NARS: Sheer Matte Foundation

Happy Foundation Friday everyone!

Today's review is of the NARS Sheer Matte Foundation. I had been wanting to try this foundation for forever because I absolutely LOVE matte foundations. I purchased this foundation from Sephora for $45 for 1 oz of product, which is quite pricey for a foundation in my opinion!

I purchased the color Ceylan which Sephora describes as a light-medium shade with yellow undertones. Colorwise, I found that this shade matched my skin pretty perfectly, which is great since I just guessed as I bought it online. On the Sephora website, this product is available in 17 different shades, ranging from very fair to very dark with everything from pink to yellow undertones, so there's bound to be one that's a pretty perfect match to your skin. If you can, I do recommend going to Sephora and swatching the colors before purchasing just to ensure that you buy the right shade as this is a pricey item and you don't want to get a shade that is a poor match.

NARS describes this product as "This Sheer Matte Foundation enhances, without masking, your overall natural complexion. The weightless formula absorbs oil and keeps skin shine free all day long. The complexion brightening properties improve skin brightness, radiance, and texture, leaving the complexion with a luminous, fresh finish."

In terms of packaging, this lives up to the beautiful packaging that NARS is known for. I like the frosted glass bottle, it looks absolutely gorgeous! The only downside in my opinion is that it doesn't come with a pump. The foundation is very runny so pouring it out on your hand is an absolute MESS. You can buy a pump separately for $6 from the NARS website, but when I'm already paying almost $50 for a foundation, I want it to have a pump and I don't want to pay even more for one.

The formula of this product is VERY sheer, it actually surprised me how sheer it was. I know the word "sheer" is in the name of the product, but this product really didn't cover up my red spots or blemishes very well. I think this is a good product if you don't have many skin imperfections and aren't trying to hide anything. Honestly though, I don't have too much to hide, but I felt like this foundation just helped to even my skin tone a tiny bit but really didn't have much to offer in terms of coverage. If I'm going to put a liquid foundation on, I want to see medium to full coverage, otherwise I tend to use more powder foundations for light to medium coverage days because I think that helps my skin breathe more.

Top Row: Light Swatch, Heavier Swatch
Bottom Row: Blended out Swatch

Applying this foundation was very interesting to apply. It was okay at blending out, but not the best. Also, a long time after applying this foundation my skin looked dewy which I thought was very strange. Eventually, maybe 20 minutes later, it would mattify, it was just strange to put it on and immediately look dewy. I did apply a setting powder with this product to help mattify it faster and add a little more coverage. I don't think you have to apply a finishing powder but I generally prefer to no matter what foundation I'm using.

This product is for normal to oily skin so it probably wasn't the best product for me since I tend to have normal to dry skin and I definitely did notice it sticking to my dry patches. If you do have oily and super oily skin and don't need much coverage I would highly recommend checking out this foundation - I think it would be perfect for you! This foundation does say that it's buildable to get a little more coverage, but I find when I did that I looked very cakey and it didn't look very natural.

My problem areas show through!

Final Verdict:
All in all, this just wasn't a good foundation for me so I did return it back to Sephora. I wanted to love it so badly, but it just wasn't right for me. Having normal to dry skin just didn't mesh well with this foundation as it enhanced my dry patches and it also offered such little coverage that it wasn't worth the expensive price tag for me. I do think this is a great product for someone who doesn't need much coverage and doesn't really have any skin imperfections that they're trying to hide. If you don't like a matte foundation, NARS also has a Sheer Glow Foundation which I believe is a pretty similar formula except gives you a glowy, dewy look.

Have you tried any Nars Foundations? What do you think, are they worth the hype? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!

BECCA: Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation

Happy Foundation Friday everyone! 

