Battle! MAC Face and Body Foundation vs MUFE Face and Body Foundation

I'm going to be doing a review/comparison of the Face and Body foundations from MAC and Make Up For Ever.  They have some similarities and some differences. Face and Body foundations are light weight liquid foundations that are intended for the face and body (obviously).  They tend to be water resistant and silicone based.   The coverage is very sheer but buildable because of the silicone allows the foundation to completely set and more layers can be added on top without getting caky. The finish is dewy or satin if you decide to powder. 

MAC:

$33 maccosmetics.com

Review : Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation

Good afternoon blogger-world.  I'm sitting in my kitchen right now, sick with a sinus infection.  I have been home from work for the past few days nursing my poor throat back to health.  I've been meaning to write a review on this foundation for a little bit but have not had the time recently.  As you'll recall, I purchased this foundation in the color porcelain almost 3 weeks ago and talked about it in this post.  I went back a few days later and picked up the shade Nude as well which is a few shades darker.  It made very little sense for me to be using sunless tanner and try out the palest shade this brand offers at the same time.  Nude is the perfect shade for me the day after sunless tanning and one pump of each will usually get me through 2-3 days after that.  Porcelain is the same shade as my natural skin tone (pale pale pale).

Here's what Hourglass has to say about their newest foundation.

$55 Hourglass.com

An ultra-mattifying, anti-aging foundation that absorbs oil, camouflages imperfections, and ensures a long-lasting flawless finish—without the need for touchups.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

ARGH!!! Why are all the best products so damn expensive?  Seriously, you have to be Megan Fox to afford this foundation but it actually gives you her perfect radiant skin.  Not fair.  Needless to say, I'm pretty much in a love/hate relationship with this foundation. 

Since I'm most insecure about my skin, finding a foundation that I love is really difficult for me.  Even the most natural looking foundations like Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua eventually break down on my face because I get so oily.  I could forgo powder and spend all day looking greasy which isn't going to work for me either.  I was visiting an old coworker who recently got a job at the Smashbox counter at Nordstrom and saw the Giorgio Armani counter.  I've heard really great things about the Luminous Silk Foundation - in fact, this is Kim Kardashian's foundation of choice.  I swatched a few on my arm and found that shade #2 was a pretty close match.  Turns out I am actually the lightest shade out of 18. 

$59.00 Nordstrom.com

Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation Review

I've started thinking about my life (getting really deep here haha) and what I want to do and so I've decided to really buckle down and get this makeup artist career up and running.  I've applied to a few different studios and have a few photo shoots coming up in the next couple weeks.  With these upcoming jobs comes new products for my kit.  The first one being a foundation that is photo friendly.  Enter Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation.

$34 Sephora.com

Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua

So I was in the mall last weekend and wanted to pick up another sample of the Pro Lumiere because I'm still kind of on the fence about it.  I like how it looks but I'm not sure if I'm ready to commit yet.  I was talking to the Sales Girl and she was telling me that Chanel is going to be doing away with Pro Lumiere in September to reformulate it and fix all the issues people have with it.  Good news on that front because I'd be sold on it if it would stay on my face.  On that note I decided to ask for samples of the Matte Lumiere and Vita Lumiere Aqua.  I've heard good things about Vita Lumiere Aqua but wasn't sure on specifics.  The Sales assistant went through the whole deal where they ask you about your skin and what kind of coverage you're looking for (oily and full coverage) and she determined that Matte Lumiere is the one for me but gave me samples of the Vita Lumiere which is supposed to be a fairly sheer coverage.  I left without purchasing either because I wanted to test them out at home before taking the plunge and I can say I'm very happy I did.  I have yet to try the Matte Lumiere because I love the Vita Lumiere Aqua so much!  It gives flawless coverage, keeps my oily skin in check, looks natural, doesn't transfer, and is long wearing.  I wore it for about 12 hours in 85° today and still had to wash my face twice with my Clarisonic to get it off.

