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!

Maybelline: Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks

Hi everyone,

Today's post is on Maybelline's Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks. These lipsticks retail for $7.99 at Ulta, $8.29 at CVS, $7.29 at Walgreens, and $5.49 at Target, and each contains 0.15 oz of product. Maybelline describes this product as "The Creamy Mattes by Color Sensational deliver a burst of bold lip color and a surge of creamy texture in make-a-statement shades, for mattes your lips will love to wear!"

There are currently 10 shades in the line and I own and will be reviewing four of them:
          - Daringly Nude (#655)
          - Lust for Blush (#665)
          - Touch of Spice (#660)
          - Mesmerizing Magenta (#680)

The packaging of these lipsticks is very simple and sleek for a drugstore lipstick. I really like the silver packaging with the semi-transparent purple casing. The packaging is sturdy enough that you can through the lipstick in your purse and not worry about it getting crushed or anything.

Overall, I absolutely love these lipsticks!! They are a long-lasting, very comfortable to wear matte lipstick that's so affordable! I was really surprised when applying these lipsticks by how creamy they are for a matte lipstick. They do seem to dry down to a little after a couple of minutes to application, but they are still very comfortable to wear and they do last for hours. These lipsticks are also very opaque and pigmented, especially for a drugstore lipstick.

Now here are some additional photos and swatches of each of the shades!

Daringly Nude

Lust for Blush

Touch of Spice

Mesmerizing Magenta

Final Verdict:
This is a matte lipstick that you have to have!! I absolutely adore the shade Daringly Nude and highly recommend it to nude lipstick lovers. These lipsticks are so affordable and they are so comfortable to wear while looking gorgeous! I'm definitely tempted to buy some more shades in the line!

Which shades of the Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks are your favorite? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!
-Meg

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!

Palladio: Herbal Matte Blush

Hope everyone is having a happy Thursday!

Today's review is of the Palladio Herbal Matte Blush in the shade Peach Ice. This blush retails for $7 on the Palladio Beauty website and is currently on sale for $5.99 at Ulta. I've never tried any products from the Palladio Beauty collection before, so I thought I would pick up one of their blushes the last time I was at Ulta to give it a try. Palladio Beauty is known for having herbal and vitamin enriched beauty products. According to the Palladio Beauty website, this blush was the winner of a Best Beauty Buys award from Family Circle magazine in 2014.

This blush is available in four shades - berry pink, bayberry, peach ice, toasted apricot. I purchased the color peach ice thinking it would be a nice subtle blush color. Unfortunately, this isn't the right shade for me as it's much too light and not very peachy on my skin. It enhances the natural redness of my face which I'm trying to cover so it's just not the right shade for me. I think this color might look best on very fair skin tones. While I do think that the blush has decent pigmentation, I don't think it would show up too well on darker skin tones. For being a beach shade too, it's not too orange based which depending on what you're looking for could be a good or bad thing.

Palladio beauty describes this product as, "An enhancing blush brushes onto cheeks smoothly for a soft matte look and an even finish. Satin finish flatters the face and helps hide the appearance of line and wrinkles shimmer blushes may enhance." Also, this blush is formulated with Apricot Kernel, Ginseng Root Extract, Aloe and Chamomile Extract to help condition and protect the skin from free-radical damage, and Kaolin Clay and Zinc Oxide to help deliver flawless, velvety coverage. I do find that this blush is very blendable, but I find that it doesn't have the longest wear time.

I do really like the packaging of this blush, it's a nice slim plastic compact with a see-thru lid. It feels and looks like a higher end blush. I also like that the blush compact is a decent size - I have a pet peeve of when blushes are too small so it's hard to get your brush (which is then too big for the compact) decently coated in order to apply it without looking patchy.

I'm sorry I don't have any swatches of this product, I actually returned it before I had the chance to photograph it. If you would like to see swatches of all four shades of the blush, I recommend checking out this video by Krystal Lynn on youtube. If you see her hand swatches of all four shades, I think you can tell that the shades Berry Pink and Peach Ice are much more sheer and less pigmented than Toasted Apricot and Bayberry.

Final Verdict
I apologize for not having my own swatches of this blush! All in all, I wasn't all that impressed with the pigmentation of this blush and decided to return it since it was not the right shade for my skin tone. I am intrigued to try out the shade Toasted Apricot, but at the same time I have many other drugstore blushes that I prefer over this one in terms of formula, color, and texture - like the City Color Cosmetics Matte Blushes which retail for only $5. I don't hate this blush but I really don't think it's anything too special.

Have you tried any of the Palladio Beauty blushes yet? Which color do you like most? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!

