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Base Makeup

Primers and Smoothers

April 3, 2014

I’ve been testing out a few new primers and smoothing products and thought I’d share my favorite staple primers along with some new discoveries. I’m not typically a primer kind of person. I’ve found most that I’ve tried don’t really do much to extend the wear of makeup and end up adding an extra layer of product on my face that I don’t really need. I’ve tried dozens of primers at makeover events and from tiny sample packets. There are so may different options on the market these days it can be a bit overwhelming. Different products offer a multitude of effects. Some will smooth the overall look of your skin, add a glow, give a matte look and then there are some that are just basic primers to help the application of your foundation. I have normal and sensitive skin. For your reference I’ve broken down my primer picks into two main different categories:

Tom Ford Illuminating Primer ($72 for 1 fl oz) is one of the best glow primers I’ve ever tried. I tested this on numerous occasions each time I was able to visit a Tom Ford counter under both the foundation stick and liquid formula. The counters kindly made a few small samples for me to test before I caved and purchased the full size (I’m still in price shock). The Tom Ford primer is packaged with a clever twist pump dispenser. It has a soothing fresh scent with a slight herbal undertone. What I like about this one is that has a more yellow-like pearly glow which I found perfect for my needs (most I’ve seen have a pinkish glow). It helps extend the wear of makeup and adds a glow without making you greasy. It helps smooth the skin and adds an all over glow to prevent your makeup from looking flat. Be aware that this is on the dewy side, if you’re oily I wouldn’t recommend this one. I also found this one works best with the Tom Ford Foundations. See The Convenient Beauty’s review.
NARS Pro-Prime Radiance Enhancing Primer ($34 for 1.1 oz) is the next best alternative to Tom Ford’s primer at a more affordable price. It has a reflective pearl quality that is the perfect mix of opal, gold and champagne. It has SPF 15 and a little goes a long way. I find this one photographs well with a flash. It has a creamy but thin and easy to blend texture to give an all over glow without being too glowy. Lasting power is better than average for me but it won’t make your makeup last all day long (you will need a touch up in the afternoon). I really like this for the effect it gives and how it helps makeup look smoother.
MAC Strobe Liquid ($32 for 1.7 fl oz) isn’t really a traditional primer, but I like to use it as one over moisturizer and underneath liquid or powder makeup. It’s another great smoothing glow product with a super thin liquid texture. It dries well to help makeup stay in place and prevents it from sliding around – but note you only need a tiny bit on the face. It’s on the more glowy side so I would recommend topping with a regular powder or foundation. This one is also good for mixing in with foundations to add a glow without making you look white. It has a more opal/blueish sheen.
Chanel Base Lumiere Illuminating Makeup Base ($45 for 1 fl oz) is one of the most fluid primer/bases I’ve ever tried. (I’ve repurchased this multiple times.) It has a blueish violet sheen but it disppears into a clear finish on the skin. The key to using this is to make sure you use a thinner lightweight moisturizer underneath otherwise it will make the skin oily. If you’re a serum + moisturizer kind of person, I would recommend skipping one of the items before using this one. I like this best with Chanel foundations as it helps prime the skin with a subtle glow and also helps extend the wear of foundation. Make sure you use as little as possible – if you overdo it it will be too heavy and feel thick on the skin.

