This year I finally made it to IMATS Los Angeles in Pasadena, California. This event has been on my radar for such a long time so I was thrilled when MustaeV invited me to attend the Makeup Artist Pro-Card Event on Friday. Since I had never attended one of these events before, I wasn’t sure what to expect and it was significantly larger than I expected. For makeup professionals who have attended The Makeup Show, the concept of IMATS is similar – but is open for anyone to attend. I didn’t do an exact booth count, but there seem to be a lot more vendors and brands featured at IMATS.
IMATS in Los Angeles is held at the Pasadena Convention Center and the booths were split into two different halls. I looked through the list of attending brands and had a list of booths to visit including Beautylish, MustaeV, Kat Von D Beauty, Make Up For Ever, Anastasia of Beverly Hills, Le Metier de Beaute, Temptu, tarte, Hakuhodo to name a few. I was told by a few other fellow beauty bloggers to expect booths to be extremely busy and packed and they weren’t joking. I arrived at 4:30 and stayed until closing at 7. I only made it to a portion of the vendors I had on my list, many had crowds or lines I didn’t have patience for. The first brand I went to was Anastasia which had a long line just to submit your purchase requests on a form, and then a 2 hour wait to pick up your items.
I snapped a few pictures as I walked throughout the event. A look at the floor layout, wish I could have gotten an aerial view of the entire setup.
Amazing demonstrations of body art and special effects. The artists are phenomenal.
A look at the MustaeV setup some exciting releases coming out this year were not yet on display, but I can’t wait to share them with you later this spring.
Beautylish featured a new line from makeup artist Natasha Denona. Right now they offer the Glow System (complexion products) online. The remaining items are expected to launch by the end of February (shadows are supposed to launch end of January). Natasha herself was in attendance and she was so kind to take the time to explain some of her products. I was also thrilled to see @trishalee_w from A Glittery Life working the booth – she’s an amazing artist and helped me pick out a blush (I wanted like all of them, but she helped me pick 1 to start with). I will be reviewing the Glow System and more from the Natasha Denona line soon, texture and pigments are really phenomenal and so unique.
Several have asked for a haul post. I didn’t buy much – there were a few booths where I had intended to go back to pick up items, but I didn’t have time and I did not have tickets for the other days of the event, so here’s a snapshot of what I picked up. I’ll have reviews + swatches in the next couple of weeks (as soon as I can). Most items you can buy elsewhere right now. I’m most excited about the Beautylish x Natasha Denona launches that are coming in a few months.
OCC Lip Tar in Synth (which appears to be sold out everywhere)
Natasha Denona Blush Duo Palette #10 which has #02 Toutou and #05 Sheer Peachy Nude (launching at Beautylish by February)
The items I looked at were at full retail price (they might have had discounts for pro-card holders). The Glow Kits were offered at $40 each without sales tax.
I was also very fortunate to receive a generous gift of the Natasha Denona 28 Eyeshadow Palette in Green Brown. It’s just so dreamy and from what I swatched at the booth – the textures are super saturated, highly pigmented and gorgeous. I have several of the 5 pan palettes on my wishlist but this one is just phenomenal. I die for the texture! The packaging:
28 shades of stunning green and brown. I am not a green eyeshadow wearer but I lightly swiped the top row on my eyes this morning – texture, pigment and shimmer = OMG.
If you are able to attend one of the IMATS events I highly recommend going. It’s a beauty lovers dream come true to visit all the booths and see makeup artists in action. Do be sure to carve out as much time as possible if you’re going on 1 day – I thought I could make my rounds in 2 hours, but I guess that was being overly optimistic! You can check out the IMATS website to see where else they will be traveling this year in 2016, there are three dates listed so far:
If you’re in the Los Angeles area and missed out, be sure to check it out next year. Otherwise if you are a makeup professional, you might want to consider attending The Makeup Show (see their FAQ page to check if you qualify to attend). They will be in Los Angeles later this year in March.
Many thanks again to MustaeV for enabling me to attend this year! Have you been to IMATS before? If yes, please let me know!
