The Summertime Base: Matte & Long Lasting

There's a lot to love about Summer, but one thing that I could definitely go without is the crazy amount of heat which leads to my face looking like an oil slick. Oh boy, is that annoying. I have combo/oily skin during the colder months, but when Summer hits there is just no shortage of oil production and my makeup slipping and sliding everywhere. Not a good look. So, after a few months of testing out different combinations of foundations and primers, I want to share with you the combo that keeps my skin looking matte for the whole day. (side note: if your skin is super oily all year round, this duo will be perfect no matter what season it is!)
If there's something that I get asked the most beauty-wise it's if using a primer is worth it. I myself was never much a primer lover. I found the added step to be redundant and time consuming but once I found one I loved, there's just no going back. Sure you can skip it if you're in a rush but when the task at hand is to keep your foundation/base products on for as long as possible, it's an incredibly essential step. This summer I've been loving the Smashbox Photo Matte Primer for my t-zone. Just a small amount massaged into the skin gives your skin a super smooth canvas that allows your foundation to glide on evenly. I also find that this primer in particular helps my foundation to not break up as much during the day when the sun starts beaming down. (I can't seem to find a link to this primer anywhere so I'm not sure if it's discontinued... if that's the case then I'd be really sad about that!) Another primer I love is the Benefit POREfessional, not as oil controlling but it makes your skin smooth and helps your foundation last a lot longer! 
Oh, this foundation. I looked at it for years, tested it out and never bought it, but after using it for the last few months, this will definitely be one I use every summer without fail. The Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Mattifying Foundation is a medium to full coverage buildable foundation that controls shine and is water resistant and oil free. I would not recommend this for anyone that has dry skin but if you want your foundation to last all day and combat oiliness, this is your guy! A little of this goes a super long way and I find that it looks best when really buffed into the skin. If you don't like anything full coverage then this will not fit the bill for you but I definitely think it feels more lightweight than expected. When I bought this I thought it would be extremely heavy feeling, but in reality, it didn't feel that bad. It won't feel as lightweight as other options but with the amount of coverage this gives, I didn't expect that anyways. I have the shade 35 in this but as I got more tanned, that shade became too light. I may have to go in to pick a shade or two darker! 
Those are my picks for a mattifying, long lasting base duo this Summer. If you have any recommendations for products that fit this category I'd love to know in the comments below! 

Foundation Review: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet

Here we are again, it's just me and my love for testing out new foundations! A few weeks ago I walked into a department store to finally swatch Chanel's newest addition to their foundation lineup. Of course I'd done my research and I basically already knew my shade so when it came time for the sales associate to push me into a purchase, there was no way I could resist. It felt like a rite of passage to get my first Chanel item so it came home with me and we've been friends ever since!
The product in question is Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet (my shade is B30). I'm sure you've all heard of the ever so popular, similarly packaged Vitalumiere Aqua for ages now, so this release seemed really interesting. It's a water based formula just like VA but the finish is beautifully matte and velvety, hence the name choice. I never jumped the gun with VA but this just seemed too good to be true! Same lightweight feel, light to medium buildable coverage, and it's oil free, which makes it perfect for the summer months. 
What I loved most about this was the feel and the finish! I can honestly say it feels like you're putting on water on your face, there is nothing heavy about it. As you smooth it on, you can start to feel it transform into a sort of powder but the finish is never chalky or dry looking. This isn't the foundation for you if you want a super glowy look to the skin but I think the formula allows the skin to look natural, but just a little less shine-free. This is another one of those "no makeup, makeup" foundations (which apparently are my fave) because it's completely undetectable with a light layer but it's still able to build up coverage where you need it most and not cake up on you. Doesn't that sound like sweet music to your ears?
Application wise, this is definitely one you'll want to smooth on with your fingers. Because of the very watery texture of this, your brushes will likely soak up most of the product! It really just melts into the skin so make sure to pay attention to where you applied it because there have been times where I don't even know where it starts and ends on my face. If you'd like, you can certainly apply it with fingers and then go in with a brush and buff away at any edges! So you've applied it, now the question is, how long does it last? I'd say this has pretty decent staying power for being such a lightweight base but I wouldn't go into it thinking you'll get more than 6-7 hours without it fading a bit. It does do a pretty good job of controlling oils though, so by the end of the day, you still have more of a demo-matte look to the skin. 
Now, the stats. This comes in a 30 mL bottle for $48, which is a little steep but there are others for much more out there on the market! Like I mentioned earlier, it is oil-free but not fragrance free, so you might want to be cautious with that. This foundation has an SPF of 15 so I wouldn't recommend it for flash photography but this isn't a foundation you'd probably choose for a night out. Final thoughts? If you like a lightweight feeling foundation, with decent coverage and staying power, but like a more matte natural look, this is a really great option! Definitely a staple in my foundation drawer for the Spring and Summer!

