Thoughts on some recently demolished samples

I am sick again. :( So I haven't worn any makeup really the past few days. I haven't even put real clothes on. (I am making sure to shower and put clean underwear on, though.)

I also am holding steady to my promise to not buy any more beauty-related products until my birthday. And, I've thrown out a bunch of stuff I didn't use, and swapped away a few things, too. A pile of sample foundations/ tinted moisturizers. I may have to make an exception for skincare - I'm now out of crappy stuff to shave my legs with so I need to get some oils for that.

Big news is the recent demolition of all my sample-sized liquid foundations and tinted moisturizers. I didn't push myself to use up all of these, but it's nice to not have the packets and vials cluttering up my drawers anymore.

Thoughts:
-Hourglass illuminating TM - ivory - This was way too dark! I can't even comment on formula, because I had to wipe it off so quick.

-L'Oreal souffle - the new stuff that comes in the glass jars with the pink lids. This was also too dark, but this time I was smart and did a hand swatch first. I did like the texture, but I'm not sure I'd like it all over my face. Maybe I'd try it if there were a killer sale on.

-Stila illuminating TM (shade 1). If by "illuminating" they mean "make me into an oil slick," then I guess there's truth in advertising. If not, well, er, we have a problem.

-Tarte smooth operator (00, 02). This was pretty good. I think I like Agent 00 better, Agent 02 seemed a little too pink on me. Did a decent job of being lightly moisturizing on its own, and evened out my skin tone. I'd have to try it out again before committing to buying it, though.

-Laura Mercier TM (nude, both regular and oil-free). Both of these were slightly too dark for me. I liked the regular formula better than the oil-free, which seemed somewhat thick and sticky in comparison, but this wasn't the Holy Grail for me or anything. Which I guess is good, because it costs a pretty penny.

-Maybelline FitMe. I got the free sample cards, which give you enough to swatch them. The two lightest colors are the only ones that might have worked - the lightest is too light, though, and the second lightest is too pink. I guess they FitYou if you don't have pale warm skin. For me, it's FitMeNot.

The Tarte was the only winner. I'll have to compare it to Urban Decay Urban Defense and Cover Girl Nature Luxe before I decide which one gets to stay in my routine, though.

Review - Bare Minerals Matte foundation

A while back, Sephora was giving away free Bare Minerals minis (packaged with a mini Mineral Veil and an extremely tiny kabuki brush). The sales assistant picked out Light matte as my best match.

Recently, as part of Project Use It, I've opened and started using these samples. I figured it would be a great opportunity to test out the "original" mineral foundation and see how it held up against my indie favorites.

I would love to be able to review it with my standard rubric, but I just can't. First of all, Light is too dark for me. I have been trying to make it work, with limited success. I have mixed it with the Mineral Veil. I have mixed it with silica powder. I have mixed it with highlighters. I have applied it over a sunblock that turns me pasty white. No matter what I do, it's still too dark. Today, the only reason it looks ok from afar is that I put on a bunch of a powder highlighter on top. Close-up, the caked-on powder is pretty evident.

This means that I can't review it against the other foundations because I'd be reviewing my own formula instead of Bare Minerals'.

Texture-wise, it feels like any standard mineral powder. I have a harder time than usual applying this evenly, and I can't figure out why. My kabuki brush just isn't transporting the powder well. The color mismatch makes it even more obvious. Also, it seems to take an enormous amount of product to get proper coverage. Again, the product being too dark highlights just how hard it is to get it to cover my face.

I'm disappointed. If anyone wants to send me samples of either Fairly Light or Golden Fair, so I can better judge the product's performance, let me know. An eighth teaspoon would be enough.

As for the mineral veil - its primary ingredient is cornstarch. Do you know how cheap cornstarch is? You probably have some in your kitchen. Save yourself some money and tint a jarful with a bit of your foundation.

Lucy Minerals foundation review (regular kind)

Lucy Minerals is an independent company specializing in mineral makeup with added antioxidants. The color range isn't as great as some other companies, and if your skin is on the darker end of the spectrum, you're out of luck. If I ever make and sell mineral makeup, I'll either not do foundation at all, or try to have something for darker skintones.

They offer a few different formulas, an antioxidant-free one, an antioxidant-rich one, and two kinds of oil control - one with silica and one with calcium carbonate.

