Review| Dior Forever Perfect Makeup SPF 35 (2015 Reformulation)

Dior is trolling me, because I was completely unaware of their newest reformulation of the Forever foundation. This one is named the "Forever Teint Haute Perfection Perfect Makeup Everlasting Wear Pore-Refining Effect with Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF35." Succinct. 

It comes in 16 shades and retails for $50 at Sephora and Sephora.com, Macy's, Nordstrom, etc. Make sure that you have the newest iteration with SPF35 and not SPF25. 

The convoluted name tells me that it should hide my pores, last forEVER, and has SPF35. 

Here are the ingredients: 

The frosted glass bottle and heavy cap feels as bougie as ever. 

I picked up 21 Linen. I am currently NC25 tumbling toward NC30-35, and swatches on the back of my hand suggested that it was NC25 and would oxidize to NC27. You've been warned! This foundation does oxidize like that last formula. 

I have to admit that this foundation impresses me more than the formula that I used when living in SoCal (when oil control was a top priority for base products.) 

PROS:

• Extremely kind to skin textures such as fine lines, pores, and acne bumps. 
• Full coverage with a satin finish that gets better as the day goes on. 
• Absolutely no fading or patchiness even after 8+ hours in the heat. 
• Easy to blend with no streakiness. 

CONS:

• You need more than 2 pumps for the entire face. 
• $$$$$$$
• Oxidation. 21 Linen is not the most cool-leaning yellow foundation I've come across and it deepens half a shade once it has set. 

Here are swatches of the foundation with similar brethren. From left to right: Bourjois HM in 52 Vanille, D&G Perfect Reveal Lifting in 110 Caramel, Urban Decay Naked Skin in 4.0, Dior Forever in 21 Linen, Shiseido Synchro Skin in Golden 3. 

Natural indoor lighting:

Flash photo indoors: 

Outdoor under direct sunlight: 

Currently, my skin is as normal as it can get with a t-zone that produces oil. My nose is temperamental and can often seem "flake-y" underneath of a mattifying foundation. However, observe this application with minimal concealer and powder directly under the eyes. The foundation looks to be a perfect match to my current skintone and does indeed *blur* any imperfections without seeming mask-like. 

It covers lighter dark spots and redness easily. 

I applied this over my newly touted Sun Bum Moisturizing Lotion (SPF 70) by itself. The sunscreen itself is very moisturizing (borderline greasy) on my skin and lent itself to the more dewy look of my base. I've tried the Forever on top of regular SPF + primer and the result is equally satisfying. 

Upon very close inspection (perhaps 3 inches away) you can see that it bunches slightly with the dry skin on my nose. However, I still maintain that all skin types can use this foundation with proper skin preparation. In comparison to the previous version, this foundation is much less mattifying/oil controlling but makes up for it with better SPF, its excellent pore blurring performance, and equal longevity. 

After I finished with the rest of my face, the foundation seems to have oxidized. The oxidation is much more obvious on my hand (happens with almost every swatch) and looks to be 1/2 to 1 shade darker than my neck and more golden than my chest. Hm. I'm not a fan of wearing foundation on my neck due to high necklines, but this seems to be a better shade for the months to come. 

Overall, I give high marks for this foundation! I can see it being perfect for work days over events due to the high SPF, but it stays flawless without primer and powder. With primer and powder, you're looking at bulletproof wear until you take off your face for the day. 

xo BE

First Look| Giorgio Armani Maestro Glow Foundation

I was fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to find tester of the Giorgio Armani Maestro Glow Foundation ($64) and brought home Shade 4. The sales assistant's skin looked absolutely flawless and radiantly dewy, but I couldn't tell that he was wearing base product until unscrupulous inspection. I've heard of their original Maestro foundation being a flawless demi-matte finish but didn't want to bother with working it around flakes and dry spots.

There are nine total shades with a 0 mixer that's white and can be used as a primer/mixer. 4 is a cool yellow NC20-25, which is surprising since 4 in their Luminous Silk Foundation is NC20. Keep in mind that the color in the bottle is misleading (too dark and warm) in comparison to how the product looks when blended out. 

