Edward Bess Sheer Satin Cream Compact Foundation (03 Nude)

I have several Edward Bess goodies to talk about- new shades of lip colors and his gorgeous blushes. But before we go there I must talk about this little wonder- the Edward Bess Sheer Satin Cream Compact Foundation. I've been using it just about every other day for the last couple of months, especially when I need to get ready quickly. The advantage of this compact foundation is that it already contains a silicone base, which means two things: 1) no need to use a silicone primer underneath, and, 2) application is the easiest thing in the universe.

I admit that when I'm not in a hurry  I like to apply a brightening non-silicone primer (like the ones from Cle de Peau or Shiseido) underneath the Edward Bess foundation, but it's not really necessary. Thanks to the formula my makeup holds for at least 8 hours even without one. I'm just a primer fiend.

I apply the foundation with a sponge- usually slightly damp (the one in the compact is quite decent, by the way). The Sheer Satin foundation gives medium coverage and looks beautifully natural on skin- the finish is flawless, smooth and soft, and since Node #3 is perhaps the most perfect match for my skin I've seen in a while, it looks like I'm just having a good skin day.

Bottom Line: Perfection. As always.

Edward Bess Sheer Satin Cream Compact Foundation ($60) is available from Bergdorf Goodman and select Neiman Marcus locations as well as online.

All photos are mine. Model: Sophie.

Chanel Teint Innocence Compact Makeup (76 Soft Bisque)

A couple of months ago my sister and I were at my local Saks Chanel counter. She needed a new lipstick so I decided to introduced her to Chanel Rouge Coco. The result was she ended up with a gorgeous Rouge Allure (go figure) and both of us fell in love with Chanel Teint Innocence Compact Makeup. I got it in Soft Bisque(#76) while my sister needed something much lighter, probably Gentle Ivory. No, we look nothing alike. Maryam, the SA who helped us and did our makeup was obviously excellent.

One thing to know about Chanel foundations is that the shades differ greatly between formulas. You can't order blindly even if you wear another Chanel foundation. Definitely not as long as Chanel website only offers those ridiculous tiny color swatches that mean absolutely nothing. Soft Bisque and Beige look almost identical online, so one needs to be at a counter to get a perfect match.

Teint Innocence Compact Foundation offers medium coverage. The texture is not heavy and does not weigh down the skin. It can, of course, be used over the entire face, but I prefer to apply it on areas needing more coverage than what I get from my beloved Peau Vierge (Le Metier de Beaute). I can even skip concealer when I'm using both, and the results are satisfyingly flawless- Teint Innocence hides those little sun damage spots on my cheek.

I like the creamy feel and the way it melds with the skin and whatever base product I have on (the foundation looks exceptionally luminous over Le Blanc de Chanel or Cle de Peau luminizing primer). It stays on from day till night, though I never tested it without a base product and a finishing powder. The SA recommended applying Teint Innocence with a makeup sponge. I also like using a foundation brush, either a regular one or a duo fiber ("skunk"). The latter is especially good when blending two different products together for an even finish.

Chanel Teint Innocence Compact Makeup ($56) is avaialble from decent department store and chanel.com.

All photos are mine.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Mineral Basics Kit

Prologue: Mineral Makeup And I
Mineral makeup is not a new concept. Some of the companies specializing in it have been around for much longer than you'd think. Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics, for example, was founded in 1996. But it wasn't until Bare Minerals counters started popping up everywhere that I was fully aware of the option to use a foundation in a loose powder form.

So I tried. And it.did.not.work.
There were many reasons- from finding a matching shade to the unnatural finish. I wasn't too impressed with most of the SAs and their oddly buffed fuzzy android skin, and my face didn't look any better. The powder seemed to settle in my pores and dry my skin. It just wasn't right. I can tell you that the newer Matte formula is light years ahead of the original one, yet I still experienced dryness and the finish was not quite right.

The Story: In Which I Test Youngblood Mineral Foundation
I had a very positive experience with several other Youngblood products (why does saying it make me feel like a  vampire?), so I was willing to give their mineral foundation a try. I was sent the Mineral Basic Kit in medium and started working on my shaking and buffing technique.