How'd it work?

A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite. I tried both Light and Cream. Light is closer, but still somewhat more yellow than I'd like.

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar. This stuff is pretty high-coverage.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day. If I go for a walk or sweat at all, it will start smearing off and creasing. It also has a somewhat chalky finish.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch. I've tried both the regular (which I'm reviewing now) and the calcium carbonate. Neither is perfect.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. $14 for a 30g jar. You can get combo kits that lower the price somewhat, but not a lot. Shipping is free, though.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. I have heard nothing but good things.

Total: 24/30. This is pretty good stuff. It's a slightly heavier finish than I like, so I probably won't buy this again (especially since awG makes a really good color match for me). I used this for about two weeks straight, and I'm not sure the antioxidants have done anything for my skin. I think you really need to eat your fruits and veggies, not put them on your face.

Foundation Review! Wet 'n Wild Mineral Foundation

How does cheap drugstore "mineral makeup" stack up to the stuff you buy online? I recently bought some Wet 'n Wild Naturals mineral foundation in Fair to try out.

A. Color matching.
3. Sort of matches. Even the fair color is too dark. My face looked darker than I'm used to. Maybe this would be useful as a contour powder...

B. Coverage.
2. Barely covers blemishes. For how opaquely dark my face looked, zits and stuff were pretty visible, still.

C. Adhesion/durability.
2. Lasts most of the day, but becomes patchy or rubs off easily. Streaks on my forehead! Ew!

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
2. Does not control oil. I got shiny. I think this is due to the fact that this product is mostly mica, filler, and colorants. There's no zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide is listed as a "may contain." Also, there are parabens and other ickies. I'm not sure why a dry powder needs a preservative, much less two.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. So this is where I got suckered into buying this. There's a jar that screws onto a compartment that holds a mini buki brush. I instantly hated the brush and gave it away, but my EDM baby buki fits in the spot well. This makes it very travel-friendly.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. It was about five bucks. It's also only a 10g jar, as opposed to the more standard 25 or 30 you get with online companies. So the unit price is comparable.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service - not applicable. No point.

Total: 17 out of 30. If you buy this, know that you are getting a pretty jar full of ugly powder you'll want to throw away.

Reviews of other companies with pics coming soon.

Earthen Glow Minerals Mineral Mousse, revisited

I need to revisit Earthen Glow's mineral mousse. Even thought it got really high marks the first time I reviewed it, my opinions have changed, and for the worse. The biggest changes are to the durability and packaging categories, and I'm pretty disappointed.

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! I ordered Lora, which is "Light warm," after being warned that their fair shades were for the truly ghostlike, and on consultation with them via email. I also took a gamble and ordered a full size, so I could take advantage of the 30% off sale, and I'm glad I did because it does match very well.

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar. Covers all but the worst of the red marks and the darkest part of my surgical scar.

C. Adhesion/durability.
2. This has been becoming much more patchy than it used to get, and with the increase in humidity has been sinking into the creases by my nose worse than it used to.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. This is not controlling oil as well as it used to.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
1. I used to be really enthused about the packaging, until I used up half the product and couldn't get any more out of the airless pump. At all. Today, I had to resort to cutting the base of the pump off and pushing up on the inner base with my fingers in order to get any out. Not surprisingly, a whole bunch squirted out, so now I have a messy bottle that can't stand up and that has jagged edges on the bottom. Not cool.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point.
Company does not have good customer service, or service is unrated - 0 points. Customer service at Earthen Glow is slow, unpredictable at best, and at times contradictory. I am not pleased with my experience and will not be shopping there again.

Total: 20/30. This stuff is ok. I don't love it or anything anymore, and at this point I'm only using it because I have it and I want it gone.

Review - Sassy Minerals foundation.

I've been testing out some samples I got of Sassy Minerals foundation recently. Warm Light seems to be my best match with them. Let 's see how it held up!

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! Very happy with that aspect.

B. Coverage.
3. Covers blemishes and makes scar less noticeable. Sheerer than I'd hoped.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day - after that, my face looked patchy and cakey. Not good.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch. After lunch, there was some dryness around my mouth and my forehead was oily to the touch.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. Sample jar came with a seal, so no spilling!

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Haven't tested it out yet, but they were very gracious about my two sample jar order.