Today NARS is launching their new Velvet Matte Skin Tint ($44 for 1.7 oz/50 ml). I am a huge fan of NARS foundations and face products and this new one is quite amazing. Long time Beauty Look Book readers know that I adore the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer because it’s not like a traditional tinted moisturizer but more of a natural looking skin tint that offers medium buildable coverage with a slightly dewy sheen. Anytime someone asks me for a recommendation on a natural foundation, the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer is the first one on my list, but many of my friends are hesitant to try it because they think it will be too dewy for their normal/combo to oily skin (I still think it’s suitable for oily skin). Well the new Velvet Matte Skin Tint offers the same kind of beautiful medium buildable coverage and natural finish – but without any glow and with a slightly velvety matte finish.
The Velvet Matte Skin Tint (oil-free) comes with broad spectrum SPF 30 just like the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. The texture is similar in that it’s easy blend, applies smoothly, covers redness and evens out the skin. It dries to a velvety finish without looking flat or too dry like the name matte often implies. It’s like skin but better and on me it’s lasted an impressive amount of time. All day without separating, fading or creasing. Coverage is medium – enough to even out the skintone but not too heavy. It allows your skin to breathe so to speak and feels slightly hydrating but still weightless.
In addition to evening out the skin, it has Rose Fruit Extract to minimize pores and control shine. Vitamins C and E and broad spectrum SPF to protect the skin from environmental stress.
It’s pure love.
For the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, I have alternated between
two shades in Groenland and St. Moritz. Right now I am in between shades but am a closer match to St. Moritz because I still have some of my summer tan.
St. Moritz is my summer shade and Groenland is my most-of-the-year
shade. I found that the Velvet Matte Skin Tint colors in corresponding
shades look slightly different when swatched but once you blend it out
on the skin, they are identical. So you should be able to use the same
color of Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer and Velvet Matte Skin Tint. For reference you can find swatches of all the colors on Karen’s blog at Makeup and Beauty Blog.
First a look at the packaging differences of some of the foundations. The Velvet Matte Skin Tint comes in a sleek squeeze tube similar to the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, but it’s slightly skinnier and longer in size.
Here are two sets of swatch comparisons to Groenland and St. Moritz:
Bottom line amazing and definitely worth checking out. It’s just as good as the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer without the glow, but still natural looking. You can find the Velvet Matte Skin Tint now online at NARS and at NARS Boutiques. It will launch at Sephora, Nordstrom, Barney’s New York and all other NARS retailers starting February 1st.
Do you have any NARS foundation favorites? (P.S. I’m behind responding to e-mails and comments, but will catch up later on Sunday this weekend, I’ve been super busy this past week and I’m also attending IMATS for the first time today!)
The Velvet Matte Skin Tints were sent courtesy of NARS for review consideration.
Last fall, Edward Bess launched a new foundation formula called the Flawless Illusion Transforming Full Coverage Foundation ($49 for .27 oz/7.7g, made in Italy). It’s a compact cream foundation that I’ve been putting to the test for a few months now and I deem this another winner from his line. There are five shades in total: Fair, Light, Medium, Tan and Deep. It’s completely scent free and comes in a solid cream format. It does offer full coverage that I find is easy to build and unlike many other solid cream foundations this one feels completely weightless on the skin. The finish is truly flawless – it melds into the skin for a natural finish, not dewy or matte, but somewhere in between. It smooths out the skin beautifully with really good coverage but looks like skin. It minimizes pores and fine lines. It’s pure love. Here’s a look at all five shades, first is with flash:
Under natural light, no flash:
Swatches below, applied with fingers:
As with most full coverage foundations I do believe you need to prep the skin properly before you apply foundation. I’ve tested it with and without primers, I don’t think you need to add a primer with this one, but make sure your skin is properly moisturized and the foundation will glide onto the skin smoothly (I really love this one over beauty oils like the Laura Mercier Infusion de Rose Nourishing Oil or Kate Somerville Dilo Oil).
