First Look| Covergirl Clean Matte BB Cream in 530 Light Medium

 In the summertime I tend to oscillate wildly between loving ALL TEH BASE MAKEUPZ solid bulletproof coverage or  #Iwokeuplikedisnobasejustflawless sheer coverage. Base tends to glop up rather quickly in humidity for me and my skin turns into a true combination type when it gets hot.

Covergirl's Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation is a big drugstore hit in my book when it comes to lightweight demi-matte formulas, so I spared no time tracking down their newest Clean Matte BB Cream ($8.49 at drugstores). The only problem with Covergirl, and many other drugstore brands, is often the abysmal shade range and lack of olive undertones.

Somewhat fortunately, the Clean Matte BB comes in 6 shades from Fair to Deep and I chose Light Medium 530 for my NC30 skin. Covergirl's shade range is notoriously pink but Light Medium is a yellow leaning neutral beige that matches me. Light looks to be pink leaning and Medium is much too orange/golden for me. Although it's marketed as a "BB", there is no SPF or skincare benefits in this formula and you should rely on a separate product for sun protection.

I've swatched UD Naked Skin Foundation in 4.0 (most olive), MAC Waterweight in NC30 (most peach), Covergirl Matte BB in 530 Light/Medium, and L'oreal Pro Glow in 205. I think it's a neutral yellow. In direct sunlight, you can tell that it's more "grey" than my cool yellow neck.

This is outdoor lighting. 

Indoor lighting. 

Flash. 

Once again, Covergirl managed to impress me with a budget friendly base that offers great coverage and wears beautifully on the skin. The packaging is simple and sanitary and the product has no strong scent.

Coverage: This BB cream offers a solid medium coverage. It will hide redness and slightly pigmented spots, but a concealer is needed for blemishes. I find that I still need a bit of under eye concealer after one coat, but this BB can also be built up in thin layers. I use about 2 pea size dots for the entire face.

Wear: I choose to set this BB down for maximum wear time, but I've worn it alone for 5 hours of perfect wear and slight oil breakthrough on my t-zone at the 8 hour mark. It's really perfect for running errands, more natural skin days, or anytime you don't want to worry about your skin looking *too* perfected. I find it to be very similar to the RSG foundation, but Light-Medium is decidedly more yellow than the shades from that range.

Finish: The demi-matte finish can look flat on the drier parts of my skin, but it doesn't cake up or bunch into fine lines, textural issues, or pores. You can let change it to a "satin" finish by letting your natural oils peek through, not setting the product, and/or mixing it with a liquid luminizer or lotion. I prefer to wear an iridescent blush with this base to add some life back into my skin.

Here's a freshly applied layer.

Clean Matte BB won't be a great hit for dry skin types this summer, but anyone from normal to oily will find it agreeable. I personally find myself reaching for it on a daily basis! It performs like a mid-range foundation with a wallet friendly price tag.

xo Be

Haul| MISSHA Holiday Sale

The U.S. MISSHA website had a very long sale of 40% (read it and weep!) off for Black Friday and Christmas. I've always been curious to try the other BB products in their line apart from the Perfect Cover BB, which used to be a favorite of mine when I had very oily skin. 

Their M Magic Cushion SPF 50+/PA+++ ($16.00) comes in the standard two shades as most Korean brands: No.21 and No. 23. This usually translates to: very fair (NC10-15) and fair (NC15-20). I'm usually NC25 for most of the year but get very light in the dead of winter. 

It would be nice to see a few darker shades (or even a spectrum of skin color) but I've noticed that the goal of Korean base makeup is to lighten (their words: "brighten") the skin, regardless of whether you're actually NC15 or in all honesty an NC35! I am currently NC25 and can barely pull this off. In actuality I look like an ashen vampire especially when I pair this with red eyeshadows or red based brown lipsticks. Scary. 