Total: 23/30. Good product, but wasn't the best for me - I didn't like how it wore later in the day. Would be nice for an evening out or an afternoon event, but not great for full-day wear.

Review - Physicians Formula HealthyWear powder foundation

I am serious about sun protection. You would be too, after having had a skin cancer cut out of your face at 26. I never go outside in the daytime without proper protection. I usually use an SPF 50 spray sunblock (CVS brand, full-spectrum) on my neck and body, or sometimes Neutrogena sensitive SPF 30, which I don't like as much because it makes me even paler. For my face, I've been using MyChelle Sun Shield, which is a silicone-free, fragrance-free, physical blocker only SPF 28 product, and generally top it with mineral makeup. I've heard great things about Neutrogena's Helioplex compound, but avobenzone is degraded by titanium dioxide, which is in all my makeup.

Sometimes, though, a cream sunblock isn't what I want, and sometimes, I just want my face SPF to match my body SPF. So I was really excited by the new HealthyWear line from Physicians Formula - a pressed powder foundation in SPF 50! It combines chemical and physical blockers, so it'll last awhile. How is it, as a foundation?

A. Color Matching
4. Close, but not quite. My face looks slighty pinker than usual with this on. I'm using translucent light.

B. Coverage.
3. Covers blemishes. For a sheer coverage product, it mostly evens out skin tone and covers smaller spots. Does nothing for the scar, but that's faded a lot and nobody but me really notices it.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day. Doesn't rub off too easily, but it does settle in the creases by my nose.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
4. By mid-afternoon, some oil spots have broken out or some areas look dryer than normal. This does that think where my face looks a little shiny, but not oily - but if you touch it? Slimy.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging. It comes in a plastic compact with a pink sponge in the lower compartment and the product on a tray above that, with a mirror in the lid. The compact is hot pink and orange. Orange is not my favorite color. However, as others have stated, you will not lose this in your purse. The product pan on mine also isn't glued into the compact very well, and I'm going to have to fix it soon. Also - I emailed them to ask about the sponge - it's latex-free.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. Roughly $15.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Yup! They have slow, but reliable, service.

Total: 20/30. If this matched my skin better, I'd be all over it. This is not for those days I want to look flawless, but it's amazing for when I want to go running and not have sweaty sunblock dripping into my eyes. As a sunblock in pressed powder form, I really like it. As a foundation, it does ok. I've used better. It's the easiest to use foundation I have, and would be great for travel. I have mixed feelings about the sponge - it feels a little rough. I think I like how the product applies with a baby buki better.

Would I buy it again? Probably, if for no other reason than it will help me avoid needing to have more skin cancers cut out of my face. A powder sunblock is great for hot, summery weather - all liquid sunblocks make my face sweat in the summer. I like how well this performs when I run, and can see it being useful for other outdoor activity in warm weather. And, it looks alright for when I'm pressed for time and don't want to have to tap out and brush on loose powder foundations.

Review - Lovely Android Foundation

So you all saw my post about my Lovely Android mini-haul - and I've finally had a chance to try everything!

Foundation:

A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite. Not bad!

B. Coverage.
2. Barely covers blemishes. This is pretty light coverage. It will even out skin tone, but not much else.

C. Adhesion/durability.
4. Almost gets me through a twelve-hour day. No patchiness!

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. 5g jar.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Can't rate on this, as I didn't have any problems.

Total: 21/30. Not bad stuff, very finely milled, but not enough coverage for my needs. I'll use the jar up, but probably won't buy more. If you're looking for sheer coverage and have normal skin, you'll probably love it.

Comprehensive Foundation Review

In my quest to find the perfect mineral foundation, I’ve tried a whole bunch, and reviewed all of them with stringent criteria, because I wanted to know which one was the best. I’ve reviewed a lot of loose powder foundations, three liquids, and one pressed powder. As I try out more stuff in the future, I'll make updated versions of the list, but this is where I am so far. Pics above are for color comparison purposes (and to some extent, coverage comparison).

Here’s a quick summary, with products ranked from best to worst.