In terms of wear and lasting power, I found it lasted all day without separating anywhere. I do set with powder like I do with all my foundations. Over the last part of the year when we had a heat wave and lots of sunny
weather here in Southern California my match was Tan. Now that I’ve
started to lighten a bit my match is currently Medium – it’s a neutral
beige, not yellow or pink, but a true neutral. Additionally there is a new brush that Edward launched called the Retractable Buff and Blend Brush. It’s one of the larger kabuki brushes I’ve tried and incredibly soft. It’s made of synthetic hair and is very dense, but still very soft. You can use it with this foundation or powder. I prefer to apply the cream with fingers or a damp beauty blender sponge. This brush can act as a nice foundation buffer if you work it in with a circular motion.
A few swatch comparisons. I’m a huge fan of many other Edward Bess foundations and creams – unfortunately I’m out of a few of them because I’ve used them up. Here’s what I have to compare, with a couple NARS shades as a baseline in case you’re my skin twin. In my foundation testing experience, NARS Punjab is one of the most yellow/olive toned foundations I’ve tried. Santa Fe is one shade lighter but pulls more neutral/pink. I hope this helps show the undertone of the Edward Bess foundations below.
Bottom line yet another winner from Edward Bess’s line – he can do no wrong. This spring seems to be the season of new foundations – many of which seem to be focused on a getting a glowy and dewy look. If you are in search of something that is more natural in finish but still offers full coverage, the one from Edward Bess is worth a look.
You can find the Edward Bess Flawless Illusion Transforming Full Coverage Foundation at Edward Bess counters. Online at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, QVC and Edward Bess.
Foundation kindly provided courtesy of the amazing Edward Bess.
There are so many gorgeous new items launching this spring. It seems to be the season focused on glowing complexions with new foundation formulas, blushes and highlighters. I’m still smitten with the NARS Hot Sand/Laguna Duo (I’ve finally found my holy grail highlight/contour powder duo). I’ve been testing the new NARS Velvet Skin Tint which is slated to launch this Friday on January 15th online at NARS and NARS Boutiques (elsewhere February 1st). First impressions are very good, I’ll have a review posted this Friday with swatches.
Also on the NARS front (they’ve been killing it this spring!) are two palettes. There is an eyeshadow palette called L’Amour Toujours Palette which I’ve been testing. It’s incredible – if you visit the NARS website they’ve done eye swatches of all shades on three skintone which is so helpful. Second, there is a new cheek compact called the NARSissist Cheek Palette which is a Sephora Exclusive. I’m working on swatches right now, I hope to publish by the end of the week.
Diptyque has launched their Valentine’s Day collection early with the new Rosaviola Collection in a collaboration with fashion designer Olympia Le-Tan. The packaging is beyond adorable I can’t wait to see these in person.
For cheeks Hourglass launched their Ambient Lighting Strobe Powders and I’m saying yes to all even before testing or swatching them in person. I hope to check them out at the Hourglass Boutique sometime this weekend as I’ll be in Los Angeles for IMATS. Kat Von D Beauty fans will be thrilled to know she’s launched seven blush duos called Shade + Light Two Tone Blush.
For the glowing complexion, Beautylish just launched some items from Natasha Denona. Her line is new to me, but so far you can customize your own glow kit with items such as primer, foundation, cream highlighter, powder highlighter and body shimmer. I just started testing the Face Glow Foundation in Shade 30 Light Medium which is an amazing cream formula. The color seems to be just slightly too light – I’ll have to do more testing before I can review.
Last but not least, Edward Bess just launched a new lipliner shade called Barely which is my new holy grail nude lipliner. It’s the best nude pink ever made.
I’ll have a foundation review post up soon and some swatches of spring glossy tints from YSL. What’s on your radar right now? Any new discoveries you’d like to share? Spring beauty collections are still trickling in – what do you have your eye on?
Today I’m chatting with you about the face masks I have in rotation right now. Winter weather usually means my skin starts to feels dry or lacking in luster and the best way to help improve my skin’s texture, clarity and the way it feels in general is by using weekly mask treatments. I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom to share a roundup of 12 masks which include a mix of tried and true treatments along with a few new discoveries. I’m obsessed with masks in general – I often use them 2x per week, sometimes I mix it up depending on how my skin feels at a specific time.
