Product Review -- Makeup Revolution Revolution Pro Foundation Drops

I've been on kind of Makeup Revolution (or is it just Revolution now? Have they officially changed their name? I'm a little confused...) shopping spree lately.

I love brands that offer quality products at affordable prices, so it's kind of hard to control myself.

So even though the last thing I need is another foundation, I couldn't resist trying out the Revolution Pro Foundation Drops.

It's meant to be more of a natural, breathable foundation, so if you're a fan of full coverage makeup, this may not be the best option for you.

Product Review -- Josie Maran Vibrancy Argan Oil Foundation Fluid

I've had pretty decent luck with the Josie Maran products that I've tried.

I can't say that any of them have really blown me out of the water -- except maybe her old Argan Oil Tinted Moisturizer, which was my favorite tinted moisturizer of all time but has since been discontinued -- but none have been complete fails.

At the end of the day, I think that's a pretty good track record.

So when the brand came out with the Vibrancy Argan Oil Foundation about a year or so ago, I was definitely interested in checking it out but didn't feel the need to rush out and buy it right away.  I waited, getting distracted by other new foundations that hit the market -- until recently when I came across a review that touted it as being fabulous for dry skin.

And when I saw that there was a shade that actually looked light enough for my very fair skin, I definitely had to bite the bullet.

Product Review -- NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation

I swore that I wasn't going to buy any new foundation until I finished some of the ones already piling up in my drawer, but as soon as I heard about the NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, I knew I wasn't going to be able to follow through.

What can I say? I'm weak for any foundation that promises radiant skin.

I mean, NARS describes the foundation as: "Natural, radiant finish, transfer-resistant, sweat-resistant, fade-resistant, non-drying" -- sounds pretty good to me.

Product Review -- Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Foundation

I have tried a ton of new foundations in 2017 (I've bought so many that I think I'm actually putting myself on a foundation no-buy for the foreseeable future -- I can't buy a new one until I finish up one that I already have or something like that. Though I still have several I haven't even reviewed yet so you may still get some foundation sightings on the blog), and I've really liked most of them.

The bareMinerals Bare Pro Performance Wear Foundation and the Fenty  Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation are probably the standouts, but the Tarte Clay Stick Foundation and The Ordinary Colours Serum Foundation have also been favorites over the year.

I think what's made me most excited about the foundations I've tried recently is that I keep getting better and better color matches. My skin is incredibly fair, and the lightest shade in most brands is usually too dark so I need to add a white mix-in to lighten them up.

Lately, though, I haven't had to do that -- and in the Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Foundation, I may have actually found the first foundation that, if it's not an absolutely perfect match, actually falls on the side of being too light rather than dark.

Product Review -- Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

Celebrity makeup lines are always a bit of gamble.

Some lines feel like nothing but a money grab -- you know, throwing a well-known person's name on some lackluster products just to make a profit.

But there are those that actually contribute some really high-quality products and fill a need or niche in the makeup world that isn't presently being fit.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Rihanna's Fenty Beauty line -- I mean, I wanted to love it because she is absolutely fabulous (and gorgeous and stylish to boot), but I try so many makeup products that sometimes I feel like it's harder to wow me.

One of the first products I decided to try from Fenty Beauty was the Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation because that seems to be the real standout of the line.

I mean, how many other makeup brands offer up 40 shades of foundation?

Product Review -- bareMinerals Bare Pro Performance Wear Liquid Foundation

bareMinerals Original Loose Mineral Foundation was one of the first "high end" foundations that I ever bought for myself.

I was in college, and after seeing a few too many presentations of it on QVC, I ordered it, and for a few years, I wore it pretty much exclusively.

So a few years ago when they came out with their first liquid foundation, Bare Skin Serum Foundation, I couldn't wait to try -- and it's a pretty good foundation. I still wear it quite a bit, though the coverage is more natural to light, so there are times when it isn't quite enough.

Which is why I was super excited to hear that they were coming out with another liquid foundation, the bareMinerals Bare Pro Performance Wear Liquid Foundation.

Product Review -- The Ordinary Colours Serum Foundation and Coverage Foundation

Since I first tried The Ordinary's products about a year ago, I've pretty much fallen in love with their brand.

My skincare routine is pretty much 85% products from the line at this point, and my skin is probably in the best condition that it's ever been in since I was a kid and had a baby-smooth complexion.

So when I heard that The Ordinary was coming out with foundations, I was beyond excited.

