First Look| L'oreal Pro Glow Foundation

The L'oreal Pro Matte Foundation is basically a cult classic at this point and I've ran through two tubes even with a self proclaimed dry skin type. So, when the L'oreal Pro Glow foundation ($12.99) began to blow up on YouTube, I was beyond ecstatic to see if it could be a potential Holy Grail.

Ingredients are listed inside a sticker. 

Based on Trendmood's swatches, I thought that 202 Creamy Natural would be a match for a cool olive NC20. However, it looks to be a neutral NC15! The middle range of shades seem to be very similar, but 205 Natural Beige is the most olive yellow match for NC30-35 and is my current match.

I've got Dior Forever 21, UD Naked in 4.0, L'oreal Pro Glow in 205 and 202 swatched in direct sunlight.

Indoors with flash. I repeat, 202 is NOT a cool yellow/olive!! Looks like a neutral NC17-20 to me. 205 is a true NC30, as MAC formulates their liquid bases, in terms of depth and golden hue. It doesn't look completely stark against my tan body, but I could stand to blend it down my cool boiled chicken neck. 

A lot of bloggers and YouTtubers claim that it gives a medium-full coverage but maintains a satin leaning dewy finish on the skin.  At this point, a lot of drugstore base products are rivaling the performance (and price!) of mid range and high end ones. I'd have to say that a lot of consumers are upset at the abysmal shade range and tonal variety (50 shades of medium pinks, anyone?) The Pro Glow line is generally much less "yellow" than the matte line.

Beware, it smells strongly of alcohol but  the scent dissipates within 10 seconds or so. 

Consistency: The foundation is a true liquid that's easy to blend and easier to over-squeeze. It's much more runny than the Pro Matte, so use a light hand with the squeeze tube. I would suggest using a damp Beauty Blender rather than a buffing brush with this foundation. It seems to like a pounce motion rather than a sweep/swirl motion to blend best with your skin. I like the finish best with a very thin layer applied with a BeautyBlender.

Coverage: Solid medium. It could be full if you don't have major hyper-pigmentation. I found that it only slightly hid my dark spots and blemishes but completely evened out my skin. Concealer is needed for dark circles.

You can decide for yourself how natural it looks on bare skin.

Wear: This is where this base falls short. It tended to pool into my pores (even the smallest ones), patched up by mid-day, and looked absolutely terrible on peach fuzz. Not to mention, it managed to direct eye traffic to sebaceous filaments on my nose! I've tried it with and without moisturizer/primer/powder, but a multitude of layered products couldn't solve the poor wear time and appearance on the skin.

Here it is, looking innocuously smooth upon dry down. I wish it could STAY this way for 9 hours. Can you say miracle drugstore foundation?

The "glow" factor, however, remained true throughout the day without getting greasy. I would say that the Pro Glow will not work with poor skin texture that often comes with dry skin, and it may work better for those with combination skin types who wants a bit of glow without looking absolutely greasy.

Here it is set under makeup after 2-3 hours. It's not full coverage enough for my chin breakouts, and I suspect it may have given me clogged pores. It seems like a dupe of Too Faced Born This Way foundation in terms of texture and wear on the skin if you ask me. If that was a big hit for you, you'll love how this is a cheaper alternative.

WHOMP WHOMP.



Overall, this was a huge miss for me. I would've really preferred something more forgiving to the rough texture that my skin is currently experiencing. Fine lines? In it goes. Pimples? Tada!

xo Be

First Look| L'oreal True Match Lumi Cushion in N 3.5

Woah, it's a breakthrough in the American drugstore cosmetics game! A cushion foundation that's not a Laneige import (and flagrantly overpriced!?) and available at any ole CVS, Target, etc.!? I've even seen it online at Ulta.com for $16.99. 

The L'oreal True Match Lumi Cushion ($15.99 at Target) contains 0.51 fl. oz of product so it's not a complete steal, but it's a fun way to try a product that's usually catered to fair-light skintones. Similar to the other products  in their existing line-up, there's the typical warm/neutral/cool division and several shades in each category giving you a total of 12 shades that range from light to deep (W2 to W8, for example.) I couldn't find a true olive match in Lancome's release of a cushion foundation and didn't care for the high price tag. 