First, a bit of background. When it comes to masks, or with any skincare in general, I would say recommendations depend on your skin type and what kind of treatment you’re looking for. I’ve split up my recommendations into four main categories: 1) lift and firm, 2) moisturize, 3) clarify/purify and 4) boost radiance. I’ve put 12 to the test to see how they hold up for my sensitive skin and super sensitive nose. In terms of types, I love a good sheet mask, but for today I’ve rounded up the kind you apply, leave on for 5-15 minutes and rinse off. The traditional apply-then-rinse-off kind is what I prefer, they are easy and fun to apply and I like the whole process of rinsing with water for that squeaky clean feeling.
Up first are two lifting and firming face masks. I’ll start with the best face mask I have ever tried which is the the La Mer Lifting and Firming Mask ($245 for 1.7 oz/50 ml). I was lucky to find a mini sample of this one during a gift with purchase event and it was pure love the first time I tried it. This is the most I’ve ever splurged on a mask, but it’s one of those skincare products I tested and immediately thought, “oh my god this is amazing.” It comes in a large tub with a brush applicator. I’m relatively new to using brushes to apply masks but after testing a few, I think I kinda like it. With this mask, skin feels ultra soft after using it. It’s formulated to tighten, firm and refine the face and neck although I’ve only tested this on the face so far. Skin does indeed look and feel noticeably firmer after using this. Fine lines are minimized. After using this you can feel the moisture without any greasy feel and the skin glows. I would call this one life changing and at the high price I think it should be. It’s a luxurious splurge but worth every penny. I don’t think I’ve ever been so in love with a skincare product in my life.
Another good firming mask is the Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask ($70 for 75 ml/2.5 fl oz). This one is formulated to lift, smooth, brighten and tighten pores. It sounds like an all-in-one kind of mask and I think it works wonders to lift and plump the skin. This one needs a very thin layer, if you apply too much it won’t dry properly and will be difficult to wash off. This one is heavily fragranced so it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I don’t mind the scent (I find it pleasant and unique). After using it skin feels smooth and lifted. The skin glows and looks noticeably brighter after using it. I noticed redness was reduced drastically. It does shrink pores around the nose area too. If you want a sampler of her skincare (trial or travel size) you can still find the mask in her Red Carpet Skin Set ($85) or the Gift of Goddess Skin Trio ($59) and the sizes seem large enough to get several uses out of the tubes.
Next are masks for an added moisture boost. My favorite gentle moisturizing mask is the Caudalie Moisturizing Mask ($39 for 75 ml/2.5 fl oz). This one is a game changer for me, most moisturizing masks are too heavy or leave the skin feeling too glowy so for moisture I prefer sheet masks. For a more traditional mask, this one adds enough moisture to soothe dry skin and makes it glow without the heavy feel. It has the most wonderful refreshing clean scent making it feel extra nice. It also works really well to help calm irritated skin and reduce redness. I really like Caudalie for the gentle but effective skincare.
Bobbi Brown just launched new face masks. I bought the Mini Mask Trio ($20 for 3 minis each .24 fl oz/7 ml) which comes with super tiny tubes. For these I was able to get 2 uses out of each one which is enough to get a sense of how it will feel on the skin, but not quite enough to get a true sense of how it will perform. The moisturizing option is the Skin Nourish Mask ($47 for the full size). It has an ultra smooth almost gel-like texture. It has coral grass and green algae to help boost collagen production and smooth the skin. I felt it did smooth and sooth the skin. Given the fact that I already have some other favorites for moisture masks, I’m not sure I will purchase the full size.
My second most favorite moisture mask is the Glamglow Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment ($69 for 1.7 oz/50 g). This one smells delicious (I almost want to eat it). It adds the most moisture to my skin out of all the masks I’ve tried. It helps reduce any flaky areas or patches. It can tingle a little but it’s not too strong. If you’re super sensitive to tingle or scent, you might want to skip this one and opt for the Bobbi Brown instead which is more gentle but still adds moisture.
