Pat McGrath Labs launched a eyeshadow palette called Mothership VI Midnight Sun ($125 for 10 shades, 1.32 g each eyeshadow) and it’s glorious! True to Pat McGrath’s style this palette has a mix of bold and edgy colors with a unique combination of colors. The format and textures are the same as her other Mothership palettes where she has mattes, smooth metallic shimmers and glittery sparkles. For me this is way outside of my comfort zone but I still had fun playing with it. Quality and pigment-wise all the colors are phenomenal. The mattes blend and layer beautifully. As boring as the soft tan brown Taboo looks I found it really nice and flattering! The shimmers are almost creamy to the touch and blend smoothly. The glitters give this multi-dimensional iridescent sheen that is quite amazing – there is some fallout with the glitters as expected but it’s easy to clean up. I recommend applying the sparkles with a damp brush, over a creamy base to help it stick, or fingers in a patting motion.
Swatches and close ups of Midnight Sun which includes all new shades:
Skinshow Moon Glow is a smooth metallic champagne
Bronze Eclipse is a warm shimmery bronze taupe
Vermillion Venom is matte cranberry
Blood Moon 005 is a glittery copper rose metallic
Jubilee is a glittery warm yellow gold
Xtreme Dusk is a deep brown matte
Taboo is a matte medium brown
Wicked Envy is a shimmery olive
Blitz Violet Orchid is an ultra smooth almost creamy blue violet shimmer
The palette is stunning for sure! But I didn’t love all of the colors. Quality and performance-wise it’s excellent, however I cannot wear yellow golds or violet purples – they clash with my skin tone no matter how pretty they are or how hard I try to blend. For her palettes I prefer the color scheme of her previous launch Mothership V Bronze Seduction or any of her 6-pan palettes which I find easier to wear for someone like me who tends to be more conservative on the sparkle for eyes. I do think it is different/unique enough to justify owning if you like all the colors. For me I most likely would not have bought this one as I really try to stick with my rule of buying palettes if I think I will like all the colors. I’m still going to try to make the purple work for me but it’s never really been a color I gravitate towards.
I have a fall foundation roundup today on new formulas I’ve put to the test recently! I’ve already reviewed a few new base formulas from Chanel, Pat McGrath and Laura Mercier but I have three new ones in today’s post for Fenty, Natasha Denona and Charlotte Tilbury. I thought I’d round them all up and do a comparison to help you decide which one might be the best for you.
First here’s a look at my bare skin vs. foundation applied all over, more details on each formula below:
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Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation
The foundation I was most excited about was the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation. It’s described as a hydrating formula but I did not find it hydrating or smooth in application. I’ve tested it with a number of moisturizers and primers (including the Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer). On my face it sits on my skin and doesn’t sink in like I’d expect a moisturizing base to. It doesn’t blend easily, it feels thick even with a sponge or sheer application. The pros are that it does have good coverage that looks natural and it photographs well. I also love the packaging. With a lot of blending I can make it work. My match is 235 in this one and it’s pretty close to the regular matte formula. The hydrating formula doesn’t oxidize as much as the matte one does. The main reason why I don’t love this is that it feels thick on my skin and it’s not thick in a hydrating way, just thick.
Lasting power is good, I think the color range is great, packaging is gorgeous and functional.
Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation in 235 applied all over the Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer, no powder or concealer:
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Natasha Denona Foundation X+
Natasha Denona improved her foundation into the Foundation X+ ($45 for 30 ml/1.01 fl oz). I actually liked the original but found it a little on the thick side, it didn’t feel too thick on the skin but the new one is more lightweight. The newer version is medium to full coverage and has skincare ingredients infused. The Foundation X+ is more lightweight with good coverage and looks like second skin. You can easily control coverage and it’s long-wearing on my skin. It comes in 20 shades, I’m the 42WY right now. I personally wouldn’t really call it full coverage, but it’s more medium to full. I can still see some sun spots and a little redness on my skin through the base.
Wearing 42 WY below ( warm yellow undertone)
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Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation
The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation was another base formula I was really excited about because I’m obsessed with the pressed powder (it’s my holy grail!). The foundation is a full coverage base that has a velvety matte finish. On the skin it does give it an airbrushed look and it’s very opaque. The texture is fluid and blends easily. It is lightweight in feel although I don’t really agree with the product description as being weightless – I can still feel it on my skin although it’s not heavy.