The rose gold packaging is sealed at the store. It's made of a sturdy (albeit very lightweight) plastic and is not refillable like its Korean counterparts. I'm sure you can pump your own (thin consistency) liquid foundation into the cushion once you're out of product but I would suggest buying a new one for sanitary reasons...

Because the sponge is WHITE AS FUCK on both sides, you can expect a giant nasty mess of foundation residue all over your compact lid if you're not careful. I believe these sponges are "rubycell", meaning they don't harbor too much bacteria if you're diligent about cleansing them frequently. You can buy extra sponge puffs at Daiso or online if you like to use several times and toss. 

Here is a weird part. I saw swatches for W3 and N3.5 online and they both looked yellow in pan. However, the W3 dries down too peachy and the N3.5 is more neutral yellow. W2 would have been too light for me and I'm guessing it's for NC15-20 skin. I pulled the trigger on N3.5 and it's a great match for me at NC25. Derp? 

Here's the short and sweet round up for its performance: 

• Portable with a big mirror but dodgy/convenient sponge application- standard issue cushion pros and cons. 
• Lightweight and light (not sheer!) coverage that lasts for 6-7 hours. 
• Dewy finish but not ultra glossy. 

It's suspect that the formula is the same as L'oreal's True Match Lumi foundation bottle poured into a cushion delivery method. Very suspect. However, it's a fun way for American consumers to touch up  during the day or bounce/pat their foundation on during our long commutes to work. 

But you know what would REALLY make this product awesome? A thinner setting powder nestled in the packaging for setting everything down. 

xo Be

First Look| Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation

Praise Jesus Lawd Almightay! It's an olive toned foundation at the drugstore! They have acknowledged our meager existence on this Earth! Hallelujah!

I saw the new display of the Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation ($11.99) at Target and my eyes focused immediately on the most yellow toned of the bunch.  It was in the color"Warm Nude" (second lightest in the display, lulz) and there was a tester for each shade. I furiously pumped some on the back of my hand, expecting a dark muddy peach mess that was meant to encompass all Asian and Mediterranean skintones. 

Lo and behold, it was a cool yellow even under horrid fluorescent lighting. Foundations tend to oxidize into an orange mess on the back of my hand, however, and I put it down after observing my hand for several minutes. Still, the nagging feeling persisted and I had to pick one up to really see if it was a cool olive foundation at the drugstore. 

And it is!

This is indoor natural lighting.

Maybelline is on the very left, next to UD Naked Skin Foundation in 4.0, Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation in You're A Natural, Benefit Hello Flawless in Petal, and Bourjois Healthy Mix in 53. All of these are relatively cool-yellow to olive, so the Maybelline one blends in like a dream. 

And now that the drugstore has options to match my skin perfectly, I have literally no more excuses to keep on buying peachy foundations that are too warm for me.

This is outdoor/overcast lighting. 

And with flash...

I researched online, and it seems to be a U.S. promotion as this foundation launched last year in the U.K. Sure, the shade range is pretty bad. I counted like, 6 shades at most on the display and confirmed online that it really does have only 6 shades. If you're about NC25-30 and very olive, however, Warm Nude is a perfect match.

I mean, perfect! Let's say for a second that the formula is terrible in every aspect. You still have the option of buying this DRUGSTORE product to mix with a slightly "off" foundation to correct the undertone. 

  

I'm currently NC30-35, so it's a tad light on my skin. Here it is freshly applied over moisturizer. The coverage is a solid medium. While the texture isn't too creamy or thick, I still wouldn't build up several coats of this and would reach for a concealer to spot conceal instead. Case in point: the redness of that nasty bit of zits above my brow is lessened but not completely covered.

It also looks a little dry and prone to caking around my mouth with a finger application, so I will try it with a Beauty Blender to see if results fare better. This foundation promises to fix your skin in three weeks from bumps, lumps, and general hideousness. I'll be the judge of that. 

