Review: Graftobian & Cinema Secrets Foundation for my skintone (long post)

Where I heard about it: Theatrical makeup has always sparked my interest. What it basically is, is makeup used for stage (television) & performing arts. The foundations are highly pigmented for full coverage & typically waterproof or long lasting so the makeup can withstand bright camera lights. I first learned about "theatrical" or "special effects" products when one day I was very curious to know what foundation the girls from E! The Girls Next Door (Kendra Wilkinson, Holly Madison & Bridget Marquardt) were wearing. In 2005-06, it was my favorite show and I loved to see the girls transform once their makeup artists did their makeup. So, I searched online to see if I could find any answers and came across an article by Holly Madison where she states that she wears Cinema Secrets foundation. Shortly after, one of my myspace friends (Jody MonroeMisfit) the time was posting gorgeous FOTD's and she was wearing Cinema Secrets as well. I started doing some research and learned about all of the different brands such as RCMA, Graftobian, Ben Nye, Cinema Secrets, Kryolan, Mehron, Etc. I placed a couple of orders for some Ben Nye products & a Cinema Secrets foundation palette. When I tested it out, I loved it.. but none of the colors matched my skin tone. I ended up throwing it in my drawer and never placing another order. As much as I wanted to try so many products.. it was too difficult to find my right shade on the computer screen. So I gave up..

Over the past years I've learned & read a lot more about the products. Still, I don't like to purchase foundations online if I haven't seen them in person. It wasn't till a few months ago when I watched Wayne Goss' Graftobian Foundation Review on youtube. He talked about how much he liked it and it made me wanna give it another shot. So I started to read several reviews to pinpoint what my shade may be. Below is what I found.

Color matches for NC30-NC40. This is based on the several reviews I have read. There may be other skin tones that can be matched to these shades. This information is only based on what I have found.

Graftobian -
Vixen, Warm (NC 30, NC35)
Temptress, Warm (NC30)
Buttermilk, Warm (NC30, NC35)
Enchantress, Warm (NC35, NC40)
Femme Fatale, Warm (NC35, NC40)
Desert Sand, Warm (NC40)

All foundations are categorized by "warm", "neutral" and "cool".

View all shades here.

View their foundation comparison chart here (includes cinema secrets).

Foundation palettes are available, which contain 5 shades categorized by undertones. Warm Palette #1 contains Graceful Swan, Ingenue, Vixen, Temptress & Enchantress. It is best suited for MAC NC15-NC35. Warm Palette #2 contains Buttermilk, Desert Sand, Golden Sunset, Deep Xanthe & Mid. Marigold. It is best suited for MAC NC30-NC50+. Warm Palette #3 contains Femme Fetale, Winter Wheat, Ginger, Burnt Amber & Sienna. It is best suited for NC40-NC50+. If I was to purchase a palette.. I'd get both #1 & #2. #1 has lighter shades that would be good concealers & there is my NC30-35 shade and #2 has my NC30-35 shade as well as NC40 when I'm more tanned & darker shades I can use to contour.

View all shades here.

I ended up purchasing samples of Buttermilk, Temptress, Enchantress & Vixen.

Review: I really like the foundation. It has a very creamy texture and you only need a very small amount to cover your face. I've applied this in two different ways. By a sponge and by my MAC 131 brush. The sponge provided a little heavier coverage than the brush. I like applying it with a sponge and then buffing it in my face afterward with the brush (dry). It covers every blemish on my face and it doesn't at all look cakey. It actually looks very natural. Almost like my own skin.. but better :) I definitely recommend a setting powder.. as creme formulas tend to transfer easily. The staying power is pretty good. If I applied my makeup in the morning.. it still looks good by the evening. But, by the end of the night.. a lot of it vanished off my face. What I've mostly been doing is apply my regular foundation and swipe my 131 brush across some product and buff it in areas of my face for extra coverage that my regular foundation may not have covered. As for the colors..  I wish they were more yellow. Buttermilk seemed the yellowest out of the four.. but it is a little light. Vixen seemed to be the 2nd best.. but I found it to be more neutral/beige than yellow. Vixen would give my skin a little bit of a gray cast.. which is usually what happens when a foundation is too beige & not yellow enough. Temptress is almost identical. Because they are slightly neutral, I've been mostly using them in conjunction with my regular foundation. Enchantress is a little too red toned for me. Overall, I will most likely be ordering a full size of Buttermilk. Yes, it is the lightest of them all :( But it matches my undertone the best. I'll be able to use it when I'm not as tan. I actually swatched MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC35 on my hand next to Buttermilk and they were almost (90%) identical in color.