Revlon: ColorBurst Matte Balms

After hearing many rave reviews of the Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balms I have finally purchased a bunch of them in a recent beauty haul. Recently I've been loving crayon-type lip products, so I knew that I had to give these a try. Revlon advertises this product as: "Vibrant colors infused with a Triple Butter Complex give you a bold, beautiful lip. It’s a burst of matte color with a balm-like feel. Go bold and get moisturized in 10 craveable, collectible shades." This lip crayon contains 0.09 oz of product and retails for $7.19 at DrugStores.com, $6.99 at Target, $9.49 at CVS, and is on sale for $5.69 at Ulta. Look around though, this product has now been out for a while so you should be able to get a good deal on them. Don't forget to use your $3.50 off of $10 Ulta coupon and check for drugstore buy one get one 50% off sales on all Revlon purchases.

I went ahead and purchased 8 of the 10 different shades which I will be reviewing in this post. 
The shades I will be reviewing are:

• Elusive (#205) - cool-toned light rose pink
• Sultry (#225) - brown-pink mauve
• Standout (#250) - deep berry/cranberry red
• Striking (#240) - tomato red
• Unapologetic (#210) - bright reddish pink
• Audacious (#245) - bright orange with a bit of coral
• Mischievous (#235) - subdued peach/coral/orange shade
• Showy (#220) - bright bubblegum pink with a blue undertone

The two colors I do not have and won't be reviewing are: Shameless (#215) and Complex (#230). I felt that shameless was too bold for me as it's purple and complex was too neutral and would wash out my face.

Here's how all the colors swatch on my arm in natural light and when using a flash.

In terms of packaging, I love that the tubes of this product match the color inside - although they aren't an exact match, but they give you a general idea. I also like that the tube has a matte finish so if you have some of the other ColorBurst products (like the lacquer balm and balm stain) you can easily differentiate between them. They also twist up and down so you don't need a sharpener which makes it very user friendly and convenient. I will say, I wish these lip crayons had a more precise point because you really want a smooth line, especially with the darker colors, and that can be a bit tricky as you wear down the point of the crayon.

The formula of this product is terrific - super smooth and creamy. They apply so evenly and effortlessly on the lips, they literally glide on! All the shades of this product are very pigmented, from the lightest to the darkest. Generally I'm disappointed in the pigmentation of lip crayons as they are usually very light - even the darkest shade, which made this product amazing in my opinion. In terms of how matte these lip crayons are, I find that they aren't the most matte product I've ever tried. I think you can tell from the photos below, these lip crayons definitely lean in the matte direction, but they don't have the intense drying nature of most matte lip products so they appear to have a little more shine than most matte lip products. I actually really like the finish of this lip crayon - it's on the matte side, but more natural looking than most matte lip products. In terms of hydration, these are very moisturizing lip products, especially in comparison to most matte lip products. 

I also love how long these lip crayons stay on! This product doesn't claim to be long lasting, but in comparison with other lip crayons, the Revlon Matte Balms definitely stay on much longer. They by no means last through eating or drinking, but if you don't do either of those, they will stay on strong for several hours without needing to reapply.

My favorite shades in this line are definitely #205 - Elusive, #225 - Sultry, #210 - Unapologetic, and #235 - Mischievous. My #1 must have color is definitely #235 - Mischievous, it's the perfect orangish coral color! I absolutely love it! For fall, I definitely think I'll be loving #225 - Sultry, #250 - Standout, and #240 - Striking.

Below are some additional photos and swatches of each of the 8 shades.

Just for reference, these are my natural lips before any of the products are applied.

#205 - Elusive

#225 - Sultry

#250 - Standout

#240 - Striking

#210 - Unapologetic

#245 - Audacious

#235 - Mischievous
(The natural light photo looks a little patchy, but once it sits for a minute it fills in & it's not patchy at all)

#220 - Showy

All in all, this is probably my favorite lip crayon that I've ever tried. It's incredibly smooth and moisturizing, yet has amazing pigmentation and opacity. This far outshines any other lip crayon that I've ever tried. It literally does everything I want a matte lip crayon to do! I highly recommend picking up this item because you won't regret it! I hope that it's not a limited edition product, it truly is a 5-star drugstore product.

Have you tried any of the Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balms yet? Which colors are your favorite or are you most excited to try? Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!

