British Beauty Invasion

Let me preface this post by saying that it's going to be primarily pictures with fairly little text. I can hear you guys groaning from "Ughhhh, PICTURES? You just expect me to look at pictures of fun and wonderful makeup without words to accompany them?? Please be more inconsiderate." /s

I just received a box of goodies from my Cool British Internet Friend (from here on out, CBIF) and I wanted to get this posted immediately before I decimate all of these products by playing with them all weekend. I'm one of those people who has had such great experiences with people on the internet that it's sometimes hard for me to remember that there are assholes out there that want to screw people over. Maybe I'm just lucky or maybe I know how to weed out the creeps, but CBIF is indeed one of the awesome people and was so incredibly generous in her offer to send me some goodies to play with. I did pay for a lot of the stuff, but CBIF also included some items that weren't working for her so that I could try them out. CBIF, you know who you are and again, thank you for being the coolest.

How did this all start? I saw a post on Reddit about some Kiko palettes that reminded me of a Chanel palette that I wanted but at a fraction of the cost (and with about three times as much product). After some chatting back and forth, CBIF agreed to get me said Kiko Palettes since they aren't available in the US. Then it kind of exploded into other great brands that are available in England (well, the UK) but not in the US and things got kind of magical.

Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Sticks: Fuchsiaristic, Nudist, Bashful (L to R)

First up are these three gloss sticks from Soap & Glory. Now, Soap and Glory is not exclusive to the UK, but the US doesn't carry all of their products. You can buy these from Sephora, but the color Bashful is not available in the US (Fuchsiaristic & Nudist are... which I did not know! Learn new things every day). 

Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Sticks: Fuchsiaristic, Nudist, Bashful (L to R)

Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Sticks: Fuchsiaristic, Nudist, Bashful (L to R)

In the swatches, Fuchsiaristic and Bashful look fairly similar, but in real life, they aren't very similar at all. Fuchsiaristic (which pulls crazy neon coral on me... and I like it) is much more orange based whereas Bashful is much softer and pink. You can see that the gloss sticks are very shiny and I'm really digging that they have shine but that they aren't sticky like a typical gloss. My biggest complaint with lip gloss is the stickiness that they have, but these are completely different. After a few hours, the shine does fade, but nothing a quick reapplication won't fix. 

Bourjois Color Boost in Peach on the Beach and Red Sunrise

These lip colors are something that I had never heard of, but I'm really happy that CBIF sent them. Bourjois is a brand that many of you will probably recognize since it used to be sold in the US and more specifically, Sephora. However, Sephora stopped carrying them a few (...probably more than a few) years back. You can still get Bourjois products in the US, but you have to find an independent store that sells the items or buy them through Asos. 

Bourjois Color Boost in Peach on the Beach and Red Sunrise

Bourjois Color Boost in Peach on the Beach and Red Sunrise

I've only swatched these colors, so I can't tell you too much about them. They apply beautifully to my hand and Red Sunrise stains my skin. They are advertised as waterproof 10 hour color and that they have a gloss finish. They seem really nice, so I'm excited to play.

Soap & Glory Fabulipstick

These were the other two items that I was originally planning on getting. Months back, I saw British bloggers and internet folk swatch these and talk incessantly about how amazing they are. I love matte lips (ok, I just love lip color) and I heard that these were some great matte lipsticks. These are another product of Soap & Glory, but these lipsticks are not available in the US.

Soap & Glory Fabulipstick

Soap & Glory Fabulipstick in Pom Pom and Blush Pink (L to R)

Like I said, I got this box of goodies last night, so I haven't been able to use everything even though I was tempted to put it all on my face at once. I didn't even swatch these until I took the photos so that you could revel in their pristine beautiful condition with me. Aren't they gorgeous? 

Soap & Glory Fabulipstick in Pom Pom and Blush Pink (L to R)

So far, these feel great on my hand and I'm hoping that they feel just as great on my lips. 

Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 Healthy Glow

Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 Healthy Glow

Another Bourjois product! I was really happy to see a lot of Bourjois since it's a brand that I do truly like. I used to buy Bourjois when it was available in the US. Then, when I lived in France, I used to fawn over it but was far too poor to ever buy anything.

Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 Healthy Glow

 This cream blush has the best texture that I've ever felt on a cream product. I don't own a lot of cream blushes because I find them to be sticky or too dense to be used effectively, but this is fantastic when swatched. It has a slick feeling to it when first applied, so I assume that it has silicone in it, but it dries down to a powder. Absolutely wonderful.

Kiko Color Fever Palettes

Kiko Color Fever Palettes

Kiko Color Fever Palettes in Unexpected Rosy Taupe and Coral Burgundy (L to R)

And finally, we're to the Kiko palettes that prompted all of the madness. Is it cheesy to say that I was a little taken aback when I first opened them because I thought that they were that pretty? Well too bad, because that's how I felt. The colors are gorgeous and they swatched nicely on my skin. I love that the palettes don't come with applicators because they are a bit large and I think an applicator divot would have increased the size in a bad way. Just a huge mirror in the palette and I like it!

Kiko Color Fever Palette in Unexpected Rosy Taupe

Unexpected Rosy Taupe has a bit more shimmer to it than the Coral Burgundy palette does, but these are fantastic neutral colors that I can reach for every day. The darker brown shade didn't swatch well on my hand, but I think it will apply well to the eye. I swatched these products last, so my hand was a bit raw and had remnants of other products; not great on my part, sorry!

Kiko Color Fever Palette in Coral Burgundy

And this beauty. If you are in the UK and don't have the Naked 3 but love rosy shades of makeup, I would highly suggest picking this little palette up. All of the colors are beautiful and you could easily create a multitude of looks using this. I am actually going to film a Valentine's Day makeup tutorial with this palette this weekend for my international crowd! 

If you guys have any questions about the products, please let me know as I would love to help you get better acquainted with these products. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes : Swatches & First Impressions

Rarely do I like to make posts about products that I haven't had for at least a little amount of time, but since these are incredibly new and already incredibly popular (they're only available to VIBs on Sephora and three of six are sold out), I figured I would provide some swatches and first impressions. This is in no way a review of these two blushes, just a little peek into them and the color and formula. 

Here are the quick facts that I can tell you about the blushes.

• Available on Sephora.com for VIB and Rouge only (at the time being); available to all customers starting 2/21) & hourglasscosmetics.com (appear to be sold out atm, but they are restocking)
• $35
• 0.15 oz of product
• Paraben Free, Talc Free, Fragrance Free, Nanoparticle Free (what?), and Gluten Free
• "A truly multidimensional blush that enhances cheeks with seamless, soft-focus colors, and a natural radiant finish"
• And a small warning printed on the box "Ambient Lighting Blush is fragile. Please handle with care."

Hourglass has taken their wildly popular Ambient Lighting Powders and mixed them with pigments to create a blush line. Each of the blushes coordinates with one of their Ambient Lighting Powders, hence the "luminous" and "diffused". The blushes are very soft, very nice, and blend extremely well on the skin. They are pigmented, but not to the point where you are going to make yourself look like a clown with one brush swipe. 

I included two sets of swatches so that you could see that the light variation does make a difference in how these appear on the skin (excuse my goosebumps). The top swatch for each shade is blended out and the bottom swatch is a heavy, two swipe swatch. 

Luminous Flush was described as a champagne rose, but I feel that with the product mixed together, it can take on a bit of a coral undertone. Nothing overpowering, but it does have a bit of orange to it.

Diffused Heat was definitely more pink on my skin and it does have a slight bit of visible shimmer. It was described as a vibrant poppy and while it definitely more vibrant than Luminous Flush, it doesn't make me think of a poppy color at all.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them down below!

Blog renovation and posting calendar

Hey everyone! So, if you haven't noticed yet, the look of the blog has undergone a mini face lift. I decided it was time to change everything over to the look that the photos have had for the last few weeks; something to make the blog look a little more sleek and put together.

There are going to be more changes coming soon, but I will be rolling them out slowly so that it doesn't seem like a completely different place. Changes that will happening eventually will include things such as affiliate links (once I find a company that I like) and advertising. Both things are somewhat necessary for me to continue on with the blog since I do try to devote a lot of my spare time to it. Advertising will be kept small and to a minimum since I don't want this page to look cluttered and cheap. When I do end up starting with affiliate links, I will notify you that what you are clicking on is through an affiliate.