And lots of other people were too apparently, because I missed the foundations when they first hit the site and had to wait almost two months before they were back in stock.

(Not that I was obsessively checking the website everyday to see if there were in stock or anything.)

Finally, though, I was able to get my greedy little hands on The Ordinary Colours Serum Foundation and Coverage Foundation.

Product Review -- Kat Von D Lock It Foundation

I'm a big fan of Kat Von D's products, but I'd always stayed away from one of her better known ones, the Lock It Foundation.

That's mainly because it's a long-wearing matte foundation, and those typically aren't the best fit for my normal to dry skin.

Still, I've always been somewhat tempted because of its large shade range -- 33 in total -- because I suspected the lightest shade would be a good match for my very fair skin.

So recently, I decided to bite the bullet and give the foundation a try.

And the verdict is still kind of out, to be honest.

Product Review -- Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick

As big a fan of Hourglass Cosmetics as I am, I've never had much like with their foundations.

I love the finish and coverage of the Veil Fluid Makeup, but the lightest shade is too dark and yellow for my fair skin.

The Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation offers a good shade match for me, but the formula is mattifying so I can only use it during the summer months.

So when I heard that they were coming out with the Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Sticks, I was hopeful that it would finally be the foundation option that would work for me without any qualifications.

In recent years, I've kind of fallen in love with foundation sticks. They're just so quick and easy to use that they're perfect for days when you're in a hurry.

However, I've discovered that not all foundation sticks are created equal.

Product Review -- Tarte Confidence Creamy Powder Foundation

I've been purchasing Tarte face products (Oh, who am I kidding? All manner of Tarte products actually) like it's going out of style lately.

I mean, in the past several months, I've tried two new foundations and a concealer... and yet, every time another product hits the shelves, I'll all over it.

Case in point: the new Tarte Confidence Creamy Powder Foundation.

I've mentioned before how difficult it can be to find a powder that plays well with my dry skin, so as soon as I saw the word "creamy" in its title, I knew that I had to give this powder a try.

Product Review -- NYX Pro Foundation Mixer in White

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I have super fair skin.

Like Casper the Friendly Ghost fair.

I don't mind it -- I avoid the sun and self-tanners like the plague on purpose -- but it is often a problem when it comes to finding foundation (or even concealer) shades.

I can't tell you how many times I've purchased the lightest shade in a brand's foundation color range only to find that it's too dark.

A million?

A billion?

Well, yeah, probably not that much but enough that it's seriously frustrating.

There are foundation mixers on the market, of course, which usually come in white and other correcting shades, but I've never had much luck with them.

Several higher end brands like MAC and FACE atelier have white foundations, but they're all over $30, and while I freely spend money on makeup all the time, I resent the idea of having to pay that much for a product that I'm just using to make another product work for me.

I've tried more affordable white foundations too, like Manic Panic's Dreamtone Foundation, but I've had issues with the consistency of those and how they make the foundation I'm trying to lighten break down in a strange way.

Enter the NYX Pro Foundation Mixer in White.

Product Review -- Make Up For Ever Liquid Lift Foundation

We haven't really had traditional winter weather here in New York this year -- it was nearly 70F on Christmas, for God's sake! -- but I've still been on the hunt for a more moisturizing foundation that would help my skin when it starts to get drier in the cold weather.

It's not an easy task, actually.

Even foundations that claim to be moisturizing or hydrating can accentuate dry patches or require a really heavy-duty hydrating primer underneath to look smooth and flawless.

I decided to give the Make Up For Ever Liquid Lift Foundation a try because their HD Foundation (the original formula; I know that they've recently reformulated and I have a sample, but haven't had a chance to try it yet) has been one of my holy grail foundations for years.

Review (for Fair Skinned Folks!) -- MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW10

I've always been a fan of MAC.

I don't buy many items from the brand these days, though -- mainly because I have all of the items that I really want from the permanent line and they just put out too many damn limited edition collections for me to keep up with (except for the occasional one I can't resist like Marilyn Monroe or Archie.)

But, as much as I like MAC, I've never been a big fan of their foundations.

It's not much a formula issue because they certainly have enough to choose from. As a super fair girl, I could never find a color match that worked with skin tone. I tried both NC15 and NW15, and depending on the foundation formula, they were either too dark or too orange.

I have plenty of other foundations that I like so I made my peace with the fact that I couldn't use MAC foundations.

Review -- IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream

When the BB cream craze started a few years back, I totally jumped all over that bandwagon.

I tried a bunch of them, and in general, I found the offerings from U.S. companies to be pretty disappointing.

They didn't seem like anything but glorified tinted moisturizers.

(The one exception being the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream, which remains my favorite American BB cream due to its impressive coverage. My all-around favorite BB cream, though, is the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream, in case you're curious.)

When CC creams became the next big thing, I decided to sit the trend out because I figured it would be just like the BB cream thing.

I made an exception for IT Cosmetics' Your Skin But Better CC Cream with SPF 50 -- mainly because IT Cosmetics always impresses me and I figured it was worth taking a chance on.

I've had this product for nearly a year now and I can safely say it's pretty darn fabulous.

Review -- Tarte Beyond BB Perfecting Liquid Foundation

I have plenty of foundations in my makeup collection at this point, but I can't seem to stop myself from trying a new one.

There's no reason for it, really -- I have a few that I already love and can rely on for a flawless face whenever I need it -- and yet, when I saw the Tarte Beyond BB Perfecting Liquid Foundation show up on the QVC website a few months back, I ordered it without hesitation.

That's probably because I have tried quite a few of Tarte's other foundations and like them quite a bit.  The description of the product as a medium- to full-coverage moisturizing foundation with a semi-matte finish is what really drew me.

That pretty much hits all the major points on my foundation wish list.

The one thing that annoys me about the foundation -- and I've mentioned this before about other products -- is that Tarte felt the need to include the much hyped "BB" designation in its title.  What's particularly silly about that is the fact that Tarte isn't even trying to pretend its a BB cream. The title says it plain as day: *Beyond* BB.

But why is that necessary?

Isn't the step beyond BB cream just a regular old foundation?

A Few Recent Favorites

 In my last Favorites post, I explained that I was going to share my favorites whenever the mood struck.

Or whenever I had enough products to do one, really.

I've been trying out a bunch of new stuff recently, but whenever I'm experimenting with brand new products, I like to incorporate some old classics so I know that at least some of my makeup won't wind up looking like a total mess. So that's why some of my recent favorites are -- old goodies.

But there are a couple of new (to me) products thrown in for good measure.

This and That -- The Balm's Time Balm Foundations (Light vs. Lighter than Light)

(This post is probably only of interest to my fellow fair skinned folks, but if you have a friend or family member who struggles to find foundations that are light enough to match their skin tone and you like to help them out with suggestions, you may want to read it too.)

I reviewed the Balm's Time Balm Foundation a while back when I purchased it from Haute Look.

It's a pretty nice product -- a cream foundation that blends easily, covers well and has good lasting power -- but I did have an issue with the color match.

I'd purchased it in the lightest shade available at the time, Light, and found it to be a bit too dark and maybe orange-y for my skin tone.

Now, there were ways I could get it to work (sheering it out with a damp sponge, layering a light powder over it, etc.) but I'm always less likely to reach for a foundation that requires that kind of effort than one that I can just throw on and go.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

I've wanted to try the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup ($38) since it came out. 

I forced myself to hold back, though, because I need another bottle of foundation like I need a hole in the head and I told myself to at least wait until I finished one of the many in my collection before buying another.

But then, Urban Decay had their 20% off Friends & Family sale, and I decided that I'd been patient enough.

I mean, I waited like three whole months - that's something, isn't it?

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in Ivory (110)

I need another foundation like I need a hole in the head (I suppose I could say that about most categories of beauty products, though, if I'm being honest...), but it's nearly impossible for me to resist the lure of new products. 

I mean, I have a foundation that I love and always performs reliably for me (Makeup Forever HD Foundation in 110), but that doesn't stop me from wondering if there might be possibly be an even better foundation out there, one that has the coverage, finish, lasting power and perfect shade for my super fair skin. 

It's unlikely I'll find a better one, but I can't help looking.

That brings me to Revlon's new Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup.

Tarte Maracuja Miracle Foundation

Tarte Maracuja Miracle Foundation in Fair

Starting Friday on QVC, you can get the 6 piece "What has your makeup done for your lately?" TSV for $49.96 (+$6.72 s/h), which you can purchase here.

I previewed its contents when my kit arrived a few weeks back, and while there are a few interesting products in the kit, the star is definitely the Maracuja Miracle Foundation.  I've had a few weeks to test it out now, and I've got to say, I'm pretty much head over heels in love with it.

Well, almost.