It does not come with a refill but is a reasonably priced cushion product. Higher end varieties can run you $45 and up for the compact and refill! You can also buy refills online at sites like Amazon or EBay. Inside of the mirrored compact is standard blue sponge...one that helps you pat the product into your skin but gets incredibly filthy with a single use. 

Overall, it lasts for around 6-7 hours on my skin by itself with minimal fading or splotchiness. Like most BB cushions, here are the pros:

• ULTRA light weight feel on the skin for sheer to light coverage. 
• Dewy finish.
• High SPF. If you're around the ballpark range you can use this as your sun protection underneath another foundation or base product. 
• Caters to fair-light skintones that have a neutral undertone. 
• Compact and refillable delivery method.
• Easy to touch up your base product without it caking up. Very natural finish on the skin. 

As for con...:

• WHERE are the shades that match humans?!

Luckily, MISSHA has a wider range of colors beyond No.23 that are suitable for NC30-35 and even NC35-40. I purchased their Signature Real Complete BB Cream ($29) in shade #27 hoping that it would be a tad lighter than their Perfect Cover in #27, which matches me at NC30-35. 

This is a solid product but I wouldn't pay full price. It's very fitting for normal skin that leans just a tad dry or oily but not for very dry spots (hello flakes!) or oily skin (goodbye perfect complexion...) Not to mention the SPF is paltry for a Korean skincare product. I appreciate the pump but it can get very messy inside of the clear cap. A side note: the bottle is a hard plastic that's harder to store! 

I found that it held up well during the day with a thin coat of powder but the satin finish didn't completely knock me out of my chair. As for the color match, #27 is a slightly peach leaning NC30. It's not SO peachy that it's not a perfect match, but I feel like I could pull it off only on the tanner side of NC30. 

Overall I appreciate how quick and easy to blend this product can be for lazy mornings but I wouldn't repurchase since it didn't wow me away.

xo Be

Edit| The Best Primer That Wasn't: Urban Decay Naked Beauty Balm

I was having a rough day and took myself to the mall to throw my wallet to the woes of material hoardings. To my surprise, I connected with a very sweet SA from Macy's who worked at the Urban Decay booth. She had an amazing vamp to red ombre lip + smokey warm brown eye look that had me nodding yes enthusiastically at everything she put on my purposely bare face.

See, I'm not usually a fan of mall makeovers. They make me squirm, want to blurt out obscenities, and run as fast as I can away from dirty brushes and unsanitary test products. But this gal made me feel happy to spend in exchange for a little TLC from a stranger.

In any case, I walked away from the counter with their Revolution Matte lipstick in Bad Blood and the Urban Decay Naked Beauty Balm in Naked Medium ($34).

*screeeeeeeetch* Hold up. Isn't that the one product everyone hated and rates lowly and thinks is the laughing joke of all BB Creams? I had these nagging thoughts in the back of my head. Was I just pressured into buying? Do I truly love this? Yet, my smooth/poreless/lineless/perfected but not made up skin in the mirror spoke to me.

I remember this product coming out in 2013. Everyone and their mom got a press sample and even then they all bitched and moaned that it wasn't a true BB Cream. There just wasn't enough coverage for it to even be considered a shoddy tinted moisturizer. I had chuckled back then and gone back to my Asian BB Creams that had plenty of coverage and oil control, even if they were all beige and grey as death.

(PS: It Cosmetics CC Cream in Light is the HG of all BB/CC/ZZ/whatever creams for me. It's olive-yellow, medium coverage, SPF 50, and as moisturizing as it should get for the summer.)

Now, I just wanted something to simplify my morning routine: a base prep that could be worn alone or with a full coverage foundation on top. This stuff has SPF 20 (decent, not phenomenal) and definitely lives up to the claims of skin smoothing and blurring. The orange tint of Naked Medium disappears on my NC30-35 face, but I could see it being a little warm for when I'm NC25 or lighter.