This is after an hour with no setting powder on top. For dry to normal skin I really don't think a setting powder is necessary as the foundation leans matte. You can see that it's a foundation meant for combo/oily skin in the way it sits on my dry under-eyes and around the mouth. I definitely need a spritz (or gallon) of Fix+ to bring some life and dew back into my skin, but there aren't chunks of flakes being highlighted either. It does well with hiding pores and textural issues. 

Here it is on another day of testing. It couldn't cover up my horrid zit clusterfuck above my brows. The overall effect is very nice with a soft layer of WnW Reserve Your Cabana used as a setting powder on top. I noticed some slight migration and fading on my nose after 6-7 hours of wear, but the overall effect of flawless skin held up for 10 hours, even after the gym.

This is two pumps applied with the Bobbi Brown buffing brush. The pump dispenses a little product at one time, so there's no risk of over-applying. I find that applying with a dense foundation brush gives me an airbrushed look without caking around my nose. I also sprayed a light mist of Fix+ on top to take care of any tell-tale "foundation-ness" (highly scientific terminology) on my skin.

Woah...the perfect match *-* 

It's a miracle!

After some playing around, I've discovered that it looks the most natural and seamless with ONE PUMP on a BeautyBlender (in my case, the RT Complexion sponge works just as well) and dabbed into the skin. Below I'm wearing it with this application method over the UD Naked Beauty Balm as a primer and UD All Nighter Spray to set. The glow on my skin is mostly attributed to my Becca Champagne Pop, but the finish of the foundation itself is satin.

Aside from the PERFECT shade match, this foundation is a solid contender for many other ones on the market. It offers medium coverage, great staying power, and doesn't look obvious or unnatural if you apply sparingly. My skin is on the normal side now with no patches of dry skin and flakes, but it did pick up on a tiny bit of dryness on my chin. If you're normal to combination, I think this foundation slays. If you're very oily, I would strongly advise you to set it down with a mattifying powder. 

xo Be

First Look| Covergirl Outlast Stay Luminous Foundation

The Covergirl Outlast Stay Luminous Foundation ($11.99) is a newly released take on the original Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation that provides paint worthy coverage and lasting power. 

Besides the fact that Buff Beige is a completely wrong color match for my skin tone, I didn't like this foundation for one simple gripe: it stayed TACKY and STICKY to the touch for the entire 10 hours that it wore on my face (flawlessly.) WHY!? If the point is to have a luminous finish, I don't want to set it down with any kind of powder. 

Yes, you could set it with a shimmery finish powder such as Guerlain Meteorites Perles. I guess I can't be too mad because there's no "3 in 1" claim of concealer, foundation, and powder in this packaging. 

The foundation is on the thicker side of a liquid, so I use only one or two pumps for the entire face. 

Besides the horrendously bad shade match, it's not a bad product. I saw that Buff Beige would work for NC25 and since Medium Beige (the NC35 equlvalent) was nowhere to be found, I had no choice but to pick up Buff Beige and hope to blend with my CoverFX drops for the correct match. 

With the CoverFX? It's a great semi-matte and medium/full coverage foundation that lasts all day. Still, it's unfair to judge a product based on it works with another product. By itself the Luminous foundation is not on par with my high standards for foundation.

So... in summary:

• Color match- A fail. Buff Beige is a neutral NC17-20 that won't match me unless I mix it with a much darker foundation. To be fair this is entirely my fault. 
• Finish- Another fail. It's too tacky, sticky, but with a strange death grip that won't move around on the face. It's not a "dewy" finish but a satin leaning matte. It's not nice to flakes but not noticeable on drier skin. 
• Wear- This is where the foundation excels. It stays all day and managed to not wear away or rub off under my glasses. 
• Scent- Another plus. It smells like a faint fragrance, but definitely miles above the original paint thinner scent of the Stay Fabulous version. 

I've included swatches below: ByTerry Cover Expert in 7, Covergirl Luminous in Buff Beige, MAC PLW Waterproof in NC30, and Bourjois Healthy Mix in 53.

This is indirect, indoor lighting. 

More direct sunlight, still indoors. 

Outdoors, direct sunlight. 

I'm not thrilled with all other aspects of this foundation and will not be repurchasing in my correct shade. As always, I'm majorly let down that there isn't a yellow based option for light-medium skintones. Not all yellow people are NC35+. Oh, the discrimination. 