And the last bit of info that will be starting up in about a week or two is a posting calendar. As of right now, I kind of just post whatever is relevant to me at the time being, but I understand that people really like a regulated posting calendar with the same types of posts on the same days each week. This doesn't mean that I'm going to stop posting product reviews or beauty box updates, those will still be here. It means that I can bring more content every week in a way that's awesome for you and easier for me. I haven't come to a decision about what will go on which day, but there will be a day each week reserved for tutorials (YouTube or pictorial), quick tips, and maybe something like a "news roundup" each week to keep you guys up to date on all of the newest beauty news. If there is anything that you want to see in particular, leave a comment here or on my Facebook (or shoot me an email if neither of those options float your boat).

Essentially, what I'm trying to tell you in the three short paragraphs above is that I'm acting on making this blog better, more cohesive, and a more enjoyable experience for you and me!

90s Inspired Makeup : Tutorial

Hello all! I completely messed up my audio recording for this, so you just get to listen to pretty music while I do the makeup (I tried to pick something that sounded kind of like 90s music). This is a very simple, 90s inspired look; think silver eye shadow, dark lips, and matte skin. If you weren't alive for this time in makeup, just google "90s Delia*s Catalog" and you'll get where I was going.

Hope you all have a fantastic start to your weekend!

New Revlon Age Defying Foundation & Concealer : Product Review

Another product review! If you guys watched that haul video, then you know that I have a lot of products to be reviewing for you and I want to get the newest ones out first. Revlon has had an age defying line for a long time, but they just release a few new products for it and a two of them intrigued me. As I've mentioned before, I have oily skin most of the year, but in the winter my skin gets much more normal and only gets a touch oily on my nose, so anti-aging products are generally safe for me to use in the winter. That's why I picked up the Age Defying Firming & Lifting Foundation and the Age Defying Targeted Dark Spot Concealer Treatment. 

The Facts

Price: $11.99 to $14.99 (in Kansas)

Amount of Product: 1 fl oz.

Number of Shades:12 - The darkest of which is called "Early Tan", once again, not extremely WOC friendly

Claim: "This all-in-one formula combines hyaluronic acid, a potent dose of moisturizing ingredients and our exclusive Triple Lift Complex™. Relax the look of expression lines, give skin a smooth, tightened feel and boost hydration 3X. For a radiant, rejuvenated look." 

Shade that I used: 10 - Bare Buff

Shades and the foundation itself: Twelve seems to be the lucky number when it comes to drugstore foundations and like most, this isn't very accommodating for the those that don't fall into the slightly tanned to deeply tanned skintones. There is one shade lighter than Bare Buff, but it is very pink toned, so it definitely would not have matched my skin. I picked Bare Buff because I generally wear the second shade in any Revlon product, but this was just too dark. I think if I got a tan, then this would have matched my skin, but Bare Buff is not a match for NC15 skin. 

The foundation is like most liquid foundations, not too runny and not too creamy. It sticks nicely to the skin upon application and blends very easily. It is a more moisturizing formula since this is an anti-aging product (read the claim up above) and makes use of hyaluronic acid, which traps moisture in the skin.

Also, SPF 15... which is pretty much nothing and you should wear a separate sunscreen anyway.

Coverage: The coverage on this foundation is somewhat odd to describe. It makes me think of my NARS Sheer Glow, but maybe with a touch more coverage. I think the best description is a light medium, but if you have any dark marks, you will definitely want a concealer if you want them masked.

Application: Revlon states that this can be applied with fingers, brush, or sponge and I completely agree with them. Any of those methods would be good to apply this, but I applied mine with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (it's my favorite). If you applied with your fingers, you might be able to get a bit more coverage.

Wear Time: Not impressive whatsoever. After only a few hours at work, I could see that almost all of the foundation was gone from my nose and not in a manner that faded evenly; foundation was on the rest of my face, but not on my nose at all. If you have oily skin of any sort, I'm telling you right now to stay away from this foundation. The rest of my face faded pretty badly by the end of the day as well and by the time I took my makeup off at the end of the night, there was almost nothing on the cotton pad. The only color that I did remove had come from my under eye concealer. I don't have a true wear time for you, but "pretty pathetic" is the best answer I can give you.