1. Silk Naturals Original Coverage foundation (1 Warm Gold: 10 Ivory): 26/30. Despite receiving high scores, I’m still waffling on getting this. I was looking at a photo I’d taken for an EOTD post while I was wearing it and didn’t like the finish that much. I’ve ordered more samples to play with, because one of my biggest complaints was that it had too-sheer coverage. I really liked the oil control and the custom mixing aspects. I also think that SN might match my summer skin needs better than my winter skin needs.

2. Earthen Glow Minerals Mineral Mousse foundation (Lora – light warm): 25/30. I’m very glad I ordered a full size while it was on sale, because I love this stuff.

3. adorned with Grace Minerals foundation (Love 3.0): 24.5/30. Probably ordering this in full size so I have the option of a powder. Main weakness: my face gets shiny after awhile. Main strength: this stuff is so finely milled, super creamy, and a little goes a long way.

4. Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me foundation (Lora – light warm): 21/30. Best for those with normal skin (no dryness or oily issues) and stuff they want to cover up, or who can’t find a good match elsewhere, as there are lots of options for colors with this brand.

5. Aromaleigh Glissade foundation (1W): 21/30. The better (IMO) of the two Aromaleigh foundations, it still wasn’t right for me. Better for someone with dry skin.

6. Aromaleigh Voilé foundation (1W): 20/30. This didn’t stand out in any way for me. Probably better for someone with dry skin.

7. Everyday Minerals Matte foundation (Golden Fair): 20/30. This was my standby for a year and a half. There are much better choices out there, and I am happier with other stuff. I was thrilled to finally use the jar up the other day. However, it did get me started on minerals, which was a really good thing in the long run.

8. Everyday Minerals Pressed Powder foundation (old formula Fair Yellow, d/c): 19/20. This stuff has two things going for it: coverage and ease of use (no swirly dish – just swirl brush in product and use!) Everything else, it doesn’t do well on. I can’t wait to use this up, but I also kind of want to chuck it.

9. Almay PureBlends liquid foundation (Buff): 19/30. Main strengths: it matched my skin and comes in a nice package. Too bad it doesn’t do anything else well. The face burning was a definite problem. The only reason it scored as high as it did is because of the bottle and the matching. I’m planning on returning this to the store and getting some Milani liners instead.

10. Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation (Sleek Chartreux). 18/30. I was really disappointed in this and really wanted to like it. It’s way too sheer for me, though, and also does nothing against oil. If you have dry skin and mostly want to even out your skintone, this will probably be great for you.

11. Physician’s Formula OrganicWear tinted moisturizer (Ivory to Fair): 17/30 (will up to 18/30 if a customer service issue is resolved to my satisfaction). This would have scored a lot higher if it were lighter. If you have normal skin and aren’t either very fair or very dark, you might just love this stuff. Also, I got a tube that expired two months after I bought it, so they sent me a mailing label and I’m going to return it to the company for something else. I’m sure I’ll like whatever else I get better.

Review - Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me foundation

Over the weekend, I went through my samples from the Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me sample kit I got in the Light range. Normally, I'm fair, but Earthen Glow is one of those companies that makes stuff for the extra-fair. They sent me all 12 colors in the light range for the Cover Me foundation formula, and I picked out the 3 that looked closest, face swatched them, and picked Lora as the best match, which is unsurprising as the mousse foundation that matches me so well is also Lora.

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is!

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day. I blew my nose a few times, and that wiped off the product around my nose. It also seemed patchy on my forehead. Not a lot, but a little.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch. I touched my forehead five hours after putting the foundation on, and my fingers came away with oil on them. After I removed the makeup, my skin was a little dryer than usual.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging. Sample baggie, good size. Full sizes appear to come in normal jars.

G. Value
1. Costs more than you'd expect. $18 for a full size? I haven't seen a price that high on the other sites I frequent.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point.
(Reserving judgment on this until I hear back about the dried cream liner. Will revise accordingly.)

Total: 21/30. Not bad, but also not one of my favorites. If you have normal skin with a greater number than usual of blemishes or discolorations, then this is probably great for you.

Review - Earthen Glow Minerals Mineral Mousse Foundation

Another liquid! (And most probably my last, unless anyone has samples of stuff).
Today I wore my new Earthen Glow Minerals Mineral Mousse foundation. How'd it do?

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! I ordered Lora, which is "Light warm," after being warned that their fair shades were for the truly ghostlike, and on consultation with them via email. I also took a gamble and ordered a full size, so I could take advantage of the 30% off sale, and I'm glad I did because it does match very well.