Cinema Secrets -
301-63A, a soft extra light warm yellow beige (NC25, NC30)

302-65A, light warm yellow beige - one shade darker than 301 (NC30, NC35)
303-66A, two shades darker than 302 (NC35, NC40)
304-32, a mixture of yellow, pink-warm tone and soft light golden beige (NC35)

300 Series foundations are for many Asian and Caucasian skin tones with yellow base and undertones.

View all shades here.

They also have foundation palettes with 5 shades. Palette #3 is best suited for yellow/olive undertones & has 3 of the 4 shades from the 300 series. 201-67A is a light warm olive gold - void of any red, ideal for many Asian, Hispanic, and African-American skin tones & 202-20 is a medium dark olive gold, good for a wide range of darker skin tones with no red undertones. If you are lighter skinned, these can be used as contours.

View all shades here.

I ended up purchasing samples of #301 & #302.

Review: I liked Cinema Secrets just as much as Graftobian. I honestly didn't see much of a difference between the two in terms of finish or wear. 301 was definitely a little light.. but its been working perfect as a concealer to bright up under my eyes.. and as a foundation for when my self tan is pretty much gone. 302 seemed to match me perfectly & is a great match for NC30-NC35. It doesn't seem to turn me gray like a couple of the other shades. I will most likely be ordering full sizes of both colors.

Overall, I'm very pleased with these foundations & their coverage. I'll be testing them out a little more until my samples are used up to see how I like them. I'll be reporting back soon :)

 

I'm wearing Graftobian Vixen in this pic. I'll be posting additional pictures soon. ;)

Nars Sheer Glow update! (My winter shade)

I had a gift card to Sephora so I decided to pick up my favorite foundation. I haven't had a bottle in months because $42 for me is a lot to shovel out for a daily use foundation. Now that I'm not using as much self tanner as I was, I've been using a lot of foundations that are in the NC30-NC35 range rather than NC40. Previously I was using the shade Barcelona in Sheer Glow.. which was the absolute perfect NC40 match. It matched my skintone even better than MAC NC40 did. But this time, I picked one shade lighter.. and that is Stromboli. This shade is the dead on perfect match for me right now. I can't believe how perfect the color match NARS Sheer Glow offers for my skin tone.

I did a few comparisons for you guys.. Since I'm on vacation, I didn't have all of my foundations with me. Just MAC Studio Fix Fluid and Make Up Forever HD. I'm sure Estee Lauder Double Wear in the shade Tawny may come close to these as well.

MAC and MUFE look almost exactly the same. Nars is the slightest more yellow.. and looks the best on me of the three. (I actually think I did a typo.. it may be mufe #125.. the label has rubbed off!)

This picture is taken indoors with flash.

I took a picture yesterday morning after I applied my Nars.. matches my neck perfectly. :)

Cheryl just reviewed Sheer Glow in this shade.. check out her review here!

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty (Inspired by Carmindy) Makeup Review and FOTD!

Every once in a while I like to browse product reviews on makeupalley in each category descending from the largest amount of reviews. Last month I found myself taking extra time to look through the highest rated drugstore foundations. That's how I came across Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Foundation. I never heard of it until that point. I know I've seen the "Natural" section before at my local CVS Pharmacy, but I never looked at any of it. Why? Because "Naturals" honestly didn't sound very appealing to me. It automatically makes me think of products that won't have good coverage or products with little to no pigmentation. Call it Cake Face Beauty and I probably would know all about it. Haha! I'm joking, but what's sad is it's probably true.