Today's review is of BECCA's Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation in the shade Buff. This foundation is on the pricey side, it retails for $42 for 1.35 oz. of product at Ulta, Sephora, and on the Becca website. BECCA claims that this is a medium, buildable coverage foundation that controls shine throughout the day with its mattifying properties and leaves skin exceptionally smooth and matte. This foundation is designed for combination to oily skin, but I have normal to dry skin and find no problems using this foundation. This foundation blends perfectly into the skin for a long-lasting, soft-focus matte finish that minimizes the appearance of pore and controls shine. The soft focus of this foundation also helps to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles which is ideal for older ladies.
          
In terms of the packaging, I like that this product comes in a squeezy tube with a very small pinpoint nozzle. With this nozzle you have lots of control over how much product you get out at a time which is great so that you don't waste product by getting out too much at once ! I also love that you don't have to pour this product out of a bottle onto your hand like some foundations. I always prefer foundations that have a pump or are in a squeezy tube like this one.

This foundation is available in 20 shades so there's bound to be a shade that's a near-perfect match to your skin tone. The shade that is a PERFECT match with my skin tone is Buff. BECCA describes this color as being a light to medium beige with neutral to yellow/golden undertones. I've honestly never had a foundation that matched my skin as well as this one. I'm so impressed! I've attached some photos below from Ulta to help you find your ideal shade.

The foundation itself is on the heavier side, more of a mousse-like texture. You can tell in the photo above that it isn't very liquidy and doesn't slide all over the back of my hand like some liquid foundations. As described in the title of this foundation, this is a matte foundation. I find that it is a sort of velvety matte finish in the sense that skin looks perfectly smooth and matte, but not dry and unnatural like some matte foundation. I do find that this is a true medium coverage foundation that can be built up to a heavy coverage foundation where needed.

This foundation does a terrific job of evening my skin tone out, hiding blemishes, and hiding most of the red patches on my face. I do like that a little bit of my cheek redness shows through which makes it seem more natural and like I'm not wearing any makeup on my face. This foundation also does an amazing job of minimizing pores! When I wear it there are no signs of pores anywhere on my face! My skin looks so smooth and flawless. I've honestly had people come up to me when I wear it and compliment me on how nice my skin is.

Sorry I didn't completely blend in the foundation on my hand in the last photo.

I also like that this is a water in silicone emulsion foundation that is free of oil, alcohol, and fragrance. This foundation is great for people with sensitive skin as often times fragrance and scents can irritate skin and cause breakouts. I have not experienced any breakouts from using this foundation.

I tend to prefer to apply this foundation with my fingers and a sponge, like a beauty blender. I find that this product does tend to set quickly so you need to work fast and as a result I tend to apply this foundation to my face in sections. I generally apply the foundation with my fingers and then use a beauty blender or sponge to even out the product and ensure an air-brushed looking result that is natural and radiant. I love that this is a truly buildable foundation that allows you to start with less and build up coverage in the places you need it without looking cakey or unnatural. I first apply a thin layer all over my face and then apply additional product where needed to cover up stubborn areas of redness or blemishes. There's no need to apply a setting powder after applying this foundation but you can if you like. I always love using a setting powder and recently I've been using Too Faced's Primed and Poreless Finishing Veil and my new IT cosmetics jumbo powder brush (see my review of it here).

I love the look of a matte face. I know some people prefer dewy, but I just love a natural matte face. I find that this product isn't powdery and doesn't look cakey on - it's very natural so even those of you who prefer a more dewy look might like it. Here are some face swatches where I have the foundation on one half of my face and nothing on the other half. I did not use any primer on my face so that you could see how the foundation by itself.
In Natural Light:

With a flash:

Final Verdict:

All in all, I'm totally in love with this foundation! It's the best foundation I've ever tried so I can't recommend this product enough! I absolutely love this foundation for everyday wear and for special events. I know I can count on it to last all day. I would repurchase this foundation instantly and intend to do so once I finish this tube. This foundation is great for covering up and evening out skin tone without looking like you're wearing makeup. I love that it gives such a flawless and effortless look to your skin. I think with 20 colors in the collection you're bound to find one that is a perfect match to your skin tone even if you've never had a foundation that perfectly matches your skin tone before, like me! I'm so obsessed with this foundation and I highly recommend it!!!!