Here is the product and shade description, courtesy of Nordstrom.com: 

Maestro Glow is the first bi-phase foundation elixir that gives you the richest glow in the thinnest texture. The light, silky formula gives you an instant and lasting glow thanks to true skincare oils infused with pure pigments. These oils make the texture comfortable, easy to apply and nourishing for women with drier skin. Each drop perfects the complexion.

- Shade 0: pure white for brightening and highlighting.

- Shade 2: fair skin with warm undertones.

- Shade 4: light skin with neutral undertones.

- Shade 5: light skin with rosy undertones.

- Shade 5.5: medium skin with neutral undertones.

- Shade 6.25: medium skin with warm undertones.

- Shade 7: tan skin with neutral undertones.

- Shade 8: tan skin with warm undertones.

- Shade 11.75: deep skin with red undertones.

How to use: Shake the bottle before using to blend the oils and pigments. Mix it on the back of your hand to prepare for application. Apply with your fingertips over the face, from the center outward.

To be completely honest, I was not enamored with this foundation upon first use. Its sheer to light coverage and extreme luminosity (no glitter, mind you, just WOW DEWY) cannot take an entire day's wear without fading and sheering out completely on the skin. 

The delicate glass bottle and rubber nipple pipette (hehe) makes it a strange experience to use this foundation but I found no trouble with dispensing product. Also worthy of note: use less than you think and blend the product in with a flat brush for more coverage. 

Observe below, where I had been wearing the Maestro Glow for 3-4 hours without a primer or setting powder on top. I look like I blotted my nose with a pizza. However, the overall effect on the drier parts of my skin is softly radiant. Not bad. 

When you set it down with a powder you lose a lot of the luminosity but in turn get a satin to matte finish that doesn't look flat on the skin. Therefore, I think those with combination skin (like me!) can make this foundation work. 

If you REALLY want to make this budge proof, you can use a setting powder with even more oil control such as the Urban Decay Loose Powder (I use Medium Light) to set the entire face. The foundation eventually breaks through the oil after 6 hours of wear for me and I get a very natural skin finish with this method without looking insanely greasy or dry as a bone. 

It's incredibly lightweight and doesn't sink into lines, pores, textural issues, anything! In fact, my skin looks plump as a pork bun. 

I think that my IT Cosmetics OMG Foundation brush applies this perfectly. It's flat with some surface area to blend around the nose and prevents streaks as well. I find that this foundation performs best on freshly moisturized skin WITHOUT skin primer and you should use less than you think. It will cover redness but not dark spots. 

There's SPF 30 inside the foundation! Not that it hurts or helps, but you may want to consider flash back issues for photography. This works better as an "every day" foundation, although $64 is STEEP AF and you can dilute it for further use with YOUR TEARS. 

In the end, I started to realize the Maestro's flexibility of finish. It takes a little bit of experimentation to coax out its true potential, but this is a great foundation for those with dry to combination skin wanting a dewy finish with an air light (not greasy, not thick, not "moisturizing" feel.) 

There are similar base products on the market this spring: Laura Mercier Candleglow Foundation is very similar but with less lasting power and Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting, which has more coverage but less glow (more shimmer). 

With that being said, I will not be picking up a darker shade for summer. However, I'm curious to see what toxic nuclear waste meltdown and/or miracle happens on my face if I wear this mixed in with their Luminous Silk. 

xo Be

Review| Dolce and Gabbana Perfect Reveal Lifting Foundation

I really wanted to take my time with this foundation review. As I age and become more and more jaded to new beauty products, base products really need several months of trial and error before they can be discussed at length. 

Especially if the foundation in question is the Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Reveal Lift Foundation which will empty $73 whole quids out of ya hard earned monies. At this price point, I really expected miracles and perfect skin and devout male worshipers throwing themselves at my feet.  

It's a hefty and luxurious bottle complete with a pump. I purchased shade #110 Caramel because the few swatches online suggested that it was the most olive of the bunch. Now that I'm looking through the Sephora shade guides, #120 Natural Beige may have been a better match (possibly more olive at the same depth). With that fault aside, it's still a good match for me at NC23-25 and doesn't look too peachy. Also, what was I doing, expecting an olive color from Caramel? D'oh!

Here are swatches in different sources of lighting: Hourglass Illusion Skin Tint, Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation in Light-Medium Sand, BareMinerals Gel Rescue Cream in Buttercream, D&G Lift Foundation in Caramel, IT Cosmetics CC Cream in Light. 