Drugstore Foundations Worth Trying

I may love my Estee Lauder bases but there are certainly some amazing budget options at the drugstore! Every now and again I do a bit of a clear out and decide to try something new in my foundation drawer. I'd been wanting to try the L'Oreal True Match Foundation for ages so that was no doubt going on my list and then I saw that the Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation was on sale for a mere $5.95! So I went into WalMart with these two in mind and picked up the shade W4 in the L'Oreal and 220 in the Maybelline. Here's what I think:
L'oreal True Match

The Good: I chose the True Match foundation because I thought it gave a good amount of coverage and the finish was natural and not overly matte or dewy. After trying it for a few weeks I would have to say that it delivers on those fronts. The shade worked well for my skin (might I add that there are a whopping 23 shades in the range!) and the formula is incredibly easy to blend out so you can take your time and buff it in or you can put some between your fingers and slap it on as you run to head out! The coverage is great and you can build it up in areas where you need more concealing. Once applied it looks really beautiful on the skin because it doesn't cake up like other foundations can and I find that my face looks glowy (not be confused with greasy!). From a person who has combo/oily skin, it looks natural and flawless without looking like a mask and it lasts a good 6-7 hours without significant fading. I got home after a long day of classes and my mom said "Woah, what do you have on today? Your skin looks great" - I took that as a very good indicator of how the foundation looked. I can definitely see why this has such a loyal fan base in terms of drugstore foundations. 
The Bad: The packaging..... I've seen this foundation in videos and reviews from the UK and I noticed that their bottle comes in a beautiful glass bottle with a pump. Now if only L'Oreal could get the memo that North Americans appreciate foundation pumps too. Since the formula is on the more liquify side, product can go to waste when you tilt the bottle over no matter how careful you are. (I've tweeted them but apparently they don't see the issue....) Side note: It does have SPF 17 so you might love it for the day time but if you plan to take pictures with flash, you might not want to wear it unless you're going for the Caspar look. 
The Ugly: Nothing to report here. I think this foundation is great apart from the stinkin' no pump issue but I think if I tweet enough L'Oreal might have to just listen (or think I'm a psycho haha).
Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free

The Good: I have tried the original Fit Me liquid foundation and I liked it for days when I know my makeup doesn't have to last too long or when I'm having drier skin but it wouldn't make the cut for my oilier skin days. So, when I saw the Shine-Free version, you can imagine my excitement. I've never been a stick foundation kinda girl. The concept always seemed strange to me because application looked so awkward - do you stripe it on like war paint? Do you rub your finger in it and then swipe it on and blend? When I first tested it out my initial impression was intrigue. The formula is so creamy that it didn't resemble any other foundation stick I'd seen before. When you blend it in it becomes velvety, thanks to the shine-free core as they call it, but not extremely powdery, and gives your skin enough glow to prevent it from looking like you powdered it heavily. I tried it on like foundation and it was okay but then I took some pointers from Kate (gh0stparties) and used it as a concealer and I liked it a lot more. I wasn't crazy about having all over, maybe because my skin was going through a drier stage, but it did work well to conceal scaring and made it easy to wear a lighter coverage base on areas just to even out my skin tone. Like I said, it is super creamy so you won't have an issue in terms of blending. 
The Bad: I don't necessarily find this a bad quality, but some people may not like it. Having to apply by rubbing your finger in it may not sit well with germophobes but it does make for easy application when you're in a rush. Because it is shine-free I would say that if you have drier skin it probably wouldn't be the best product to just swipe all over your face from the stick but to spot conceal I think it works quite well. 
The Ugly: Again, nothing too ugly to report here!
So, are you looking for new drugstore foundations to test out? You might want to start with these two!