If you're in the market for a higher coverage foundation that's nice to drier skin at the drugstore, this could be a good option for you. 

xo Be

First Look| Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation

Like any dramatic K-drama star, I'm unsure of my feelings and thoughts regarding Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation (~ $10 at CVS.) I love him, I don't love him, I tolerate him, I want him to work. I believe this has been around in the U.K. for some time and just recently introduced to the U.S. market.

You see, he's a little too....beige for me. When I first saw him on display, I knew him and his brothers were going to be too pink, cool toned, orange, or beige for my taste. I took home 300 True Beige which, is already a giveaway to his true colors. Perhaps if I was NC25-30, my tanner skin would work better with his tone and depth. 

There is he on the very right. It's... orange!!! I can get away with the MUFE F&B because it's very sheer on the skin, but the opacity of the Lasting Finish is ultra obvious on me, resulting in an orange and dark face compared to a light and olive neck.

From left to right: Benefit Hello Flawless in Petal. MUFE F&B in #34, Bourjois HM Serum #53, and Rimmel Lasting Finish In True Beige.

Other than this fault (and the fact that he's rather thick and doesn't have a pump)  he's really a sweet guy. He sticks around all day on my skin and lives up to the claim giving me at least 10 hours worth of wear. He also provides a medium coverage and satin finish that doesn't transfer or break down halfway through the day. It's also transfer- resistant and very hard to remove with just water and a cloth. 

The formulation is not the nicest to my laugh line or fine lines under the eyes, but at least he doesn't make fun of my pores. If I had to be a nitpicky woman, I'd say that this foundation doesn't hold up around the sides of my nose which has been freakishly oily while the rest of my face is dehydrated and full of sads.

These photos are really deceptive since you can't pick up the orange tones even in indirect natural sunlight. That, or I've blended it down my neck. Either way, I was rather self conscious whenever I wore this foundation in public to test it out for your sake. 

If you have the patience to find a color match in the drugstore, I still think there are better options with a wider shade range. This formulation is nothing special: it feels a tad heavier and doesn't do wonders for oil control or textured/dry skin. In other words, you could do better. 

xo Be

First Look| L'oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation in 210 Sun Beige

With so many natural looking foundation releases at the drugstore, it's now impossible to say that drugstore brands only offer thick and heavy warpaint. With the scorch of summer, L'oreal has released their Visible Lift Blur Foundation ($14.99) meant to be used as a very lightweight and sheer base for mature skin.

I'm actually very impressed with the options for yellow toned people (we exist!), the sanitary squeeze tube (not fancy, but it will do), and how this product performs....as a tinted primer. 

Wait what, you say as you squint your eyes and look at the packaging. It says foundation right on the tube!

Well, sure if your skin is flawless (...and you live on a yacht...and your first name is Beyonce.) I can't imagine this sheer to light coverage product covering dark spots, acne scarring, or major wrinkles. However, it does use the "blur" technology well and looks very natural on the skin. It sets to a dewy/satin finish.

It's so natural that, even when 210 Sun Beige looks as dark as NC40, it looks to match me at NC35 while adding just a glow of tan-ness. Pretty darn cool if you ask me. This also means that the shades can fit a larger range and doesn't have to be a precise match. I think 203 Nude Beige has the perfect yellow tones to match NC25-30. 

Even if you don't think there's an exact color for you, just choose the tube with the color closest to your skin's depth. (Psst, the color is true to that on the tube.)

My laugh lines are not visibly reduced by this product, but they are not as apparent as with heavier coverage foundations. The Visible Lift line by L'oreal is aimed at dry and mature skin so don't expect oil control if you're even a bit oily in your T-zone. This is why I suggest it to be used as a tinted primer for your favorite powder foundation. 

When used under a powder foundation, you get the blurry goodness of say, Benefit Porefessional, without the huge price tag. It doesn't hide all of your pores, but it's absolutely flawless at creating a slippery (read: siliconey) canvas for your powder to glide over any fine lines. 