When I started reading reviews, I quickly realized this foundation is no tinted moisturizer. Several reviews claimed this foundation has an excellent medium coverage.. and compared it to several high end foundations. It's rated a 4/5 based on 326 reviews with a buy back rate of 70%.

Click the screenshot to be redirected to makeupalley's review page for this product!

There are 12 different shades.

Based on reviews, I had it in my mind to get Sandy Beige or Tawny Beige for my MAC NC35-40 skin-tone. I'm usually NC40 all year round, but lately I haven't been self tanning as often as usual. So I've been wearing NC30-NC35 a lot. I knew if the color runs a little light from a NC40, it's no big deal. Just as long as the undertone is correct.

I even read that some NC40's were wearing True Beige and Golden Beige. Golden Beige is a little on the grayish side, so definitely a neutral shade for those of you that don't have much yellow. True Beige definitely has a pink tone to it.

Anyways, once I arrived to ULTA I couldn't find Sally Hansen products anywhere! I was about to leave and I decided to check the clearance rack real quick for good deals. And what did I see? ALL SALLY HANSEN PRODUCTS WERE CLEARANCE. In a way, I was excited because they were half off & in a way I was like "Come on Seriously? You're going to discontinue something good?"

Rest in Peace my beloved Maybelline Shine Free.. We were best friends in high school.. We had plans!! We were supposed to do everything together!! *tear*

Lmao, last night I was talking funny because it was late, and now it's my lack of sleep.

Soo, I ended up getting both Tawny Beige and Sandy Beige. They were I believe.. $6.99 each.

Once I got home and swatched them on my hand, I right away favored Sandy Beige. It's lighter than Tawny Beige and has more of a golden yellow tone to it. Tawny Beige looks almost identical except it is slightly darker and has a slightly.. reddish tint to it? It still has a yellow tone to it, but not as prominent as Sandy Beige. Sandy Beige is more for the lighter NC40's that can go down (nc37) instead of up (nc42).

This picture is taken in a room with fluorescent lighting - no flash


Same room as before, but an area where there is less light - no flash


Comparisons of MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 and NC40 to both Sally Hansen Foundations. (The photo is taken with flash)

Application & Review

I've tried two different methods of applying the foundation. I've tried it with my fingers and I've tried it with a MAC 131 Brush. I highly favor the brush method for a flawless look. I found the coverage to a definite medium plus coverage. I found the coverage is similar to MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation. The texture is very creamy and applies very smooth. It reminded me a bit of Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk texture wise (thin, not heavy, runny, yet creamy). The end result is a beautiful airbrushed look with a slightly dewyness. I did not find this foundation to be too oily. After I've applied the foundation, I set it with a blot powder and re-blot once later in the day. My makeup stays put till the time I go to sleep. I wore this foundation practically my whole Vegas trip and I loved it (even in extreme heat). Love this stuff & will repurchase.

Here is what it looks like on my face. This picture was taken in the daylight with no flash.



This is basically my plain every day look..

Face:

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty your Skin Makeup in Sandy Beige

MAC Select Cover up Concealer NW25 & a smudge of Lancome Effacernes Concealer

MAC "Pleasureful" Blushcreme

MAC Blot Powder Med. Dark (a light dusting all over my face)

Brows:

MAC "Cork" Eyeshadow

MAC "Girl Boy" Brow Set

Eyes:

MAC "Cork" Eyeshadow (smudged into upper and lower lash line)

MAC "Coco Bar" Liquidlast Liner

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara Black

Lips:

MAC "Pleasureful" Blushcreme

LA Splash "Sparkling Coral" lip gloss

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty products can be purchased online at CVS.com, Rite-Aid.com and Drugstore.com.

Alima Pure Satin Matte Mineral Foundation Review!