It is the best foundation formula in her line although I do think finding the right shade can be tricky. Colors oxidize quite a bit once they set. I think the online stock swatches do a good job at showing how much colors darken which they call “optimized.” Even at the counter the sales associate struggled to recommend the right shade for me. We settled on 7 Neutral and 8 Warm as the best possible matches. I highly recommend you try the colors in person because the number sequence jumps around especially with the different undertones. Right now 7 Neutral works the best for me. I also had a sample of 7.5 Neutral which is lighter than 7 Neutral.
As far as matte finish foundations go I still prefer the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion the best for a natural looking matte that gives medium to full coverage and lasts all day.
Wearing 7 Neutral below all over, no concealer or powder. It covered all of my red pimples and sun spots completely. It has a velvety matte finish that isn’t too matte or dry looking, I definitely still recommend setting with powder.
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Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation
I reviewed the new Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation here. This is a lightweight velvet foundation with medium coverage. My match is either 40 or 50. This has the most lightweight feel out of the medium velvety coverage bases I’ve tried.
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Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (new formula)
The cult classic Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer has been reformulated into a new and improved version. I think it’s definitely improved and gives the look of fresh natural hydrated skin. Even though I prefer coverage, I like using this all over and then layering full coverage foundation or concealer on spots I need more. Layering prevents the face and skin from looking too flat. Review on the regular and illuminating formulas here.
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Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection
Another base I reviewed recently is the Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection here. Full details in the review. This is a nice medium to full coverage foundation that blurs and smooths the skin. It’s not weightless and has a satin finish so you will feel it on the skin, but it worked really well for me.
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A few side by side swatches which were hard to capture. Some of the formulas dried quickly and oxidized. Also please take note that how they blend and adjust on the face once it sets is different than what you’ll see in the arm swatch. Still I hope this can provide some kind of reference for you:
Overall out of all the bases I tried, I still find my top 2 go-to’s are the Armani Luminous Silk (best luminous foundation) and Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion (longest lasting). For the new launches there’s a tie between the new Chanel and Pat McGrath for medium to full coverage. The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is good for good-skin days but I still prefer coverage so I don’t reach for it as much. The Charlotte Tilbury is nice but fact that colors oxidize so much makes it tricky to wear. Since it’s so opaque it’s not forgiving if you don’t have an exact match.
If you’re looking for a new base I hope this roundup of some new formulas help you! I was planning on reviewing a couple more but am having a hard time with color matching. If I end up finding one you’ll see a few more reviews soon.
Have you tried any of these yet? What did you think? If not what foundations do you love right now?
Press samples include the Natasha Denona, Chanel and Pat McGrath foundations.
Tom Ford Beauty revamped all of the lip glosses into a new formula called Gloss Luxe ($55 each for 5.5 ml/0.19 fl oz). These have new packaging and a completely different formula from the original lip glosses. The Gloss Luxe has a sheer finish, ultra glossy shine and a moisturizing feel. It’s not sticky but does have a slight tacky feeling to it since it is a gloss but it feels smooth and lush.
There are 20 available right now, I bought 6 and have a review + swatches today. I’ve been such a long-time fan of Tom Ford lip products but with these I have mixed feelings. They are high-shine and hydrating, they have a nice luxurious feel. However I found some of them settled into my lip lines and started to separate after a few minutes. With the lighter neutral colors I didn’t find them to be color-saturated as they described. The colors can be intensified if you layer more on the lips but with each progressive layer the formula starts to get a little too thick and goopy with the feeling like they will slide off.
They are scented with a soft vanilla cake like scent that I find really pleasant. Lasting power is average for a hydrating gloss. They won’t last all day but at the same time they don’t disappear quickly.
For the tubes you have a sponge tip applicator similar to the Lip Lacquer Luxe where the sponge is a little bigger than the opening. There is a little bit of tugging when you take it out of the tube but the gap isn’t as tight as it is with the Lip Lacquer Luxe.
Colors I picked:
Aura is a pale light nude pink, this one settled into my fine lip lines within a minute, not a good look!