Dear Chanel Vita Lumiere,

Would you like to permanently join my makeup collection as my holy grail foundation?

I think that was a yes!

$45 Nordstrom.com

Favorite Products of 2010

Some of my favorite videos are the ones where the beauty gurus share their favorite products of the month and seeing as how it's the end of the year, I thought I'd start off by doing my favorite products of 2010.  Next year I'll start doing my favorite products of the month.  I'm going to do the categories of hair, skin, makeup, nails and miscellaneous. 

HAIR:



$28 Ulta.com



$36 Ulta.com

I've tried a lot of different shampoos this year and wasn't really impressed with any of them so there will be no favorite shampoo product of 2010.  For conditioner my favorite was the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque.  I mix this with the Healing Oil Treatment once a week and it makes my hair so soft.  It smells better and is less expensive than the Moroccan Oil but works the same way.  After my shower, I wring out my hair and put about a half a pump of the oil treatment on the ends.  It protects my hair from heat styling and makes it really shiny and smooth. 

FACE:

$11.49 drugstore.com

My favorite Cleanser of the year is Cetaphil daily facial cleanser.  This gentle cleanser was recommended to me by a dermatologist when I was a teenager suffering from terrible acne.  I hadn't used it in a while because I get bored easily and like to experiment with other products but I always seem to go back to this cleanser.  I recently bought it when I ran out of eye makeup remover and needed something gentle to remove my eye makeup.  This is the best cleanser for removing everything.  It cleanses without stripping your face of moisture and it leaves your skin so soft and smooth.  It's also really easy to find because it's sold at all drug stores and grocery stores. 



$30 MACcosmetics.com



My favorite Toner of all time is the MAC Lightful Active Softening Lotion.  I love the whole Lightful line but this is one product I repurchased again and again.  It removes any traces of makeup while leaving your skin balanced and moisturized.  After a few days of using this I'd noticed most of my acne had disappeared and after a few weeks I'd noticed that the scars were fading fast.  I'm a believer that MAC actually does have great skincare that most people don't give a chance.

$40 MACcosmetics.com

My favorite Serum of 2010 is a product from the MAC Lightful Collection again.  It is the Charged Essence Serum.  Used after the softening lotion and before your moisturizer it really helps other products sink into your skin.  I noticed similar effects with this that I did with the Lightful Active Softening Lotion but I noticed that my skin felt smoother and looked brighter when I used this as part of my routine. 

$27 LaRoche-Posay.US

I tried a lot of moisturizers this year and have found that the La Roche-Posay Effaclar M Daily Mattifying Moisturizer was the best one for me. When you put it on, you immediately feel an almost cooling sensation.  It then goes to work gently exfoliating your skin to improve the texture over time.  After about 3 minutes I noticed less shine and smaller pores.  It has a nice clean scent and an almost gel like consistency.  It also makes a great base for powder foundation. 



limited edition Clarisonic Mia
$149 Clarisonic.com



The Last product I'm going to mention for Skin is the Clarisonic.  There's a lot of hype around this product and people wonder is it worth the money.  I'm here to cast my vote with a screaming HELL YES.  It does all the work for you.  I have never had cleaner skin than when I use my Clarisonic.  It really does a great job of getting that dirt way down in your pores and also exfoliates daily.  I'm not sure if any one of these products has made a difference in my skin but it hasn't looked this good since I was 14.  If you don't want to shell out almost $200 for the classic Clarisonic, get the Mia.  It does the same job and it's $50 less.   They usually come in cute limited edition colors like lavender and yellow as well as pink which Clarisonic says that they donate money to people with cancer. 

MAKEUP:



$40 MACcosmetics.com

My favorite primer of the year would have to be the MAC Prep + Prime Skin Brightening Serum.  This product came out early in 2010 and was a staple in my makeup routine for a long time.  It was similar to the lightful serum but I felt that it helped my makeup last longer.  I believe it was also infused with the MAC charged water. 