Alima Pure Satin Matte Mineral Foundation is hypoallergenic -- it goes on easy and feels like nothing at all, naturally. It evens out your skin tone, enhances your complexion and reduces the appearance of fine lines and pores. And, with 61 shades, there's a match for just about everyone.

You have the option of purchasing a sample jar of their mineral products for only $1.50. So, I figured its not a huge loss if it doesn't work out. A full size of their mineral foundation is $20 for .24 oz or 7.5 grams. They have an excellent color section. I believe there is a color that should suit about anyone. They make it easy for you by breaking up the colors in different skin tones. There is Cool, Neutral, Beige, Warm, Golden & Olive. And if you aren't one specific shade, you can have a custom blend of up to 3 shades.

Picking my color-I researched what several MAC NC40 skin tone wearers wore. The majority wore W-4. (Warm 4). I read that a few wore one shade up W-5, but I believe W-5 is better suited for those who are a darker NC40.. that can get away with wearing NC42. A true NC42 can wear W-5 and W-6. If you're more of a neutral NC40, B-4 or even B-5 (Beige-4,5) may work for you. I think its very well work getting a few samples before you purchase the full size. Having your exact color match can make or break your decision of loving or hating a foundation.

I ordered Warm 4, Warm 3 and Golden 3 and Golden 4. From the website swatches, I was unsure if the warm shades were going to be golden enough. I really liked the yellow tones in the golden shades, so I got both.

I also ordered a couple blushes and shadows.

My order arrived very quickly with a few extra samples. Nice!

Testing the shades:
Right away, I tested all four shades on my face side by side above my jawline. I had no makeup on my face. Just a little moisturizer. I let it sit on my face for a few minutes and looked at my face in a few different lighting conditions. The best lighting to view if your foundation is the right shade is in natural sunlight on an overcast day. When its sunny out, you can make the mistake of thinking your foundation is lighter than it really is. I've made the mistake of doing my makeup in front of a sunny window and applying way too much blush because in the light, it didn't look so heavy. If its not cloudy out, wait till later in day when the sun is starting to go down.. or shut your window shades and still standing by the window, look at your face in the mirror. You can also look at your face in your visor mirror in the car in the middle of the day. When I'm shopping for a foundation at the store, I ALWAYS leave the store before I pick a shade. If the store has fluorescent lighting, it will alter the way your skin really looks, and give your skin a bluish green tint.

Furthermore, When looking at my face in the mirror, the shade that seemed to disappear into my skin was Warm 4. The 2nd runners up was Golden 4. The golden shade was almost identical except for a slight hint of yellow. I can wear either one. W-4 matches my face better and G-4 matches my neck better because of the strong yellow tone that comes from my self tanner. Golden 3 and Golden 4 were almost exactly the same as well. Warm 3 was too light, perfect to add dimension to areas of my face or to put under my eyes to brighten. A good match for NC30. I put a swipe of MAC Select Sheer Powder in NC40 on my hand next to all of the shades and it was almost identical to W-4. The Golden shades were far more yellow.

Review: I've only used this twice (alone) on my face. I applied it over moisturized skin with a goat hair kabuki and did lots of buffing. It did a pretty good job at covering blemishes. For extra coverage on blemishes, I used dampened a small brush and dipped the brush in the powder and applied it to the blemish. It provided full coverage to those small spots.. and dried to a powder that blended in with the rest of my face. Lastly, I spritzed my face with MAC Fix+ to set everything in place. It didn't irritate my face and it lasted through the day.

Will I be tossing my current foundations and use this? No. Only because in the end, I still prefer liquid over powder. BUT, I am confident in saying I can toss my other powders and use this as a setting powder (Okay, so I won't be tossing anything.. but you get what I mean). I've been using W-3 every day to set my concealer and apply above my cheekbones to highlight the area. It provides amazing coverage and adds extra coverage to my under eyes. It never cakes.. never budges.. never have to reapply. This product definitely screams HG (Holy Grail). I've also used it to set some of my lighter coverage foundations to provide extra coverage and it works wonderfully!! I'll be ordering a full size powder this week of W-3. My sample is running low and I'm getting nervous! haha!

