Hot or Not Beauty

Sometimes I want to splurge on one makeup item that just exudes exquisiteness, so Yves Saint-Laurent’s Temps Majeur seemed like a perfect opportunity. I probably am going through a Yves Saint-Laurent phase but this rose has its thorns, and this foundation was one of them.

All of Yves Saint-Laurent’s makeup is strongly scented, the fragrance however has practically no staying power and doesn’t bother you. The perfume on this foundation is delicious however that is not my problem with it. My problem is the coverage and finish.

This is not meant for sheer application, it just sits there, whether applied with a brush or a sponge, it just doesn’t work if you’re going for a sheer look. So, OK, fine we’ll do it Medium-Full and it doesn’t look for me, it ends up looking cakey, incredibly heavy and OBVIOUS that you’re wearing foundation. In this day and age with all the advances in cosmetics this is something I wasn’t expecting for a $100 worth of foundation it just didn’t work for me at all.

Not only that, there was definitely something in the components that made me break out within a half an hour of putting it on my face.

I was so glad that I had previously asked for a sample of this to try out before I went out and bought it on impulse and left with yet another item for my “you-want-it-you-got-it” bag.
After so many hazards in my makeup shopping, I became a lot more careful about my purchases specially if it goes over $50 in price, it’s just not practical to have tons of makeup sitting because it didn’t either live up to my expectations or was just a bad product.

After falling in love with “Poudre Sur Mesure”, I wanted to love Temps Majeur as well, but definitely couldn’t and sported the war wounds for a few days until my skin cleared up.

Whenever I have the chance, I prefer to read multiple comments from other consumers in order to get a general idea of how the product performs and whether or not I should give it a go. True that sometimes the shopper’s impulse is so overwhelming that I ignore the occasional bad review and end up purchasing it (usually regretting it later).

Having sensitive/reactive skin, I can’t wear all makeup brands like I would like. However sometimes when I’m reading other people’s reviews or reactions I’ll notice that many of them blame the product for performing way less than it should when most of the times they’re either not using the product correctly or they’re not removing it adequately.

In our fast paced lives, makeup remover wipes can by a genuine life saver, allowing to removing and go without the added fuss of a bottled cleanser or one that needs rinsing. But can they be applied in all situations? Sadly, no.

Longwear and waterproof makeup aren’t diluted (or removed) with most of the wipes in the market (if not all), yes your face looks clean (overall) but has the foundation been removed thoroughly from your skin? And why do you have a black cloud around your eyes? Ineffective makeup removal results in clogged pores and breakouts, but what do many do? Blame the product. Now I’m not saying that everyone is like that and that all products don’t cause break-outs. But here are a few tips just in case.

Get products that are appropriate for your skin type, if you have dry skin: don’t get a powder foundation like Studio Fix, it will accentuate your flaky skin (if you have it) or worsen the most sensitive areas on your face.

Please make sure you remove all products at the end of the day with the appropriate cleanser and exfoliate once or twice a week to make sure you remove dead skin cells and prevent pore clogging.

Read the product’s ingredient list, if there are certain products that break you out then cross-check and see if there isn’t a certain ingredient that you’re allergic. While it’s true that cosmetics are tested and try to be non-comedogenic, not all skins are the same and your body chemistry might react differently to a certain kind of ingredient like Titanium Dioxide which is commonly used as a physical sunblock on primers and foundations.

Stay alert, research before you shop to make sure you’ll make the most of what the beauty industry has to offer.

Welcome back to part two of makeup for weddings (when I say weddings, it can apply to any sort of special event or cerimony that demands that you look your best and usually will have you photographed or videotaped for posterity), when we review the best type of makeup products to use.

First and foremost, a primer is mandatory! You want to ensure that your makeup holds all day long with the least bit of touching up necessary that will make you look always fabulous and prevent the “Oh dear, is it six AM already?” look.

Here’s a couple of options that (to me) have always been bullet proof:

Make Up For Ever’s Corrective Make Up Base - Available in several shades to correct skin discoloration/rosacea
Make Up For Ever’s All-Mat - Formulated for oily Skin and to ensure a matte look throughout the day.
Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer - Also available in light, color corrector and anti-aging versions to suit your skin’s needs.
Laura Mercier’s Foundation Primer - Regular or Oil-Free

Blot the skin with a soft tissue to remove excess product (if needed) and follow with your usual makeup to even out the complexion. As always, regarding dark circle concealers opt for moisturizing formulas that avoid creasing and don’t enhance whatever lines you might have in that area like:

Estee Lauder’s Re-Nutriv Duo Concealer
Chanel’s Vitalumiere Creme Concealer
Dior’s Anticerne Perfecteur Concealer
Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer

Where foundation is concerned, although we like to appear as natural as possible, more damaged skin (either sun damage or scarring) will require foundation with deeper coverage, also if you have oily skin avoid shimmery/dewy types of foundations, as the day progresses it will make you look greasy and that’s a definite no-no. Also, avoid shimmery powder and highlighters if you have uneven skin in terms of texture, the shimmer will atract light and make painfully obvious whatever you’re trying to conceal.

If it’s a afternoon/evening wedding, prefer matte or semi-matte foundation formulas so that the flash won’t reflect and wash out your complexion and avoid foundations with SPF, specially Titanium Dioxide. Opt for SPF in your primer or day cream.

Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer (sheer coverage with a fresh glowy finish) - For those who need sheer coverage and slight adjustment to their complexion, this is a consumer and artist favourite.
Make Up For Ever’s Face & Body Foundation (gel type, all skin types, dewy) - Sheer to Medium Coverage, water resistant and can be used on body
Make Up For Ever’s Lift Foundation (fluid, with powder for deeper in formula for deeper coverage, semi-matte) - Formulated for mature/dry skin with medium to full coverage.
Make Up For Ever’s Mat-Velvet + (Fluid, combination/oily skin) - Photographs gorgeously and medium to full.
Dior’s Diorskin Air Flash - (Spray Formula, matte finish) - Velvet finish with a lightweight formula

Use loose powder to set your foundation and to ensure a flawless application of other products that will follow, apply with a velvet puff for more coverage or a brush for a more natural finish.

MAC’s Loose Blot Powder - For oil-control and makeup hold, specially for combination/oily skin.
Make Up For Ever’s Super Matte Loose Powder - Impecable hold and extraordinary finish
Chanel’s Le Poudre Universel Libre - A gentle loose powder for more sensitive skin
Dior’s Diorskin Poudre Libre - Gentle loose powder completely oil-free

If your under-eye area has a lot of fine lines, avoid using loose powder in that area so you won’t accentuate them even further, also avoid heavy pigmented powders in that area it won’t darken the area that you’re trying to lighten.

Next follows the application of color products to the face…

While SK-II’s Air Touch Foundation might be a bit too “rich” for some pockets, I would like to dedicate this posting to another great spray foundation.

After a disastrous reaction with MAC’s Studio Mist foundation I decided to look for a similar product because I enjoyed the sheerness of the MAC formulation and fresh and non made up it resulted and I decided to give a try to Dior.

Diorskin Airflash gives an even finish to your skin with a matte/velvet feel to your skin. You can apply it directly onto to your skin or if you want more coverage spray it onto a dish and apply it with a foundation brush or a sponge to build up the coverage.

This foundation allows you to create a very 40s Hollywood look of perfect skin without making it look cakey or as if you were wearing a pan cake foundation mask.

For a fresher look I will pass on applying loose powder to let even more of the skin shine through unless it’s a very oily complexion, on the other hand it doesn’t oxidize easily even on oily complexions so that should be a plus.

The only downside is that it’s slightly scented so it might cause irritation on those of more sensitive skin and as usual it doesn’t caterer to darker toned skins which really bums me out.

Today I decided to start reviewing all sorts of foundations, I will range from all kinds of formulations and finishes so you can have a wide range of choices to go from.

My first choice is Make Up For Ever’s Face & Body foundation, this gel based foundation is sheer coverage (you can layer it a bit for greater coverage, but it’s hardly medium coverage even after layering) and helps you even out your complexion without a mask feel or an obvious look that you might as well wear a button that said “Yes, I’m wearing foundation.”, it has a dewy finish and you can set it with a nice dusting of loose powder and still keep the “skin” shining through from behind.

Like its name implies, this foundation is suitable to apply in other areas besides your face and is water resistant and transfer resistant, so you can apply it to your legs, shoulders and other areas with a slightly darker shade for a sun kissed look without looking overy exaggerated.

Because it is gel-formulated and very sheer I have obtained good results applying it on mature skin that only needs a little evening and doesn’t leave a mask-like finish or creases doing more harm than good.

It’s also a good option for bridal makeup when the bride doesn’t want (or need) a lot of coverage but wants a bit of sophistication.

What’s also great about this foundation is that Make Up For Ever offer a huge selection of shades so I’m pretty sure you can easily find your match.

Back soon with more choices of foundation soon.

Amongst this Summer’s collections, Giorgio Armani Beauty launched their bronze collection with a new palette and a few new products to turn you into a Mediterranean beauty.

Amongst the products is their new summer foundation to warm up your complexion and give a sun kissed look with a sheer lightweight formula and if you just don’t have the time to hit the beach, you can add a nice all-over glow to your body with the Bronze Mania Gel.

It also features a new bronzing duo with two complimentary shades of cream/powder to contour and illuminate your face. The gold mediterranean palette features four shades in beige, orange, gold and brown plus a bronzer for the perfect compact to take with you on vacation.

The look itself is quite simple, focusing on a bronzed shimmery complexion that is very well defined with simple eye combinations that can be turned easily from daytime look to nighttime.
The lips are kept nude but slightly shimmery for a seemingly bare look.

In all sincerity this isn’t a collection that thrilled me by any means and most likely something I’ll steer away from since the products themselves don’t bring anything new. Unless you are a huge Armani fan and feel that you must have this collection I wouldn’t take my credit card for a walk if I were you.