Favorite Foundation of the year goes to Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42.  I've done a blog post on this foundation already and I continue to be impressed by this product.  I apply it with a Sigma F80 brush and then press it into my face around my nose and any places I get oily with a cosmetic sponge.  This has helped with the pooling up around my mouth and when I use it with the MURAD Mattifier, I don't see any of the negative things I had to say about it in my previous post.  It covers well, stays on my face for a long time, has a perfect color match and it doesn't oxidize. 



$20 (Benefitcosmetics.com)

The women on my mother's side of the family have a very similar facial structure.  We all have high cheek bones.  I seem to have this more than any of my sisters which means that I look great when I smile and there's lots of room for blush but I also have greater bags to cover under my eyes.  Paired with dark circles, I often look like I'm exhausted.  I find that a lot of under eye concealers crease on me due to my eye shape and so it's hard for me to work with this.  Enter Benefit Eye Bright.  This light pink under eye brightener is creamy enough to be blended with a brush but light enough to resist creasing.  I apply my foundation and then apply this to the areas that need a little more brightness under my eyes.  It's a great product that can be used on the waterline that looks a little more natural than a white.  I also use it as a brow bone highlight sometimes. 

 

$16.50 MACcosmetics.com

My other favorite concealer is MAC's Select cover up.  This was the very first concealer I ever purchased from MAC and it is still wonderful.  Like I said, I have an issue with concealers creasing on me but not with this.  I don't remember what it is but something makes this concealer set so it doesn't budge.  You also get a lot more product with this concealer than any other concealer MAC sells. 

$26 MACcosmetics.com

For powder it is hands down the MAC MSF Natural.  So many people love this powder and it's no secret why.  It comes in a variety of colors ranging from very light to very dark.  When applied with a fluffy brush it does a great job of setting your makeup or you can use a more densely packed brush to get a more fuller coverage.  I like to use this in the summer with MAC's select cover up under my eyes.  I buff it into my skin with a kabuki brush and it just gives the most natural flawless coverage.  I get compliments on my skin every time I wear this.  People will say "oh you have beautiful skin" and I always reply with "no, I have great makeup". 

$18 Ulta.com

My favorite bronzer is Bare Minerals Warmth.  It works on any skin tone and has actually lasted me years because of how pigmented it is.  You use just a little bit and it's great for giving you a sun kissed glow.  It's a matte blush so it's also good for contour.   

Sadly my favorite highlight came out in a limited edition collection from MAC early this year.  Thankfully, MAC seems to re promote their recent mineralize skin finishes a lot so chances are I'll be able to pick this up again if I run out soon.  My pick for best highlight color of 2010 is MAC MSF in By Candle Light.  It is a light fleshy peach with frosty gold veining and looks beautiful as a highlight especially when applied with a light hand.  I've heard that Dior's Amber Diamond Shimmer powder is a good dupe for this but I've never tried it so I'm not sure.



For favorite blushes it's not so much a specific shade so much as it is a general color.  My pick for favorite blush of 2010 is MAC's Bite of an Apple Blush from their Disney Venomous Villains Collection.  I went a little insane with this collection and bought almost everything but the must have on my list was this blush.  I noticed in at least 5 collections this year there was a peachy or coral blush color and I missed out in every other collection this year.  I think we all remember how quickly Ripe Peach Blush Ombre sold out with the Spring Color Forecast collection this year.  So when I saw that there was going to be a beautiful coral blush with the Disney collection I jumped at the chance.  The fact that it comes in adorable packaging just sealed the deal.  I'm almost glad that I missed out on the other blushes because I may not have gotten to enjoy this one which is now as coveted as the RP Blush Ombre.  I think this is such a great color because of how universal it is.  It works on the palest of people to the darkest of people.  It give a lit from within glow to the most mature of skin and compliments any makeup that is worn.  My other pick for favorite blush goes hand in hand with Bite of an Apple and that is the NYC Blushable Crème Stick in Plaza Pink. Again, a beautiful coral color but this time it's in a cream form.  I like to warm this up on the back of my hand and then apply with a MAC 188 brush.  This looks great under NARS Orgasm or any warm pinkie blush. 

