The Fair Foundation Files: L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation

Another installation of the Fair Foundation Files! This time I have a drugstore foundation to show you, albeit it is on the higher end of the scale where price is concerned. 

The Lowdown

• $14.99 for 1.3oz
• Blurs lines, wrinkles, and uneven texture
• Anti-Aging benefits of 'Visible Lift' complex
• Nice range of shades, but not many for darker skin tones (12 shades total)
• Lightweight
• Light/medium buildable coverage

 

Light Ivory

The texture of this is very thin and it does blend easily, but that is mostly because it is full of silicones. You really only need this much (dime size) to cover your face. It is light to medium coverage but can be layered easily.

 

Here is a swatch of the foundation half blended to show you the texture. It blends nicely but does slip around a bit. Make sure to set with some type of powder for the best results!

Here is the fully blended foundation. It does not oxidize on me and lasts longer than most of my foundations, about 12 hours with only getting slightly oily at around 2pm. A quick blot fixes that up, but I have to blot with any foundation. 

 Here is my face with only the L'Oreal Visible Lift Foundation in Light Ivory on and the L'Oreal Blur Blush on the cheek closest to the camera (review coming soon). 

This works very well with a sponge, which I highly recommend using it to apply!

Verdict:

Likes:

• Lasts 12 hours without primer
• Buildable coverage
• Makes my skin look very airbrushed
• Sunscreen
• Doesn't oxidize
• Didn't break me out

Dislikes:

• Doesn't give me enough coverage to cover my acne scars, even with layering
• Smells like fake tanner when you apply
• Loaded with silicones

Overall: The only real turn off for me with this foundation is the smell. It has that almond-y fake tan smell but that only lasts during application. I was surprised that even with two weeks of use and no primer that it did not break me out even though it has a slick/silicone/primer feel. The shade didn't oxidize and it is definitely now in my foundation rotation!

Are you liking the new L'Oreal Blur line of products?

The Fair Foundation Files and My Take on a Classic Look for Spring

The extensive testing process is over and I have come to a lot of conclusions about Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in shade 010 Light Porcelain (retail $4.99 at Ulta, but I received it complimentary from Influenster).

So, what does this wunderkind have to offer us?

• Cheap price tag at around $5 depending on location
• No added fragrance as far as I can tell
• Totally matte
• Fun mousse texture
• Lots of light shades

It claims to offer 'lightweight shine control' as well, but we will get to that claim.

The texture of this is a mousse and is very fluffy, so you will think you need more when you actually don't. A little goes a long way---a lot gets cakey fast. This can be used with fingers, a BB, a flat brush, or a round foundation brush. I have tried all methods and they all basically work the same.

Here is me wearing Stay Matte in Light Porcelain all over my face. It almost covers my hardcore cheek hormonal blemishes, but a little dab of concealer fixes them right up. I just wanted to show you with only this product.

You really need to moisturize and prime well. Even if you have oily skin, this will get into every pore and every fine line. But if you prep well, this can have great results.

My results have been nothing less than spectacular. For over a week, this foundation (Clinique moisturizer and primer underneath) has keep me completely shine/oil free for 12-15 hour days. I have worn this during busy work and school days and I also wore it to a 95 degree day at the Huntington Library (for you non-Californians, it is beautiful, but mostly outside and was hotter than the sun that day). No shine whatsoever. 

But before you go running out and buying this, I have a few words of advice....

This may work for me, but I feel this will probably be a seasonal product for me. It takes a ton of prep time for me to look flawless with it (I have larger pores and my cheeks run drier). Also, I do not see this as 'lightweight'. It certainly isn't heavy, but I would say you can feel it on your skin.

Also keep in mind that this tends to oxidize in my experience about half a shade. If you have a chance, try a test patch on your skin first. Ulta let me return the first shade I bought before the Influenster box with no problem (that shade was Light Ivory, the next one up from this, and ran too yellow).

Overall: If you are drier on at least 50% of your face or have a lot of fine lines, this might be a nightmare for you. Oily girls...grab this and throw away your blotting linens forever.

Now, onto the fun stuff...I decided to make a look for Influenster and @RimmelLondonUS for the #StayMatteSwitch movement.

This is my twist on a classic look---for Spring! Substituting my normal red lip for something pinker and of course, matte skin!

What I Used:

1. Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in Light Porcelain ($4.99)

2. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Creamy Natural ($4.99)

3. Clique Cheek Pop blush in Peach Pop ($21)

4. Benefit They're Real Mascara ($23)

5. Josie Maran Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon in Fair ($20)

6. Nude browbone shadow from Wet N Wild 'Drinking a Glass of Shine' Palette ($4)

7. NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner ($5.99)

8. Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium ($22)

9. Lipstick Queen Chinatown Glossy Pencil in Chase ($22)

This is a routine I rely on for early morning to still feel fun and fresh

1. Prime, get that foundation on your face---any way you like---and then conceal!

2. Set with powder

3. A little blush on the apple of your cheeks. Something dewy works well!

4. Curl lashes and apply mascara

5. A nude matte wash of shadow on your lid is simple and a no-makeup look

6. A liquid liner baby cat eye keeps things classic

7. A hint of brow keeps things looking put together

8. And a glossy coral pout keeps things fresh!

What is your go-to Spring look?