Lancome Visionnaire 1-Minute Blur ($55 for 1 fl oz) is currently available at Sephora locations in the US. I received a press sample of this (hence the white lab tube). It’s a skin smoother/finisher designed to smooth the skin, erase imperfections and pores. It has a creamy neutral colored texture that disappears on the skin. This video has a good visual of what this will do for the skin. I suggest testing at the store if you can, reviews indicate this is either a hit or miss. I saw a noticeable difference in my skin texture when using this and used it under a liquid foundation (tested with Chanel and NARS). I loved the results for the overall look and it truly erased any signs of pores on my face. It helped my makeup last all day long (quite impressive) well through the evening. There is a very light fragrance to this which I found on the subtle side. The only thing I didn’t like about this was that I could actually feel the layer of product on my face – not necessarily a bad thing, but I tend to prefer face makeup that is more weightless and thinner in texture.
Clinique Superprimer Color Correcting ($27 for 1 oz) I bought this at Sephora after reading rave reviews about the Superprimers. I was a bit overwhelmed with the color options and honestly have no idea if I picked the right one for me. I decided to go with the peach color corrector since traditional white ones are often too pale and white for my olive skin. I didn’t notice any color correcting quality with this one but the color matched my skin pretty well once blended. It has a thicker airy creamy texture that has a velvety feel on the skin. The result: long lasting makeup all day long from morning until late at night (around 11ish before I took it off). The peach color disappeared and gave the skin a smooth matte look. If you test any of the options at the store you will see a noticeable difference on the back of your hand. I like that the primer didn’t change the color of my foundation even though it has a peach tint. I’m not sure I picked the right option, if you’ve tried the any of the Clinique primers I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Dior Pore Minimizer Skin Refining Matte Primer ($42 for 1 oz) is a primer that wins for most innovative packaging. It’s a tube with a pump dispenser. I have not purchased this after testing a couple counter-made samples but wanted to share my thoughts. This offers the most matte finish that I’ve ever seen. It smooths the skin out similar to the Lancome but has a thicker feel on the skin (at least for me). I found this blended well on the skin and provided a lovely smooth look. There was a huge noticeable difference. I felt it was too dry for my normal/combination skin even though it didn’t look dry at all. I suspect if you have skin that is on the oily side, the Dior Matte Primer will work wonders for you.

Packaging and dispenser details:

My top three picks:

For the best glow, I like Tom Ford’s Illuminating Primer
For the price and performance I like Clinique’s Superprimer
For the most visible smoothing result, Lancome Visionnaire 1-Minute Blur is a winner

Do you have any favorite primers, smoothing products or glowy bases? I’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences for what has worked on your skin tone or skin type.

28 Comments

Base Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick | Bisque 04 and Natural 05

March 6, 2014

Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Sticks ($78 each for .5 oz/15g) are a twist up cream foundation that comes in twelve different shades. I’ve been using this for over a year in Natural 05 and more recently Bisque 04. For me, this is an exceptional product. I tested this on three different occasions at the Tom Ford counters before deciding to purchase. Each time I had the Traceless Foundation Stick on one half of my face with the Traceless Foundation (liquid) on the other. I worked with a few different artists. I asked if they could pick only one which one would they recommend and all of them recommended the stick.

The Traceless Foundation Sticks are a medium to full coverage foundation. It is a creamy kind of stick but blends out to a flawless streakless coverage. The Tom Ford Cream Foundation Blush is amazing with this in that it buffs out the foundation to a perfect finish without any visible streaks. For me anytime I use a foundation brush I end up having to blend a little with a sponge to erase any streaks or lines. The brush + foundation is really phenomenal and worth every penny. It’s on the more emollient side but a little goes a long way and it blends out to a perfect finish for my normal/combination skin. I even like to use it under the eyes as an alternate to concealer. It is a bit too emollient to use as a regular concealer but the coverage can be layered to have a similar effect.

Natural 05 is a lighter color than Bisque 04. Both are neutrals with Natural being a bit more olive/yellow. Natural used to be a perfect match but I got a bit of a tan so the artists matched me to the next darkest shade which is Bisque 04. I’m usually the 3rd or 4th color in foundation lines: Chanel B30/NARS Groenland. It’s been over a decade since I’ve used a MAC foundation (they don’t work well with my skin), but I’ve typically been in between NC30 and NC35. (See all shades swatched at The Beauty Professor.)

I use the foundation stick two ways. One is all over the face mixing both Natural 05 and Bisque 04 together. Sometimes I use the darker color Bisque in the center of my face and blend outwards and use Natural around the edges and blend inwards. Other times I just mix the two and blend. On good skin days I use a tinted moisturizer and then the foundation stick for extra coverage in certain spots.

Here are swatch comparisons to other foundations I have in rotation. Note that a couple of the shades are too light for me now but I still had some left over since I went to the next shade up.

Left to right: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua B20 and B30, Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick in Bisque and Natural, Chanel Perfection Lumiere 30 Beige, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact 30 Beige, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Groenland.