Does it deliver on its claim? I will buy their super moisturizing claim because this foundation is incredibly moisturizing and in turn, that helps to relax the look of lines on the face. However, I wouldn't say this made me look radiant or rejuvenated since it all came off of my face. 

Final Verdict: I returned this last night. First of all, the color was wrong and I try not to hold on to products that don't match my skin. Second, I'm not holding onto a foundation that fades off my face (almost completely) in less than 8 hours. That's just ridiculous if your foundation can't last through a work day. If you have severely dry skin, I think that this foundation might work for you, but if you have even the slightest amount of oil to your skin, I pray you flee.

before any makeup, Clinique DDMG applied

full face, you can still see the blemishes on my cheek and chin

The Facts

Price: $11.99 to $12.99 (in Kansas)

Amount of Product: .25 fl oz.

Number of Shades: 4 - the darkest in this is called Medium Deep... sorry to my ladies of color out there

Claim: "Our innovative concealer features a Vitamin C and licorice-enriched formula that instantly reduces the appearance of age spots and discolorations for smooth, more even looking skin." 

Shade that I used: Light 01

Shades and the concealer itself: Ok, I realize that this is drugstore concealer, but seriously, only four shades? That just seems ludicrous. Luckily for me, the Light shade is straight up yellow and pasty which means that it is absolutely perfect for me. If you're much darker than NC15, I would not recommend the shade Light for you, definitely go up a shade.

The concealer is a thick liquid; it doesn't budge from wherever you dot it, but it does blend out easily. I find that the consistency can be a bit sticky, but that doesn't prevent it from blending which is kind of amazing and perfect. Honestly, this concealer makes me think of MAC Pro Longwear.

Coverage: Heavy. This isn't your liquidy, thin crappy concealer that you got for a one dollar; it's thick and it covers like a beast. It's definitely not as heavy as Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer or Hard Candy Glamoflauge, but it is a good heavy concealer.

Applicator: I didn't know this when I took photos, so excuse me for not having two photos of this; it comes with a removable sponge tip that reveals a needle point tip underneath. The "sponge" tip isn't much of a sponge; it's hard plastic that is covered in a soft felt. I know that it doesn't sound very appealing in writing, but it is a tremendously excellent idea on Revlon's part. Since it's not a true sponge, it doesn't absorb your product, but it does make it easy to smooth on your under eyes. 

Wear Time: One million hours. This concealer can outlast almost any foundation that I own; it's impressive. The only foundation that has proven itself a worthy opponent was Estée Lauder Double Wear.

Does it deliver on its claim? No idea. I haven't been using this long enough to know if it's making any of my dark spots lighter and honestly, I don't give a shit. I hate concealer with a passion and avoid wearing it because of that and I am wearing this concealer with joy. Don't get me wrong, I always wear under eye concealer (that's a whole different animal), but I almost never cover my other facial imperfections... until now.

Final Verdict: I don't know, maybe this only works on my skin and I'm just proselytizing, but I seriously think this is the best concealer that I've ever used. I love it. I'm already going to buy another tube even though this one is still almost completely full (I have coupons and discounts that are going to expire...). I'm in love. 

Birchbox : January 2014

I got my Birchbox around my usual time this month, hence it coming to the blog a bit later. The theme this month is "Go Time" and it's about taking on more, "more things to try, to conquer, to integrate into our lives". I never really understand their themes and how they relate them to the items that they send out... maybe my boxes just don't correlate? Whatever, it doesn't really matter to me that much.

What I Received:

• Serge Normant Dry Conditioner
• Paula's Choice RESIST Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum
• Nail Rock Glitter
• 100% Pure French Lavendar Hand Buttercream
• Under Armour Braided Mini Headband

My Thoughts:

Let me just get this out of the way right now so that I don't sound bitter the entire time; I am not pleased or impressed with this box. I'm going to touch on my displeasure more toward the end, so that you don't have to read it all at the very beginning. 