Impulse is a sheer pale pearly pink, also settled into my lip lines within a few minutes but it isn’t as bad as Aura
Frantic is a sheer shimmery medium light pink with gold pearl
Ravish is a shimmery medium peach
Wicked is a sheer cool pink without shimmer
L’Amour is a bright sheer pink
I think the brighter and deeper colors are the best options. Overall pigment didn’t translate from my arm swatches to my lips. They’re sheer so it gives the lips a hint of color. Close ups and lip swatches below with three I have full face makeup looks for you. I do think if you have lighter lips versus my pigmented lips the colors will show up better on you.
Aura
Impulse
Frantic
Ravish
Also wearing Natasha Denona Foundation X+ in 42WY, Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Powder in Medium, Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel, Tom Ford Acqua Metal Shadow in Violet Argente and Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Palette in The Dolce Vita, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light
I really wanted to love them but I can’t help but feel there are better options out there. For me I felt the sheerness of the colors didn’t make them all worth the price tag. I do think there are some great colors to choose from and they have a hydrating luxurious feel. They’re not bad, but I prefer the Chanel Rouge Coco Glosses, Pat McGrath LUST Gloss, By Terry Lip Experts and the new Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge Shines are amazing (I’ll review my picks soon). My favorites of the ones I tried were Ravish and L’Amour which I think are worth the splurge. I wish the other ones had better color payoff because they’re just so pretty in the tube and swatched on my hand!
You can find the Tom Ford Gloss Luxe out at all counters now. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?
I have an updated skincare routine roundup today with everything I use and love right now! I rotate and switch things up as seasons change or as I use products up. Out of all the skincare categories I run through bottles of face wash, makeup removers and face masks up the fastest so there are a lot more formulas I’ve used this year but I’ve rounded up the ones I consider favorites right now. Most of these I’ve bought on my own, any press samples featured have a * next to them.
For a little background on my skin type and routine, I have normal combination skin I consider to be sensitive. There are of course varying degrees of sensitivity – overall I’d consider my skin to be normal. I live in hot climate in Florida but do experience dryness during the dry months, especially being exposed to a lot of air conditioning. Humidity and weather fluctuates on a daily basis here and some months are clearly more wet than others. I am in my late 30s and have minimal wrinkles right now – primarily on my forehead. My main concerns are improving texture and keeping skin clear. I don’t have a lot of acne scars anymore – they’ve faded over time with regular exfoliation and light peels.
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Cleanser and Makeup Removers
I have a different cleansing routine for morning vs night because I add an extra step for makeup removal at the end of the day. For regular traditional face wash my favorite right now is the Farmacy Clean Bee Ultra Gentle Facial Cleanser. I’ve used up so many bottles and love how gentle but effective it is. I recently started trying out some products from Revive and was so impressed so I bought the full size Gel Cleanser Purifying Wash and Foaming Enriched Hydrating Wash. I think both are excellent and 100% worth the splurge, right now I prefer the gel version.
Exfoliation is super important but I’ve kept it light this summer. Flare ups from allergic reactions to sunscreen, face sweat and heat have made my face more sensitive than normal. The gentlest face scrub I’ve been able to use no matter what condition my skin is in is the Fresh Sugar Face Polish.
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Toners
For toners my top 2 are the Sisley Floral Toning Lotion and Bioderma Sensibio. Since I’m nearly out of my Sisley toner I decided to order something new and bought the Revive Balancing Toner which I’ve really been enjoying. The Bioderma one is the most gentle, Sisley makes the best everyday one for me and Revive’s offers more hydration. I use toner religiously after cleansing the skin to make sure all the soap and any remnants are removed and skin is rebalanced.
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Sunscreen Favorites
This year has been a challenging one for sunscreens for me. I put quite a few highly rated ones to the test but my skin reacted very badly to ones from Dr. Barbara Sturm, Elta MD, Neutrogena and Kopari. My skin had red bumps all over within a few hours which caused a great deal of irritation and flare ups that lasted a week before it returned to it’s normal state. In Florida weather I won’t use anything super thick or super hydrating because most formulas are simply too thick for this heat. I have four that I have in rotation right now that I can use under makeup, don’t have a thick texture, practically no white cast and are easy to remove at the end of the day.
Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30 (lightweight and non-irritating), active ingredients are Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 8%, Octisalate 4%, Octocrylene 2%
By Terry UV Base with SPF 50 is one of my favorite face sunscreens, this one is currently empty, but I plan on repurchasing again, active ingredients are Avobenzone 3%, Octinoxate 6.8%, Octisalate 4.5%
Chanel UV Essentiel with SPF 50* is the newest Chanel sunscreen that replaced all the other formulas, it is lightweight but not as fluid/thin as previous version, it is highly fragranced but non irritating, it does leave a very slight white cast but blends out well on the skin, active ingredients are Octinoxate 7.5%, Titanium Dioxide 3.8%, Zinc Oxide 17.1%
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Hydrate
For the most luxurious lightweight cream and hydrating beauty oil, the best ones I’ve tried are the Sisley Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream* and Black Rose Oil*. Both of these are currently empty and I have not repurchased because I have so many other things to go through. I do think the Black Rose Oil is one of the best oils I’ve ever tried, a less expensive alternative I really like is the Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Infusion de Rose Nourishing Oil*.
For eye creams and treatments I have yet to find THE one but I’ve been enjoying the Fresh Black Tea Firming Eye Serum which has a nice lightweight texture and reduces puffiness. It has a smooth texture so it doesn’t make my under eye feel greasy or heavy. Tatcha’s latest The Silk Peony Melting Eye Cream* is one of the most emollient eye creams I’ve tried, it literally melts into the skin. I’ve been using this for a few weeks now and find it ultra rich so like it at night, a little goes a very long way.
For night time it’s been recommended I use retinol or Vitamin C but my skin simply can’t handle most skincare with these ingredients. The only retinol-based products I’ve tried that I love have been the Kate Somerville RetAsphere 2-in-1 Retinol Cream and RetAsphere MicroPeel. They really help with fine lines and help smooth the skin. I do want to try Botox in the near future, especially for my forehead lines. I’m still building up the courage as I’m deathly afraid of needles.
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Acne and Mask
Acne has been an issue for both Andrew and I this year. I’ve managed to get mine under control but the extra heat, sweat and moving (we did it all ourselves) caused some issues for my face. My absolute favorite acne treatment from MAC Blemish Control with 1% salicylic acid was discontinued years ago so I’ve been trying dozens trying to find a replacement. With acne treatments the best ones will depend on what kind of acne you have.
Salicylic acid is the best to unclog pores. It helps dissolve dead skin and remove excess oil. For us the most effective one has been the Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment with 2% Salicylic Acid. It won’t leave any red marks on the skin and it’s a clear gel. It also has other ingredients to soothe, absorb excess oil and reduce shine. A lighter weight version that I can use on wider areas of my face is the Kate Somerville EradiKate Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment. It has 2% acid but also has other ingredients to offset the dryness that is often caused my pimple treatments.
I recently tried the REN Clearcalm Non-Drying Acne Treatment Gel* with 0.5% Salicylic Acid which also is effective but for me the Kiehl’s works better. If you need a lower concentration of the acid the REN is a good option to try. I found it’s name well suited as it definitely is non-drying.
Benzoyl peroxide is another anti-acne ingredient that helps kill bacteria. We’ve loved the Neutrogen Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel with 10% benzoyl peroxide. It’s actually a white gel but will disappear when you blend in and it works to reduce pimple size and redness like nothing else. If I catch a pimple forming quickly and apply this immediately the pimple disappears within hours. The only downside is it will bleach and discolor clothes. If it comes in contact with towels, shirts or anything else it will bleach them! Make sure to thoroughly wash hands/fingers with soap and water. Simply wiping fingers with a towel isn’t sufficient.
Hydrocolloid patches are clear stick on dots that we’ve found are best for white heads. They absorb excess oil and help draw out the center of the pimple by drying out the skin without any harsh pulling or squeezing. We’ve used the Mighty Patches the most and have gone through so many packs I’ve lost count. CosRX also makes good ones and they come in different size dots which can be handy. While they are clear dots they’re not really invisible. Each brand has an “invisible” version but in our experience you can still see them on the face so we use these at night or if we’re at home all day. You can find them at a number of places, we order ours on Amazon. To us they both perform the same.
I used to use face masks and sheet masks religiously. We’ve had a busy year and summer this year and this is one area I’ve neglected. I can’t believe it’s already September! I’ve had more skin clogging issues and acne so my go-to skin clearing masks are the Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment and Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Baby Facial Treatment to help resurface skin with a light peel. I use both as needed. Sunday Riley’s Good Genes is a good resurfacing lactic acid treatment I used at night for a long time but I’ve used it up and haven’t repurchased. It’s not really a mask, but more of a treatment. I used this maybe 1 to 2x per week so I’ve put this in the treatment section.