The kit contains a Kabuki blending brush, two shades of mineral foundation (Honey and Tawny), Mineral Rice Setting Powder (medium), Crushed Mineral Blush (Rouge) and a sample of Hi-Definition Hydrating Mineral Perfecting Powder.

To my surprise, the Rice Setting Powder is supposed to go on first, right on top of your moisturizer, and act as a primer. I gave it a fair try and tested the powder in every kind of weather and humidity conditions (early spring is the best time for comprehensive product testing, by the way). The results were never thrilling. While the product is excellent when it comes to durability and hold, it comes at a high price of drying my skin to the point of flaking around the nose. It was not a matter of too much/too little product or buffing. I tried everything and my only conclusion is that this Rice Setting Powder is utterly not for me*.

But I didn't give up on the foundation. I was actually impressed with it from the very first time.I tried both colors separately and also mixed together with great results color-wise. It's a good match for my skin tone and can be adjusted according to season and mood. Honey is probably closer to my natural shade, but with a dash of Tawny it's as good as it gets.

 I started using the foundation over several primers, including the liquid Mineral Primer by Youngblood. They all worked perfectly and the mineral foundation applied and held very well. Once this issue was settled, I could appreciate the excellent coverage and very even skin the foundation created. Freckles and small sun spots disappear almost completely. To achieve this level of opacity with regular foundations I'd need to slather and frost my face with it. Not exactly desirable since these two dots on each cheek are the only thing I would even consider covering (normally I go for a very sheer look).

There's a learning curve with a mineral foundation. You need to figure out just how much (how little, actually) product to use without overdoing it. Too much buffing is also not good, because it makes the skin have an unnatural, over-processed finish. One thing I haven't found a way to avoid is the mess. No matter how careful I am, some powder ends up on the dresser, mirror and assorted cats. I keep moist wipes at reach to at least prevent mineral paw prints all over the house. Not all felines are impressed.

The mineral foundation looks and holds especially well on humid days (we had a few very unseasonal ones in early May/late April). The only time I wasn't too happy because of some tightening of the skin around my nose was when the weather turned cold again. This is going to be a summer staple for me, but will be tucked away for winter.

As for the other components of the kit, I already told you how much I liked the mineral blush. The Hi-Definition Hydrating Mineral Perfecting Powder is also excellent. It gives a flawless finish, no matter which foundation I've used underneath. The one disappointment is the brush. It's not soft enough for my liking and on days my face feel a bit tender (it's allergy season, after all), the Kabuki blending brush felt almost too abrasive. I know good brushes. This ain't it.

The Bottom Line(s):
I'm very happy to add a mineral foundation to my arsenal of face-making tools. It's not going to replace my beloved Chanel liquid foundation, but some days I like an alternative, and this is a very good one.
Unless your skin is very active and oily, I'd recommend skipping the Mineral Rice Powder in favor of a good regular primer.
The blush and the Hi-Def powder are both worth trying independently. Just get a good brush elsewhere.

*I know some are going to ask, so here's what I'm working with, face-wise: I'm 39, so my spring chicken days are definitely over. My skin goes from nice and normal to very dry, depending on the weather. I have small-to-medium sized pores and rarely break out and rarely break out. No wrinkles other than three frown lines, no crow's feet but very large dark under eye circles. Biggest skin issue is the sensitive and dry zone on both sides of the nose.

The Mineral Basic Kit ($45)  is available online from the company's website (ybskin.com). The products can also be purchased separately there or in store at Henri Bendel. I was sent a free kit through the company's PR.

All photos by Giselle and me.

Perricone MD- No Foundation Foundation

From the name "No Foundation Foundation" I assumed this Perricone MD product would be a sheer base you can wear either alone or under a regular foundation, maybe similar to Shiseido Smoothing Veil. I was surprised to see that the liquid in the tubes was actually tinted and had a distinct yellow tone that looked quite unappetizing.

The color mostly disappeared on my skin, but still looked slightly off. If it were a regular foundation it would have been a sign I need to try a different shade. But the No Foundation Foundation (the name is getting on my nerves more and more) has no other colors. The finish wasn't all that great, either. It doesn't cover much and ends up looking too dry even over a silicone primer on really cold days (it improved when the weather did, though). I tested it faithfully over the course of several weeks, tried layering tinted moisturizers and liquid foundations over it to balance the color, and in the end saw no reason to continue using the product, let alone buy a full size bottle.