Alright, on to the actual box, my first impression is that everything is very very small. I don't think that anything is genuinely smaller than normal, but when you open a box and you see three dinky sized foil packages staring back at you, it makes everything seem small. Yes, again, more foils for me this month. I don't what I did to piss off the Birchbox algorithm, but this is the second month in a row with cheap foil samples. And really? Hand lotion? Ugh, that's what you give to someone you don't know at all and have no idea what they like! Sorry, but if Birchbox is going to send me hand lotion, they could at least have the decency to send me a small bottle of it (like they did in November). I also hate the scent of lavender and after having had this lotion on my hands for 15 minutes, I have a headache. 

The other samples actually aren't that horribly small, especially for that they are. The serum looks small, but it is a serum, so a little will go a long way and I do like Paula's Choice products (or at least testing them out). The Nail Rock product is a nail polish and a tub of glitter so that you can create a "glitter manicure". This is a full size, but the idea of this kind of bothers me; I don't have anything against glitter, but this idea seems kind of juvenile for my liking.

I am excited for the Serge Normant dry conditioner; see? Look, optimism! Even though I'm not using dry shampoo right now (the hairs are still too short, I feel like they need washing daily), I do love dry shampoo when my hair is longer, so this will be a nice addition. I can also use the glaringly bright pink Under Armour headband since I play soccer once a week and I do like to use headbands to help keep my hair back. But one small note on this headband; it's my "Lifestyle Extra" and it is one of the more expensive items in my box. How and why?

Monetary Values:

Serge Normant Dry Conditioner: $9.38 (full size: 3.2 oz/$25)
Paula's Choice Serum: $4.58 for .17 fl oz (full size: 1 fl oz/$26.95)
Nail Rock: $6.99 (full size)
100% Pure Lotion: $1.01 for .201 fl oz. (full size: 1.6 fl oz/$8)
Under Armour Headband: $6.66 (sold as a 3 pack/$19.99)

 

Full Monetary Value: $28.62

Final Thoughts: After last month's meh box and this month's even more meh box, I'm beginning to question my love affair with Birchbox. Actually, my Birchbox subscription started to get crappy after I paid for a year long subscription, so I'm quite curious to see if the boxes continue to be crap-tastic for the next 10 months. I would email Birchbox to let them know that I found this to be seriously lackluster and that three foil samples of lotion is pitiful, but I've emailed them a lot in the past few months and I think that it looks like I'm begging for points (if you complain, they automatically give you 100 points to the shop). I don't know, I'm waiting for Birchbox to step up again and be the subscription service that I loved. Next month is a box curated by Us Weekly, so the results could be amazing or amazingly disastrous. Stay tuned for that!

If you want to subscribe to Birchbox, you can follow my referral link here or visit birchbox.com

Collective Haul : Sephora, Ulta, and High End

I got two posts and one video up this week, which didn't meet my goal of three posts and at least one video (unless you count this as a post, but I don't). I filmed a semi-large haul video of products that I've picked up recently that will be showing up on the blog in the next few months.

Two little nuggets of info to pass on to you guys. The first being that I surpassed a goal of mine for the blog, so I'm going to be doing a super sample giveaway very soon. The second is that I am going to be headed to LA in April for a vacation/makeup trip, so there will be a bajillion goodies after that!

Thanks for watching!

Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara : Product Review

Fancy mascara; more often than not, I do not buy mascara anywhere other than the aisles of the drugstore. I have long been an advocate of drugstore mascara, but when I saw that Nordstrom was doing their bi-annual Mascara Madness event, I couldn't help but pick up a few goodies. Quick side note, Mascara Madness is a buy two, get one free event; I picked up three mascaras and will eventually review them all for you! The first up on the chopping block is Chanel's Inimitable Intense, which is housed in a plastic container. Honestly, for a $30 mascara, I expected the packaging to be a bit more luxurious, but we'll get to that later.

The Facts

Price: $30

Amount of Product: .21 fl oz.

Number of Shades: 4

Claim: "This technologically advanced formula builds on the success of the original mascara, delivering dramatic effects with a unique brush. The result is a more intense lash look, with the same easy application. Lashes appear longer, thicker and more curled, yet each lash, even the finest, is still precisely separated – without clumping, spiking or flaking." 