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar. Covers all but the worst of the red marks and the darkest part of my surgical scar.

C. Adhesion/durability.
4. Almost gets me through a twelve-hour day. Looks great on my lower face, like I'm not wearing makeup, but my forehead got a little patchy.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
4. By mid-afternoon, some oil spots have broken out or some areas look dryer than normal. Not too much oil, actually, just a tiny bit of shine on the forehead. Dryness is a slightly bigger issue, but less so than with some other brands.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. Ok, so the packaging isn't really that attractive, but it's in an airless pump that comes with this little piece of plastic you can use to keep air from getting in through the pump hole. The pump also makes it very easy to only dispense what you need, you won't accidentally pour out more. Extremely functional packaging.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point.
Company does not have good customer service, or service is unrated - 0 points. I will come back and edit another point into the score if I get appropriate resolution on the dried cream liner I got in the same order. They also took a long time to respond to my emails about the ingredients of the foundation, but when they did answer they were very helpful.

Total: 25/30. This stuff is pretty good. It's amazing how it evens out skin tone and covers minor imperfections without looking chalky or cakey. Word to the wise: this stuff is easy to overdo. I only use one tiny squirt the size of a pea for my whole face. I had equally good results dispensing onto the back of my hand and applying with a foundation brush as I did dabbing small amounts around my face with my fingers. Both times, I blended with my fingers. Liquid foundation shouldn't require a brush, in my opinion. Overall, I really like this stuff.

Review - Everyday Minerals Pressed Powder foundation

I'm using up my Everyday Minerals foundation before I buy full size powders elsewhere. I'm down to less than a sample jar of loose foundation and I've hit a big piece of pan on the pressed stuff. I have the old pressed foundation (made with jojoba oil and not capric/caprylic triglyceride) in Fair Yellow.

Today, I'm wearing the pressed stuff. As you may recall, the loose got a 20/30 - certainly not the best I've ever tried.

How does the pressed version compare?

A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite. Right lightness, but a little too yellow. Sadly, this is discontinued in Fair Yellow. The old Golden Fair was way too dark, and I hear the new Golden Fair is darker than the loose foundation as well.

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar. I've used this as a concealer, but it doesn't completely cover things I'd like it to.

C. Adhesion/durability.
2. Lasts most of the day, but becomes patchy or rubs off easily. I wore this to an evening function a while ago, put it on right before I left. Three hours later, it was separating into clumpy pools of pigment. Today, I ended up with a line of foundation on my nose, despite wearing primer.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch. My forehead has been shiny since not too long ago.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
1. Ugly and/or problematic packaging. When I bought it, this stuff came in a cardboard compact. Now it comes in a nice plastic compact with a tray for a puff, but doesn't come in a color that works for me.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. $12 for a big pan of it.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Not - their service has taken a noticeable turn for the worse lately.

Total: 19/30. I like this even less than the loose EDM foundation, but it is useful to spot conceal. I won't be too sad to run out of it, though. Since I can't get this product/color anymore, that's pretty damning.

Review - Almay Pure Blends liquid foundation

So the Wet n Wild gel eyeliner I bought at CVS made my eyes a little burny after using it, so I returned it and used the money plus some extra bucks to buy Almay's Pure Blends foundation in Buff, figuring it was worth a shot - they'd let me return it if I hated it.

How'd it do?

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! Impressive for liquid.

B. Coverage.
2. Barely covers blemishes. This stuff is pretty sheer.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
2. Does not control oil or makes dry spots prominent. For oilies, it was slightly better than wearing nothing, but it did make some dry spots stand out, which is odd because it's a liquid.

E. Irritancy.
2. Tiny bumps or itching. Kind of burned for a few minutes after application, but then that went away.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. Cute bottle, easy to get the last out of.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Almay? No experience. CVS? They're great, but I'm reviewing Almay, not CVS.

Total: 19/30. If the burning keeps being a problem, I'll return it. If it doesn't, then I'll use it up but not repurchase - and only because it matches really well.

ETA 12/24 3:10 a.m. This stuff sucks. I tried again today without moisturizer underneath to see if that would help with the oiliness. It didn't, and it also made it dry my face out weirdly. I'm glad I kept my receipt.