Bottom Line: Meh.

Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation ($50, 1 oz. Way overpriced. Add $4 and you can buy Chanel Vitalumiere) is available from Sephora. I had several samples- regular and deluxe size from various other purchases.

Cover FX Natural FX Water Based Foundation SPF 15 (M40 Honey)

When I bought my emergency Cover FX Total Coverage foundation I also got the lighter product, Natural FX Water Based Foundation. This liquid foundation is a lot easier to use and can be applied on larger areas or the entire face (I've found that I prefer to use Total Coverage very sparingly and only on those spots where I have something to hide). It still gives very good coverage (medium+), but doesn't act as spackle and is far less drying.

I don't love it as much as my holy grail Chanel Vitalumiere, but that's simply because my preference for minimal coverage and a more dewy look. Then again, sometimes I do need a little more help, which is why I bought the Cover FX products in the first place, and for this purpose they don't disappoint. I've found that it works best over a silicone primer and a well-moisturized face. I'd still avoid using it on dry patches or on days the weather and skin feel parched.

It was harder to settle on a color for Natural FX than for Total Coverage. Once again I ended up with M40 (honey), but it took me longer to choose it, because before testing on my face I tried each foundation color on my wrist just to see the undertone, and M40 looked way too yellow. But while M30 (Cashew) was slightly a better fit on my arm, it was too pale with a pink hint when meeting my face. I suspect that if I want the best match ever I need to mix these colors. Something like two parts M40 and one part M30, but as it is I usually mix the Cover FX with my Chanel which gives me a similar result.

The main thing about this foundation is application. Sponges, wet or dry, lay it on too thick, and I've found that my fingers don't do an even enough job, which is important when you use anything that isn't of the minimal coverage family. I've been using it with several of the foundation brushes I already owned, but decided I need to do things right to get the most out of the products. I caved and ordered two Cover FX brushes: #160 Cream Foundation Brush and #170 Precision Foundation Brush (the one with the pointy tip). They only arrived today, so I have yet to test them, but I can tell you they look promising in density and weight.

Bottom line: An above average product and above average coverage. Gives picture-worthy results as long as you stay hydrated and moisturized.

Cover FX Natural FX Water Based Foundation ($40) and foundation brushes ($36-38) are available from Sephora. I bought the foundation in store and ordered the brushes online.

All photos by me.

Cover FX Total Coverage Cream Foundation (M40 Honey)

I'm a light coverage person. My thing is sheer,dewy foundation or tinted moisturizers that let skin breath and look natural. But a couple of months ago I decided I needed a higher performance emergency foundation. That's how I found myself at Sephora Union Square testing, swatching on my cheeks, running to the front of the store where there's more natural light, examining my skin from all direction, wiping it off and repeating the process...

Choosing a foundation is tedious, especially when you're trying a new-to-you brand. It's not glamorous, not really fun and you're always aware that the wrong shade would make your face look ridiculous. I spent nearly half an hour on this, which didn't make me happy. I regard Sephora as a necessary evil, not really a fun place. I'm more of a Bergdorf shopper, but Sephora has some exclusive brands and the option to try, test and play with products without a commission-hungry SA breathing down your neck is a huge advantage and help me tolerate the music and general atmosphere.

I settled on M40 Honey after also trying M30 and M50, to be sure I got it right. It's a great match and the color looks natural. The part that is more difficult for me and keeps the Total Coverage Cream Foundation as an emergency-only product is the texture. This is a real, grown-up, heavy duty foundation. It's very thick and if not applied carefully can go pancake-like. The compact comes with a sponge, but it's much better to use a foundation brush and stipple the cream where needed. The foundation is also quite dry. It means that it doesn't move or budge, but you also need to completely avoid the eye area (or you'd discover lines you have no idea you had) and not apply it anywhere you tend to get dry patches.