All ranting aside, this is a good foundation for the VERY dry skinned who want coverage and lasting power on top of moisturizing properties. It feels luxurious on the skin: a thick, creamy serum of medium coverage and intense hydration. I definitely cannot use a moisturizing sunscreen underneath (it comes with SPF 25) and apply this on clean or thinly primed skin. I've found that the best method of application is with your fingers or a buffing brush to really push the product into your skin. 

Let me repeat myself: this is for the very dry skinned and mature folks. I consider my skin to be on the drier side of normal for most foundations, but this foundation will look dewy upon application and GREASY by mid-day. Blot. Powder. Do whatever's in your power to delay the process. The foundation WILL slip on the skin as it wears, but won't transfer off and the coverage lasts throughout the day. 

Another thing I want to mention is how it can lift up peach fuzz if you're not careful. I think it's nice to drier skin patches and flaking skin, but it can still look like makeup if you use too much. You really need to blend this one in. For example, I prefer my Hourglass Illusion Skin Tint as it boasts the same ethereal skin/glowing light bulb effect but melds better with my skin. 

I can't say it's life changing for me due to the fact that my skin is much more normalized. However, I do think that there are very few foundations on the market for very dry skin that offers medium to full coverage and a solid 10 hours of lasting power. I think you'll want a sample first to see how this one compares to other base products. 

xo Be

Review| Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow

I had a mediocre stint with the Dolce Vita quad by Charlotte Tilbury, but my curiosity still got the better of me. 

The Filmstar Bronze and Glow ($65) is a duo of, you guessed it, a sculpting and highlighting powder. Even if reviews are mixed for her other products, many people adore this duo and hail it as "perfect" for fair to medium complexions. 

This product is best for those who don't want to look like they've put effort into finding their own cheekbones. In broad daylight, a heavy brown/grey stripe across your face is pretty damn obvious. This duo makes it easy to get away with daytime contouring, even more so than with the Kevyn Aucoin sculpting powder and Candlelight highlighter. 

I really enjoy how enthusiastic I can be with my tapered brush and the Sculpt pan. Seriously, I could swirl my brush in the product all day and go straight onto my face, but the end result is never obvious or muddled. The sculpt powder is very light in color, but ultra buttery in texture (read: blendable) and doesn't drag or become a powdery mess on the face. There's a hint of micro-shimmer in pan but it only adds a slight glow on the face. 

The highlight is subdued and neutral champagne that leans neither too warm or cool. I don't think it advertises my pores at all. In fact, it's much more of a sheen than shimmer meaning no disco ball at this party. 

For how much you're paying, the quality is reflected in both the packaging and product. The rose gold casing has some heft, opens and closes with elegance, and includes a full mirror inside. It's not the same cheapo plastic feeling as her eyeshadow quads and yet fits nicely in a makeup bag. 

Did I mention the completely classy packaging? See below. 

The outer shell breaks in half. 

Then, a fancy sheath envelopes the compact. 

Instructions!

Isn't this sort of packaging the reason why we pay $65 for this compact? It's the attention to details that makes or breaks a first impression on a product. 

Below I have swatched the compact along with similar sculpting powders and highlighters. Sadly, they are in their own pans and not able to be combined together to be taken along in my purse. I have TheBalm Mary Lou Manizer, KA Candlelight, the Glow shade, the Sculpt shade, KA Sculpting Powder in Medium, and Dolce and Gabbana blush in Tan. 

In direct sunlight, Bronze and Glow is absolutely virginal in comparison to the rest of the products swatched. It's soft, very light, and natural even with 2 swipes. Yes, it's "no-makeup makeup" for contouring! Oh me? I woke up with these cheekbones. While it looks orange in comparison to my two other sculpting shades, it's actually much more natural when you blend into the skin. 

Here's a shot in indirect sunlight and outdoors. Don't get me wrong, it's not light to the point of not showing up on skintones past NC20. I am hovering between NC25-30 and find it to be noticeable on the face. But is noticeable the right word? It's there...or is it? I think this compact would suit anyone from N10-N35, but medium to tan complexions will find this lackluster or even non-existent on their cheeks no matter how much they reapply. 

Did I mention it lasts all day on the skin? No need to whip it out and reapply, as fancy as the packaging makes you feel.

If you want an every day contour compact that's as elegant as it is effective...look no further. 

xo Be

Review| Le Rouge Givenchy (202 Rose Dressing/304 Mandarine Bolero)

Though I may haul many and often, I have a hard time justifying spending close to 40 dollars for a single tube of lipstick...which is why these were generously given to me via multiswap on MakeupAlley. I've always been curious to see if the price point of a lipstick determines its performance. 

These Le Rouges from Givenchy retails for 36 dollars which to me is about two dinners for two in Garden Grove. Never mind the fact that Tom Ford sells his lipsticks for close to 50 dollars. Good lord, that sounds like an expensive addiction...much like cocaine...fleeting and costly?

Encased in real leather and a metallic closure thingie (I have no clue how to describe it other than the fact that it does snap shut), these lipsticks are fancier than you'll ever be. Look at that logo etched onto the lipstick itself. Absolutely and pointlessly luxurious. 

As for performance? 

Texture: A little bit on the matte side and can cling to dry patches. It's best that you exfoliate and moisturize well. It won't peel your lips off like a matte formula from MAC, but it's not flattering nonetheless. It doesn't drag on the lips, which is a huge surprise.

Color: The color payoff is awesome, as expected for a matte formula. It lasted through 4 hours of wear, a hearty bowl of pho, and my manic impulse to rub my lips together constantly. It also reapplied very well and didn't look patchy afterwards when it faded. I absolutely love these two colors for my olive complexion. 304 Madarin Bolero is the perfect coral red for spring and summer, rivaling my MAC Lady Danger. 202 Rose Dressing is the perfect "uptight but polished" color that's perfect for work. 

Smell: Sadly, the smell and taste of these babies are very off-putting. The smell is not pungent but the taste is pure plastic heaven. If you enjoyed munching on glue as a child, this may bring back good memories. 

I feel super grateful that an MUA swapped this with me, but I feel like brand imaging was strong with this one. Overall, they lasted well but I dreaded re-application time once it came. As fancy as the tube was and as rich-betch as I felt pulling it out of my Coach handbag, it tasted like dollar store crayon. 

So, do you think I should venture into Tom Ford next? I feel like there is criticism on the market for these Le Rouges, but everyone and their mom digs $TF. 

xo Be

Review| Marc Jacobs The Lolita Palette (Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Shadow in The Lolita 206)

Sephora's website brings to you a complete description of all 7 colors in Marc Jacob's Lolita palette:  matte off-white cream, matte nude, matte dark coffee brown, metallic warm pink with iridescent glitter, iridescent champagne pink sheen, light peach sheen, rosy copper sheen.

Which surprises me, because for $59 retail and with my poor eyesight, I really thought all of the colors were the same! 

I'm half kidding. You can tell that they are all different colors only if you squint, as they are all very versatile, very nude, and very sheer. As an eyeshadow hoarder and palette junkie I still bought it, because there are days where the liner trumps the shadow but you still want a great base shade to even out your lids.

The palette is very sleek and comes with a velvetine pouch as well as a dinky useless brush which I promptly threw away.

A latch makes sure that the palette closes tightly and there is a mirror inside made for people with oblong, rectangular face shapes. I find that this is technically very travel friendly due to its size and inconsiderable weight but wouldn't have enough difference in color variation if you're say, going to Vegas for the weekend.

Notice how there is major fall out all coming from the middle glitter shade. The rest don't have that much attitude. These swatches were taken outdoors with indirect and direct sunlight. They required two layers but I didn't put any primer underneath.

In all honesty, I don't reach for this palette as often as the price tag warrants just because it is very sheer and barely-there on my lids, even if I layer the colors over a matte yellow base like MAC's paint pot in Soft Ochre. In fact, I only reach for it when I want my liquid liner to be the focal point but want to also play up my lids very subtly. For this reason, however, I chose the Lolita over the other three offerings. 

The shadows themselves vary in texture. Some are very grainy (the irridescent glitter shade) while some are very soft and buttery (the sheeny ones on the right side of the palette.) In between, they are not too dry or soft in texture and work very well with something like Fix+ to accentuate their finish rather than color. It would be unfair to say that these are lacking in pigment, but they don't give a "wow" factor to my eye looks if used alone simply due to my skin tone.