NYX Cosmetics: Soft Matte Lip Creams

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much for taking the time to check out my blog, I really appreciate it! Today's post is a review of NYX Cosmetic's Soft Matte Lip Creams. Prior to trying this product, I tried out a couple shades of the Butter Glosses by NYX and I have to say I wasn't all that impressed. I liked the color pigmentation of them, but felt that they were very heavy and sticky so I was surprised with how many rave reviews I was seeing on them. If you would like me to do a review of the butter glosses that I have please leave a comment below and I am more than happy to share my thoughts and swatches with you. Anyway, after my disappointment with the butter glosses, I was a little hesitant to try another "cult favorite" product by NYX, but I have to say, I'm so glad I did because I ABSOLUTELY ADORE this lip product. I now have this product in six shades, a true testament to how much I like it!

Some background on this product, it retails for $5.99 at Target (only a few of the shades are available), CVS, Ulta, and $6.00 on NYX's website. Make sure you buy your NYX products from an authorized vendor, as there are lots of fakes out there these days - check out this article for more information on you to distinguish between genuine and fake NYX soft matte lip creams. Back on topic, each soft matte lip cream tube contains 0.23 oz of product which is a decent size for a drugstore lip product. 

The first color I purchased was Antwerp, a gorgeous bright coral color, and since I loved it so much I went back to Ulta and purchased five more! The shades I now own are: 
     - Prague (#18): deep berry with a slight hint of fuchsia
     - Cannes (#19): muted mauve/dusty rose, great everyday shade!
     - San Paulo (#8): bright strawberry pink
     - Antwerp (#5): bright rose pink with a hint of coral
     - Ibiza (#17): bright deep rose pink with hints of coral
     - Amsterdam (#1): true red, great for all skin tones!

So to start generally, this is a really interesting product as NYX claims that it "straddles the line between lipstick and gloss," similar in my mind to Too Faced's Melted Lipsticks, except without the promise of a staining power. This lip product is a highly pigmented, creamy, lightweight matte lip cream that applies smoothly and lasts for hours! The product applies as a cream and dries to a matte finish. I have found that some of the darker shades, like Amsterdam, do have a bit of a staining power, even though NYX doesn't mention anything about that.

The texture of this lip product is so creamy that it's super easy to apply evenly over the lips without getting messy. The formula is lightweight and non-sticky. I love that you can apply these products lightly or build them up for a more intense look depending on your mood. This is a matte product, which matte products are notorious for being very drying on the lips, but I find it to be the least drying matte product that I've ever used. I do find that the product goes on best when you exfoliate first since it is matte and tends to show any imperfections you might have, but if you don't it's not the end of the world and the product will still look very nice.

The colors in this product line vary from the most neutral everyday look to intense vampy dark lips. I love that all the shades are highly pigmented and are true to the color on the outside of the tube. Of the six colors I currently have, you can tell that I've been leaning toward the brighter shades in the line. I love how vibrant the bright colors are - they have been perfect for the summer and will continue to be great as we transition into fall. I love dark lips for fall but I also love nude lips so I will probably be buying some of the nude and more neutral shades next. If you are interested in a review of any shades in particular please let me know in the comments section below.

One of the things I like most about this product is that it lasts forever on your lips! Seriously, it's crazy how long this product lasts, almost all day without reapplication - even through eating and drinking. When they say it's a long-lasting formula, they aren't kidding! The product also doesn't budge or move into your fine lines or off your lips during the day which is great since you don't have to worry about constantly checking to see if it's running all over your face. It's a stress-free product! 

Oh and I also love the smell of this product, it smells like cupcake frosting, so delicious! I will say, if you are sensitive to product scents, this one is intense and will linger throughout the day so take that into account if you think that might be a problem for you.

All in all, when I'm in the mood for a matte look, this is hands down the one I reach for first. It's so easy to apply and honestly feels like I'm not wearing anything on my lips - I actually forget I'm wearing a lip product! It's by far the most comfortable matte lipstick that I own.

Below are some additional photos of each color and some lip swatches to give you a better idea of what the color looks like in real life.

Prague (#18): 
Deep berry with a slight hint of fuchsia

Cannes (#19): 
Muted mauve/dusty rose, great everyday shade!

San Paulo (#8): 
Bright strawberry pink

Antwerp (#5): 
Bright rose pink with a hint of coral

Ibiza (#17): 
Bright deep rose pink with hints of coral

Amsterdam (#1): 
True red, great for all skin tones!

All in all, this is a matte lipstick that you must try! After being hesitant to first try it out since I didn't like the NYX butter glosses, I'm so happy that I gave this product a try as it is now a staple in my beauty collection. This product is so comfortable to wear and so affordable that I think everyone should own at least one, and honestly, once you have one you'll want them all! I will definitely be purchasing some more of these lip products in the near future, and I'm really excited to try out some of the more neutral and mauve shades.

Which shade of the NYX soft matte lip creams is your favorite? Please leave a comment I would love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading!