First Look| the NEW Make Up For Ever Water Blend Foundation

I recently picked up a sample of Make Up For Ever's newest reformulation: the Water Blend Foundation ($43) to replace the very popular Face and Body. I've used through bottles of the old stuff even though #32 was much peachier than my liking. Now, there's a much larger shade range of 20 and the formula doesn't smell like chloroform. 

Review| MUFE Step 1 Skin Equalizer in Smoothing

I had been using the Smashbox Pore Minimizing primer for months and didn't bat an eyelash towards Make Up For Ever's release of primers to correct skin tone and textural issues. After all, my dry skin doesn't really need primer to grab onto base products and I like finding an exact (or very close) match for my foundations.

For a truly in depth and useful blog review that spurred my curiousity, click here. This gal's before/after shot of her nose with this primer blew me away.

HOWEVER, the Sephora travel section got me (again...) and I picked up their Step 1 Skin Equalizer primer in Smoothing. The travel size is $16 compared to $36.  It's half of the size and less than half of the price...and the cute little packaging is TDF.

I've since been gifted another travel size and purchased a full size for later...because it's that good.

The Smoothing version promises to help with fine lines and large pores. I like using half of a pea sized amount on my nose, sides of my nose, and laugh lines. It visibly reduces the appearance of texture without feeling heavy and plays well with foundation. The Smashbox version is also great, don't get me wrong, but it can ball up if I apply too much in one area. Another pro: it has a tiny nozzle dispenser on a squeeze tube so that you can't go crazy and squirt out too much at one time.

I haven't noticed clogged pores with this primer. I can't say that it prolongs the wear-time of my foundations, but anything I put on top of it glides on well without the product feeling heavy in silicones. My laugh lines and fine lines are also "blurred" with this on. I also notice that the sides of my nose doesn't look as oily as the day goes on, but I wouldn't go as far to say that this controls oil. (In fact, they have a mattifying version which I hear works wonders on truly oily skin.)

TLDR: It's $16 bucks and worth a try. One tube has been lasting me more than 3 months with near daily usage.

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

Edit| My Brush Collection Part 1: Face Brushes

After discovering the bliss that is natural hair brushes, I purged most of my synthetic brushes (mostly Real Techniques and Sigma) to friends and decided to invest in quality pieces that would last a lifetime. They require less washing but more meticulous care when you do.

The majority of my every day brushes now are cruelty free natural goat or squirrel hair. I mean, if I could capture a squirrel and kill it with my bare hands to make a whole brush set like an artisan boss I would. It's just that the mass production of brushes that's not cruelty free is disgusting to think about. The only synthetic brush I have for the face is the Make Up For Ever 130 Large Powder Brush ($55). 

Part One of my edit will be focuses on face brushes, those used for powder, blush, foundation, and so on. I like Wayne Goss brushes because they are easily accessible on Beautylish.com and doesn't require third party buyers/awkward attempt at reading Japanese/huge orders to fulfill shipping requirements to buy.

From top to bottom: Wayne Goss 02, 13, and 12. MUFE 130. Chikuhodo Z1. 

The MUFE 130 Large Powder Brush ($55) is huge, dense without being stiff, and ultra soft. If you're fervently against using animal hair it's a great idea to invest in their brush line. This one is so soft and well constructed with a great heft thanks to the wooden handle. 

It takes only a night to dry and is very easy to wash. 

I use this one to blend out: 

1. Cake face mistakes due to dim lighting.

2. Shimmery bronzers on the perimeter of the face.

3. Whore blush.

The Chikuhodo Z1 is a very, very, very expensive brush. I told my cousin about the $178 price tag and she balked. "But that's the price of a handbag!"  Mine looks a little wonky on top as I've just washed and dried it.

Well yes, my deluded little mind thought, but I'll be able to pass it down to my grandchildren when they get into makeup. I was also just trigger-happy and got too excited when the brand came to Beautylish.com as it had been a pain to order online before.

However, I would say that this brush is only minimally softer than my Wayne Goss brushes and that the price is unwarranted. It's a splurge/luxury item and not a total must in my book.

It's smaller than a traditional powder brush, but I find that its blue squirrel hair does a great job at depositing powder foundations onto the skin and almost melting them in. You're left with the lightest layer of product but the highest amount of coverage. I also like using it for more precise application and blending of bronzer. 

The handle is surprisingly light. I rather like a heavier handle and weight distributed in the front of the brush but this one feels as light as air.

Next is my favorite for sheer blushes and contours, the Wayne Goss 12 ($53). Its shape will do a lot to explain why this is my favorite to fit right under my cheekbones to contour and bronze. The goat hair is ultra soft (especially compared to my Bobbi Brown powder brush) and blends blushes like a dream. Nothing vulgar here, folks.

Flat and wide enough to deposit blush color.

Yet thin on the sides to fit into the contours of your face...I reach for this one on a daily basis when it comes to applying powder products. 

Finally, my two recent acquisitions: the Wayne Goss 02 ($35) and 13 ($53). Wait a minute, wasn't it just better for me to order the three sets available and save myself a whole lotta money? In my defense, a lot of the brushes are similar and redundant and I only like a sane amount of brushes in my everyday arsenal.

The 02, made from squirrel, is perfect for setting the undereyes with powder or applying an intense contour and heavily pigmented blushes. My 13, made from goat, was just used to apply liquid foundation. It's soft without splaying all over and blends liquids without resistance or streak marks like synthetic brushes can.

You may think that the 13 is a little too small to be used all over the face but its softness actually makes it a dream to use. Liquid foundations look very natural with this brush. Goss advertises it as his "one brush for an entire makeup look" and I could very well agree. I don't like using super small brushes like it to apply powder, but I bet it could be used in a pinch or when I'm travelling. 

By this point Wayne Goss should be personally reaching out to me and letting me shill his products for money, but I digress. These are all very soft, very well made, and very reliable brushes that aren't cheap and don't look it either. It's a step up from synthetic brushes but if you want your brushes to out-live your makeup stash, I would suggest taking a look on the Beautylish website. (Psst, they have a payment plan available and super fast shipping!) 

Watch out for Part 2 of this edit, where I'll go into my favorite and most used eye brushes.

xo Be

Edit| Face and Body Foundations (MAC v MUFE)

Let's skip the niceties and get straight into the similarities and differences between MAC and MUFE's Face and Body foundations. As a lover of both very dewy and sheer coverage or a full face of warpaint, I always have these two in my rotation. I often reach for either when I want a very skin-like finish, almost to the point of showing some imperfections. Any blemish can easily be concealed by a heavy duty concealer, but those with major broken capillaries wouldn't fare so well with either Face and Body formulations.

Pricing: MAC sells 50ml/1.7 oz standard for $27, while MUFE's F&B retails for $40 (1.69 oz).

Packaging: MUFE comes in a glass bottle with a pump while MAC is in a plastic paint bottle with a squeeze nozzle. I have no preference for either, though MUFE unshaken can look vile in the bottle.

Color Range: While MUFE has a definite range of sixteen shades like any other foundation line , MAC's F&B comes in from C1 to C7 and N1 to N9. C stands for warm tones while N is more on the neutral to cool side. Because they are so sheer, you can go in between several shades and not look like a hot mess.

A quick guide to MAC F&B if you are close to my range:

C2- NC20 to NC25, but I can get away with it even when I'm NC30. This one leans yellow but not olive.

C3- NC30 to NC35.

C4- NC35 to NC40, very olive.

Currently I mix 2 parts of C2 to one part of C4 to create the perfect medium but olive color.

As for MUFE, the general attitude toward medium olives/yellow toned gals is pity. 32 Alabaster Beige is the only color that works for me when I'm NC25-35 and it's very peachy when built up to two coats. The numbering system is also...elusive...y'know....1...3...32...20...whatever. Make sure you go in stores to swatch.

Consistency: Both have a gel texture, but MUFE's formulation is much more like jello than a liquidy gel like MAC. You should always shake well before usage. Both do well with fingers and good with brushes, but are bad with sponges since they are water based. They are very lightweight on the face. Neither has SPF. 

My MAC F&B in C2 is in the nondescript plastic bottle. See how chunky the MUFE one looks? Ew. It's also very beige in comparison to the rest, not at all yellow like some claim but still more yellow than the rest of the line.

Coverage: Both are sheer, buildable to medium after several coats. I find that the MUFE version builds faster and is more "light coverage" than sheer. The MAC version is much more sheer, but the more you rub the base into your skin, the more opaque it seems. Both have no problem concealing slight redness and uneven skin tone, but major hyperpigmentation and broken capillaries must be concealed separately. My left cheek has a few lightly broken caps and only the MUFE will cover them with one layer.

Finish: MUFE has a satin finish while MAC's version is much more dewy. If you're oily skinned, I would just stay away or invest in a good setting powder. Both look great on dry to normal skin, but combos need to blot if not wearing powder. I set everything down well, but I find that MAC will still look dewy as time progresses. On very hot summer days I would rather reach for MUFE.

Wear: Both wear beautifully on the skin, doesn't transfer once set, and doesn't cake up. However, MUFE's version seems to last much longer and looks fine even at the 8 hour mark which is huge in my book. At five hours in, MAC F&B seems to sort of blend away into oblivion, though it doesn't fade in patches.

Body Wear: I have never tried wearing either as body makeup, but since MAC never really "sets" dry, I would think you need more time with it before putting on clothes. 

*picture of comparison on face*

Overall, I prefer MUFE's formulation but MAC's color match. On a daily basis I'll often reach for MUFE, but the peachy undertone kills me. However both are amazing for every day when you don't want to think about your base. Face and body foundations are also great for special occasions with lots of flash photography, as both are virtually undetectable on the skin with no SPF flashback. The price difference might matter to some, so go with MAC if you're not worried about lasting power.

xo Be