They last on average an hour or so less than other eyeshadows, meaning that they will be faded by the end of the work day (but no creasing.) For the price point, you could definitely invest in any other mid-range palettes that have much more color payoff. In my experience, this kind of performance is rather normal for high-end products. I would say that these are similar in quality to YSL and some Guerlain quads. If those speak to you, I think you'd really enjoy this one. 

. I think it would make a classy gift to a friend who's just beginning to wear makeup. As for me, I'm not willing to trade in my shimmery, glittery, and over-the-top "neutral" shadows to use this palette exclusively. I may have to try out the other palettes in Marc Jacob's line to have a committed opinion on the overall quality of his eyeshadows. 

Also, I have a rave review for MJ's High-liner pencil in Blacquer which has become my HG eyeliner especially for tight-lining. Watch out for it soon!

XO, Be

Collection| High End Foundations (YSL, Armani, Chanel)

There are a few "cult" high end foundation  names that are always in the gossip cloud of beauty bloggers. Touche Eclat this, Luminous Silk that, Vitalumiere Aqua everywhere. The problem is, while these foundations do indeed sound magical, life-changing, beautiful, and perfect in every swatch, every way, and on every face... they are expensive as Hades. It's hard to justify perfect skin if it comes at the price of groceries for a week.

My collection of the three today are from pure fortunate swaps (well, I did splurge on the YSL.) These foundations are deemed to be the Holy Trinity of all foundations. All three promise a dewy, lightweight and skin-like finish for dry skin. They all have a slight yellow undertone that complements me, can be built very easily, and never air out dirty laundry like flakes, dry spots, or cakey tendencies. For me, all three have very interchangeable results on the skin but deliver as promised. With good luck, I seem to have a foundation for every shade of the season.

The first, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat in B30 ($55) is the right match for my current NC25 tone. It's the most yellow out of BD10 (too light), BD40 (still too neutral), and B40 (completely beige and leans a tad pink.) This one is more of a medium coverage, so shade match is a must. It has SPF 19. It is also the most heavily fragranced. The result is very dewy (borderline wet) if you do not set with a powder. It lasts for 8 hours resolutely. 

The second, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #4 ($58) is around an NC20, and looks deceptively pale in the bottle. Like YSL, the bottle is a luxe glass that will live on my vanity if only for display purposes. The finish is satin with a sheer to light coverage and makes the skin look almost creamy. It has no SPF. This is the foundation used on set of Downton Abbey. You may notice that every lady looks like she has flawless skin sans makeup. 

Finally, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 Desert ($45) is my go-to shade for NC30. It has SPF15. It comes in a rather unassuming plastic square bottle that needs to be shaken vigorously before application. The coverage and finish is rather similar to Luminous Silk, but just a tad lighter. This one definitely looks like skin, meaning that it sometimes can't cover red spots without the help of another coat or concealer and can fade faster than the others. I'd also like it if it had more yellow tones. I don't notice any strong scents with this one. 

From left to right: YSL, Armani, Chanel swatches indoors under indirect lighting. 

This is under direct sunlight (my skylight). You can see that they all thankfully have yellow undertones. It's really hard to justify the prices otherwise. 

 With all three, it feels a little painful to use at all, but two pumps is usually more than enough to batter the entire face and neck. Surprisingly, I reserve these for every day usage because they look so natural and radiant, especially for the winter. With concealer, anything is possible for a night out, but I still prefer a fuller coverage like NARS Sheer Glow or MUFE HD. To be honest, MAC's or MUFE's Face and Body will yield you a similar result, if not a little less radiant. 

It seems a bit ridiculous to spend money on a foundation that isn't full coverage and full force, but these do their job of creating "perfect skin" better than "perfect makeup" on the face. They are undetectable on the skin, and we like to keep things nice and secretive in the spendy country club, don't we? Out of all three, my favorite is YSL for its moisturizing feeling that could translate to pore-suffocating in the summer. For now, my dry skin welcomes it the most.
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There's no reason and rhyme for you to run out and try one or all of them, but they are beautiful and you may have a hard time going back to drugstore if your skin is relatively clear and normal. I don't recommend them at all for oily skin or anyone with acne scarring or severe hyper-pigmentation. 

That's all for today, have a great Halloweeeeen!

Be