Next up are some clarifying and purifying options. This type is my favorite kind of mask to use but many purifying/detox masks can be really strong and end up drying out my skin. Some dry my skin so much it leaves my face red afterwards and flaky by the next day. My newest discovery is the Kate Somerville EradiKate Mask ($54 for 60 ml/2 fl oz). This was used on me during a facial, my aesthetician mentioned that a lot of her clients had been raving about it. I saw really good results from my facial so I bought this the very next week. It’s part of the anti-acne line and normally these kinds of products are too strong for my skin, but this one is pretty gentle. It’s foam activated so you apply it to your skin and leave it on for 10 minutes. It starts to foam as it works and removes impurities. It tingles slightly as it foams up but does not sting (and I’m a huge wimp when it comes to skincare that tingles). It contains colloidal sulfur which helps reduce redness (it really works wonders in this area) and reduce acne. I highly recommend it.
Caudalie of course is on the list for favorites. The Purifying Mask ($39 for 75 ml/2.5 oz) targets spots to reduce blemishes. It clarifies the skin by drawing out impurities but it’s super gentle. Out of all the purifying masks, I would say this is the most gentle purifying mask I’ve ever tried. If you need something stronger the Instant Detox Mask ($39 for 75 ml/2.5 oz) is really good at drawing out the gunk that builds up in your pores. It’s a super deep cleansing mask – I prefer this on the T-zone or on spots (with Caudalie they recommend you mix masks at one time to target different needs on different areas of the face). It’s on the strong side so I would recommend on the nose or on trouble spots, I would not recommend using it all over the face.
My most-used clarifying mask is the Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment ($69 for 1.2 oz/34 g). I’ve lost count of how many I’ve used up and repurchased. Anytime my skin starts to break out from buildup or hormonal acne, I use this and it clears up within the week. It cleans out the skin like nothing else I’ve tried. Regular use has also helped tremendously with acne scars. It’s good for oily skin and helps rebalance the face. It’s a more gentle version of the Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Mask. If you still find the Supermud too strong, try the Caudalie or Kate Somerville ones instead.
Bobbi Brown has a mask called the Instant Detox Mask ($47 for the full size). This is a like a gentler version of the Caudalie Detox Mask. I liked that it acted like a clarifying mud mask without being too strong. It cleared up my skin and helped to rebalance oily and dry areas without being too strong or too drying. I will be purchasing the full size of this one once I use up my Glamglow and Kate Somerville Masks. Pores were significantly reduced.
The last category is radiance boosting or complexion savers. Bobbi Brown has one called Radiance Boost ($47). This one felt like it had exfoliating properties with tiny grains inside. For radiance, I tend to prefer sheet masks, but decided to give this one a try from the mini trio set. It has superfine walnut grain to exfoliate dead skin cells and orange oil extract to rebalance the oils in your skin. I didn’t notice as much of a glow as I did with the La Mer or Charlotte Tilbury masks, but I did notice a subtle glow and my skin did feel smoother with the exfoliating properties. This one has a gentle citrus scent. For now I will be sticking to my sheet masks for radiance.
Last but not least is the Caudalie Glycolic Peel ($39 for 75 ml/2.5 fl oz). This one is the most gentle peel mask I’ve tried. I do an occasional peel treatment with other brands but my skin is so sensitive that I can’t tolerate the tingling sensation (some make my eyes water). The Caudalie has no tingle and is non-irritating. For this one you will see results over time. It’s a super gentle treatment that helps with exfoliation that improves the skin texture and radiance over the course of a few weeks. It’s the most gentle kind of peeling mask I’ve tried.
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If you’re in search for a new mask, I hope you found this roundup helpful. There are so many different kinds of masks and brands. Nordstrom has over 200 options to choose from and you can filter options by benefit, price point and brand to find the one that suits your specific needs. I have tested quite a few, but for me testing has happened over the span of several months before I usually decide if something really works. My rotation changes as the season shifts to warmer weather. My top picks for right now are:
La Mer Lifting and Firming Mask – for the most impressive results in terms of skin texture, appearance and feel (gives you baby soft skin)
Do you have any favorite winter skincare masks? What’s in your rotation right now? I always get the best recommendations from my readers, if you have any tried and true or new discoveries please share!