Indoor lighting without flash:

Outdoors at dusk, with flash:

Overall I find the Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Sticks to be a workhorse staple in my weekly beauty routine. If I were to compare this to other foundations I’ve tried, most foundation sticks I’ve tested during makeovers and at the counter left me feeling extremely greasy and oily after a few hours. The Tom Ford lasts longer without getting greasy. I would say it’s similar to the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact but works better for my skin with a flawless finish, more controllable coverage. For me I cannot wear the Chanel compact foundation for more than two days in a row because it breaks out my skin.

This is extremely pricey but a little bit goes a very long way. I’ve been using the Natural 05 for over a year and have not used it up with regular use. Comparing the two Tom Ford foundations, I found the stick to have more coverage and be less dewy once blended. I still really liked the liquid and may eventually purchase once I’ve used up my other liquid foundations (probably not for a while).

If you’ve tried Tom Ford foundations – what did you think? If you can share what shades you use to help other readers who can’t get to a counter pick out their match I’m sure everyone would be incredibly grateful for your input and advice.

You can find the Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick for $78 each at Tom Ford Beauty counters. Online at Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.

35 Comments

Base Makeup Edward Bess

Edward Bess Black Sea Mousse Foundation with Brush – Light 02 and Medium 03

April 14, 2013

Edward Bess fans like myself were ecstatic to learn he had his first debut on QVC this past Friday on the Lisa Robertson Show where he launched his new Black Sea Mousse Foundation with Expert Blending Brush (exclusive to QVC.com). I caught the end of his appearance on TV Friday night and by that time, Fair and Light had already sold out. Edward was kind enough to send me samples to try and I was beyond thrilled. Some product information along with my testing experience, thoughts on the formula and color selection.

The Black Sea Mousse Foundation is a breakthrough mousse foundation formulated with anti-aging ingredients inspired by the Black Sea to help reduce the appearance of the visible signs of aging. It has an innovative air-whipped mousse texture that floats on the skin for the feel
of wearing no makeup at all, while still providing full coverage with
its pigment-rich formula for a flawless complexion in an instant. QVC set comes in five shades, Fair, Light Medium, Tan and Deep (1.5 oz) with the Expert Blending Foundation Brush (prices online at QVC subject to change). In case you missed the segment, you can watch the Video online (click below, models are wearing Light and Medium, Edward demonstrated application of Fair):

I’ve been lucky to have really good experiences with his Compact Foundation (I use Beige) and his new Complexion Cream (I use Medium, reviewed here). Foundation is one of the trickiest makeup items to find because of color/skintype/coverage matching preferences. I almost never buy foundation without trying first. Since this was a gift from Edward (sight unseen), as I opened my package I kept my fingers crossed.

Color thoughts: When I opened up Medium 03 first and was surprised at how dark it appeared. The next shade down Light 02 also appeared quite dark. I tested both, each on separate days all over the face to see how the color looked. I was relieved to find that these blend out on the skin beautifully and once blended don’t look as dark as they do in the pots.

Light is an exact match for my skin, although sometimes that exact match ends up looking a bit too light when applied and blended all over. This can sometimes be fixed by mixing in something darker or setting with a darker powder. Medium is visibly dark on my skin when swiped, but blended out for a pretty good match as well. I wore this and it looked just slightly too dark. So what’s my color? I would say I’m in between, but closer to Light which is a 95% good match on me right now. I was happy to find that it does warm up on the skin slightly but doesn’t darken or oxidize.

Formula thoughts: The formula is really incredible. Years ago one of my holy grail matte-finish foundations was Chanel’s Double Perfection (the one that came in the black squeeze tube). I literally had a meltdown when they discontinued it and was sad they never re-released it. Edward Bess’s Black Sea Complexion Correcting Mousse Foundation is the closest thing I’ve found but better in terms of wear, texture, blendability. The video segment on QVC will show you how well this foundation covers. It’s lightweight but gives full natural coverage and dries to a semi-matte finish. You don’t need to set with any powder. On the 2.5 days I’ve tried this I found it lasted well into the afternoon without requiring any touchups. I like that it’s full coverage but not heavy.

Brush thoughts: I applied the foundation with the Expert Blending Brush and it really provided perfect streak-free application.