It feels like the Maybelline Baby Skin primer which did nothing to prime my skin but blurred it and held down flakes and dry spots like a champ. This primer also doesn't feel like a thick silicone like the Smashbox Pore Minimizer primer and can be applied to the entire face without giving a slight pasty white cast. It's much more liquid than the Benefit Porefessional as well and should be used in sections. In fact, it feels like the Laura Mercier original primer which has always helped prolong wear time with colored base products.

I use half a dime size for each side of my face and work in sections to make sure that the product glides evenly onto my skin.

Sure, unless you have minimal (or no) redness you won't see "perfect" skin right away but the effect! The effect! My skin has never felt or looked smoother. It really helps to push down flakey skin and glides over dry spots. I was also surprised that underneath any foundation it helped prolong the wear of any foundation or blush for 9 hours. Many primers may help with textural problems or wear time but never both at once with such ease.

My skin looks pretty darn good after a solid 10 hours at the office as well. It prevents liquid foundation from sliding around and pooling on the skin, settling into lines and pores, and helps the base product GRAB onto my skin. As an added bonus, my skin feels extra velvety and doesn't over-produce oil in the t-zone area. Such win.

It also works well as a primer for powder foundations. Powders seem to love clinging onto this base...but not in a bad way! Instead of getting clumped up into little sections, the Beauty Balm seems to help it glide and stick. As an added bonus I can also skip my usual moisturizer in the warmer months and slap this on after rinsing in the morning. There's promises of skin improvement ("DNA Repair") just for the BB hullabaloo but I don't have high expectations.

Urban Decay would get tons of sales if they re-labeled this as a primer rather than keeping it an artifact of their rushed venture into the market of BBs. It's effective and decently priced. Or, they could go the other way and expand the (practically translucent but suspiciously orange) shade range into Fair/Light/Medium/Tan/Dark and make buttloads of monies. They've already expanded into an Illuminating and Bronzing version, and I bet you the Bronzing version is great at evening out your skin tone for the summer.

I've been using it consistently as a primer/moisturizer/SPF every morning before I walk the dog. Here's a FOTD with it and a powder foundation (MAC Studio Fix powder in NC35.) The primer helps the powder "grab" and adhere onto the skin without patchiness.

Here is the primer with the MUFE Ultra HD stick foundation on top. 

Finally, the primer also works well with very full coverage foundations like the Marc Jacobs Remarcable Foundation. 

 It's a lovely product that only took me 2 years to understand. Yet another lesson to go against the grain and test makeup for yourself since it varies so much from person to person.

xo Be

Review| Laneige BB Cushion in Light

The Laneige BB Cushion ($34) is one gimmicky goodness of a product because it's not a gimmick at all!

Besides the cute packaging that makes it a dream come true to carry liquid foundations around in your purse, Laneige the Korean brand has scurried over to America at your local Target stores for even cheaper than Korea's market value (upwards of $45) on EBay. Imagine that.

In a desperate attempt to get my hands on the re-usable compact, I picked up Light seeing that Medium was out of stock. *tears* The product comes with an extra full sized refill, so now I have two "Light" that I hope I'll be pale enough by winter to use.

Light is definitely super pale and matches NC20, at most! I kept the compact around at work to touch up on my T-zone (my excuse was that I was highlighting my face and adding sun protection...)

I also ordered #23 Sand Beige ($23 on EBay) online from a legit Amore Pacific dealer hoping it matches me at NC30, and it seems to fit NC25-30 perfectly with strong yellow tones. None of that pink/grey/greige bullshit that's so prevalent in Korean BB Creams.

Since BB creams are soooo late 2000's, the trend is to put all that liquid goodness into a spongy compact that's not only portable but cooling, brightening, oil-controlling, and full of sun protection. Did I mention it's basically a foundation, so you get coverage too??

Yeah, it's as good as it sounds. 