Update: I did purchase the full size of W-3 and I use if often to set my under eye makeup or brush over my foundation for added coverage.

What's your favorite summertime foundation?

I've been so tired lately of applying my liquid foundation every single day. I've been alternating between NARS Sheer Glow & Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk which are my favorites for every day. But I've been feeling like I want to switch it up and let my skin breathe a little more. Lately I've been using Korres Wild Rose Foundation. I'm really liking Korres Wild Rose as a summertime foundation. It applies well with the fingers and although it's sheer.. it evens out my skin tone and made my skin look very fresh and radiant. And, its VERY lightweight. I'll definitely be reaching more for it since it's starting to get so hot out.. Today it was 90 degrees!

My HG summer foundation last year was Make Up Forever Face & Body Foundation. It's a great foundation as well, but I wasn't satisfied with my color match. Also, I've gotten a hold of MAC Face and Body.. but its too sheer for me. It's good to mix with foundations to thin them out. Whats your favorite summertime foundation? I'll probably be going to Sephora this week to browse around. :)

I wore it today.. (lighting was a little weird..)

I was opening a bottle of perfume.. lol

Korres Wild Rose Foundation, Concealer & Powder Review, Photos and Swatches!

Korres Wild Rose Foundation "A medium coverage, oil free formulation that is suitable for all skin types. Wild Rose foundation contains potent vitamin C which lightens, brightens and tightens the skin. It works to even skin tone as you wear it as a cosmetic product AND the active ingredients work to do the same on a skin care level. Finally a liquid foundation that is actually good for your skin!" - Korres.com

This foundation comes in 7 shades. My perfect match is WRF4 (equivalent to MAC NC37-40)

PROS:
-A good light/medium coverage (redness from my cheeks peeks through)
-Looks natural - like a tinted moisturizer that covers more
-Dewy, luminous finish (brightens my face)
-Very light (feels like I'm not wearing makeup)
-Doesn't irritate my skin - no break outs
-Perfect color match

CONS:
-Will get oily if I don't blot with a powder
-It didn't cover all of my blemishes
-Fades throughout the day

Overall, I am so pleased with this foundation. I read lots of reviews and many people mentioned that this foundation has strong yellow tones to them.. which is awesome for the warm toned gals. I find it so hard to find a good foundation with the right amount of yellow, and this definately has it. I love that this foundation makes me look so fresh and youthful. I am going to particularly enjoy it a lot more once my skin starts to clear up. ( I have a little bit of a breakout on my chin that I'm working on getting rid of) I've been using tons of masks this past week so my skin looks good enough to wear this without worrying about any of my pimples showing. It reminds me a lot of Make Up Forever Face & Body Foundation. They have a similar finish and coverage. I definately see this as one of my summertime foundations or for those days where I want to wear light makeup.. without it looking like I'm wearing any. :)

Update: Although it appears very yellow toned.. wearing it more often I have noticed that it appears more peach than yellow.

Korres Wild Rose Concealer "Illuminating concealer increases skin radiance and highlights while diminishing fine lines, wrinkles and hyper pigmentation. A take-it-with-you must have. This lightweight concealer can be applied over makeup for an instant pick me up. Nothing will brighten the face midway through the day like a touch up on the inner and outer corner of the eyes with this ultra hydrating, multi-vitamin formulation infused with green tea extract. " - Korres.com

This concealer comes in six shades. I chose WRC3. It's a little light for me, but it works good to brighten my under eyes.