Photos of Light and Medium below, they look really dark in the pots:

I swatched them along my jawline on a bare face, swatched heavily, blended only a little bit. Light 02 might be a bit hard to see because it matches closely. Note this photo was taken under artificial light which makes my skin look more yellow than it is in real life.

Since it can be hard to gauge the colors, I highly recommend you look at QVC’s color chart. I debated what other foundations to compare these to. Formulas and textures can impact the color and blending will affect how certain colors mesh with one’s skintone. I picked a few to show, it’s not as comprehensive as I’d like, but foundations are difficult for me to photograph accurately. They tend to dry and darken if I don’t photograph right away.

I picked the other foundations I have that are creamy pot formulas. Dolce & Gabbana’s Perfect Creamy Foundation has a wider color selection but a more dewy finish while the Edward Bess is matte. I’ve always been in between shades for Dolce & Gabbana and currently mix Warm 100 and Natural Beige 120 (see the Dolce & Gabbana review/swatches here).

I only swatched the Dolce & Gabbana Warm, but added Edward Bess’s Complexion Cream in Medium for comparison purposes (that review is here).

I’m overall very pleased with Edward’s new Black Sea Mousse foundation. The formula is really best in class with the coverage, texture and blendability. Huge thumbs up. The color selection however is limited, leaning towards the darker side. The formula is melds with your skin so it is possible that you don’t need an exact match (these days I’ve been buying 2 shades in NARS, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana anyways). I do think fairer skin ladies with yellow or olive tones might find it challenging to get a good match. Right now the foundations are exclusive to QVC.com and the lightest shades are on waitlist. I hope that Edward might consider extending the color options in the future. I was really lucky to find a good match in Light.

Did you watch Edward on QVC last Friday? Have you had a chance to try the foundation? If so please share what color and perhaps other brands/shades you use to help the rest of us who are debating whether or not to try.

This post contains a press sample provided without charge for review. For more information please see the About/FAQ section.

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Base Makeup

Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation

October 29, 2011

Dolce & Gabbana has released a new cream foundation called the Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation ($66 for 30 ml/1.0 fl oz, made in Italy). I was hesitant to try this since I was convinced that there could be nothing better than their Powder Foundation (my holy grail). Plus I’ve never had good luck with cream foundations in the past (creams in a tub tend to be too rich or to cakey for my taste). Nikki from Saks Houston kindly sent me a few sample pots telling me she knew I would fall in love with it … and I did.

Dolce & Gabbana boasts that the Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation gives the perfect airbrushed finish that gives the skin a radiant glow that gives flawless full coverage with a lightweight texture. I couldn’t agree more. Here are my thoughts …

Texture: This is described as a lightweight foundation and it does feel light on the skin, but not entirely lightweight. Compared to most creamy full coverage foundations it is indeed very lightweight. When you dip your brush or fingers into the product it feels semi-heavy but blends out nicely and very smoothly on the skin.

Finish: I find the finish to be more on the full coverage side but there is a slight transparency to it so your skin shows through. It’s difficult to explain, but I find it gives full natural coverage without looking fake. I also found that I did not need to set with any powder (although most of the time I do). The finish is natural, slightly satiny-matte, but not a full matte.

Application: I received the new Dolce & Gabbana Foundation Brush as a gift with purchase from one of Saks Houston’s gwp events (not sure which event it was, perhaps beauty week or EGC?, they do have awesome GWPs in store, I recommend you get on the call list). I find the brush to be great at applying the cream foundation with minimal streaking. It’s very soft with a tapered head. I find it a bit skinner in width than most other foundation brushes but thicker in depth. I’ve also been applying with a sponge but prefer the brush since it soaks up less product. I’m not a fan of using the fingers to apply. I find it gets messy. I highly recommend you visit Swide to see Pat McGrath’s application video.

Color selection: I played with 4 different shades for a week before deciding on 120 Natural Beige (very olive) although 100 Natural Glow was almost an exact match but just the slightest bit too light. For colors I found that what you see in the tub is a bit darker than what applies on the skin. When I looked at all the samples I was sent I thought they would all be too dark for me. Also let the foundation sit for a minute after application. It doesn’t oxidize/darken but rather letting it sit allows the product to adjust to the warmth of your skin which makes the color change or set slightly. I definitely recommend you see if your local Saks carries the brand and try at least 3 shades on your jawbone to see which one matches best. RaeViewer has a beautiful tutorial on this foundation.