The Fair Foundation Files: Lorac Natural Performance Foundation in NP 1 Porcelain

Welcome to another installment of the 'Fair Foundation Files'.
I have been testing Lorac's Natural Performance Foundation in the lightest shade, NP 1 Porcelain. 

So, what does this contender have going for it?

• $36 for 6ml
• Fragrance Free/Oil Free/Paraben Free
• Premiere Olive Leaf Extract, Vitamin A, and Xyleine (An ingredient that includes active papaya and lemon extracts).
• Skin-like finish
• Great for sensitive skin
• Travel friendly pump, more on this later
• Medium-full buildable coverage

I was first drawn to this foundation because it had a neutral porcelain shade, which I needed. I also liked that it was fragrance free (and really is).

Let's talk about this pump. I normally am a little wary of pumps because they can break, dispense too much product, or just generally be annoying. This pump? Perfection. One pump dispenses what you see on my hand. I use about two and a half of these for almost full coverage, but really, it is a small amount. I like how it pumps out less and you can build instead of the opposite where you waste.

The other awesome this is that one twist to the right pops up the pump. One twist left sinks the pump back down into the cap creating a leak-free, travel friendly foundation. Awesome!

This is that pump above spread out lightly so you can get a feel for the consistency. It is light but creamy and very, very pale.

And here is that same amount blended in. My skin but better and slightly luminous. I would actually call this a demi-matte, as that is how it appears on my face.

Ready for the full-face swatch?

No other makeup besides the Lorac Natural Performance Foundation. Oh, and the debut of my new hair (although I didn't blow-dry it or anything today...those pictures will come later!)

I love how fresh and like skin this looks, and it matches my coloring perfectly!

How I apply:

• Fingers! These are your best bet. I just find that the texture, which is almost tinted moisturizer like, but obviously heavier coverage, just works well and smooths onto my skin easily with the heat of my fingers.
• Sponge (BB/Real Technique blender etc): Does an okay job, but sheers it out too much for my liking.
• Foundation brush (flat or round): Don't waste your time with this method. Pretty ineffective.

So, what's the verdict then?

Likes:

• Feels great/weightless on my skin.
• Does not oxidize on me, and keeps my oil relatively at bay.
• Looks like the texture of my skin.
• Wear time is all day (15+) hours with a primer...but still good wear (6/7 hours looking great) without.
• Great color match.
• Travels well!

Dislikes:

• Not the easiest to apply, mostly because I hate using my fingers.

Overall: This gives me stunning skin as long as I put in the effort. My sensitive skin does not flare up and I don't have to worry about itching or it feeling heavy. This has been a staple in my routine and will continue to be!

Will you be checking out Lorac Natural Performance Foundation?

The Fair Foundation Files: Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation in Dim the Lights

Hey Pandas!
"The Fair Foundation Files" will be a mini-series going on in the next few weeks because I have recently picked up a handful of foundations specifically for my fair skin and skin needs. I know this won't be the most helpful for all my readers because not everyone has this skin tone and I am aware of that, but I also know for many it can be a problem to find a very light foundation shade. At the very least, I hope my comments on the formula of the foundations are helpful, and you can choose your own shade.
See my first post to learn more about my skin and needs/wants!

There has been some buzz about this new foundation that just launched from the bareMinerals line Buxom. I recently got a sample of this and was eager to try it out.
This is Buxom Show Some Skin Weightless Foundation in the shade Dim the Lights.

• This boasts light to medium coverage and broad spectrum SPF 30.
• Dim the Lights is described as a "warm yellow shade for light skin tones"
• Honestly, the fairest shade Fair Game would probably suit me better, but samples only came in a few shades. I have neutral undertones but this was still a decent match.
• The price is $34 and this is formulated with tamarind, Vitamin C, and marine algae extracts to give skin 8 hours of moisturized wear.

As you can see, it pulls a bit yellow on my skin. bareMinerals suggests using only a pearl size amount, like what you see above, but I used about 7 times that to see any coverage.

The dewy, slightly yellow patch in the picture above is the foundation blended into my skin. This is a dewy finish formula.

This is about a third of my tiny sample tube on my face, and I was still a bit red on my nose and it did not cover my acne on my chin. 

But I can't complain much, as it is specifically stated this gives light to medium coverage. Emphasis on LIGHT. It was easy breezy to wear, didn't oxidize, lasted about 7 hours, so overall, pretty close to the claim, and moisturized my skin. My chin and nose got a bit oily throughout the day, but blotting or powder takes care of that.

Likes: 

• The SPF!
• I love the Buxom/bareMinerals brand and trust it won't break me out (and it didn't)
• The added moisture
• The dewy glow

Dislikes: 

• I still felt uncomfortable with the coverage
• Felt it was a bit too yellow on my skin

Overall: I like this to an awesome tinted moisturizer with SPF, not really a foundation. Maybe almost like a U.S. CC Cream for me. Not much coverage but great skincare benefits, moisture, and a dewy glow. This will be a nice foundation for the weekends, but it is a bit too much moisture and not enough coverage for school and work. But if you have dehydrated skin and not many blemishes, give this a go!