If you prefer the look of a glistening ham hock face (I kid) and don't have mature skin, you can just set your oiliest areas down and wear it as an ultra natural and dewy finish base. It's almost like a tinted moisturizer and is very comparable to my Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation with less SPF (only 18, so wear your sunscreen underneath!)

The biggest downfall is, of course, the wear time of Visible Lift Blur. After around 4 hours without powdering, I looked ready to melt. With powder, the product lasts through a full workday. 

Drugstore prices have really gone up, but so has the quality of base products. I found this foundation to be very agreeable with my skin type and looks as great as Face and Body foundations for much cheaper. 

If you like light coverage in the winter or powder foundations in the summer, this foundation works quite well to even out your skintone and blur minor imperfections without looking heavy or cakey. It's definitely not for those with normal to oily or very oily skin, but it will cope very well with dry and flake prone types. 

xo Be  

First Look| Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation in 60 Sandy Beige

Yet another foundation release from the drugstore. This time, the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation ($10.99 at CVS) made a great impression on me. Not that it's the most original on the market, besides the silly "dropper" that comes with a glass bottle (recipe for disaster I tell ya) but it is the best drugstore dupe for the somewhat newly released Bare Minerals Bareskin Foundation. 

Remember the whole L'oreal Magic Nude craze a while back with the water-like texture and the sheer coverage hoohaa? This is the same thing but better.

For once, the consistency is serum-like (but smells strongly of alcohol) and spreads out like water across the skin. Before using, you have to shake well. Because the dropper is absolutely useless and I have to use my fingers anyway, I put several drops on my fingertips and then spread it around on my face.

Since it's lightweight and watery, it can be built up in layers over areas where you have more hyperpigmentation. I found that two layers still looks great and approaches light-medium coverage. One layer is sheer but is enough to even out redness. Either way, it still has more coverage than the Bareskin with just one layer.

Don't be fooled, the dropper is just a tear shaped plastic nib that doesn't actually suck up any product and squeeze it out. 

The finish is very skin-like and not too matte or dewy. I really enjoy it on its own (it has SPF 20) but wouldn't recommend going without a moisturizer underneath as it doesn't do well with extremely flakey parts. However, it does a great job with suspending over fine lines and drier patches. Powders sit beautifully over this one.

The Fluid Touch works best when you use your fingers to apply. I've noticed some streaks when using a brush.

The biggest pro to this foundation is how natural it looks. You can only tell that I'm wearing foundation around my mouth and under my nose (where the skin texture is uneven.) Otherwise, it has a velvet feeling that feels like a facial oil and feels luxe for the price. *Speaking of price, why have drugstore prices gone up so rapidly?*

Here is two layers applied with fingers and no setting powder. Great match, right? 

You can see that in certain lights my broken capillaries show through, but nothing vulgar or disturbing to the eyes.

Now to the cons. First of all, it's not for problematic skin or those who enjoy medium coverage foundations. You will have to go over your worst spots with a concealer. The formulation won't completely cover your pores either. That's not saying they're accentuated... just not completely covered. Also, I wouldn't build more than two layers of the foundation or I risk cakeface. 

Not surprisingly the majority of the shade range leans neutral to pink. I was lucky enough to guess that 60 Sandy Beige would have a yellow undertone and it seems to match NC30-35 well. The foundation comes without a seal and has a tendency to be well molested by the time you reach it at the drugstore. 

Lastly, I wouldn't recommend it for those who have combination or oily skin. I found that even with my drier skin, my T-zone started getting oily after 6 hours of wear and had to be blotted down. It's not an ultra long wearing formula, but even after 6 hours and some oily bits I didn't see anything migrate or turn patchy on my skin.

The reason I find it so intriguing is because it's a very close dupe to the Bareskin without the exorbitant price tag or the tendency to slip and slide on the face. Though it isn't the friendliest with dry patches, the Fluid Touch foundation doesn't make me look like a spawning reptilian overlord like the BareMinerals variety.

Have you seen the new display at your drugstore? If you have a generally even skintone and normal to dry skin, I think you'll really enjoy this one.

xo Be

First Look| Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation in 210 Medium Beige

Whenever a new drugstore foundation comes out, I jump at the chance to try it out. After all miracles do happen and perhaps one day I would be able to find an olive-toned base product without breaking the bank. 