Shade that I used: 10 - Noir

Packaging: Like I said up above, the packaging on this is very plastic and not necessarily in a good way. I own several pieces of Chanel makeup and my biggest complaint about all of them is how cheap the packaging feels. I don't know about you guys, but for me, if I'm spending $30 on mascara or $43 on a blush, I want that packaging to feel luxurious. That doesn't mean heavy, but just better than what you're getting here. I do like that all black tube with the silver detailing though, very classy looking.

I have to add this to the packaging section, because I'm not sure where else this would go, but the area where you pull the applicator out gets very messy, very quickly! I'm one of those people that's kind of psychotic about keeping my makeup clean and presentable looking (this is the only part of my life like this, I'm a very messy person) and it just gets too much excess mascara on it. It drives me insane.

Applicator: This is a plastic brush with short bristles; not your traditional spoolie brush. I tried to snap a photo quickly to show you, but it isn't the best quality, so I apologize. The plastic "bristles" are actually fairly fine, which I enjoy quite a bit.

Color: I feel like this is an odd thing to include, but if you've used numerous mascara brands, then you know that sometimes black doesn't always translate to black. I'm happy to say that the Chanel mascara is a very nice black, but not the blackest mascara that I've ever used. 

Formula: This is a rather dry mascara and it is not waterproof. As far as I know, the Inimitable Intense does not come in waterproof, but the original Inimitable does.

Volume, Length, and Flaking: As I said up above, this is a drier formula, which is typically great for building volume and this mascara is no exception. I have fairly thick lashes on my own, but I can see the mascara grabbing each lash to increase it's diameter (something that more liquid-y formulas don't do as well until you've had them a few weeks). I'm a horrible person to have judge any mascara on it's lengthening abilities since I also have fairly long lashes, but this does extend them nicely. I wouldn't normally thinking of a drier mascara to have great lengthening abilities, but this grips onto the ends of your lashes and coats them nicely.

And now lets get to flaking. I have been wearing this mascara every day for about the past two months and I am fairly certain that I have had it flake on me every single day that I've worn it. It is not, by any means, substantial flaking; it does not get all over my face and it doesn't smudge, but I do see little flakes under my lash line every day.

On the other hand, this mascara is some of the softest mascara I've felt on my lashes in a long time. I had been using Lancôme Hypnôse Star previously and that stuff turns your lashes into little blocks of cement. Chanel's mascara keeps your lashes as soft as I've probably ever felt with a mascara on them (aside from Maybelline Full & Soft); that's a monstrous win in my book.

Does it deliver on its claim? I think it delivers on pretty much everything except for its flaking claims. I just get too many flakies for that to be true, even if they're only small flakes, they're still there. The volume, length, and definition claims check out though.

Final Verdict: You know what, I'm not really going to give you a final verdict. If you like drugstore priced mascara, there's no way that you are going to buy a $30 mascara; you know that and I know that. If you ever get an itch and want to try out an expensive mascara to see what they're like, this is a perfectly acceptable one. If you do buy high end mascaras, then I would recommend this to you. The small flakiness is not enough to deter me from recommending it since it does make your lashes look really nice AND it keeps them very soft; never crunchy.

Sephora Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation : Product Review

If you follow me on Facebook, then you know that I made a "resolution" of sorts to post on the blog at least three times a week and upload one new video each week. So here is post one for this week, I have three days to post two more times, but I have a ton of material, so don't you worry. One thing that I am absolutely obsessed with when it comes to makeup is trying out foundation. I don't know when this happened because I used to be a "buy one foundation, use it up, buy another" kind of girl. But now, right now I have at least 10 foundations that are in my makeup rotation, all serving a different purpose. Will I ever find my holy grail foundation? Maybe, but if not, I won't sweat it because I love trying them out.

Todays foundation review is for the Sephora brand Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation. I have long thought about purchasing the Dior Airflash, but at $62 for 2.3/oz, it scared me a bit (seriously, that's an entire season's worth of indoor soccer). Sephora's version is $26 and rings in at 2.5/oz which lets me try out this idea of airbrush foundation without the shocking price tag.

The Facts

Price: $26

Amount of Product: 2.5 fl oz.

