my go-to lip balm for nights. I wake up with some product left (it doesn't get all over my sheets) and my lips are soft enough for any matte lipstick.

Amlactin Cerapeutic- This is a body lotion with 12% AHA that's perfect for lifting up flaking skin. I use this sparingly on the nose when I see a few flakes starting to form and within a few nights they're gone for good. It smells like teriyaki sauce and is too powerful for day time unless you wear a heavy duty sunscreen.

Clinique Moisture Surge Intense- A ride or die product, this gel-lotion sinks into my skin almost immediately and provides the most hydration I've ever found in a moisturizer. It's not too heavy, but I still like to reserve it for night-time. I contribute my skin's balanced state to this magic jar of pink goodness.

Dr. Jart Ceramidin Cream/Liquid- A good trial set that I'm trying out this winter, these products perform the same as Clinique Moisture Surge Intense but is even more lightweight on the skin. Whenever I'm feeling tight or dry, a generous helping of either product helps me wake up to hydrated skin. I like using either on top of my skincare routine before I head to bed to really seal in the products.

Tarte Maracuja Oil- Finally, I picked up my second bottle of this stuff in the fall. It's not as moisturizing as some of the products above, but it gives a lovely glow and dewy finish to the skin when mixed with a heavy duty foundation. Whenever I want to sheer out something like Estee Lauder Double Wear, I add a drop of this in and blend. It has also helped lighten hyper-pigmentation thanks to the high concentration of Vitamin C.

Do you suffer from winter time dryness? Which products do you use to combat it? Has anything made a lasting difference on your skin texture? 

xo Be

Review| Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser

Face wash is one of those things that are taken for granted half the time. Do you have dry skin? Go with creamy. Do you have oily skin? A foaming lather won't hurt you. For me, I make sure to remove the bulk of my makeup first with an oil based remover and makeup wipe. Then, I go in with a creamy or non-foaming face wash to cleanse again.

So why did I splurge on Philosophy's Purity Made Simple cleanser? At $35 per 16 oz, you could probably run to the drugstore and buy any cleanser in bulk at the price. However, I've heard very mixed reviews about Purity and decided that I wanted to try for myself. Philosophy designed this product to cleanse, tone, remove makeup, and lightly moisturize your skin in one simple step. For some, it's devil piss in a bottle while others claim that it's their holy grail. I've been using Purity for the past two months and can definitely offer my thoughts on it now.

I appreciate the simple packaging and easy push top dispenser, but since I got the monster size, it's a little cumbersome to be on my bathroom sink. It would be even better if they had a soap pump type of dispenser. The scent of Purity is similar to plastic lemongrass, but fainter, even though it claims to be fragrance free. You're not going to gag like I did with their "Hope In a Jar" due to an overpowering plastic scent, but it's still the norm for Philosophy products to smell completely unnatural. It's not a deal breaker for me since the lemongrass is semi-pleasant.

Philosophy claims that their Purity cleanser can deep clean your skin and unclog pores. The consistency of the cleanser is similar to a thin but waxy lotion that suds up when you apply water. Unless you were using a face brush or Clarisonic, I don't see how this can be "deep cleansing", though it cleans very well without leaving skin squeaky feeling. It does not lather to a high foam and rinses off nicely.

The best part is that it's excellent as an eye makeup remover, meaning you can work the slight suds into the lash line to get rid of leftover mascara and it won't sting or burn. I love MAC Cleanse Off Oil, but it can make my vision blurry afterward. You can probably take this on a cotton pad if you'd like and use it only for this purpose to save money.

I have not had any allergic reactions, clogged pores, or major skin dilemmas that can be attributed to this cleanser. On the other hand, my pores are a little tighter and there is no residue eye makeup when I wake up in the morning. It's not a miracle worker (it is a face wash after all people...) but does a great job of multitasking for when I'm too tired to take the separate steps. While my Neutrogena Gentle Cleanser works just fine, it still doesn't take off my makeup as well as this one.

Do I think it's worth the price? No. Would I repurchase? Perhaps, if there was an option to buy in bulk for less.

xo Be

Review| Laura Mercier Silk Creme

This is Bamboo Beige on the skin, one layer buffed in with a dense kabuki. 

I've been on a foundation binge lately (can you tell?), and rotating foundations out for better shade matches is on my agenda. Out is the need for sheer, lightweight, and mattifying. In fact, I want cakeface for the winter; something thick, hydrating, full coverage, and long lasting will do just fine. I decided that I needed  to consult Laura Mercier Silk Creme and see if it could take HG status.

The LM Silk Creme Foundation ($48 for 1.18 fl. oz.) is a cult favorite because it offers a long-wearing full coverage AND satin finish for skin that isn't oily. I would compare it to MAC's Studio Sculpt, except a little denser in formulation. This means that it doesn't transfer as much yet still feels comfortable on dry and tight skin. It's also not cakey and photographs beautifully, as it is a true full coverage foundation. It doesn't hide flakes, but it doesn't make them obvious either.

Now, the only con for this foundation is as always, color match. 

This is Medium Ivory stippled on with a BeautyBlender.

Cream Ivory is an exact match for NC20, or light with very yellow undertones. Rose Ivory is for NW20 and reads very pink. Bamboo Beige is an exact match for NC30 and has golden rather than peachy undertones. For NC25 I had to decide whether Beige Ivory or Medium Ivory (neither of which are true "ivories") had more yellow undertones. I finally settled on Medium Ivory and while it is still rather neutral on me, it's as yellow as it could get for the 10 shade range. I also have it in Bamboo Beige. I can pull off both, but Bamboo is more golden and a smidgen darker, for NC30 perhaps.

A pea sized amount works best with a BeautyBlender. DO NOT apply liberally with a brush or fingers, as you will get a terribly thick amount of coverage that reads as cakey. It's really the best full coverage a girl can get and it does not emphasize my laugh lines or pores. The wear time is phenomenal and lasts 12 hours if you powder lightly on top. 

From left to right: NARS TM in St. Moritz, MAC Studio Sculpt NC30, Tarte Full Cover 12 Hour Foundation in Light, Laura Mercier Silk Creme in Medium Ivory and Bamboo Beige. This is under yellow fluorescent lighting. 

This is under indirect sunlight. You can see that Bamboo Beige looks more olive rather than golden like MAC and NARS. 

I think a true normal skin type with acne scarring or dark spots would do well with this foundation. Drier types will also benefit if they use a moisturizer underneath. Oilier and acne-prone skin types should look elsewhere, but I've heard good reviews for Silk Creme from oily gals. 

I really like incorporating this foundation into my routine for a flawless look, especially on camera. It acts as an Instagram filter and really blurs out any imperfection, even huge zits. It's definitely your best bet if you suffer from dry skin yet still love a full coverage look.

Love,
Be