Amy’s Recommendations – Cosmetics - Foundation

Ratings:

Love it!!

Impressive

I like it

Dissatisfy

No Thanks

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

June 28, 2004

Brand:

Almay

Name of Product:

Clear Complexion Blemish Healing Makeup

Rating:

Foundation has always linked with break out for me.  When Almay came out with this blemish healing makeup, I can’t wait to try.  The main ingredient in it that combats blemish is salicylic acid 0.6%.  Its concentration is so low that it should not cause irritations to sensitive skin.  I advice you not to use this around the eyes.  This line has 4 products: liquid foundation, Compact cream to powder foundation, Compact press powder and cream concealer.  I tried the liquid foundation and the pressed powder, both worked well for me.  I had no breakouts from using both products, too bad there’s no sunscreen in it otherwise it would be rated as one of my most favorite makeup.  It does not mattify nor control shine. When I wear this foundation I have to blot with oil blotting tissues often.  Its wear is not that long either. By the last three hours of my 8 hour shift, I can see most of the foundation wearing off already.  Nonetheless if you want a foundation that is safe for your break out skin this is one of the good picks.  

*Image Courtesy of www.almay.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

July 27, 2004

Brand:

Almay

Name of Product:

Nearly Naked Touch Pad Foundation SPF 12

Rating:

I have heard many bad comments about this makeup.  I hesitated to try it for months until last night I cannot fight the makeup itch bugs and bought it from London Drugs.  I am glad I got it finally because it has become one of my favorite foundations.  It is extremely lightweight; it spreads on skin so effortlessly like water.   It has Vitamin A & E in it to fight free radicals and here comes the best part: it is oil free and has SPF 12 in it (with titanium dioxide).  I am forever on the hunt for a light weight, oil-free, non-breakout foundation with SPF.  My search ends here with Almay’s Nearly Naked Touch Pad Foundation.  Please note this foundation earns its name – Nearly Naked by its formula.  It is very sheer in coverage, great for those who do not like to wear a lot of makeup.  However, the coverage is buildable with several applications. When I first apply this water weight foundation I sniffed a strong smell of the sponge, which was quiet gross but the smell will go away in 10 minutes, so it doesn’t bother me after all.  I had no problem with break out, dry patches or shine with this foundation either.  Its formula was not meant to keep oil at bay for the whole day, but it actually wears better than some other “matifying” foundation I tried.  4 flowers for this lovely easy-to-carry-all-in-one foundation.

P.S. – One down side of this foundation is the poor color selection, some of the lighter shades appear pinky and there are no testers available.

*Image Courtesy of www.almay.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 22, 2004

Brand:

Annabelle

Name of Product:

Skin True Foundation

Rating:

I am impressed with the quality of this new drug store brand foundation. It provides medium to full coverage and it goes on smoothly with a wedge or with a sponge.  This foundation wears a good 7 hours, much longer than I thought it would.  I was on the hunt for a long wearing foundation and this one score big time.  It stays on very well (with normal activities) and it is not as difficult to take off as the Revlon Colorstay Natural makeup.  I did not experience any breakouts or skin irritations from this foundation.  I am impressed with this is the formulation of this first foundation AnnaBelle manufactures.  This foundation is suitable for all skin types, but I would recommend people with dry skin to use a moisturizer with this product. (As a matter of fact, I always recommend people with any skin type to use a moisturizer before they put on foundation.) I recommend the use of a slightly wet sponge to apply this product bit by bit, working at one area at a time.  This way you can achieve a satin smooth finish.  If you want more coverage or you wanted a matte finish, apply this product with a dry sponge.   This foundation is oil free and it has no sun protection.  I am granting it four flowers for its long wear ability, its smooth formula and its uniform coverage.

*Image Courtesy of www.shoppersdrugmart.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 16, 2004

Brand:

CLARINS Paris

Name of Product:

Color Tint

Rating:

This is a very lightweight, sheer coverage liquid foundation.  It is oil-free and contains light reflecting particles to help diminish winkles and imperfections.  This foundation gives a healthy glow but not a greasy oily finish.  It is good for those with normal / combination skin.  For people with dry skin who like to give this product a try, I would recommend using it with CLARINS Moisture quenching hydra-balance lotion SPF 15.   My only nag about this product is that it is very short wearing. Other than that, I really like it; it is a good weekend casual wear foundation.  It yields a healthy glow effect, great for Spring and summer.

All CLARINS makeup contains CLARINS Anti-Pollution Complex; it helps protect skin from the harmful effects of day-time aggressors. CLARINS foundation are formulated with Autofocus pigments, the pigments in these foundations will automatically adapt to any light to ensure the complexion always remains the same, so perfect colour is delivered in any light resulting in optimized radiance.

**Image courtesy of www.clarins.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 16, 2004

Brand:

CLARINS Paris

Name of Product:

Hydrating Liquid

Foundation

Rating:

This liquid foundation is designed for people with dry or dehydrated skin.  It is oil free, very lightweight and it guilds on as smooth as milk.  I have used this foundation on women at different ages and it works wonder.  It does not crease into winkles and it is not cakey at all.  It has a light to medium coverage, depending on how much you build on it.  I never saw a foundation that wears so naturally, like second skin.  It is the most liquidly foundation I ever seen, it pours out of the bottle like liquid, yet provides so much hydration to the skin through out the day.  I had many women with dry skin tried this and just absolutely love it.  I recommend this foundation to people with dry / dehydrated skin.

All CLARINS makeup contains Clarins Anti-Pollution Complex; it helps protect skin from the harmful effects of day-time aggressors. CLARINS foundation are formulated with Autofocus pigments, the pigments in these foundations will automatically adapt to any light to ensure the complexion always remains the same, so perfect colour is delivered in any light resulting in optimized radiance.

**Image courtesy of www.clarins.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 16, 2004

Brand:

CLARINS Paris

Name of Product:

Multi-Matt Foundation

Rating:

This medium coverage liquid foundation is designed for people with combination / oily skin.  It covers well and yields a matt finish.  This long lasting foundation guides on easily with a wedge sponge.   It contains matifying skin care active ingredients that will keep skin matte for hours.  People with dry skin will find this foundation too dry.  My personal experience with this foundation is that it has a creamy texture, it did keep my skin matte for few hours, but I need to blot my face after mid-day.

All CLARINS makeup contains Clarins Anti-Pollution Complex; it helps protect skin from the harmful effects of daytime aggressors. CLARINS foundation are formulated with Autofocus pigments, the pigments in these foundations will automatically adapt to any light to ensure the complexion always remains the same, so perfect colour is delivered in any light resulting in optimized radiance.

**Image courtesy of www.clarins.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 27, 2004

Brand:

CLARINS Paris

Name of Product:

True Radiance Foundation

Rating:

This foundation is must have for Spring, especially for those with normal – combination – oily skin because it is oil-free and it is very lightweight.  It contains gold pigments to enhance skin's natural luminosity while maximizing the power of surrounding light for a truly radiant complexion.  I tried this foundation on women range from ages 14 to 60; it works great on skin of any ages.  It does not give a shiny or shimmery finish, but whether, the finished complexion has this natural glow that is subtle but yet visible.  The technology of this foundation is it contains pigments in it that catches light and bounce it right back off, as a result winkles or other imperfections are less visible.  The texture of it is a lite creamy liquid, very easy to work with.  The color ranges are good, I don’t have trouble choose a shade for any skin tone except for tan dark skin. I never saw anything so natural, it brightens up dull skin upon the initial application.  Say good-bye to dull winter skin and get ready for Spring in healthy glowing skin!

**Image courtesy of www.clarins.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 16, 2004

Brand:

Clinique

Name of Product:

Superfit Makeup

Rating:

This foundation is very lightweight.  It is oil-free, transfer-resistant and it controls oil well.  I quite like this foundation except that it has no sun protection.  It is not too expensive for a department store brand, but it would be better if it contains sun protection so it is more convenient for people who don’t want to layer their faces with moisturizers and sunscreen lotions.  One flower deducted for the lack of sun protection.

** Image courtesy of www.clinique.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 16, 2004

Brand:

Cover Girl

Name of Product:

Aquasmooth Makeup

Rating:

This is a cream to powder foundation.  It transforms into a liquid during application—then dries to an even, powder-light finish. It travels in an airtight, keep-fresh compact, glides on and covers imperfections evenly.  It is a medium coverage foundation, if you are looking for something lite then this would not be a good choice.  The Aquasmooth makeup is for people with normal / combination / oily skin. It does not have a shiny finish and it stays on for a good 5 hours.   If you have dry skin, you might find this too dry.   This product contains sun protection of SPF 15 and Vitamins B3, B5 and E.  The only thing I don’t like about this makeup is it can yield a cakey look if you do not apply it in a fast pace.  At the end of the day, this product has settled into the crease, giving the illusion of winkles.   You have to work fast when spreading this stuff on your face because it dries very quickly, you must work at one area at a time otherwise you might have uneven finish all over your face.  But overall speaking this is a good quality product for drug-store brand cosmetics.  Four flowers for this cream foundation. 

** Image courtesy of www.covegirl.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 19, 2004

Brand:

Christian Dior

Name of Product:

TEINT DIORLIGHT – Sheer Luminous Foundation

Rating:

If I were to use one word to describe this foundation, I would say SMOOTH.  This foundation earns its name – Diorlight Sheer Luminous Foundation.  It is very light in texture and provides a sheer finish, yet it can be built up to medium coverage if desired.  It is oil-free and has sun protection of SPF 10.  This is one of my favorite foundations because of its silky smooth formula.  The average wear of this foundation is about 5 hours, which is very decent for a sheer formula.    If you are looking for a sheer coverage foundation that is oil-free and has sun protection, keep this in your mind.   A note to those who has combination / oily skin: this foundation did not keep my complexion matte for too long.  I had to blot at least twice through out the day. But if you are aiming for a dewy look, this is a good choice of foundation.

** Image courtesy of www.dior.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

July 14, 2004

Brand:

Marcelle

Name of Product:

Sheer Tint Fluid Moisturizer SPF 15

Rating:

I got this product because it was on sale at London Drugs.  I never have much luck with tinted moisturizers due to my combination / oily skin.   I intended to get this for my sister who has normal / dry skin.  The texture of this cream is medium thick, probably due to the sunscreen in it.  It goes on smoothly and yields a semi-matte finish.  It comes in 4 different colors; I chose the lightest color (medium beige) for my sister.  Note that my sister has light golden brown skin tone, if she can use the lightest shade, then it might be difficult for those with lighter skin tones to find a good match.  The next 3 colors has more pink in it, those with dark olive skin tone will have better luck with finding a good match.  After wearing this for half a day it felt a bit greasy on my face.  Mind you today is 27 degrees and I was outside half of the time. It was hard to tell whether the moisturizer in it was good due to the hot summer weather.  But over all speaking this is a good tinted moisturizer for normal to dry skin.  It retails for $12.99 CAD.

*Image courtesy of www.marcelle.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 16, 2004

Brand:

Maybelline

Name of Product:

Express 3 in 1 Makeup

Rating:

This is a sheer coverage stick foundation.  It smooth on like cream and finishes with a semi-luminous finish.  It does not mattify nor control oil, but it contains SPF 15.  One can use this both as a foundation and as a concealer.  I find this a good stick foundation for weekend casual wear because it has so little coverage, it literally looks like you have no makeup on.  It is very convenient for fast makeup application and for beginner makeup users.  But for those who are looking for more cover-ups, this would not do much for you.

** Image courtesy of www.maybelline.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

April 23, 2004

Brand:

Maybelline

Name of Product:

Ever Fresh Foundation

Rating:

I bought this foundation only because of its color.  I was looking for the lightest color in foundation as I was casual shopping, and I came across with this. This is the second lightest shade compare to L’Oreal True Match, which I will probably buy soon.  I bought this foundation for highlighting / contouring purposes only, I did not intend to use this as a foundation.  This foundation has good coverage, I say about medium to full coverage depending how you build on it.  This foundation is oil-free and has SPF 14.   It does not control oil, so those with combination / oily skin might experience shine in the T-zone after a few hours of wear.  The wear-ability of this foundation is so so, similar to Annabelle’s Skin True Foundation, except I like the texture of Annabelle’s Skin True Foundation better because it feels lighter and it is easier to maneuver.   Like I said before I plan to use it only for highlighting / contouring, and the heavy coverage is what I need for such purposes, hence I am giving it 4 flashy flowers for doing that job.  As for wearing it as a foundation, I cannot say how well it will perform. Expect this foundation to feel weighty on your face because it has a thick texture.  For $9.99 CAD I think this is a good deal for a fair oil-free foundation with SPF.

** Image courtesy of www.maybelline.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

April 23, 2004

Brand:

Maybelline

Name of Product:

Wonder Finish Foundation

Rating:

The reason I got this foundation was because of its texture. This liquid foundation goes from liquid to powder finish in a matter of seconds after blending.  I intend to use this for highlight / contour purposes only because I like the fast drying powdery finish that gives good coverage.  The color ranges are good, except I find that some colors are amazingly similar.  It almost seems like Porcelain Ivory and Natural Ivory are exactly the same except Natural Ivory has a hint of yellow in it where as Porcelain has a hint of pink.  I give this foundation 3 flashy flowers for its liquid to powder finish.  I would have award this foundation 4 flowers but its packaging is a hectic because the liquid is very runny, each time you shake the bottle and open the cap, the foundation will be all over the tip and all over the cap.  It is easy to pour out way too much because of its runny texture, hence one must be careful when using this product.  Remember to work fast when using this product because it dries very quickly.

** Image courtesy of www.maybelline.com

Reviewed by:

Posted on:

February 16, 2004

Brand:

Revlon

Name of Product:

ColorStay^® Stay Natural Makeup

Rating:

This is a medium – heavy coverage liquid foundation.  It has built-in SPF 15, UVA/UVB protection and it is oil-free.  This foundation is literally very long lasting, it wears the whole day and it cannot be taken off with ordinary cleansers.  I had to use oil to scrub my face to get this stuff off.  I find that it wears like paint; it made me look dead, my skin had no radiance.  It did a good job in controlling oils on my face; I hardly have to blot with oil blotting sheets through out the day.   But here comes the kicker, this product gave me major breakouts that lasts for a whole week.  At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but after a few tries, I decided to stop torturing my face. I guess this would be a good long wearing foundation for those who does not get break out from it.  One small flower for its longwearing ability but four flowers deducted from the paint-like texture and the breakouts.

** Image courtesy of www.revlon.com