I found a lot of reviews for the entire Ready Set Gorgeous line (liquid foundation, concealer, and powder foundation) but chose to only pick up the liquid foundation to test out. It seems to be highly favored by every review I've seen. It runs for $8.99 at every major drugstore and you can easily find coupons or discounts. 

Due to a lack of video reviews at the time, I had to do some guesswork and figure out my shade sans reference. I chose 210 Medium Beige over 205 (too orange) and prayed it would be yellow and deep enough. Lucky for me, shade 210 is a neutral leaning yellow that doesn't look ghastly or too obvious especially when I blend down my neck.

Packaging: is hideous and cheap, but the squeeze tube means that you won't be wasting product and can take this for travelling. 

Color Range: is horrendous at 12 shades. I'm lucky I picked a semi-correct color, but those with unique skintones will have a hard time. 210 seems to be a more neutral NC30. 

Texture and Consistency: It looks like a gel based foundation that doesn't run and is rather thick but creamy.  The product smells faintly like paint but isn't as paint-like as their 3-in-1 foundation. It is very easy to blend out and I like using my fingers to get the maximum amount of coverage. 

Finish and Coverage: The overall finish is satin or demi-matte with medium coverage. You can definitely build this to full with no problems. Once on the skin it dries down to a light powdery finish and feels ultra lightweight. I don't need to wear a separate concealer with it nor a setting powder. It hides pores well and doesn't accentuate my laugh line.

Wear: Those with very dry skin will have a hard time working with it but I didn't find any major exaggeration of flakes and dry spots.Very oily types will have to blot at least once. Those with normal to combo skin will enjoy this product. My skin is truly normal at the moment and I didn't have to blot once even walking about in 100 degree heat. This foundation wore through a solid 8 hours before looking faded. 

Here's how it looks on me. As I said, it's too neutral for my skin tone unless I blend down to the neck. 

Overall, it's a very good foundation that needs to be expanded into many more shades. I'm glad that Covergirl is revamping their base products as many have had poor luck with those before. I'm glad to see that drugstore companies finally got the hint that people appreciate a yellow-leaning foundation for cheap. The ReadySetGorgeous foundation looks great, lasts well, and is an affordable option for every day wear. 

xo Be

Review| Rimmel Stay Matte foundation

My favorite product from Rimmel has always been and always will be their Stay Matte setting powder in Sandstorm. The color match is great and the pressed form, while rather tacky in its plastic packaging, is super convenient and non-messy. For every day, it has never failed to keep my face relatively oil free without looking too matte. And the best part? It's under 3 dollars everywhere I've checked.

Now with the release of a Stay Matte primer as well as foundation, there's hope for people on a budget but still want a base product that will keep them ultra matte. Today I'll be reviewing the foundation, which comes in eight shades. Its sanitary squeeze tube can be found taking over drugstore displays everywhere and retails for under 5 dollars.

For the price of a latte you can't ask for fancy glass and smoke and mirrors.Simple and portable, if only you didn't need a damp sponge for the best effect.

Also, are you pink and pale, pinker, orange, super pink, or beige? There are 8 available shades, but I often only see two or three stragglers left on displays.  To be honest with ya, I wasn't intrigued at first because I could tell that the limited shade range wouldn't have olive tones for me.


Though their intentions are well and the foundation performs beautifully, my biggest gripe with this product is the abysmal shade range. I still purchased it to see how this performs and write a review based outside of color match issues. I chose 203 True Beige which believe me, is a true beige. It seems to be at the same tone as NW25 or NW30, perhaps NC37.

See what I mean? Beige. Under very bad lighting it blends somewhat well, but in broad daylight you can see that my neck is much lighter and more yellow. Here's the problem, it looks amazing on the skin and performs like Revlon Colorstay and Covergirl 3-in-1 without feeling as heavy. And....I have no match. Okay then. I did see a Youtuber around my shade and she tried out 200 Soft Beige, which still seemed very neutral but closer to my tone.

The consistency of the product is a thick mousse that isn't too heavy and applies nicely with a Beauty Blender. I wouldn't use a brush with this unless it was a stippling or buffing brush. It doesn't set too quickly, but it's still best to work in sections. The overall finish is semi-matte and medium to full coverage. I didn't need a concealer for any red spots or patches on my skin.

Look at how thick that is though, like a loaf of doodoo. Blech.

I found that it didn't exactly "control my oil" but kept my skin looking semi-matte all the way to satin by the end of the day. Yeah, I wore it around the house and probably looked like an oompa loompa to the husband. And while he noticed that the color was off, he also said that if I really wanted to make it work, I could just blend all the way down my neck to match my tan chest.
...He knows too much.

I didn't notice any caking, creasing, or fading with this foundation until the 8 hour mark. To be honest with you, it looks like Tarte 12 Hour Full Coverage Foundation ($38 retail) for an extremely low budget production! It really is light-weight for how much coverage it offers. While I wasn't sweating buckets on the times I tried it out, it still kept that semi-matte finish for the entire time I wore it. With a matte setting powder the foundation can go for ever.

The only other problem I see with Stay Matte is that it definitely "looks" heavy on the skin, simply because it is very full coverage for me. While it didn't emphasize pores, it made my laugh lines stand out a bit. Primer isn't crucial, but something that eradicates lines may help. It's also best to use much less than you think you need and keep sheering it out with a damp BB.

While I like it and think that those who are combo to oily with neutral/pink undertones will be over the moon, I can't stand a foundation that doesn't match. If Rimmel introduces just a few more yellow-toned shades to round it out, Stay Matte would be in my arsenal for summer.

Did you try this one out?

xo Be

Review| Revlon Age Defying Firming and Lifting Foundation

Drugstore foundations, especially ones that promise radiance, moisture, or any essence of wetness, will usually give me clogged pores and fade in patches halfway through my day. In my small world, I definitely had a prejudice that only mid range and high end foundations could be long wearing and dewy at once.

Revlon's stepped up their game with the Age Defying Firming and Lifting Foundation (around 13 dollars retail) which promises to lift and hydrate the skin to provide a youthful appearance. Now, I'm not in need of looking younger, but I always love to find the biggest flaw with the next drugstore base product.

Like most drugstore foundation, it comes in a 1.0 fl oz size. This glass bottle isn't too big, and with SPF 20 you can skip sunscreen on very lazy days.

Besides the strange color selection with minimal yellow undertones and no regard for pale or deep beauties, this foundation is a true winner in my book. I was stuck in Walmart, deciding between Tender Beige (20) and Soft Beige (30) for about an hour before settling on Tender Beige. ( I am very leery of anything with beige in the name...) By the way, Tender Beige is the 3rd darkest in the line, and I can't see any girl below NC/NW 20 finding a good match.

It does look rather neutral in pictures, and it looked even more pink in real life! However, I promise that it doesn't show up pink in the least on my  olive skin. 

Upon first application, the color is a tad light for NC30 but wasn't a stark difference. Although the texture is rather runny but not watery, two pumps (yes, a pump!) was enough to give medium coverage to my entire face. I found that application with a buffing brush left streak marks that needed coaxing, but a Beauty Blender melted it into the skin beautifully. On the day of testing, I used no primer and set with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused.

This is in natural lighting outdoors. At just one pump the product seems to drown my hand. However, it glides out to cover only half of my face at a time. 

Here's the good bits:
1. It does not fade unless you are strenuously exercising, and looks even better if you have broken a little sweat. After about 8 hours and one workout, it was still decent enough to go out in public with.
2. It hid my laugh lines! Nothing does that, and I mean nothing. Usually they are very prominent if I'm wearing a medium-full coverage foundation.
3. It doesn't cake or bunch. At all.
4. Your skin looks healthy and dewy without being wet or greasy.
5. There were no transfers or sliding with this foundation. Very long wearing.
6. Tender Beige had very good yellow tones.

If I were to compare it to a more expensive foundation, I would say that it resembles the lovechild of NARS Sheer Glow and Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow (she looks more like her father NARS.) If you're on a budget and have dry to normal skin, I foresee this as your new holy grail. I can see this base being sheered out or layered beautifully and working very well with drier or more mature skin.

Love! Such a good find for 2014!

XO, Be