When I tried to use the Total Coverage to conceal redness around my nose, it got dry, flaky and made the situation ten times worse, even though I was using a silicone primer. But when brushed judiciously where needed, the result is as close to airbrushed as it gets. Sometimes that's exactly what one needs.

Bottom line: Not fun, but it works.

Cover FX Total Coverage Cream Foundation ($42) is available from Sephora, on line and in store.

Photos by me.

Chanel Vitalumiere Fluide Makeup

The good news is that two or three years of brightening creams, serums and religious use of sun blocks have most definitely worked. The bad news is that my beloved foundation no longer matches my skin, which is back to its original weird color.

Chanel Vitalumiere Fluide Makeup has been my Holy Grail foundation since 2002. I've always had a bottle in Beige (intensity 2.0), even when flirting and supplementing with other products. It was perfect for me, both in color and texture, gave me the light coverage I wanted and a natural lively finish- not matte but not shimmery or shiny. I think it's labeled as "dewy". Over the last few months I've found myself mixing and diluting my Vitalumiere to the point it was no longer effective. I had to face it: beige was way too dark for me.




An emergency trip to the Chanel counter at Bergdorf Goodman was in order. I was lucky to meet there with Jennifer, a regional Chanel rep, who was as knowledgeable as she was patient and passionate about the brand. She worked with me, tested, swatched, applied, wiped and reapplied until both of us were happy. I was quite shocked by the result- originally I thought I had to go down one shade and wear Shell. But that was still too dark and too yellow. The color that worked was Cameo (intensity 1.0). My skin hasn't been this color since the early 70s, and probably not even then, as it was before anyone even thought about SPF 45.

My new Chanel Vitalumiere foundation has the same texture and finish I've always loved, my skin looks significantly better and I'm sending a Thank You letter to the good people in Shiseido, Nars and Labortoire Remede, who are all responsible for restoring my face.

Chanel Vitalumiere Fluide Makeup ($54) is available at select department stores.

All photos are mine.

Benefit You Rebel and You Rebel Lite Tinted Moisturizer

I've been all about minimal coverage lately, especially after I worked my way through a couple of You Rebel samples. It's exactly what you'd expect a tinted moisturizer to be: light, kind to your face and give an even finish. The added SPF 15 is definitely a bonus.

Once I was done with the samples and ready to buy a tube, I discovered (the hard way) that You Rebel comes in two colors, regular and light. Surprisingly enough, the one I loved and have used for weeks was the Light. Doesn't make any sense, if you consider my complexion is anything but porcelain. However, you can't argue with the facts: Light melted right into my skin and looked nice and natural, while the regular one made me look related to George Hamilton.

Adding just a drop of the regular You Rebel to a normal dose of Light was perfect in the summer, but now I'm back to just Light. It works well with most primers, and while it doesn't last more than 8 hours, that's quite good for tinted moisturizer.

You Rebel and You Rebel Light ($30) are available from Sephora and BenefitCosmetics.Com

Benefit Some Kind Of Gorgeous

I was fully expected to dislike Some Kind Of Gorgeous, a cream-to-powder foundation from Benefit Cosmetics. It only comes in two colors, regular and deep, and the texture had me worried: it feels very oily when you touch it, but goes on quite dry. I had to make sure my face was moisturized and primed, otherwise the powderiness was too much and my skin appeared dry. Actually, I wasn't sold on this product until over a few uses I noticed how well it settles and melts, until it gives a smooth and flawless finish.

The coverage is sheer to medium and the the effect is a very even complexion. Somehow, the regular color is a perfect match for me. I'm still not sure how well it works for very fair faces, but as far as I'm concerned it's a winner. The compact is very travel-friendly, and while you should definitely use a brush for best results, a (clean) finger would work in a pinch, so nothing else is necessary, making it ideal for an overstuffed makeup bag.

Some Kind Of Gorgeous ($26) is available from Sephora, several department stores and online. I got a mini compact as a GWP when I stocked up on some essentials.

An Uneven Road to Perfection: BECCA Complexion Products

You know all those regurgitated magazine articles about the most common makeup mistakes and no-nos: The obvious foundation on the jawline, the dark lip liner with pink lipstick, the unblended eyeshadow... It's all true, but no longer as common as it once used to be. People do learn, eventually. What's far more common is the half-done makeup: You see a woman who obviously took the time to carefully do her eye makeup, maybe even curled her lashes, chose the right lip color and dabbed on some gloss, but the problem is that she did all that on an uneven surface or skipped a step in the complexion perfection routine. And it shows.

(Another complexion pet peeve is the over-buffing of mineral makeup that results in an unnatural shiny mask. One day when we look back at makeup blunders of this decade, this is going to be at the top of every list, together with excessive smoky eyes that reach the apple of one's cheek, but that's a discussion for another day.)

Once upon a time, before primers appeared on the market, it used to be hard to keep a natural, even face without having to redo the whole thing mid-day. Thankfully, we now have eye primers that do not let eyeshadow crease or fade, and face primers that help us keep up appearances from day to night. They come in two formulas: Clear silicon, like the excellent Smashbox Photo Finish, that glides over the skin and smoothing it, and thin creamy ones that melt into the skin, refining its texture (like the Sephora brand, Shiseido Smoothing Veil and many others).

BECCA Silky Hydrating Primer belongs to the latter group. It's supposed to be a moisturizer as well as a primer, but I wouldn't recommend giving up your usual product. It worked well on top of my regular cream and did a good job at keeping the skin supple and my makeup in place for long hours. The texture is very thin, and since it comes in a regular tube, it dispenses more than needed and is quite wastefull.

The primer worked better with my regular Chanel foundation than with BECCA's own Luminous Skin Color, but that's not really surprising since the LSC is more of a tinted moisturizer than a full-blown foundation. As such, it's lighter in coverage and quite sheer. It feels pleasant on the skin and gives it a nice, healthy finish. I really liked the way it looked: Fresh but without that silly dewey look many light products give. I liked less the way the pump bottle works: It's so squirty, I'm constantly having to wipe the lotion of various surfaces in my bathroom.
Since the coverage is so light, this product requires a touch of concealer on problem areas underneath.

BECCA's compact concealer is a two-in-one deal. You get two intensity levels of coverage: medium and extra. Both are quite thick, which makes blending tricky, especially in the eye area. Also, all the concealer brushes I own are quite useless with this texture. It only works with fingers, which isn't the most hygienic thing ever. The coverage is better than many other concealer I've tried, but the blending issue is a big one in a product that needs to not be seen. The biggest flaw is in the packaging: You need to keep the little plastic insert that tells you which side is which, because you really don't want the pasty extra coverage under your eyes. Believe me: I tried. Quite annoying.

The finishing touch for every well-made face is powder. The one BECCA is offering is loose, very fine milled and gives a truly fabulous, natural look (lovely finish that blends perfectly with the skin and never looks powdered), but only if one manages to work the correct amount, because the packaging, again, doesn't make it easy. What I do, is get some powder on the puff, and then swipe a brush over it. It's a bit of a hassle, even if the results are good.

When it comes to foundation, I'm of the opinion that there are no shortcuts. A product that isn't a perfect match in texture and color will ruin the best makeup and the most perfect and skilled application. I've been a Chanel devotee for the last five years and it doesn't seem to change. I usually go for the light coverage provided by Vitalumier in liquid form, but recently I had the opportunity to test the more opaque Creme Compact Foundation.

The cream is thicker, of course, and requires a sponge (it comes with the compact, as you can see in the picture). It goes on smoothly and is very easy to blend. I tried it with and without my beloved Smashbox primer, and the results are great either way. However, when not using the primer, my skin needed to be exfoliated and deeply moisturized for the cream to look good and not flaky.

The coverage is better than what you get from the fluid Vitalumier, yet it's not cakey and doesn't cover my skin with a coat of paint. It does a great work making my complexion even and nearly flawless, but it doesn't completely conceal (what's left of) my infamous three freckles. I don't have a multitude of facial sins to hide, but the red patches near the nose and the little imperfections here and there are properly covered, while the skin still looks natural and radiant. I can't recommend it enough. It's that great, just make sure your skin is well hydrated before you try this on.

As for color, I had a surprise. Apparently, my anti-sun and vitamin C serum regimen (not to say obsession) have made my skin lighter than it's ever been. Usually, my Vitalumier color is Beige (intensity 2.0), but here I discovered that somewhat lighter Cameo (1.0) is a great match.

Smooth

August is all about survival. Heat, humidity and crappy TV are trying to do us in. Saving face gets a new meaning during a season which makes some of our makeup staples cry. I don't know about you, but putting on a silicone-based face primer doesn't feel that great to me right now. Neither does foundation. Still, in order to look perfectly put together, one needs a little help in the even-things-out department.

This is when Shiseido Smoothing Veil saves the day. It's an intriguing concept: A white primer/foundation in the tub, colorless on the face and somehow gets your skin to look smooth and even. It doesn't cover up serious imperfections; You still need your concealer for that job. But, everything else gets that healthy skin finish. It's a good primer which holds whatever makeup I apply on top very nicely (and helps it last). The SPF 16 is a great bonus, as it saves me piling on another layer of product.

I can't say much about the fine line diminishing claim. I don't have much to diminish there, and generally, I'm quite skeptical about such things. But, since overall skin appearance is smoother, fine lines may be less visible.

Not That Anyone Has Asked, But...

The bloggers that were featured in August's Allure were asked for their list of ten favorite products. Apparently, some of those lists were slightly altered (read this post by the Beauty Addict), but they did get to name their absolute favorites. So I've been trying to compile mine. It's not as easy it seems. I'm sort of cheating, as in certain places I picked a whole product range. But, it's my list so I make the rules...

1. Leave-in conditioners. There are several on the market and I alternate between a few. It doesn't really matter which one I use, as long as my hair gets its moisture fix. My favorites are Aveda Elixir and Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch.

2. Body washes and creams from L'Occitane. I love everything that they make, in every fragrance and line. The shea butter products are wonderful in winter, mimosa is a dreamy summer scent and I also adore the Honey Harvest line. Their web site is horrible, though. You need to know exactly what you're looking for, otherwise you'll miss most of the products. So I highly recommend a trip to their nearest store.


3. Bliss Sole Train set. Everything one needs for feet (except for polish). The Diamancel Buffer is amazing (they also sell it on Drugstore.com, and their lotions and potions are wonderful. I only wish it all smelled like Rosy Toes. What's better than having your feet smell like roses?

4. Mario Badescu's seaweed night cream. I've talked about it before and can't say enough good things about this product. They sell the entire line in Nordstrom, and I also recommend taking their consultation online, because in a few weeks you will receive an envelope full of samples of products recommended for you. That's how I became a fan of their products.

5. Lancome eye liners. If I had to choose only one eye makeup product, it would have been eye liner, and if I had to narrow it to one brand it would be Lancome. The pencils and liquid in a pen are all beautiful, durable and easy to use.


6. Chanel Vitalumier foundation. I haven't succumbed to the mineral trend. I like the silky feeling of a liquid foundation and the fool-proof application. Vitalumier is semi-sheer. You get more coverage if you use more product. It blends well with my skin and has a lovely, natural finish. My color of choice is beige, and it's the best match for my skin out of the many products I've ever tried.

7. Dallas by Benefit. It's a blush and a bronzer. It gives my skin the perfect natural-looking glow and I have no idea what I used before discovering it. Well, I do know, but now I can't picture myself without it.

8. Besame Cosmetics Enchanting Lipstick in Chocolate Kiss. I've already declared it as my holy grail lip color. The more I use this reddish brown lipstick, the more I love it. It's very pigmented, the texture is perfect and the color is neutral enough to be wearable for either day or night, but still bold enough to be noticed and make a difference in my look.

9. O.P.I Start to Finish base & top coat. I've tried so many nail products. From the ubiquitous drugstore products to the top notch Lippman Collection. This is the best I've found. It's a 2-in-1 product that gives outstanding results. It makes applying polish a breeze and the manicure lasts for well over a week.

10. Perfume. My mother has taught me that you should never leave the house without putting on some perfume. I also wear it at home. It makes everything prettier and finishes off the look. I don't think that it really matters what anyone is using, as long as it's something they love and feel good wearing. I'm always looking for new ones, not as a holy grail thing, just building my fragrance wardrobe.