Have you tried this foundation or any other BECCA products yet? What foundation are you loving right now? Please leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!

IT Cosmetics: Celebration Foundation & Heavenly Luxe Flat Top Buffing Foundation Brush

Hi guys, 

Today's review is one I've been dying to share with you for a while now! I will be reviewing IT Cosmetic's Celebration Foundation and Heavenly Luxe Flat Top Buffing Foundation Brush. Both items can be purchased separately from ULTA or the IT Cosmetics website, or can be purchased together in a set from QVC. Individually, the foundation retails for $35 and the brush is $48, but in the QVC set both retail together for $43.50 (plus $5.72 for shipping and handling).

I absolutely love powder foundations for everyday wear - they're easy to apply and take virtually no time at all for a great look! My all time favorite powder foundation has been Clinique's Almost Powder Makeup with SPF 15 (I wear the shade light), I've been using this product constantly since high school, so over 10 year now! (wow, that just made me feel old...) Honestly though, I love that it's a buildable powder foundation that minimizes the appearance of my pores and lasts all day long without reapplication. I also love that it has SPF15 which I think is essential for everyday wear to help protect your skin from sun damage. 

Anyway, back to the product at hand, IT Cosmetic's celebration foundation! I've really wanted to try this for a while now as I've seen soooo many youtube and blog posts raving about it! I finally sucked it up and paid the money for both the foundation and the brush, as I heard this it is the ideal way to apply the product. My first impression of this product was WOW, it's amazing and all the rave reviews were spot on!

Comparison of the IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Flat Top Buffing Foundation Brush & the Jumbo Powder Brush

In terms of packing, this product comes in a very sleek black compact with a push button to open it. The material of the compact is the same as a lot of the Nars packaging and the Lorac Pro Palette, that sort of soft, suede-like rubberized material that shows fingerprints and holds onto product which isn't ideal, but it feels really nice. The handle of the brush is also this same material. The bristles of this brush are soooo soft and not scratchy - it's literally one of the softest brushes I've ever used! The bristles are also the perfect length and density to apply the powder to your face without looking cakey, yet still covering everything that you want covered. I have not tried this brush with other powder foundations, but I would assume it would work well with them too. 

Most times I prefer to use just the makeup sponge that comes with a face powder, but this is SO much better! Like most foundation compacts, this compact has a compartment underneath the actual product that holds a makeup sponge which you can also use to apply the product if that's the method you prefer. I find that this product looks a bit more natural when applied with the brush than with the sponge - you pick up less product, which results in it looking more natural and less cakey (though it's not cakey at all!). I posted a photo towards the bottom where I show the product applied on my face half with the brush and half with the sponge.

The foundation powder is so creamy and easy to apply. With the brush you can very easily and quickly buff the product onto your face for a natural but well covered look. 
I love that this foundation feels weightless on the skin - I forget that I'm wearing any makeup! This is definitely an everyday foundation, but I wouldn't use it for special events where you want a heavier flawless makeup look with absolutely no blemishes showing. I tend to have some small bumps on my skin and some red patches and this product covered the spots and evened out the bumps for an even finish - my skin has honestly never looked smoother, especially without looking like I'm wearing a lot of makeup! 

I will say that this product only comes in 5 shades - Fair, Light Medium, Medium Beige, Tan, and Rich - which may pose a problem for some in terms of finding a correct match with their skin tone. I selected the color Light Medium and it's the perfect shade for me, especially now that summer is over and I'm no longer tan. The color of the Light Medium shade leans to a more yellow than pink undertone in my opinion. 

Also, since this product has anti-aging components I think it will flatter all ages from young beginners just starting out with makeup to ladies who have been using makeup for years and are trying to keep their skin looking fresh and young.

Below are some face swatches of the Celebration Foundation.

All in all, I absolutely adore this foundation and the brush by IT Cosmetics and I will definitely be purchasing the Celebration Foundation Illumination soon so I can compare it with this product.

Have you tried any IT Cosmetics brushes yet? What's your favorite powder foundation? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!