Here is Natural Beige 120

Here are the samples I received and swatches plus a scan and photo of the card swatches (sorry they are off b/c of the glare on the card):

How does it compare to other foundations I’ve tried? It’s really quite different. I rank foundations by three main categories:

first based on formula (liquid, tinted moisturizer, cream, compact, powder)
then by coverage (sheer, medium, full)
then by finish (dewy, satiny, matte)

The Dolce & Gabbana is a cream, full, satin finish foundation – probably the only that I’ve tried that fit these 3 criteria. Other cream foundations I’ve tried felt too greasy or darkened significantly on the skin. The Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation is creamy and full coverage but natural feeling and non-greasy. It lasts all day with or without a setting powder. Is this a must-have? I would say it depends on your skintype, but for me (normal, slightly oily T-zone and sensitive) I would say yes for now, in the summer months this may become too heavy but it’s perfect for fall/winter right now and I adore this. Do note that when it comes to foundations I like variety in textures and finishes and alternate frequently each week.

Overall: I really love this foundation. Finding a good color match might be a bit trickier than most since the what you see in the glass bottle is a bit deceiving compared to what goes on and blends out. I find the packaging slightly bulky and not the most user friendly. I definitely would not take it traveling with me anywhere. Still it is functional. Bottom line is that I highly recommend.

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Base Makeup

Chanel Perfection Lumière Foundation in Beige 30

October 21, 2011

This is the year of new foundations and I love all the different formulas, textures and finishes companies have developed and released this year. After my trusty Teint Innocence was discontinued I’ve been searching for my new holy grail replacement for a liquid/cream formula. I don’t know that I’ve found a replacement for it, but I have fallen in love with different formulas, textures and brands. What I’ve discovered this year: Koh Gen Do’s Aqua Foundation, Dolce & Gabbana’s Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation (review coming soon), Edward Bess Compact Sheer Satin Cream Compact Foundation (review coming soon, but I’ve already used up one compact), Guerlain Lingerie de Peau and the latest, Chanel’s new Perfection Lumière.

Perfection Lumière ($55) is a long-wear fluid foundation with SPF10. It applies beautifully with a brush or a sponge with a medium-to-full coverage flawless satin-matte finish. Originally I thought it would be replacing the recently discontinued Pro Lumière but Perfection Lumière is actually quite different (it’s not as moist or heavy-feeling on the skin). I found the detailed reviews from RaeViewer and Cafe Makeup to be tremendously useful and I urge you to visit their blogs. I am darker in skintone than Cafe Makeup but lighter than RaeViewer. Here are my personal thoughts:

Application: Perfection Lumière comes with a convenient pump and applies with smooth even coverage. I found application with the Chanel Foundation Brushes (Original and New Versions in the US) was easy and goof-proof. I do however prefer a sponge, but since sponges soak up more foundation product faster, I’ve started to apply foundation with the brush and then smooth out any streaks or uneven areas with the sponge.

Finish: The finish of Perfection Lumière is matte but not quite a full matte. I find it a bit more satiny with a dry finish. Powder is not needed at all. I still always finish with a powder or powder foundation, but I did wear the new Perfection Lumière without powder on several occasions and it lasted all day. I agree with others that as your skin warms up and the foundation sets that it becomes slightly less matte compared to when you first apply.

Coverage: I would rate this as a medium-full coverage foundation, leaning more towards the full side. It really evens out the skin completely – it’s like magic. It’s not quite as thick as concealer, but the closest thing I think I’ve found – without looking too fake or cakey. I feel that I need a bit more of a moisturized base to get the best application. I actually like layering it over Koh Gen Do’s Aqua Foundation for areas that need a bit more coverage.

Color Selection: I’m always in the Beige range for Chanel. I swiped Beige 30 and 40 on the back of my hand and felt there was a bit of a gap. If I were to pick my perfect shade I would be right in between. I went with Beige 30 because as my skin warms up it adjusts and darkens slightly. Also with summer over I know my skin will lighten in the next few months. Beige 30 seemed to be the best choice for me.