Not only can you push the bottom out easily to refill the compact over and over again, there's also a mirror inside for you to reapply throughout the day. And guess what? The product itself is so light, you would really have to try to make it look cakey and thick. It's a light coverage foundation that can be buildable over your worst spots to hide them completely.

I want to emphasize that this product cannot be used with fingers (unsanitary as hell) or a brush (cumbersome.) Here's a hint: use the included blue sponge that's reusable and comes with every refill. With patting motions, you'll be able to cover a lot of ground in seconds.

Pros: 

• It feels very lightweight on the skin and layers easily.
• Reasonably priced as $34 gets you two full sized product wells.You can always buy a refill online with the appropriate shade needed like I did.
• There is a relatively good shade range for you to choose from, anywhere from very light and pink to tan and yellow in undertone. Even very tan ladies have the "Dark" option in Target.
• It imparts a very dewy finish on the skin but doesn't slip around or melt off easily. 
• The BB cushion has SPF 50, meaning with continued use my facial skin has lightened to NC25-30 even in the middle of summer.

Cons:

• The compact is not very heavy, but it does take up space in your purse.
• The sponge and container gets very dirty unless you wash it regularly. 
• Did I mention that swiping produces no coverage but patting does? It's something new to get used to.
• Since coverage is light, those looking to cover up severe acne, scarring, or dark spots may be disappointed.
• The BB only lasts around 4 to 6 hours and must be touched up during the day. I don't recommend it for oily skin even if it does claim to control oil. 

I do have to agree with the hype train over there in Asia that these BB cushions are great ideas in theory and practice. You get to reapply your sunscreen (liberally!) througout the day and refer to a mirror, much like touching up your powder. I personally leave my compact in my work drawer so that I can touch up after lunch, but you can always leave it on your vanity or throw it in your purse. 

xo Be

Review| Benefit The Big Easy Liquid to Powder Foundation SPF35 in Medium

 

I will keep this review short and simple. The Big Easy Liquid to Powder Foundation ($38) is overpriced. Not saying that it's sheer crap, but its price tag makes me want to betch slap Benefit. I usually adore their products, but everything about this is unimpressive.  

I wasn't interested in picking it up at Ulta since the packaging is hideous (some sort of tan circus tent inspired design with a scalloped sea lion pedestal cap) I was actually generously gifted the shade Medium by my mom, who said that it did nothing to keep her oily skin in check. 

 The biggest claim from Benefit is that the Big Easy comes out as a creamy liquid but dries down into a lightweight powder. I'll give them that. It really doesn't feel like makeup on the face and you can layer it under another base product that provides coverage.

It comes in five shades that are supposed to adjust to your skin tone, meanwhile controlling oil, adding moisture, and protecting your skin from the sun. Sounds good in theory right? I found that Medium was a close match to NC25-30 but nowhere near NC35.

It's a shame that when applied with fingers, you're in effect sheering it out to no coverage on the skin. You have to use a patting motion along the face to hide discoloration, which defeats the purpose of an "easy" product. 

When rubbed in it has less coverage than my MAC Face and Body foundation, making it a true tinted moisturizer that doesn't moisturize too well. If you take the time to pat it in, you'll get light to light medium coverage. For best results you should use a dense buffing brush and really pat it into the skin.

Second, it can catch on dry spots and flakes. My skin is back to normal at the moment (I've finally moved back to the Bay Area) but it managed to pick up on flakes on my nose. This seems to be a product that only works well if you're normal or on the oily side of normal.

Here is one coat on my face sans moisturizer or powder on top. Ghastly pale and neutral.

 

In the picture above you can see even the slightest hyper-pigmentation on my skin. Useless. After an hour, the color settled better into my skin. I found that by 4 hours my skin was looking a little dewy in the Tzone. After 6 hours it began to fade away and looked patchy. 

My consensus? You can get tinted sunscreen at the drugstore for cheaper and they will perform just as well if not better. Definitely ignore the hype and skip out on this product. 

xo Be