Base Makeup Archives - Page 3 of 14

Makeup Favorites for a Natural Flawless Glow

January 22, 2021

Some of the most frequently asked questions I get are “what do you recommend for the best glow foundation?” and “what are you wearing that makes your skin glow?” I love a base that looks glowing but natural – like my skin but a bit better. Based on the messages and comments I’ve received from you, it looks like many of you do too! I thought I’d do an updated roundup of my glowy makeup favorites! I’ve partnered with Nordstrom to share my top picks.

I’ve included my top picks for foundation, concealer, liquid highlighter and glow powders. For me I love layering product for a natural look. I’ll usually apply a light-to-medium coverage base all over and then add product as needed to help correct things like dark circles, dull skin, scars or acne.

Best Glow Foundations

I have three favorite glow foundations and to me they are all suitable for a wide range of skin types. My most-used base is the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (I wear shades 6.5 or 7) for a natural long-wear medium buildable coverage foundation with a subtle glow. I always set with a powder to make sure it stays locked in place.

I also highly recommend the Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation (I wear Latte 3N1.5). This has a tiny bit more radiance and is easier to build coverage compared to the Armani. Although it has a dewy finish as long as you set with a powder this too also has long lasting power and stays put looking fresh for hours. I like that they have different undertones for each shade category making it easier to find a match whether you’re warm, neutral or cool.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation (I wear B40 or BD41) is another favorite for medium dewy coverage. It has enough pigment to cover dark under eye circles for me (although mine are moderate in color) and also covers sun spots. It is fragranced though so if you’re sensitive to fragranced products I would do a patch test first. Out of all the bases I wear this is the one that gets me the most compliments!

On low maintenance days or good skin days I really love the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (I wear 3N1 Sand) for the best all-around sheer coverage base with moisture. It has sheer coverage and evens out the skin in the most natural way.

Below wearing the Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Foundation

Best Way To Add a Natural Highlight

For that lit from within kind of glow I can’t rave enough about the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter Primer and Highlighter. I like this because you can add glow to the foundations you already have and you can also control how much glow you want. It’s a versatile product you can wear under foundation as a glowy base, over foundation as a highlighter, under the eyes where you want to brighten. I usually apply under the eyes or on the cheek bones (similar placement to where you would put a concealer to brighten). I blend with a beautyblender sponge and it gives the skin more dimension and life. I’ve worn a number of different colors depending on what look I’m going for. Right now I like 3 for brightness and 4.5 for a closer match to my skin tone.

I also like the Armani Fluid Sheers and Chanel Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid to mix in with foundation for added shimmer.

My favorite way to apply the Hollywood Flawless Filter in Shade 4.5 (you can blend with a brush or sponge)

Best Powder Glow

I’ve been a fan of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder for a long time! I think they’re versatile to use as a finishing powder or a soft highlight. For my medium olive skin, Dim Light works as an all over setting powder (even though it has a pink tone) and Radiant Light works as a very soft candlelight warm soft bronzer (to warm up the complexion).

The palettes come with me on almost every trip I’ve been on. The original Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette has been a good one to use as a soft diffusing powder. Original has Dim Light, Incandescent Light, Radiant Light. I recently bought the newer Ambient Lighting Palette Volume II which has Soft Light, Radiant Light, Golden Bronze Light – it’s a deeper option which I really love. I think it’s going to be a more versatile option for me since I tan easily.

Powders are soft and melt into the skin. I also love the Armani Neo-Nude Powders for a good glow. Sometimes it can be a bit too glowy so I recommend applying with a light hand or layering with your regular matte powder.