PROS:
-Light weight non-cakey formula
-Doesn't settle into my fine lines
-Moisturizing
-Brightens

CONS:
-Doesn't cover my dark circles completely - very light coverage

Overall, this concealer is alright. It works well as a highlighter for my eyes.. sort of like how Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat works.. but it has more coverage and isn't as luminous. The coverage is light to light-medium.. so I would really recommend this to you if your dark circles aren't too extreme. I have pretty severe dark circles.. but this works really well applied over my Bobbi Brown Corrector. I love the fact that it brightens so well and that it doesn't even look like I'm wearing concealer. I have worn this alone on days and it covers the majority of the darkness but not 100%. My under eyes felt and looked very hydrated & smooth. This is called a "Highlighting Illuminator" as well as a concealer so I believe this product isn't meant to be a full out concealer like I originally thought. I think it's basically suppose to used to brighten the area.. which it 100% does.

Korres Wild Rose Powder"Flawless finish powder in an silky formula that offers sheer to medium coverage. Wild Rose powders help to correct uneven tone on a skincare and cosmetic level using wild rose oil - a natural source of Vitamin C - giving a flawless finish to the skin without making skin look dry or dull. Apply to face alone or on top of Wild Rose Foundation." - Korres.com

This powder comes in 8 shades. I chose WRP3. It's slightly light, but a pretty good color match.

PROS:
-Silky Smooth Texture (SO luxurious!)
-Blends like a dream!
-Medium Coverage
-Gives a very airbrushed finish to my liquid foundation
-Keeps my liquid makeup from getting shiny all day

CONS:
-Not golden enough - can only use it brushed over foundation and it works very well. If used alone my face will look pink/orange.

Overall, I really love this powder. I wore it a lone a couple days and it gave good light-medium to medium coverage. The texture is amazing. It is probably the most luxurious powder I own. It blends so beautifully, especially when I take a powder brush and swipe it over my liquid foundation. This powder + the Wild Rose liquid foundation looks wonderful.

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation Review, Photos & Swatches!

 Revlon Photoready Makeup

There has been a huge hype about the new Revlon Photo Ready Foundation lately. A lot of people have compared it to Make Up Forever HD Foundation because its good photographing capabilities. Revlon Photoready Foundation claims to look airbrushed in any lighting, with light reflecting pigments to erase all of your flaws. It's also said to provide complete coverage, yet with a natural finish.

Revlon Photoready Foundation is available in twelve (12) shades:  Ivory, Vanilla, Shell, Nude, Natural Beige, Medium Beige, Cool Beige, Golden Beige, Rich Ginger, Caramel, Cappuccino and Mocha. 

I was pretty torn between choosing #006 Medium Beige or #008 Golden Beige. Before going to the store, I had it in my head that I was going to purchase Golden Beige. But, when I actually looked at the bottles, Medium Beige looked darker and more yellow. Golden Beige looked more neutral and beige. So, I ended up choosing #006 Medium Beige. It's a good color match for my MAC NC40 skin tone. I'm sure it can match MAC NC35-37 coloring as well. 

Revlon Photoready Makeup in Medium Beige 

(You can see the shimmer in the bottle)

The consistency is very light and creamy. It's a bit runny, so it spreads across the skin very well without a primer, and I rarely ever have to go back for additional product after buffing the foundation into my skin.

The coverage is a good medium that is buildable. It hides the majority of my flaws, evens out my complexion and makes my face glowy and airbrushed. It dries to a semi-matte that isn't at all dull.

 Swatch of Revlon Photoready Makeup in Medium Beige

As for the "light reflecting pigments" AKA shimmer particles, the reviews for this aspect of the foundation are pretty mixed. I;m sure it depends a lot on your coloring and skin type whether or not it's going to show. Many people said its overly shimmery, and others said they didn't notice any shimmer whatsoever. When I swatched the color on my wrist and really blended it into my skin, I can visibly see lots of shimmer. More shimmer than I've ever seen in a foundation. Once applied to my face, I didn't any shimmer unless I'm looking at my face close-up in the sunlight, or hours later when my foundation starts to get a little shiny and fade, the shimmer appears. I don't think I mind it too much, but I think sometimes shimmer can work against you if you apply too much, and I think there is just too much in this foundation. I think if Revlon cut out half of the shimmer, It'd be a much better foundation.