Review - Aromaleigh Glissade foundation

Today, I wore Aromaleigh Glissade foundation in 1W. How'd it do?

A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite - again, slightly too light.

B. Coverage.
3. Covers blemishes and makes scar less noticeable. Granted, the acne's worse than usual today, thanks to a bunch of milk I drank last night. * angry face *

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. On the expensive side of moderate, but goes on sale sometimes.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Yup! (see below)

Total: 21/30. Worked better for me than Voilé, but not as good as Silk Naturals or adorned with Grace, which are my two current favorites. Also, this stuff is very fine and will fly in your face.

Review - Aromaleigh Voilé foundation

Today, I wore Aromaleigh Voilé foundation in 1W.

How'd it do?

A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite. Undertones are right, but it's actually too light for me.

B. Coverage.
3. Covers blemishes and makes scar less noticeable.

C. Adhesion/durability.
2. Lasts most of the day, but becomes patchy or rubs off easily. I put it on, and went to campus. It was bright, so I scrunched my forehead and squinted. This made the foundation settle into the line where I'd scrunched.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging. Sample baggie (good size and shape) that came in a tissue-paper wrapped bundle.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. I've heard great things about their service - all the bad stories floating around the Internet are due to an employee who has been fired.

Total: 20/30. Not for me, sadly. Probably would work great on someone with dry skin. Thankfully, they make lots of other neat things, so I'll still shop there for other stuff.

Review: adorned with Grace Minerals foundation

Today, I am wearing adorned with Grace Minerals foundation, in Love 3.0 on the left side of my face and Faith 3.0 on the right side of my face. Love 3.0 is the better match.

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! Impressive for a premixed product.

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar. It's no Dermablend, but it really covered well, and with less product than other foundations I've tried.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day. Kind of pools after that. I'm hoping that when I try it with a primer or finishing powder, the results will be better.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3.5. By "early afternoon," some oil spots have broken out or some areas look dryer than normal. I put it on at 11 this morning, and I had some shine on my forehead by five. Now (at 9:30), my face is pretty shiny. It hasn't dried me out at all, though.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. Ok, so I was using a sample baggie. But it was the right size sample baggie for the amount, and all the sample baggies came sealed in a plastic pouch, which was then wrapped in awG tissue paper with a little sticker.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Franchesca was very nice and helpful with color selection when I emailed her, and prompt, too.

Total: 24.5/30. I'm pretty impressed with how this product covers without looking chalky in the least. If it did more for oil control or lasted longer, I'd be thrilled. I'm planning on trying everything that scores above a 24 with primer and finishing powder to see if that helps it, and I think that this stuff would do better. I'd like to try this out as concealer, too, because it really made both my scar and my jawline acne less noticeable.

Review: Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation

Today, I am wearing Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation.

How's it doing?
A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite.

B. Coverage.
2. Barely covers blemishes. My skin tone is a bit more even, and it is a sheer formula, but I'm not super happy with it.

C. Adhesion/durability.
2. Lasts most of the day, but becomes patchy or rubs off easily. It's kind of patchy now.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
1. Turns me into an oil slick or dries me out. I bet this foundation would be great for someone with normal skin. But my T-Zone is an oil slick right now, and some dry skin I have around my jawline (Thanks, Retin-A!) is more prominently dry than I'd like.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all. It is aimed at women with sensitive skin, so at least it does that.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging. Samples come in baggies, and the small and full size jars look pretty good. My entire order came in a nice leopard-print cloth drawstring bag, which I thought was cute. Loses a point for the size and shape of the bags, though. They should really use some shorter bags for their samples.

G. Value
3. Exceptionally good value. Much more volume per dollar than you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. I did have a helpful email exchange about color choices, and shipping was prompt.

Total: 18/30. This is not the foundation for me. I've been wearing it for about 7 hours and am going to need to hit up the emergency mattifying lotion in my purse before I go teach in an hour. I'm still on campus for another six hours, too. It's too bad, because I really wanted to like it, especially because of the value in the large size jars. It worked better a few days ago over a primer, and I bet a nice finishing powder would help a lot with the oil, but that's a lot more work than I want to put in most days. If you don't have crazy combination skin, this would probably work really well for you. If you do have crazy combination skin, this is not the best choice out there. I actually think my skin looks better with just Fyrinnae Velvet Gel Primer over my moisturizer than it does with this stuff on.