Number of Shades: 5 - Which is an extremely limited shade range... I'm lucky that one of these matches my skin

Claim: "Seamlessly blur imperfections and control shine for up to 10 hours with this satin-finish foundation. The weightless, micro fine pigments of InstaBlend technology ensure color lays down seamlessly smooth so you can build to your desired coverage level—from light to full—for a flawless look every time. Mineral-rich red algae extract protects the skin from environmental stresses and helps smooth the skin for a soft-focus, airbrushed finish that lasts." 

Shade that I used: Fair (if you're used to Sephora's shade finding system, this falls under 4Y01)

Shades and the foundation itself: Like I mentioned above, there are only 5 shades in this line, which is maybe the most ridiculously limited shade range for a true foundation. I lucked out that the Fair shade is a yellow toned foundation since I have warm undertones. The next step up, Light, is straight up pink on my skin and it was almost comical when I tried to test it at the store. Medium is a yellow/warm toned product, while Tan and Dark are both pink/cool toned. The foundation itself is kind of a unique texture since it's getting blown out of a can with a propellant (aka this is an aerosol). Oddly enough, when I spray this on the back of my hand, it kind of bubbles. I think that has to do with the aerosol and pressure, but I could be wrong.

Coverage: The coverage on this foundation is completely buildable and could really be applied anywhere from light to full. When I've used multiple layers to achieve more opacity, it didn't get cakey or gross, which is awesome. However, if you use this as directed, it should turn out to be a medium coverage foundation. If you look in the pictures below, you can see that some of the blemishes on my cheeks are still partially visible. It truly does have a satin finish, which in my opinion, is one of the best finishes a foundation can have.

Application: The directions on the bottle state that you should shake for 5 seconds, hold the can 10" from your face and start to spray in circular directions. It also states to covers your hair and clothes and to close your eyes (and not to spray for longer than 10 seconds straight). The bottle also informs you that if this application method isn't your cup of tea, you can spray this directly on a brush and apply it that way. I, however, nixed both of those and apply it to the back of my hand and then buff it in with a brush. Does that negate the whole "airbrush" idea? You betcha, but the foundation still applies beautifully using this method, so I go with it.

Wear Time: Looking really good? I would say that the wear time is definitely around 10 hours or so. I've tested this with Laura Mercier Protect Primer underneath and it didn't wear as well. With moisturizer and without that primer, it wears much better on my skin. If I don't end up rubbing my face all over my dog, this method lasts a good 12 hours.

Does it deliver on its claim? For the first time in a long time, I am going to say that yes, it delivers on its claims. Can I speak that it helps protect my skin from environmental stresses...? Don't look at me, I have no clue and there is legitimately no way for me to test that. But the other claims? Yes, it definitely delivers on those. This is the happiest I've been with a foundation in a long time.

So, what's wrong with this foundation, because I'm pumping this up like it's too good to be true, right? Well, there are some downfalls here. The first and most obvious being that this is airbrush foundation, so it feels like I am going to blow through this fairly quickly. At this point, I've only been using it for about a week, but the can just feels so lightweight. Since it comes in a can, I can't tell how much I have left and I think that I will only know when it's out when the aerosol stops working. Will that be in two weeks or in two months? Only time will tell.

This isn't so much a con as it is a word of warning. The can says to shake for 5 seconds before use and they are very, very serious about this. If you don't shake it (I actually shake it for about 10 seconds just to be sure), it comes out in a weird separated mixture and it's really gross feeling.

And the last "con", that I have to mention is, again, not so much a con but my own stupidity working in your favor. As I said up above, I spray this to the back of my hand and then apply to my face. Well, the first time that I used this, I held the can about an inch from my skin and ended up burning the skin on my hand (there's a photo here if you're interested). Keep in mind that this is an aerosol and products that use propellant to come out of a can are very very cold. So yes, I essentially gave my self an unintentional ice burn. When they say hold the can 10" from your face, they are serious. When I spray it on my hand, I only hold it about 5-6" which doesn't burn me, but I would be extra cautious with your face.

Final Verdict: I will definitely use up this can and then buy another. I don't know if I will use it every single day or if I'll start using it more sparingly, but I am really into this foundation. Maybe we're just in the honeymoon phase or maybe this is the real deal. Whatever it is, if you can find a color match, I highly recommend picking this up!

(all photos copyright Allison Richardson Photography and not available for use without permission)