Again sticking with the Peachy theme, my favorite eyeshadow base is MAC Rubenesque paint pot.  It's a great shimmery peach base that looks good on all skin tones under a lot of neutral eye shadows. 

Now for favorite eye shadows.  There's a lot to mention and they're mostly MAC.

• MAC Tan pigment - This shade looks beautiful with my green eyes.  I like to pair it with MAC Tempting in the crease and MAC Gilt By Association Mineralize Eyeshadow on the outer V



MAC Naked Pigment
$19.50

• MAC Naked pigment - There is no better highlight.  If I were allowed one eyeshadow for the rest of my life it would be this one.  It's a fleshy beige color with subtle gold shimmer (although I find new colors in there every time).  It makes a wonderful cheek highlight, gorgeous inner corner highlight, lovely all over the lid color.  All around LOVE
• MAC Wood Winked - Great on its own or in the crease.  I love Veluxe Pearl finishes because they're so beautifully shimmery and easy to blend. 
• MAC Tempting - I usually dislike Luster eye shadows but this one has decent color pay off.  I like it in the crease and on the lower lash line.  Compliments light eyes well but also good on brown eyes.
• MAC Grand Entrance - Beautiful inner corner highlight.  Love it all over the lid or used sparingly as a highlight.
• MAC Sketch - A favorite amongst most MUAs.  This dark reddish burgundy looks great in the outer V or as an eyeliner.
• MAC Naked Lunch - Beautiful neutral pale pink with shimmer.  This is a must for bridal makeup.
• MAC Blue Flame Mineralized Eyeshadow - Black with blue glitter.  This eyeshadow is best applied wet with a small brush.  Use all over for a smoky eye or over black eyeliner for a subtle splash of color.
• MAC Gilt by Association Mineralized Eyeshadow - A must for smoky brown eyes.  I find that this works best when scraped off into a loose eyeshadow  and applied with the MAC 226.  It is more natural transition than black in the crease. 
• MUFE #307 - Beautiful smoky black eyeshadow with silver glitter.  Easily blendable and a new staple in my makeup collection

Favorite Eyeliners:

• MAC pearl glide eyeliners - These are by far the best eyeliners that were released in any MAC collection this year. Many vibrant colors that are great for lining your eyes or can be smudged out and make a great base.  These are the best eye liners for your waterline because once they set, they are waterproof and are not going to budge.  Subtle shimmer and a wide variety of colors make these my favorite eye liners of the year.
• Loreal carbon black liquid liner -  another hyped up product and I have to say I agree.  It's very black which is hard to find with liquid eyeliners.  I also really like the easy to use spongy applicator which allows for the thinnest lines as well as the control to do a great winged eye liner.
• MAC Teddy Eye Kohl - This is a beautiful bronze eye Kohl that looks great with green eyes.  Dark enough to make your lashes appear thicker but still more natural than black. 
• MAC Smolder Eye Kohl - My love.  My first MAC eyeliner ever purchased.  This smudgy black eyeliner is just gorgeous.  It can be applied with an angled brush or on its own.  I like to set this with an eyeshadow to prevent smudging.

Lips:

• MAC Viva Glam 5 -  A beautiful my lips but better color.  This shade goes with any makeup look.  Perfect for bridal.

• MAC Viva Glam 6 Special Edition Gloss - This gloss adds that extra umph to any lip.  Looks great on its own too. 
• MAC Lily Land Lip Gelees - Rarely do I purchase something in every color it comes in but I couldn't pass up these lip gelees.  Glittery and pigmented without being sticky, they're everything that dazzle glasses should be.  Can't pick a favorite here.
• MAC Innocence Beware Lipstick - Another pick from the Disney Venomous Villains collection.  This limited edition shade is what I wish Creme De Nude was on me.  It's slightly pinker so it compliments my skin better.  It gives me a nude lip without making me look like I just slopped some concealer on my lips and rubbed Vaseline on them.