Concealer

For concealer I love a good creamy formula that I can use under the eyes and blend easily. I usually try to pick a color close to my skin tone so it’s not too contrasted. Although I have olive golden skin, I often like pink or peach ones under the eyes to counter dark circles. My top picks include:

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer – best creamy versatile concealer to brighten under the eyes, I wear the Shade Ginger
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer – I wear 3N now, 3W when I am more tan in the summer
Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer – has a more emollient finish and creamier feel compared to the NARS and Laura Mercier, for Kosas I wear either Tone 5 or 6
Cle de Peau Radiant Corrector For Eyes – most opaque concealer but still blendable, has a satin-matte dry down, but still has a creamy feel
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Stick Duo – I wear shade 3N, this a newer launch and has two sides for brightening and concealing, it has a really nice formula and convenient packaging to take with you on-the-go!

Wearing:

Foundation – Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Foundation in Latte
Powder – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Volume II Soft Light (all over)
Cheeks – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Volume II Radiant Light + Golden Bronze Light
Eyeshadow – Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter Eyeshadow Palette in Diva Lights
Eyeliner – Charlotte Tilbury Rock N Kohl Eyeliner in Bedroom Black
Lips – Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil Infused Lip Gloss in In the Buff

I hope you found this roundup helpful! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Or if you want to share your favorites for a glowing makeup look I’d love to hear about them too!

You can find all of my picks at Nordstrom.

Many thanks to Nordstrom for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions are my own.

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Base Makeup

Summer Base Edit: Tom Ford, La Mer, By Terry + More

July 22, 2020

Today I have a new summer base edit! I’ve been putting quite a few new foundations and tinted moisturizer formulas to the test. I have my thoughts on all the formulas for you today. Side by side swatches included at the end along with a summary of my hits and misses.

For those new to my blog a quick overview on my skin type and skin tone. I have medium-tan skin with a golden undertone. Since I live in Florida I tan easily with the intense sunshine and so I fluctuate between shades frequently. My MAC equivalent is usually NC35 or NC37. For Chanel I’m typically B40 and sometimes B50. I have normal combination skin. I prefer medium to full coverage.

I’m covering thoughts on 8 formulas today. Thoughts on each one by brand and formula below.

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Tom Ford

Tom Ford foundations used to be my favorites for the color and quality. I still find some hits with the new launches but the color shades and options aren’t consistent across formula which makes it tricky to find the right match. I’m usually Natural 6.0 or Sable 6.5.

Tom Ford Soleil Glow Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15

Tom Ford Soleil Glow Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 ($70, at Nordstrom) in Dune 5.7 – I have mixed feelings about this formula. This is a very sheer barely there tint. It currently does not come in my usual shade, the closest ones are Dune 5.7, Cool Dune 6.2 and Tawny 7.0. I opted for Dune (ordered sight unseen) because in some formulas it’s a good match. This one is too light for me but does adjust/oxidizes a bit. Once blended disappears into a glow, like basic moisturizer. Alone it’s too dewy so I have to set with powder which counters any glow it has. Formula has minimal hydration to me, just feels dewy and balmy. Lasting power is decent. You can see this one on my face here. I just don’t think it’s worth the price given the limited shade options and sheer coverage. It’s good but not amazing to me.

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Tom Ford Soleil Glow Flawless Glow Foundation SPF 30

Tom Ford Soleil Glow Flawless Glow Foundation SPF 30 ($88, from Nordstrom) in Natural 6.0 is a formula I’ve reviewed before. It’s not new but I wanted to highlight it again as I think it’s one of the best sheer-to-medium glow formulas I’ve tried. It has medium coverage and looks very natural on the skin. It comes with a dropper and is very fluid in texture so it’s lightweight and not heavy. You can see it worn here and on the face here.

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Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Soft Radiance Cushion

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Soft Radiance Cushion SPF 45 ($132, available at Nordstrom) in Sable 6.5 is one of the formulas that comes in a limited range of colors. The deepest one available is Sable which I ordered and it pulls a bit lighter than most other formulas in the same color which I attribute to the sunscreen ingredient. It has beautiful coverage with a nice light reflecting glow. It is dewy so I need to set it with powder to make it work for me. Above I’m wearing just the foundation (no powder or concealer although I do have some gloss and eye makeup on). You can buy the refills for this separately at $88. I think the formula is great but the color range is terrible.

I do think the liquid pump Shade and Illuminate Foundation is just as good with a better color range, slightly more opaque coverage with a more consistent color. I opted for Natural 6.0 which I found slightly darker than other formulas with the way it dries down, but it works for me with my tan. You can see the Shade and Illuminate Liquid Pump version in Natural on my face here. If you find formulas usually oxidize on your skin you may want to try half a shade lighter than your usual color.

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Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte Foundation

Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte Foundation ($88, from Sephora) in Natural 6.0 – I couldn’t have been more excited to see this one launch! I ordered it immediately in Natural 6.0 and Sable 6.5 from Sephora. This is one of the best formulas I’ve tried, although I don’t think I would call it a true matte. It’s more of a classic soft finish with medium to full coverage. Application is best with a sponge to press and blend into the skin. Texture is very fluid but fairly opaque. Blends in seamlessly and has perfect coverage and excellent lasting power. I used it over the Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream (review + promo code here) alone without any primer and it performed exceptionally well. Natural is a good match for me right now. Sable pulls a little more olive/warm but I wanted a darker shade to mix since I tan easily.

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By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Foundation

By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Foundation SPF 30 ($59, available at By Terry) in 400W – This is my second favorite launch I’ve tried. I don’t have a By Terry counter near me so I ordered 400W and 400N sight unseen based on the shade chart. It looks lighter in the bottle but has a good dry-down and adjusts slightly once it sets. This is a fluid lightweight dropper style foundation. It’s hydrating but has a beautiful soft dry down with a natural glow. I love how light it feels on the skin and it offers natural coverage. There are 5 color options and each color option is available in Cool, Neutral or Warm. I do hope they expand the color range. I’ve been testing some of the Tinted Powders recently and like 300 for my skin. Review on this one soon. P.S. If you’ve had your eye on anything from the line the By Terry website is having a really good summer sale right now!

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La Mer Radiant Skintint

La Mer Radiant Skintint with SPF 30 ($95 at Sephora) in Light-Medium and Medium (above wearing Light-Medium) – I had high hopes for this but it was a huge miss for me for the formula and color range. I initially ordered Medium 42 which I found slightly too dark. It felt fairly thick and heavy on the skin which I expected based on the description. It also darkened on my skin once it set. I was determined to make it work but decided to try Light-Medium 32 since I used to love the Lifting Cushion in Shade 33 Warm Bisque.

Here’s the 411: Light-Medium is very pink/peach and once it dries turns orange/pink on my skin. Medium has the right undertone but darkens slightly so doesn’t match my neck. Coverage is sheer to medium. Texture is thick. Once it sets it looks like a greasy mess on my face. It feels very thick and uncomfortable – especially if I go outdoors at all. I think it would probably work better for those with super dry skin.

For a skin tint with similar coverage, I prefer the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Moisturizing Tint or the CC Cream (which is thick since it’s a CC Cream, but works much better for my skin in the way it sets and lasts).

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Dior Forever Summer Skin

Dior Forever Summer Skin ($52, available at Dior.com) in 002 Light – my friend Rachel of @BeautyProfessor put this on my radar for summer during one of our chats. It’s super limited and so far I’ve only been able to find it at Dior.com. Colors run VERY dark. It’s been a long time since I’ve worn Dior for foundation but am usually in the 30 range. I initially ordered Medium 003 which I expected to work but it was much to dark. They had an ok return policy so I returned it and ordered the Light 002 which works much better.

It still looks really dark in the tube but it’s semi sheer and blends out nicely. Light works for my skin tone and gives the complexion a healthy glow – like the Chanel Les Beiges but with a more fluid texture. I suspect they made these darker in color to give the skin a more bronzed sunkissed glow, but I still think they should have offered this in a wider shade range. Coverage is sheer enough to be forgiving if you don’t have an exact match. I feel lucky to have found a color that works for me but if you’re on the light or fair side I think these will be too dark.