Overall thoughts: Even though I couldn’t get an exact match, Beige 30 is still very close to my skintone. Overall I give this a huge thumbs up. I love that you don’t need powder to set and that it truly lasts all day while still feeling weightless on the skin. Even though the coverage is full your skin can still breathe. I didn’t experience any breakouts, irritation or sliding off the face. I love that Chanel released three different color families this time. I think more women will have a better chance of finding a good match.

A few packaging and shade comparisons within the Chanel Foundation line. Although the shades look quite different, they all are good matches once blended out on the skin. I do feel that Teint Innocence in Shell is a bit dark for me these days though so I’ve been mixing it with Cameo.

Have you tried the new Chanel Perfection Lumière Foundation? Did you find that your usual Chanel shade was a good choice in this formula?

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Base Makeup

Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in OC-2

September 26, 2011

In the past few months I’ve been testing out new skincare, powders and foundations from Koh Gen Do, Le Metier de Beaute, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana. Even though I’ve been getting regular use out of Guerlain’s Lingerie de Peau, Chanel’s Vitalumiere Aqua and Chanel’s discontinued Teint Innocence, I’ve still been on the hunt for new foundations to try. I’ll be writing a review on each item in the upcoming weeks. First up is my experience with Koh Gen Do’s Aqua Foundation in OC-2 ($62) from Barneys New York.

I first read about Koh Gen Do’s Aqua Foundation ($62 for 1.01 fl oz.30 ml) on Into The Gloss earlier this year and noticed it was featured again on her Top Shelf series this past July. When she described it as “foundation heaven” I knew I had to try it. I’ve heard nothing but raves about Koh Gen Do and having fallen in love with their face masks, cleansing water and natural light loose powder, I had the Koh Gen Do foundation on my list of things to check out.

Back in August, I was in LA and stopped by Barneys Beverly Hills. The Koh Gen Do artists recommended that I try the Aqua Foundation for my skin type (normal, fairly clear, slightly oily in the T-zone in warm weather, but overall normal). They swatched OC-1 and OC-2 on my jawline and after seeing them side-by-side I was shocked at the difference. There’s quite a big jump in between shades. OC-1 was definitely too pale, OC-2 looked like it would be too dark but on the skin blended well with my skin. Ideally I would have liked something right in between the two colors and at $62 a bottle I wasn’t really keen on buying both to custom mix my own shade. OC-2 was a pretty good match and with the combination of the Moisture Milk, Aqua Foundation and Natural Finish Powder, my skin never looked so naturally flawless I was sold.

The Koh Gen Do Aqua foundation is a liquid formula and comes with a pump. It’s rather pricey at $62 but the finish is naturally beautiful. It evens out the skin and has a slightly dewy finish but it’s not too dewy like some tinted moisturizers. If you read the details on Koh Gen Do you will learn that they designed this with something they call “the golden ratio” which consists of 45% water, 35% emollients, and 20% powder to balance perfectly with one’s skin. The finish is sheer to medium and slightly transparent so the skin shows through. It’s not a pearly finish foundation but not completely matte either. I would say it’s somewhere in between the texture and finish of Chanel’s Teint Innocence Liquid foundation and Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer.

Here is OC-2 pumped next to Edward Bess Beige, Guerlain Lingerie de Peau 03 and Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B20 and B30. I was initially matched to Chanel B20 but is now clearly too light for me (will have to save for winter). I did not blend these out because I could not photograph them fast enough before the liquids dried and then darkened on my arm. Two things to take into consideration: 1) the inside of my arm is lighter than my face and 2) my skin is weird because so many different colors of foundation work on my skin (as long as it doesn’t have a pinkish base).

Here on the back of my hand (which is closer in color to my face) you can see it blends out to disappear but give a dewy finish. This was the sharpest photograph I could get while still showing the slight sheen. Clearer photos make the hand look like it’s nothing but bare skin.

I’ve been using this foundation for a month and a half now and have overall been pleased with the results. No irritation, no break outs, no streaking or darkening. It lasts all day but I found that it works best when layered of the Macro Vintage Royal Massage Milk (see more on Kohgendocosmetics.com). I received a small sample that lasted me about 1 week of daily morning use. It’s an amazing product and made my skin look and feel like baby’s skin. I haven’t caved to purchase this since I just bought a cream from Le Metier but it is definitely on my watch list for the future.

