If you love makeup, obsess about your skin, or want to defy aging, you're in the right place.
I specialize in sharing the products that truly deliver results; helping you make confident, informed choices.
I will help simplify your beauty routine so you can focus on what matters most—like spending time with family and friends, indulging in a spectacular shopping spree, a luxe facial, or treating yourself to whatever makes you happy.
Dual finish powders are nothing new. When used wet, you get full coverage; used dry, you get a sheer, more natural look. What is new and different about this new dual finish powder foundation from MAKE UP FOR EVER is that this one does the total opposite of what you have come to know. And that is not only what is different. This powder foundation looks beautifully natural on the skin, either way you use it. Introducing Pro Finish.
This new innovative foundation is so special that it was six years in the making. MAKE UP FOR EVER Creator & Artistic Director Dany Sanz actually tested more than 70 different formulations before finding one that met her approval. She relied upon feedback from makeup artist friends who actually tested the products out in the field, and then the would report back on it. She wanted the formula to be used wet and dry interchangeably, cover a multitude of skin issues, provide buildable coverage, be portable, and most importantly deliver long-lasting, professional results in a matter of minutes. I can attest to the fact that she hit it out of the park with this one. Not only that; it comes in an extensive line of 25 shades.
I have tested Pro Finish both wet and dry. I applied it with a damp sponge and watched as my skin took on a beautiful sheer look to it. I have to apply a few coats to get the coverage I want, but it blends into my skin perfectly. It looks like my skin but better. My favorite way to wear it is dry, though. I have been brushing it on over makeup primer for a fuller coverage, that never settles into my lines or looks cakey. This is a super quick way to apply for everyday. I do find myself dusting it over liquid foundation too, for a finishing touch and added color. With my favorite foundation being a tad too light for me, a few swipes of the brush with this powder leaves my skin looking pretty great.
I've been on a foundation kick lately. Not that I have been looking for a new foundation, there just seems to have been a lot of foundation launches over the last few months. The new bareMinerals READY Foundation SPF 20 was one of them and I couldn't wait to try it.
I should preface this by saying that I am reactive to the bareMinerals Original Foundation. It makes me red and itchy. I have never figured out exactly why it makes me so reactive to it. I am usually not so overly sensitive to makeup at all. This being a cold pressed powder version, I was hoping it wouldn't have a problem. I've been using the READY Bronzer all summer and never had a reaction, so I was hopeful and didn't hesitate.
I was sent the new foundation in Medium Beige. It looks very dark in the pan, but was actually too light on my skin. What's with me lately? I must be darker than I think! Anyway, I was sent the Precision Face Brush to apply the foundation with, but wasn't sure exactly how. I did a quick search to find a QVC video with bareMinerals expert Jessica Foust.
So I basically followed her method. I tap the brush into the powder four times and then buff it onto my skin with very long strokes as she demonstrated. I only have to do the tap and buff twice as my face is flawlessly covered and glowing. The brush is essential. It applies the powder so effortlessly. The coverage is amazing. My pores were gone. My skin looked more even and more luminous than it had in a very long time. Now, if only the color were right. So I went to Sephora and got color matched with Golden Medium, which looked like it was a match in the store. It wasn't until I got home that I found that shade still too light and too yellow on me. I returned it and headed over to the Bare Escentuals store, which I didn't even know existed in the mall near my home. There, I got help (and for my sister and bff too!) and settled on Medium Tan, which looks crazy dark, but was a great match for me right now. I am guessing that the Medium Beige will look great on my skin come December.
I tested READY Foundation over moisturizer and two different primers, NARS Pro-Prime and Smashbox Hydrating Primer. It looked beautiful and lasted all day with a full makeup look, no matter which way I wore it. It is amazing. My holy grail foundation.
Until... two weeks into it, I woke up with my face more pink and a bit itchy. I thought that maybe my skin was reacting to the cooler temps. Or maybe I tried something new that I was having a reaction to. I immediately couldn't think of anything. But after I applied the foundation a bit later that morning, I immediately got the bad sunburn, itchy red feeling. It was on my face, a bit on my ears and right beneath my jawline. Anywhere the powder or brush touched. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. I did not wash it off right away and thought I would get over it. I didn't. It got worse. I removed the makeup and didn't wear any makeup for three days until my skin calmed down and returned to normal. A glutton for punishment I guess, I tried it again. I was determined to wear this amazing foundation. I wanted it to work for me. Again, within minutes of applying, my skin got very red and started this burning/itching feeling again. I am confident that this is a reaction to the foundation. I don't know why it took about two weeks into wearing it to show up. I am completely disappointed - not in the foundation - in my damn skin.
Everyone that I have turned onto READY Foundation loves it and no one else has had issues with it. My daughter uses it and loves it. My sister and sister-in-law use it and love it. Two really good freinds have already started using it and have told others about it. That is how much I like it. I told everyone about READY Foundation because everyone was noticing how great my makeup looked.
I don't want to deter anyone from trying this. It's that good. I don't want my reactive skin to be negative, I have to deal with it; you don't. If you have never been reactive to mineral makeup, try it. I promise you will love it. If you are sensitive, proceed with caution and look for irritation signs.
I do want to let you know that bareMinerals READY Foundation has an SPF of 20, and comes in a range of 20 shades. The makeup artist at the Bare Escentuals store said that most customers were going one shade deeper than they would as compared to the the original foundation. It sells for $29.00. The Precision Face Brush sells for $28.00 and is a must have to apply the foundation.
If you've tried the foundation, please let me know how it has worked for you.
The ultimate in ultra definition, with a no makeup yet perfected look, this new Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation is becoming a fast favorite amongst just about everyone I know who has tried it. I am no exception. I am head over heels for this foundation and how it beautifies my skin.
Naked Skin Foundation is a liquid foundation that provides medium to full coverage. It's buildable, so you can easily adjust the coverage to meet your skins needs. The texture is super lightweight as it blends over skin. It feels like I am not wearing foundation at all, which is such a freeing feeling.
The finish is a demi-matte look in which light-diffusing spheres blur fine lines and wrinkles to make me look a bit retouched. The state-of-the-art formula is also infused with beneficial ingredients that nourish and boost the skin’s health from the inside out. Anti-wrinkle and lifting peptides restore and maintain skin’s youthful appearance by increasing elasticity, while antioxidants such as Green Tea and Vitamin E neutralize free-radicals and promote collagen production for smooth and supple skin.
I find that the best way to apply it is with the Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush. I pump one pump of the foundation onto the back of my hand, and dab the brush into it. I apply it to my skin with buffing, circular motions. Be careful not to streak it over the skin, you want to buff it into the skin for the ultimate look.
With a broad range of 18 easy to match shades, there is one for everyone. Don't let the color in the tube be your guide. When I received my samples which are shades 3.0 and 3.5, I thought they were too dark for me. In fact, they are too light for me right now. I'm sure one will be perfect for winter. Right now, my perfect match is 5.5, and I would have never guessed that from just looking at the containers. I suggest testing a few shades on the jawline. When you find one that blends into your face and neck, you have your match.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup retails for $38.00 and is for sale right now at Sephora, ULTA, select Macy’s, and UrbanDecay.com.
The Urban Decay Friends & Family sale starts Tuesday October 9th and goes until Saturday October 13th. Shop with the code: FFHOLIDAY12 at checkout to get 20% off your total purchase.