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Lunasol Glowing Watery Oil Liquid

Lunasol Glowing Watery Oil Liquid* ($55 via Beautygypsy Recommends) in 03 Medium – one of my beauty friends Wafaa of @BeautyGypsy has a shopping site Beauty Gypsy Recommends where she offers custom purchases of a wide range of hard to find Asian beauty brands and products. She was kind enough to send me an amazing care package of foundations and sunscreens to try – and she picked them out all on her own! The Lunasol Glowing Watery Oil Liquid was first on my list to try and it BLEW MY MIND. It’s what I wanted the Kosas Face Oil to be, but this one from Lunasol is so much better. It’s a tinted fluid that offers beautiful medium coverage, it doesn’t even feel like an oil! Coverage is so flawless and naturally glowy without being to heavy.

It has SPF 25 and has a unique dropper dispenser at the top to control how much you pour out. Wafaa picked Medium 03 for me as we are both similar in skin tone. This one is just a tad bit to light for me and I plan on ordering Dark 04 from her website. I can make it work with a bit of bronzer but am really curious to see if the darker color will be a better match because the formula is SO good. * QUICK UPDATE ON ORDERS – I just heard from Wafaa that Beauty Gypsy Recommends is currently not taking orders until end of August. She’s working on updating her site with a note so in case you have not been able to check out on her Shopify that may be why. I’d recommend contacting her if you have any questions, she’s really friendly and helpful!

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Swatches below side by side of all the new shades/formulas I tried. Both photos have the same colors, just different lighting out doors.

With different flash/lighting:

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My Foundation Tools

With any foundation I feel like a sponge is the best way to go for smooth seamless application. Beautyblenders are the best sponges I’ve tried (and I’ve tried to find a dupe but cannot). The motion of pressing and blending the liquid into the skin with a sponge always gives me a better even coat of foundation even if it does soak up a lot of product. Brushes tend to apply too much product or look streaky. However I do have a few brushes I do use quite frequently for blending.

Zoeva 135 Petite Face Definer Brush* is a versatile brush you can use for cream contour or detail foundation. I use this to blend foundation in the nose creases or under the eyes. You can also use to blend concealer or set powder under the eye area as well.
Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush* is the best dense flat top liquid blending brush I’ve tried. It’s synthetic but ultra soft and smooth. It blends product into the skin in a seamless streak-free finish and is easy to clean.
Hourglass Vanish Foundation Brush is a classic, also synthetic but ultra smooth and soft. Works on fluid and cream stick foundations.
Tom Ford #01 Foundation Brush has held up for so long I literally cannot believe it. I bought it as part of a set back in 2012 (I checked my order history) and it has not shed one single bit. It’s one of the best ones I’ve tried.
Tom Ford #02 Cream Foundation Brush was also part of the set, but available individually. It’s versatile for cream, fluids, cream blushes, cream bronzer etc.
Chanel 2-in-1 Foundation Brush* is another favorite for an angled dense smooth foundation brush. Quick note the one I have is the last variation from 2017. I believe they just revamped the brushes this summer but it looks the same based on online photos. I have a planned order soon and will update this post once I have the current version.
beautyblender Nude is the one sponge I repurchase over and over again, it’s the best one I’ve tried.

Summer Base Edit overview: Out of all the new bases I tried, my Top 2 favorites are the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Foundation and Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte. The Dior Summer Skin comes in close third but I’m docking points because of the super limited shade range. Much to my disappointment the La Mer was the worst for me.

For other base essentials I don’t use a lot of concealer these days but my absolute favorites are NARS Radiant Creamy (best for under eyes or brightening), Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion (also versatile for brightening + under eyes), Pat McGrath Skin Fetish (best full coverage concealer) and formulas from Cle de Peau.

I will have an updated powder roundup to follow soon. I’m testing a few new launches and wanted to include those in the review! If you want to see which other foundations I’ve reviewed you can always click on my BASE MAKEUP tag or search by formula name in the search bar.

What is your go-to summer base right now? Are you wearing makeup? Sticking with your tried and true? Let me know in the comments! I hope this review helps you in case you’re curious about any new formulas and foundations. Especially since I suspect most of us cannot test anything in store right now.

Press samples/gifting indicated with a *. Most items featured here were purchased by me.

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Armani Base Makeup

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Hydrating Primer + Concealer Review

April 23, 2020

One of my favorite tried and true foundation formulas is the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. It’s one of the best formulas for that natural flawless glow and one I’ve repurchased many times over. I’m so excited to partner with Sephora to give you a closer look two new additions to the Luminous Silk lineup. This year marks the 20th anniversary for the foundation and they’ve added their new Luminous Silk Concealer and Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer. You can find all three available now at Sephora, just in time for the Spring Savings Event (use code SPRINGSAVE):

Rouge members save 20% off 4/17 to 5/1
VIB members save 15% off 4/21 to 4/29
Insiders save 10% off 4/23 to 4/27

Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer

The Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer is an ultra smooth silky primer. It has a soft peach pink tint but blends into a transparent finish on the skin. A little goes a long way and it glides on easily. Although the foundation is so good I can often wear it on its own, I do find the primer noticeably grips the foundation for smoother longer wear. It’s hydrating but lightweight.

Best Naturally Glowy Base: Luminous Silk Foundation

I’ve featured the Luminous Silk Foundation here countless times – it’s one I wear on a weekly basis for that natural radiant glow. It’s a great everyday foundation with medium buildable coverage. I love that it comes with a pump dispenser and it’s easy to blend with fingers, a brush or a sponge. I alternate between shades 6.5 and 7 depending on how tan I am. They’ve recently added 10 new shades for different undertones and the color range now includes 40 colors. I like this formula because it looks like my skin but better. It evens out the skin, leaves a smooth finish, doesn’t crease or transfer, looks natural. Even in humid warm weather it lasts long on me when set with a powder.

Luminous Silk Concealer

As a lover of the Armani bases, I was really excited to try the new Luminous Silk Concealer. I found 6.5 to be the best match for my needs. It’s a multi-purpose concealer with caffeine to reduce puffiness around the eyes. You can use it for brightening or spot concealing. It’s quite opaque but very easy to blend with fingers or a sponge. It has medium to full coverage with a natural dewy finish and satiny dry down. I would recommend going with the same shade of concealer as your foundation.

I love how long the formula lasts on my skin. I do set with a loose or pressed powder to keep everything in place. (I really love the Neo Nude Powder.) I hope you found this Luminous Silk review helpful! I highly recommend the foundation for any skin type. It works for a wide range of climate conditions as well for me and I’ve worn it for years.

You can shop my Armani favorites from Sephora below. Have you tried the Armani Luminous Silk or any of the other foundation formulas? What did you think?

Many thanks to Sephora for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions are my own.

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Base Makeup Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer System

March 13, 2020

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are all well and safe. I chatted with some loved ones yesterday and my heart goes out to everyone during this time. Some have been impacted by having to work from home while others are still going into the office with everything continuing as usual. We are ok here in Florida so far and I truly hope everyone stays safe. We had planned some travel overseas in April, but as soon as news broke of the virus spreading we cancelled them.

So many of you have e-mailed me over the years telling me this blog has been a good distraction from things going on in their life. I hope during this time it will continue to be a helpful resource for all things beauty-related! I have a new product review to share today – Pat McGrath launched her Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer System and in today’s post I’m covering a review on three products:

Sublime Perfection Concealer ($32) comes in 36 shades
Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder ($30) comes in 3 shades
Sublime Perfection Concealer Brush ($32)

Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer

The Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer is one of the best concealers I’ve tried. It’s creamy, easy to blend, opaque, dries down perfectly without looking or feeling dry. As popular as the opaque matte concealers are among beauty lovers, I need something with a bit of creaminess so it doesn’t cake/dry/crack under my eye. This one from Pat McGrath is like the NARS Creamy Concealer in the sense that it’s very easy to blend and use for highlighting. The main difference is that the Pat McGrath has a lot more coverage and is slightly less dewy/creamy in finish.

I was sent a selection of colors in a press kit but ended up purchasing 4 additional shades to try out. I featured the concealer in LM13 in my February Favorites and also found LM12 to be excellent for under eye brightening.

My foundation match right now is Light Medium 14 as my winter/early spring color. Medium 15 is my most-of-the-year match when I have a tan. You can read the Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation review with swatches here.

Since I am normally darker in skin tone with the sun I went to my local store to swatch and purchase LM14 and M15. LM14 in the concealer and foundation are exact matches. For under eye I prefer something slightly lighter so I still think LM12 and LM13 are best for my needs.

You can see LM13 in my previous post here, but in this post I’m featuring LM14 which is still a really good for under eye and spot concealing.

Swatches:

Swatch comparisons to Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealers in 2N, 3N and 3W I wear along with the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer shades I rotate between Macadamia, Ginger and Praline:

Sublime Perfection Concealer Brush

There is a small blending brush called the Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer Brush. It has synthetic material and is angled to blend and blur product. Since it’s very dense and on the small side it’s best for precision blending like right under the eye line or in creases between the nose. I found using my fingers or a sponge easier to cover bigger areas on the face. I think it’s well made and performs well, but don’t find it essential.

Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder

I always set my foundation and concealer with a pressed or loose powder. I’ve tried a number of under eye setting powders and usually find them too powdery or dry for my under eye. The Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder from Pat McGrath has changed the game for me, it’s perfect! It’s a finely milled pressed domed powder with a very soft texture. I can use either the Light or Medium for setting and I think the three colors will cover a wide range of skin tones. It has an ultra sheer finish, so no color is added for me. It works to set and hold the concealer under the eye so it doesn’t move. Blurring effect is noticeable but moderate for me.

If you’re looking for a good setting powder for under the eye this is an excellent option. I am minimalist when it comes to my base though so I could probably skip and just use my regular setting powders.

Full look wearing:

Foundation – Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Foundation LM14 (REVIEW)
Concealer – Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Concealer LM14
Under Eye Powder – Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder in Medium
Setting Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder in Medium
Blush – Cle de Peau Cream Blush in Shade 4
Eyeshadow Palette – NARS Mini Wanted (REVIEW) + Pat McGrath MTHRshp Sublime Bronze Temptation (REVIEW)
Brows – Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown
Lips – Pat McGrath Lip Pencil in Done Undone, BlitzTrance Lipstick in Skinsane (REVIEW), LUST Gloss in Dare to Bare (REVIEW)
Nails – OPI Samoan Sand

Overall an excellent concealer system complete with everything you need to conceal + set! I think it’s a great versatile formula for both under eye, highlighting and spot concealing. These are very opaque but formula is easy to blend with long lasting power. I give it a solid A+.

You can find the Pat McGrath Concealer System available now at Pat McGrath, Ulta Beauty and Sephora.

Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer System provided for review, however shades LM11, LM13, LM14 and M15 purchased by me.

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Base Makeup

Fall Foundation Testing: Chanel, Pat McGrath, Charlotte Tilbury, Natasha Denona + more

September 27, 2019

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.

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Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation

September 11, 2019

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.

Top left: bare skin (just have brow makeup on)
Top right: a swatch of B50
Bottom: B50 applied all over with a brush

Full look with the Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B50, also wearing:

Foundation: Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B50
Powder: La Mer Pressed Powder in Medium
Bronzer: Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel
Blush: Chanel Joues Contraste Quintessence
Eyeshadow: NARS Wanted Eyeshadow Palette
Brow: Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
Mascara: Le Volume
Lip: Chanel Rouge Allure in Rouge Angelique + Rouge Coco Gloss in Noce Moscata
Sweater: Reformation
Nails: Chanel Le Vernis in Pure White

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).

On the nails Pure White (review here)

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.

12 Comments

Base Makeup Laura Mercier

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer New Formula Review

September 3, 2019

Laura Mercier just revamped her Tinted Moisturizer and Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating into new formulas and I’ve been testing them for the past couple of weeks. The original was considered a cult-classic for that dewy no-makeup makeup look and while it was wildly popular I found it hit or miss for me with the colors and formula. The new versions now come with higher SPF 30, new packaging and new ingredients. The active ingredients for the sunscreen include Octinoxate 7.49%, Avobenzone 2.5%, Octocrylene 2% and Oxybenzone 1%. You can find the new versions out now at Laura Mercier and Sephora.

If you were a fan of the original I’d recommend you buy a tube or two sooner than later as they usually pull them from stores and counters when new formulas are released. You can still find it online at a few places right now but I suspect they will be pulled eventually.

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New Tinted Moisturizer – Sand 3N1

It has been a long time since I’ve worn her original Tinted Moisturizer. I reviewed it numerous times over the years and have always had a love/hate relationship with it. In San Diego I could only wear it in winter and even though the formula was sheer I never found the colors to be a good match. Sand is what I wore back in the day but it was always a touch too warm and oxidized just slightly giving my skin a peach look that didn’t quite go with my yellow/golden neck. The new Tinted Moisturizer works much better for my skin type and skin tone right now. Your mileage may vary depending on what your skin can tolerate for sunscreen ingredients but I had no issues, irritation or clogging of pores. There are 20 shades and she has three different color undertones C for Cool, N for Neutral and W for Warm. I find the colors work better for me now with my sunny Florida tan.

The Tinted Moisturizer has a dewy look with a very sheer finish. Coverage is barely there but it does a decent job at evening out the skin in the most natural fresh way. I fully expected it to be too dewy for me and did not think it would last the day in Florida humidity but it surprised me! Indoors it holds up pretty well. Outside even at the beach it holds up ok, it stayed put even after some swimming, but it does get more dewy looking when you sweat. Since I don’t have perfect skin and need more coverage I find layering her Flawless Fusion Concealer and setting with her Translucent Loose Powder or Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Powder on top gives me a good look.

I was sent the color 3W1 Bisque which I can definitely wear but I felt it warmed up just a little when it set and was a bit too dark so I bought 3N1 Sand at Sephora. I have a look below with bare skin vs. tinted moisturizer vs. full makeup look below. Coverage is very very sheer. I’ve tested it over bare skin and also over other moisturizers and it works well either way. Moisturizers I’ve tested it with include the Chanel Camellia Water Cream, Farmacy Honey Drop Moisturizer and Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream.

Shown Below:

Bare Skin
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand 3N1 and Bisque 3W1 swatched
Sand 3N1 applied all over
Full look wearing:
- Base: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand
- No concealer
- Powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Shade 2
- Blush: Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in Sex on Fire
- Eyes: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer Diffused Bronze Light + Scattered Light in Blaze
- Brows: Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown
- Lipstick: Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel in Beige Intime

Ingredients Tinted Moisturizer: ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: AVOBENZONE 2.5%, OCTINOXATE 7.49%, OCTOCRYLENE 2.0%, OXYBENZONE 1.0%

INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: WATER, GLYCERIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, DIMETHICONE, PEG/PPG-14/7 DIMETHYL ETHER, HYDROGENATED POLYDECENE, PEG-5 GLYCERYL STEARATE, ISODODECANE, SILICA, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, TREHALOSE, PHENOXYETHANOL, TOCOPHEROL, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, MACADAMIA TERNIFOLIA SEED OIL, ALEURITES MOLUCCANUS SEED OIL, RHUS VERNICIFLUA PEEL WAX, TAMARINDUS INDICA SEED GUM, SACCHARIDE ISOMERATE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, ISOSTEARIC ACID, GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, POLYSILICONE-11, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, BEHENIC ACID, STEARIC ACID, BATYL ALCOHOL, HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE STEAROXY ETHER, PEG-30 PHYTOSTEROL, DISODIUM EDTA, SODIUM METAPHOSPHATE, CARBOMER, POLYACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER-6, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, BHT, SODIUM CITRATE, CITRIC ACID, T-BUTYL ALCOHOL. MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE, IRON OXIDES.

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New Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating – Warm Radiance

The new Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating formula comes in 6 shades and has a soft shimmer. It adds radiance all over. As long as I set with a powder the shimmer/dewy effect is cancelled out just enough that I don’t end up looking too shimmery. This has a similar effect to the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter on my skin, but the Laura Mercier is sheerer, more dewy and not quite as pigmented. Below is an application demo, the color sheers out when blended.

Bare Skin
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance cheek swatched
Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance blended on part of face (cheeks to jaw)
Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance blended all over the face
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer 3N added for more coverage and blended (blending step not shown)
Added Laura Mercier Translucent Loose setting powder with brush and Rouge Essentiel Lipstick in Nude Nouveau

Closer look at just the Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance applied/blended all over:

Versus full makeup look with added concealer + powder etc. Wearing Kosas Color and Light Pressed Powder Duo in Papaya 1972 on cheeks and Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Nude Nouveau + Lip Glace in Opal on top.

Illuminating Ingredients: ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: AVOBENZONE 2.5%; OCTINOXATE 7.49%; OCTOCRYLENE 2.0%; OXYBENZONE 1.0% INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: WATER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, MICA, DIMETHICONE, PEG/PPG-14/7 DIMETHYL ETHER, HYDROGENATED POLYDECENE, PEG-5 GLYCERYL STEARATE, ISODODECANE, TREHALOSE, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT, ASCOPHYLLUM NODOSUM EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL, ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDE, SACCHARIDE ISOMERATE, ISOSTEARIC ACID,SILICA, GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, POLYSILICONE-11, BEHENYLALCOHOL, BEHENIC ACID, STEARIC ACID, BATYL ALCOHOL,HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE STEAROXY ETHER,PEG-30 PHYTOSTEROL, SODIUM METAPHOSPHATE, CARBOMER,POLYACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER-6, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE,CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE, T-BUTYL ALCOHOL, DISODIUMEDTA, BHT, PHENOXYETHANOL, POTASSIUM SORBATE.MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CARMINE, IRON OXIDES.

Swatches next to some corresponding color names in other formulas, left to right, all Laura Mercier:

Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance
Tinted Moisturizer 3N1 Sand
Flawless Fusion Concealer 3N
Flawless Fusion Foundation in 3N1 Buff
Tinted Moisturizer 3W1 Bisque
Flawless Fusion Concealer 3W
Flawless Fusion Foundation in 3W1 Dusk

A few swatch comparisons:

Chanel Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Tint in Medium and Medium Plus (review here)
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Illuminating Warm Radiance
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand and Bisque
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz (too yellow for me now)
YSL Touche Eclat All-in-One Glow in B40 (too warm for me now)

Overall I like both formulas a lot more than I anticipated. I have normal combination skin most of the year, although it does get quite dry with the weather changes here and non-stop AC. I almost always prefer medium to full coverage on most days so the Tinted Moisturizer formula isn’t something I feel like I’d gravitate towards on most days. I really love the fresh look it gives but I do need to add concealer and a tinted powder on top to even out my skin the way I want. If you have super oily skin I do think it might be too dewy for you. I like the new formula a lot better than the original.

Compared to other tinted sheer coverage bases I still love the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer but don’t have a good color match at the moment. The YSL Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow in B40 is too dark for me but I haven’t looked to see if the next shade down is a better match since I like other foundation formulas better.

I think it’s worth looking into if you don’t want or need a lot of coverage. You can find the new Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizers out now at Laura Mercier and Sephora. Some other stores still have the original but I suspect they’ll be pulling them soon.

Have you tried the new formula yet? What did you think?

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizers provided for review.

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