The "No Makeup, Makeup" Base: Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about the Lilly Pulitzer x Estee Lauder Gift at The Bay, well I brought home an Estee Lauder foundation along with it. But, there's quite the story along with this occurrence, so I'll keep it short and sweet. My skin was having one of those major freak outs and nothing I had was able to cover the redness and combat the oiliness on my face. I decided to go for Double Wear foundation in Rattan (2W2). Sadly, Estee Lauder at The Bay didn't carry this colour (weird...) and they matched me to Tawny (3W1) instead. Bad choice... it looked really random in direct sunlight although I did really love how incredibly it covered with the tiniest amount of product, plus it really did stay on all day! Since they didn't carry the correct colour, I had to exchange that foundation for the shade Rattan in the Invisible Fluid foundation which, you can only find at Estee Lauder counters (Sephora don't stock it, sorry!). I'll definitely see if Double Wear can work for me next winter because I feel like it might be just too heavy for warmer month - but for now I'm in a happy love fest with Invisible Fluid! So all is good in the foundation department!

What more can I say, than LOVE. I'd gotten samples of this foundation before but never took the plunge and honestly, I don't know why. It is the epitome of a "no makeup, makeup" base which I adore and makes it easy to just slap and go. Now let's talk formula and get down to the nitty gritty (lol, that expression is seriously so weird!) This is one very similar to Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, or so I've heard, since it has a water based quite liquidy consistency. You really have to shake the bottle well, I repeat shake that bottle! If not, you'll end up with the pigment separating from the liquid and that just won't be good! Once shaken, you may notice that the shade will look a tad bit dark which you initially squeeze it out of the bottle. This happens with a lot of these new foundations, they get lighter once you rub them in so don't buy it from looking at a small dollop on your hand. Keep that in mind when going into a store and swatching it on your face - make sure to blend. (You can see this in the picture below!) That being said, their IntuiTone technology is amazing for allowing the foundation to adapt very well to your skin. You can see in the picture to the right that the foundation blended in seamlessly with my skin!

Coverage wise, this isn't going to be as full coverage as Double Wear but it does so well at covering redness and discolouration while still looking undetectable on the skin. I don't know how it does it, but it is gooood. It is light to a build able medium coverage, but like I said, with the help of some of my trusty NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer on some acne scars, I look flawless but in an imperfect way if that makes sense. Sort of like, wow that girl has pretty good skin naturally - not like dang, you look like you put on a ton of makeup! This is definitely one if you don't like feeling like you're wearing makeup or for those days when you just need a bit of perking up to skin but nothing that's cakey.
I haven't experimented with Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua myself but from what I heard Invisible Fluid is better for combo/oily skin gals. Without making the direct comparison, I find that this foundation keeps the oil at bay for at least 5-ish hours, which for a more water based foundation is all you can really ask for. I will say that even when I have my t-zone getting oilier, my face never looks quite like a grease ball if you catch my drift. I've had experiences with other foundations that have made me look much worse in less amount of time. I definitely suggest using a setting powder if you worry about that! It never oxidizes on me and the lasting power is great considering it has such a weightless feel. It blends really easily so using my fingers is usually how I like to apply it best but a buffing brush is great too! It gives a really natural finish, not too dewy and not too matte. As far as springtime bases are concerned, this one is a winner!
Some stats: Price: $44 Size: a standard 30 mL Formulation: Oil Free, Fragrance free (yay for sensitive skin gals!), non-acnegenic
Have you tried Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid? Are you as much in love with it as I am?

The Holy Grail Foundation Search Continues

Anyone who knows me in real life would know that my favourite place to go to is Sephora. Just today after class I stopped by to look around and ran into some friends. Suffice it to say I spend a little longer than expected but I left with tons of new recommendations, which I always love. For the past few months I have been on the hunt for the right foundation/tinted moisturizer for me - holy grail if you will. I'm not even kidding, I have tried about 10 different products in samples and bought and returned three foundations. So yes, the hunt isn't going too well but I'm not giving up. I'll give you some background on my skin and my must haves for the perfect base!
My skin is combination during this time of the year. I have a pretty oily t-zone and I tend to get drier patches between my brows and around my cheek area. My perfect base product would have these qualities: it has to feel light on the skin (no cake-face over here!), needs to cover redness and acne scarring sufficiently, needs to control my oils yet not look overly powdery or fake looking, oil-free, and blend seamlessly (formulations that are mousse-like in texture are a no go for me). It feels like at this point my only option would be to make my own custom foundation but maybe that will be a project I'll tackle in the future. 
So far I've tried things like Clinique Stay Matte (broke down quickly and emphasized dry patches), Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation (irritated my skin), Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer (broke me out), Estee Lauder Double Wear Light (still felt heavy on my face), Jouer Matte Moisture Tint (love it but the shade was off)... this list goes on and on. There are a few bases that I'm looking to try out in hopes that I'll find something that will tick off most of my holy-grail requirements, which are shown above! Right now I got a sample of the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer which feels super light but I'm thinking it won't hold up during long days. I think it looks really natural and has a good amount of coverage so fingers crossed that it might make it through my touch testing process. My skin is getting a lot better in terms of texture and breakouts so I'm hoping to enjoy lighter feeling and covering bases, although the worst part is that most of the time the shade ranges are limited. I was super interested in the Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer but the shade jumps dramatically from the light medium to medium tan - one is wayyy too light and the other is much more of a summer tanned colour. Not cool Bobbi, make another shade please!
Oh the pain of finding a good foundation. I feel like if you can get your base right then whatever you place on top will look significantly better, which of course has to do with your skin in the first place. Well sorry for the rather long ramble but I'd thought I'd share the dilemma and hopefully receive some helpful recommendations for products to try. I'm open to try anything at this point! I don't think the girls working at Sephora can handle one more foundation related question haha!
What are your favourite foundations/tinted moisturizers? I would love to hear from you! 

Jouer Matte Moisture Tint

Sorry for the double review but I'm too excited about this product! Last week a little package arrived on my doorstep and to my surprise, my Cult Beauty order had finally made its way across the pond. I've been eyeing this product for quite some time now and was going back and forth in my head on whether or not to purchase it. Face products are a bit risky for me because I have quite oily skin, but during this time of year I get the odd dry patch here and there so I need something that will hold up on my face but not accentuate any nasty bits. Once again, I was persuaded by Vivianna Does Makeup (is that any surprise?) and MissGlamorazzi, so I took the plunge and gave the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint a try. 

Let me just start off by saying I now understand what the fuss was about. The formula is really interesting - it feels smooth when applied to the skin and almost has a mousse-y texture to it. It blends seamlessly into the skin and doesn't leave you feeling like you splattered your face with mud. For a "moisture tint", I'd say it gives more coverage than your average tinted moisturizer. In my opinion, it's almost like a light, to even medium, coverage foundation but without the heaviness that you get with some of the top sellers out there. With a thin layer, it leaves your skin evened out and covers up minor areas of pigmentation and redness. With a little more applied, you can get some really good coverage without looking like a cake face, no one wants to look like that! The staying power was surprisingly great for a tinted moisturizer and the incredible matte (but not too matte) effect it gives lasted me a good 5 or so hours without blotting. A little while later I did need to blot but that was without having powder applied in the first place, which on my skin is miraculous! I would say it definitely delivers on the mattifying front as it isn't dewy or glowy, but the effect it gives isn't powdery if you know what I mean. You don't look like an oil slick but your skin looks like skin -- what could be better?

Jouer Matte Moisture Tint in Nude

The only negative thing I will say about it is that the colour isn't spot on for me at the moment but I did order this online and was already fearful of getting a colour that would be too light or dark on me. The shade Nude is a tiny bit too light for me right now but hopefully as I get paler during the winter it'll sort itself out. For the time being, I've been lightly dusting some bronzer all over my skin to bring back a little warmth and the colour looks great! As for the application, I feel like using your hands alone (unless you have super flawless, smooth skin) isn't the absolute best since it can sometimes cling to little dry patches but this is something that happens often with matte face products. I've found that using a buffing brush at first to even it out, and then just pat my face a little with my fingers gives a barely there effect (Thanks for the tip Anna!).

Overall, I'm loving this product because it keeps my skin matte for longer than anything else I've used with a texture that is silky and breathable. Jouer has won some major brownie points with this one and I'm excited to see how their other products are like, especially the cheek and lip tint I've been eyeing up.  As for Cult Beauty, their service was great and SUPER quick! I got my package in less than a week, which for an international order is pretty impressive! I'd definitely watch out for special offers like free international shipping because it definitely makes the price a bit more bearable. This moisture tint retails for about $42 CAD on the Cult Beauty website and that seems fair since you are getting 50 mL of product; a whole 20 mL more than your average foundation! I'd definitely give this product a try if you are looking for a matte tinted moisturizer that holds up well on your skin throughout the day!