In unrelated news, I think I should be getting my adorned with Grace haul today or tomorrow, so there'll be an upcoming review of that soon.

Review - Silk Naturals Original formula foundation

Today, I'm wearing Silk Naturals foundation, the original (lighter coverage) formula with a ratio of 1 Warm Gold:10 Ivory.

Here goes the rubric!

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! It may be a little too dark, but that's my fault for not saving enough Ivory for the mix. I'll be able to remedy that pretty well. You mix your own custom blend - great system!

B. Coverage.
3. Covers blemishes and makes scar less noticeable. To be fair, I'm not using anything designed for heavy coverage.

C. Adhesion/durability.
4. Almost gets me through a twelve-hour day. Some of it's made lines, but it's not coming off or pooling in large chunks or anything.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
4. By mid-afternoon, some oil spots have broken out. I'm not as shiny as I'd be without it. My face started to get shiny midway through the day, but it hasn't gotten progressively a lot worse. This plus my usual primer (which I did not use) and/or a finishing powder, and I'd be good for longer.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. Ok, so it comes in baggies. But the sample kit came nicely bundled together, and the rest of my order was in this really nice sheer black drawstring bag. I got a jar to put my mix in. It's a standard jar, with a clear lid. I like clear lids.

G. Value
3. Exceptionally good value. Much more volume per dollar than you'd expect. See "unit prices" entry. I'll be able to get a little over a tablespoon of foundation (25-g jar worth - I'm buying a package of Ivory, a sample bag of Warm Gold, and a 30-g jar) for $7.99 the first time, and the next time I'll only have to spend $5.50 for another bag of Ivory as I'll have enough Warm Gold left for another batch, and the jar'll still be good.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Karen, the owner, is very nice.

Total: 26/30 This stuff is pretty good, I already have the required supplies in my cart for when I get paid at the end of the month. Also, every order over $10 and you get a gift with purchase.

Review - Physicians' Formula OrganicWear tinted moisturizer

I wanted to look less than deadly ill while teaching this afternoon, so I went for the tinted moisturizer and some Physicians' Formula eyebrighter shadow.

And, well, tinted moisturizer is pretty much foundation, right?
So...

A. Color matching.
1. Does not match my skin at all. I have Ivory-Fair, and it matches my arms, but not my neck. Also, it's kind of orange. Too dark and too orange. Eh.

B. Coverage.
3. Mostly covers blemishes and makes scar less noticeable. Evens out skin tone nicely, as well. If only it were light enough.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch. Forehead got shiny early on with this stuff, rest of face took longer. Would probably be fine with a dusting of powder over it, but as I'm testing all the foundations without primer or powder, I didn't use any today.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging - a squeeze tube with a green plastic cap.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. I think I paid ten for 1.5 fl. oz. Pretty standard for drugstore foundation.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Did not test yet, but I'm gonna see if they can do anything about having sold me a product with a Dec. expiration date in October.

Total: 17/30. I'd like this a lot better if it were lighter in color, or at least less orange.

Review - Everyday Minerals Matte foundation

To be fair... I'm going to review my old foundation before doing new ones, just so I have a basis of comparison. I plan to do the same thing with the pressed foundation I have. I bought this jar in June 2008 and received it in August that year (bad sign of things to come, I know. I attributed it to difficulty with transitioning to a new site, because I was otherwise happy with them).

Everyday Minerals Matte Foundation (Golden Fair)

A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite. Somewhat whitish cast, and if they made something a couple shades lighter than Soft Butter Peach, it probably would have matched better.

B. Coverage.
3. Covers blemishes and makes scar less noticeable.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day. Almost. Seems to settle into pores easily and get patchy. Yuck.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
4. By mid-afternoon, some oil spots have broken out or some areas look dryer than normal.

E. Irritancy.
2. Tiny bumps or itching. (went away after half an hour or so)

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging. Newer jars have the closable sifters, which is nifty. All my full sizes of EM are older than the closable sifters, though.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. Good value with a 12+ item discount, but then you also have to buy 11 other things, which gets expensive.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Not.

Total: 20/30. Ok product, but apparently nothing special.