I hope you enjoyed this roundup! I realize it’s a lot but I have a complex skincare routine especially since I put a lot to the test. These are the items I’ve loved the most this year and consider to be products I have in my routine. Both Andrew and I have put in a lot of work to find things that work for us. We both love trying new things even though skincare testing takes a lot of time.
This is more of a roundup rather than detailed review on every item. If you have any questions let me know in the comments! I’ve put a lot more to the test this year than what’s in this post.
What are some of your favorites in your routine right now?
I’m back with a what’s in my bag post! I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these so I thought I’d share the cute little makeup bag I’ve been loving lately. As much as I love the flat pouches sometimes a regular makeup pouch with a wider base is a little more functional to hold bigger items.
I’ve received so many requests to review more from Cuyana and compare it to other brands I own. I finally ordered the popular Travel Case Set (comes with two bags, small and large) and am so impressed with the quality. It’s much more functional for me compares to the other style I own called the Vanity Case Set (shown here).
Quick look at the large and small bags that come in the Travel Case Set for comparison:
I will have a full review, comparison and roundup of my favorite makeup bags in a separate post. Today I wanted to share what I can fit in the smaller makeup bag for the Cuyana Travel Set which measures L 8” x H 5” x D 2.5”.
Yes, all shown in the above photo fits inside the small makeup bag! I’ll be posting a mini video on Instagram stories today as well:
A few more thoughts and details below:
My go-to touch up powder is the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish in Medium. If you’re a long-time reader you know I’ve gone through many compacts! I just bought the foundation which I’ll be reviewing soon and have high hopes for. These days I also have a small retractable brush from lilah b. which is actually a Retractable Foundation Brush but works for pressed powders just fine. I’ve kept a mini NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in my bag but I rarely find the need to touch up my concealer if I’m out all day (it’s for just in case). The Fenty Invisimatte Blotting Papers are so cute and they’re refillable. I bought these recently and like them although I think the ones from Tatcha are actually a lot better.
For lips I rotate picks frequently, so these change on a daily basis! These days I’ve been loving just using a liner and topping with a sheer gloss. Pat McGrath LUST Glosses are among my favorite, left to right is Love Potion, Peach Perversion and Faux Real (swatches here). I like her Permagel Lip Pencils in Done Undone and Bare Rose the most (both swatched here).
Laura Mercier is another favorite, I’ve just started using her new lip pencils and love her Longwear Lip Pencil Baby Lips with Lip Glace in Opal on top.
I’ve found the smaller makeup bag in the Travel Case Duo Set fits a small brush at the base. The Aerin Small Brush fits perfectly but it’s quite a splurge. I’ve also really loved the Sephora Collection Mini Brushes in previous styles and just ordered this newer one.
Lip balms are essential for me, I love the Dior Addict Lip Glows and the NARS Afterglow Lip Balm for twist-up stick balms so I don’t have to worry about getting my fingers sticky from pots.
I keep a mini perfume on me at all times because I find spritzing it on mosquito bites helps reduce the swelling and itch. Right now it’s not too much of an issue for me, but there are always out here – even more so at dusk. I love the Byredo Mini Trio Sets because the vials perfect size for a small bag or pouch. There’s a leather case you can buy separately to protect them, but I just keep them in my bag as is, I haven’t had one break yet but they are glass so I would at least keep them in some kind of protective case or pouch. I also adore Jo Malone minis, I wish they kept these available permanently!
Sometimes I keep a hand cream with me other times it’s just a hand sanitizer. I love the Byredo Hand Sanitizers in both Suede and Rose, they smell amazing and they’re ultra luxurious!
What do you keep in your makeup bag? Do you rotate frequently or keep the same staples you use daily?
New posts and review coming soon! I’ve been taking a little time off the blog and social for some me time!
Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week. So many of you have loved the recent nail polish posts (especially my top 5 neutrals) I thought I’d do another roundup of some Essie shades I’ve hauled recently. I’ve actually been more of an OPI kind of girl when it comes to nail polishes for lasting power and color range, but I’ve been exploring more from Essie outside of my go-to Topless and Barefoot and found quite a few nice neutrals that aren’t nude. Ever since trying out the Speed Setter Top Coat I’ve now been able to make Essie polish last on my nails. I still want to try out the Gel Couture Top Coat but haven’t yet.