Many thanks to Nordstrom for partnering with me to sponsor this post. As always, all opinions my own.
I picked up a few of the MAC Huggable Glasses ($20 each) last month from my local Nordstrom. I’ve been a fan of the Huggable Lipsticks (I’m glad that MAC brought these back) so I was excited to learn that they were releasing a lipgloss formula. I swatched them all on my hand in store, but I rarely ever put testers on my lips for sanitary reasons. They seemed semi-sheer to medium in coverage and several of the colors looked really similar but was told that they are limited-edition so I picked up one of each of the neutrals. After playing with these at home, I’m really smitten with the formula. If you’re one who thinks the regular Lipglasses are a bit too sticky (I personally don’t mind them), well the Huggable Glass is a lot more smooth in texture. They glide on the lips and feel weightless but offer a nice wash of color to the lips. There is the signature MAC vanilla scent to these which I really love. Coverage is sheer to medium. You can swipe it for a bit more coverage, but overall I will say these are on the sheerer side. You can layer them over lipsticks for added shine or depth. Lasting power isn’t quite as long as the regular lipglasses but I still found they lasted a decent amount of time on the lips before fading.
The colors I picked out include the neutrals, from top to bottom (all creams, no shimmer):
Pleasure First is a sheer pinky beige
Sweet Persuasion is a medium mauve pink
Kind Kiss is a sheer light peach
Keep it Light is a neutral cool beige
Cool Cutie is a peachy coral
Such a Sweetheart is a brighter peachy pink
These come with a flat tipped sponge applicator which is easy to use:
Swatches of all the colors below:
On the lips, many of them ended up looking the same. Out of the first four colors, I could have skipped Kind Kiss and Keep it Light, both of which are pretty sheer and almost non-existent on my lips. Sweet Persuasion has the best coverage and pigment on me even though it’s very natural. Pleasure First looks similar but is slightly lighter and makes for a good nude gloss.
For the last two, I found Cool Cutie and Such a Sweetheart also similar. Such a Sweetheart is brighter, more pigmented and pulls more pinkish on me, while Cool Cutie slightly sheerer and warmer.
Your mileage may vary depending on your natural lip tone. These do offer some coverage but as you can see most are sheer to sheer-medium in coverage.
I’m overall pleased with the texture and feel of these. I could have skipped a few of the sheerer ones (Kind Kiss, Keep it Light and possible Cool Cutie). There were a couple of gorgeous milky pink ones but they settled into the fine lines on the back of my hand and looked a bit streaky I thought there would be a good chance they would look streaky on my lips as well so I passed. At the counter some of the brighter colors caught my eye but they were very cool-toned which doesn’t always work on my olive skin.
My top two favorites are Sweet Persuasion and Such a Sweetheart. The others are nice, but given the sheerness and similarity not must-haves although I suspect they will be really good layering colors if you’re the type who likes to line and fill with a neutral lipliner and then top with a sheer gloss (my favorite neutral lipliners in this post here).
Have you checked out the MAC Huggable Glass yet? If so which colors? You can find these for $20 each at all MAC stores and counters now. I believe they are limited-edition. Online at Nordstrom, Macy’s and MAC.