For use right now I apply over Le Metier’s day cream and then use Cle de Peau’s concealer in Beige on areas that need more coverage. Sometimes I will finish with Koh Gen Do’s powder, other days I will finish with Chanel or D&G’s powder foundations.

My only wish is that the foundation came in more shades. Since it is a sheer formula, the colors are slightly more forgiving if you can’t find an exact match. Since I am a bit more tanned right now OC-2 works well for me, but just barely. If I become even 1/2 a shade lighter I know this will be too dark, yet OC-1 will definitely be too pale. For more information, a list of ingredients and list of shades, I highly recommend you check out Koh Gen Do’s Website. They have detailed diagrams and descriptions of each product (all of which I find extremely informative, useful and non-gimmicky).

Have you tried Koh Gen Do’s foundations? Which formula did you try and what were your thoughts?

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Base Makeup

Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation

September 14, 2011

Dolce & Gabbana’s Powder Foundation has reached holy grail status for me ($59 for 15 g / 0.53 oz). When the line first launched in NYC mid-2009, I immediately e-mailed a few NY friends for their thoughts. It was only available at a select few counters (none near me) so I relied on several for their keen eye and exquisite taste. Two things that were constantly raved about included the Dolce & Gabbana mascara and powder foundation. Not having local access to the brand, I was hesitant to try this sight unseen. With the exception of the Dolce & Gabbana I have never purchased a foundation without testing it in person first. Many thanks to Nikki at Saks Houston who was kind enough to match me over the phone. I told her a few foundation shades I used, “Chanel Teint Innocence Liquid in Shell and I’m in between Armani’s Lasting Silk 5.5 and 6.5” and the kind soul that she is, she swiped the Chanel on her hand to find my perfect match to Tan #140. Since discovering this my skin has lightened a bit. When I Tan became too dark, I told her “I’m now 1.5 shades lighter, not quite a full two shades down, but almost.” She matched me perfectly again to Warm #100 (I’m not sure why there’s such a huge jump, but I suspect other shades in between either have more peach or pink or yellow).

The powder foundation comes in a gold double tiered mirrored compact. The bottom compartment will hold a square sponge for application but I prefer to apply with a brush. The texture is smooth and silky with full but natural coverage. It makes the skin look velvety smooth but not in an overdone way. The finish is truly flawless for me.

Dolce & Gabbana Warm Powder Foundation:

There’s no detectable scent. Applying with a sponge works well for touch-ups but I prefer to use a brush. Even though it’s a powder foundation and doesn’t require liquid foundation underneath, I like to use it as a setting powder. I tend to use sheerer lighter weight liquid foundations (which are more forgiving when the color isn’t a 100% exact match) and always layer with some kind of powder on top (loose, pressed or powder foundation). It lasts well into the afternoon without changing color as your skin gets oily. Touch ups are easy to do with a swipe of the sponge. With this powder, I rarely ever need concealer if I have redness.

Chanel’s Double Perfection Powder Foundation ($50 for 13 g / .45 oz) has been a long time favorite of mine. Both have similar soft smooth textures with very similar coverage. I feel that the Dolce & Gabbana is slightly more versatile in the sense you can control coverage better, but both are similar in finish and quality. I can’t pick my favorite out of the two because I adore them both.

Swatching these on the arm seems futile since it will end up blending into my skin. I’ve featured it here compared to the Chanel shades I alternate between for Tender Bisque and Medium Beige. I hope this helps a bit. The Tender Bisque is close to Warm, the Chanel has slightly more peach while the Dolce & Gabbana has more yellow. Two views since it might be hard to tell how they compare from the lighting.

Overall I love this. I’ve used up two compacts already and this is my third. It’s pricey and while I had luck being matched over the phone, I don’t recommend trying the same. There’s no substitute for trying foundation on in person and I believe it’s one of the things you need an exact match for your undertone. Makeupalley does have some reviews which might help you guess what shade you are if you can’t get to a counter in person.

Have you tried Dolce & Gabbana’s powder foundation? What’s your current holy grail or are you still searching?

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