The lasting power is good. It lasts me a full day with minor fading. I do get shiny after a few hours, but it's no oil slick, so I'll just make sure to dust my face with a little setting powder. One thing I've noticed is that after a few hours, the foundation looks darker on my face than when it was first applied. I'm not sure if this has happened to anyone else, but it continuously happens with me, so I think if I do re-purchase this foundation, I may re-purchase it in a lighter shade, for when I'm less tan.

It's pretty good for a drugstore foundation. Right now I'm going to give it a 4 out of 5. I will keep you updated with what I think about this! I'm going to wear it for a few more days. I purchased this foundation at ULTA for $13.99.

Here's me at work today wearing Revlon PhotoReady

Update: I love the way this foundation looks when it's first applied, but I don't love the way my face looks a few hours later. I find that the color oxidizes a little bit and in the daylight, my face looks orange. This foundation has great coverage and a pretty finish, but it's not HG material for me mostly due to the oxidation. I will probably finish up the bottle, but I'm unsure if I'd re-purchase it. I wouldn't say this is a must-have and I wouldn't say it's a bad foundation. If you find this foundation for a very good price.. try it out for yourself! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Make Up Forever Mat Velvet + Foundation Review!

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet Foundation 

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet Foundation ($36) is an oil-free, water-resistant, medium to full coverage foundation with a matte finish. It's an especially good foundation for oily skin types, and for those who enjoy matte finish foundations.

I've been using this foundation for a couple of years now, and I've repurchased it a few times, so I thought I'd write a review for it! It use to be one of my favorite foundations, but I don't reach for it as much anymore because lately I've been preferring dewy finishes.

These are the color matches for the NC30-NC42 range. (I'm in the NC35-40 range)
#30 - For medium skin with beige/neutral undertones. Suitable for NC30 and lighter.
#35 - For medium skin with yellow/beige undertones. Suitable for NC30-NC37.
#40 - For medium-light skin with yellow undertones. Suitable for NC30. (Yes, the numbers can be confusing- it actually appears a little lighter than 35, but more yellow.)
#45 has a beige pink tone and #50 has a pink undertone.. more suited for NW.
#55 - For medium-deep skin with beige/neutral undertones. Suitable for NC40-NC42.
#60 is for medium deep skin w/ beige/pink undertone.. again, better suited for NW.
#65 - For medium skin with yellow undertones. Suitable for NC40-NC43.

I've used both #35 and #40. They both work fine for me. #35 is good for when I'm around NC35, and #40 is good when I'm around NC30; although it isn't as yellow as I'd like it to be. It's on the peachy side. (Comparisons below)

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Review!

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation ($42) is a luminous foundation that is promised to enhance your skin without "masking it". It will brighten the skin, while evening out the skin tone and concealing minor perfections.

• For normal, normal-to-dry and dry skin types
• Hydrates for softer and smoother skin
• Contains powerful anti-oxidants to protect against damaging free radicals and turmeric extract to improve skin's radiance and tone
• Dermatologist tested. Non-comedogenic. Fragrance free.

Nars Sheer Glow is available in twenty (20) shades: Siberia (light with neutral/balance of tones), Mont Blanc (fair with subtle pink undertones), Gobi (light with yellow undertones), Deauville (light with neutral/balance of tones), Fiji (light with yellow undertones), Ceylan (light-medium with yellow undertones), Punjab (medium with golden-peachy undertones), Santa Fe (medium with peachy undertones), Stromboli (medium with olive undertones), Barcelona (medium with golden peachy undertones), Syracuse (medium-dark with brown undertones), Tahoe (medium-dark with caramel undertones), Cadiz (medium-dark with caramel-red undertones), Macao (medium-dark with deep yellow undertones), Trinidad (dark with warm yellow undertones) and Khartoum (dark with espresso undertone).

My shade is Barcelona, which is a warm, medium-tan shade with golden undertones - It's not overly yellow and it doesn't look orange on my skin. For reference, I wear NC40 in MAC foundations.