It can get a little overwhelming with all the options – so I’ve picked a small handful. Some look really similar in the bottles (almost identical) but there are variations in undertones so there’s a lot to pick from.
Lighten The Mood is one I bought over the summer. It’s a really pretty off-white pale pink cream. Finish is not the most opaque so I need three coats.
Come Out To Clay is part of their Rocky Rose Collection for fall which is the perfect light peachy cream. I can get away with 2 coats, but sometimes apply 3.
Princess Charming is a Gel Couture formula with a wide brush and excellent coverage. It’s a medium neutral rose cream.
Into The A-Bliss is also from the Fall 2019 collection, it’s a medium cool-rose pink cream with mauve undertones. This applies more like a pink but dries down to a mauve.
Eternal Optimist is also a pick I hauled earlier in the summer, it’s a pretty medium-neutral rose pink.
Stitch by Stitch is a soft baby pink that isn’t too pale or too blue in undertone. I think it’s a fun color to wear that isn’t too bubble-gum like if you’re looking for a more neutral pink.
In case you missed it, you can check out my tips and favorites in my Hand and Nail Care Routine post that I posted recently. It’s an updated list of my go-to products for a DIY manicure.
What are some of your favorite Essie nail polishes? Do you recommend any of their base or top coats? What should I try next?
There are so many new foundation formulas out this season and today I have a review of the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation ($50 for 30 ml/1 fl oz). It comes in a small black squeeze bottle with SPF 15 and is available in 13 shades. There are three undertones, B for beige (usually what I wear), BR beige rose (has pink undertones) and BD for beige dore which is the first time I’ve seen this color name but it might not be new. The active ingredients are Octinoxate 5% and Titanium Dioxide 3.1%.
The Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation seems to have replaced the Perfection Lumiere Velvet which I used and loved many years ago. It’s been a long time since I’ve used the older formula so I can’t really compare the new to old but from what I recall it has a similar effect. The new Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation has a lightweight oil-free fluid texture and smooth blurring effect on the skin. It feels very lightweight and glides on nicely offering medium coverage. It has a powdery feel with the dry down but isn’t too matte. I’ve found it sets quite nicely with a semi-velvet matte finish but not dry or cakey like some matte base formulas have. On my combination skin it lasts nicely all day requiring only a small touch up on the nose mid-day.
I have swatches of a selection of the colors, I didn’t have all the colors to swatch, B40 is swatched twice with both sets on the top and bottom:
A few comparisons to other Chanel base formulas: Les Beiges reviewed here, CC Cream reviewed here
My color match back in San Diego and earlier days of blogging was almost always B30. Since moving to Florida I’m exposed to intense sun and am outdoors more so I’m now a B40 or B50. With this Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation formula I found I can get away wearing either B40 or B50 right now. I tried both on my face, 40 on one side and 50 on the other. I can barely tell the difference when it’s blended out even though from swatches there is a clear difference between the colors.
Below is a look at B50. Once applied it adjusts/warms up slightly but there isn’t a huge amount of oxidation or darkening. I would recommend picking your regular Chanel shade with this formula. For application, I tried three ways: with the fingers, with a Chanel foundation brush and with a beautyblender sponge. My favorite way is the sponge method, but the formula is really easy to blend with fingers or a brush.
Full list of ingredients from the box below for the US formula. It does contain alcohol and dimethicone but neither irritated my skin. There are some foundations that have a high concentration of alchohol that irritate and dry out my skin. If you have sensitives your mileage may vary but this one works well with my skin which makes me believe it’s in a smaller quantity than others like the L’Oreal Infallible line (which looks great on the skin, but causes a lot of irritation for me).
Overall it has performed really well for me. I’m relieved the SPF and alcohol content in this base did not irritate my skin as I’ve had a really rough summer testing sunscreens. I give it a solid A+ for me and think the undertone works just right for my skin.
I’m still in the process of trying out a few other foundations including the new Fenty Beauty, Natasha Denona, Charlotte Tilbury and Zoeva formulas. I’ll have a roundup to come as soon as I get through all of them. First impressions are the Charlotte Tilbury one has the most similar effect with the matte finish but isn’t quite as lightweight in feel.
You can find the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation out now at Chanel.com, coming soon to all Chanel counters (your store might already have it!). Have you tried this yet? What did you think?
Chanel foundations gifted and provided for review.