Make Up For Ever just launched a new product to their Ultra HD range called the Ultra HD Concealer ($27 each for 7 ml/0.23 oz). These are designed to conceal the under eye area described as “invisible, luminous and comfortable” and are made to correct and conceal dark circles while blurring fine lines and wrinkles. Make Up For Ever kindly sent over the shades for me to test out. They do not disappoint. According to Make Up For Ever these contain:
Lamellar structure pigments that reflect and diffuse light, erasing under eye shadows and blurring imperfections
An anti-dark circle complex comprised of green algae and amino acids to help conceal and correct cobined with a radiance booster comprised of an Asian berry extract that helps stimulate collagen production to brighten and smooth skin
A 3D elastomer gel to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
There are 10 colors in total that are split into two color families R (peach) and Y (yellow):
Color Correct: neutralize dark circles with a peach shade:
R20: Light Skintones
R22: Light to Medium Skintones
R30: Medium Skintones
R32: Medium to Tan Skintones
R40: Tan Skintones
Conceal: brighten and awaken undereye area:
Y21: Light Skintones
Y23: Light to Medium Skintones
Y31: Medium Skintones
Y33: Medium to Tan Skintones
Y41: Tan Skintones
Onto my testing and thoughts. These come in a thin squeeze tube without any sponge tip applicator. They are really easy to apply on the face, you can use a brush or sponge to blend, but I like to dab two tiny dots of product under each eye straight from the tube and then blend with the fingers.
On colors, I’m yellow and olive in undertone and in general often have a hard time finding a good match for under eye concealers. Most are either too pink, too light, or too dark. I know many like to go one shade lighter for under the eye to brighten and counter dark circles, but often times that “1 shade lighter” is just too light. An exact match is ideal, but many tend to warm up and oxidize slightly making colors too dark for me. I’m not one who likes to mix colors. Last year I was lucky to discover quite a few new formulas and color matches. Concealer roundup from last fall in this post here (with lots of swatches from Surratt, Urban Decay, YSL, Charlotte Tilbury and more).
The Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealer has made the cut to join my top picks. It’s an incredible concealer for under eyes. It’s described as invisible because once you blend it into the skin it doesn’t look like you have makeup on, but at the same time it really does conceal and cover up dark circles. My initial thoughts were that I would find a match in the Y family. Y33 is a pretty good match, but I actually like the ones with peach tones because it brightens the face and neutralizes dark circles better. I can get away with either R30 or R32. These add just the right amount of brightness under the eye without too much contrast. They do warm up but don’t oxidize as much as the ones from Urban Decay.
I don’t have under eye wrinkles yet but some full coverage foundations or cream concealers can emphasize fine lines. The Ultra HD concealer blends in with the skin for a smooth looking blurred skin look. Lasting power is quite good – it lasts all day without budging, creasing, or fading. I do set with a powder though (some favorites in this post here).
I’ve been a fan of the Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealers as well, alternating between colors 7 and 8. These are a lot thicker in texture – many find it too thick for under the eye (I found it was ok, but yes it can feel a little thick). The Ultra HD Concealer is thinner in texture but still very creamy and very concentrated. You get less than half the product with the new Ultra HD formula but a tiny bit goes a long long way.
Swatches plus two sets of comparisons:
My best matches in the Ultra HD Invisible Cover Concealer range are Y33, R30 and R32. Swatch comparisons to some other concealer shades I use (or have used when I have been lighter) and a few foundation swatches to help. As you can see below there is a lot less product with the Ultra HD Line (7 ml/0.23 fl oz) compared to the Full Cover Concealer (15 ml/0.5 fl oz). The Ultra HD is more concentrated though so a little bit goes a longer way compared to the Full Cover formula.
Two sets of swatches comparison below with prices and product sizing included for reference to save you time from having to look it all up (prices as of 1/10/2016):
Bottom line, definitely worth checking out if you’re searching for an under eye concealer. The colors do seem to be limited but what impressed me was the fact that they included several that I think will work for super fair skintones. I know a few of my fellow beauty lovers have fair skin and find it challenging to find something light enough for their skintones. For tan to deep skin tones, you might be able to try either of the two darkest colors, but for now I suspect Charlotte Tilbury, MAC and NARS will still be the best bet for having a wider color selection available for those with deeper skintones. I feel lucky to have found 3 that work for my under eye area. I give this a huge thumbs up.
The Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealers ($27 each) are available now at Sephora and Make Up For Ever. Have you checked these out yet? If yes, please share what color(s) you picked out and your foundation or concealer shades in other lines to help others who can’t swatch in person to find their match 🙂
The Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealers and Foundation were provided as courtesy press samples for review. All opinions my own.