*I now also use Stromboli, which is a shade or two lighter than Barcelona, for when I'm less tan. It has strong yellow (olive) undertones, and is equivalent to the MAC NC30-35 coloring

I'm wearing Nars Sheer Glow in the shade Stromboli in this photo (my lighter shade)

Continue reading for my review...

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation Review!

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 6.5

As I mentioned in post a few weeks ago, I decided to purchase a long time lust of mine. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. At $58.00 for a 1 oz bottle, I was very reluctant to purchase it. But, I finally decided to treat myself to a bottle when the website had a 20% off promotion. I would of done a review sooner, but I had only used it a couple times because I haven't gone out at all since I started my job.. and its too expensive for daily wear. I wore it today though, to really test it out and see how I like it!

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: As seen in the press, capture the glow of perfect skin with this award-winning foundation. Luminous Silk foundation is an oil-free fluid with exclusive Micro-fil technology. So weightless, it redefines foundation. Its hydrating fluid glides on seamlessly with a silky texture and all-day, buildable coverage. For all skin types.

• weightless and luminous oil-free fluid
• natural finish
• all-day sheer to moderate coverage

Application techniques:

Apply with the unique blender brush for a radiant, air-brushed finish.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 6.5

Swatches of Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, courtesy of Karlasugar.

First of all, I didn't do much research on this product other than knowing it has a really high rating on Makeupalley. While I was waiting for it in the mail, I started to do some research. I had no idea the coverage was sheer to medium. That made me a little nervous because I never purchase sheer foundations. I always purchase buildable medium coverage foundations. They work better for me for an airbrushed look and seem to have a longer lasting power.

The way I applied this was I first prepped my face with moisturizer and then I put one pump of foundation on a clean palette. I used my MAC 187 brush and stippled it all over my face and then buffed my face in light, circular motions. Because its a light foundation, I needed a few pumps to get the desired coverage I wanted.

Thankfully, it didn't seem at all sheer to me. At the moment, my skin is fairly clear, except for a few pimples that are in the process of healing and a little redness in my cheeks. This foundation covered all of that. No redness from my pimple blemishes showed through. My skin was completely flawless. I would say the coverage is a solid medium.

The beautiful thing about this foundation is, it makes it look like I've applied an iluminating tinted moisturizer on completely perfect skin. It doesn't look like a heavy foundation. It just makes my skin appear like I have naturally good, clear skin. And I love that about this! A very natural flawless.

The color is PERFECT for me. It matches my neck to the point. I got the shade 6.5 (Tawny). For reference, I am a MAC NC37-40. A problem that I always have is finding a foundation with the right amount of yellow. If the foundation is the slightest bit pink or peachy, it will not match me. This has the perfect amount of yellow.

Here's a swatch on my hand of shade # 6.5.

Because this makes my skin look fresh and radiant, I like pairing it with a cream bronzer as opposed to a powder. The bronzer I've been pairing this foundation is my Chanel Bronze Universel, and they go together perfectly.

This foundation also claims to be dewy, but on me, it is more of a satin. I don't need much setting powder, just a little on my nose, around my frown lines and under my eyes. The staying power is wonderful, and it doesn't seem to disappear throughout the day. Only after several hours, I'll notice the tip of my nose needs touching up.

I'm definitely adding this to my list of favorite foundations. I think its perfect for days you want to do heavy eye makeup without looking like you have tons of makeup all over your face. Will definitely repurchase!

Follow up (a year later): I am still loving this foundation. A while after this review, I started using my fingers instead of a brush to apply.. and I really like the outcome. I never used my fingers to apply any foundation since I was in high school.. but one day while I was in a hurry, I put a couple of pumps in my hand and applied it quickly to my face as if I was applying moisturizer. I was surprised to see, my face looked as flawless as when I use my brush. By the end of the night, my forehead and nose get shiny.. so i do find it necessary to use a setting powder. This foundation remains a favorite.