BRUSHES:

These are my favorite brushes of the year.  I used them almost every time I did makeup. 

Face:



$16 Sigmabeauty.com



• The Sigma F80 is the best brush for liquid foundation.  I used the MAC 109 for a very long time but it kept shedding.  Enter the F80.  The synthetic hairs are the softest hair on a brush ever.  It's densely packed and does a great job of buffing the foundation into your skin giving you a flawless airbrushed finish.  It disperses the color just as well.
• The MAC 165 is my favorite brush for highlighting.  Its tapered ends are perfect for placing color down the bridge of your nose, Cupid's bow, cheek bones, and around my eyes.
• The MAC 187 stippling brush is perfect for placing a heavily pigmented blush without making it look clown like.  It can also be used for powder and cream products.
• MAC 130 - I like to use this brush to apply powder under my eyes.  I find that it's small enough to fit right under there and applies the right amount without looking cakey.
• MAC 182 - This brush is great for applying powder foundation.  I use this to buff my MSF Natural into my skin and also to blend out too harsh blushes.   

Eyes:

• The MAC 217 brush is my all time favorite brush.  It's great for placing color as well as blending.  I use this for paint pots, crease colors, all over lid colors, applying brow bone highlights...everything.  If I could have only one brush for the rest of my life it would be this one.
• I like the MAC 252 for packing on all over color.  I have a large eye space and this saves a lot of time when I'm trying to place one color in a large area.  I use this almost every day.
• Sometimes after placing a crease color I find that my lid color has faded to the background a little bit.  I use the MAC 239 to reapply the lid color because it's small enough to fit right on my lid without disturbing the crease too much.  It is also dense enough to pack on a lot of color. 



$29 MACcosmetics.com

• The MAC 224 is great for blending the line between my crease and my brow highlight.  I like to use a color like Soft Brown with this because it's a nice transition and the 224 diffuses the color nicely.
• The MAC 226 is my favorite brush for doing outer V and more defined crease work.  It's more tapered than the 224 and 217 so it's good for fitting in small areas. 
• The MAC 219 pencil brush is my favorite for placing color on my lower lash line.  I like to use this brush to smudge out eyeliner on the upper lash line as well. 
• Last but certainly not least, I love MAC's 227 brush for the highlight area. This densely packed brush does a great job of applying color to my brow bone as well as bringing down my crease color if it's been blended up too high.  This is also great for doing a wash of color all over the lid.

My favorite Mascara of the year has to be Cover girl Lash blast.  It really lifts my lashes and gives them amazing volume while separating them.  I often get asked if my lashes are real when I'm wearing this mascara. 

Category MISC:

Other honorable mention items that may not fit into the categories listed above are below.

• Nail Polish - Orly Galaxy Girl.  This nail polish is a perfect dupe for MAC's Formidable that came out with the Disney collection.  I love all the colors. When you turn it one way it's sort of blue/green and then look at it another way and it's a gorgeous purple.
• Bath and Body Works Winter - I love this smell.  It smells like snow and fireplaces and pine...or...Winter.  I went a little crazy with this scent.  I bought the Wall Flowers, 6 of the 3 wick candles, and the room spray.  YUMMMM.
• My Uggs.  They're new to my life, an early Christmas present from the BF, but I have worn them every single day since he gave them to me.  They're so comfortable, I put them on before I leave my bedroom and don't take them off until it's bed time.  They've been a real life saver because I live in a drafty old row house with crappy heat.
• Crystal Light Green Tea Peach Mango.  I've been trying to drink a lot more water but it's difficult when I have gross city water.  I've tried other crystal lights but I can not get enough of this one.  It's so yummy and refreshing.
• My sweet little pupper. Like my Uggs, he is fluffy, White and Tan, and oh so warm.  The only difference is that he comes to bed with me and stays there all night.  Currently, he's curled up right next to me, keeping me warm. 



(Left) Ugg Bailey Buttons
(Right) my Bailey Pupper

Well I think that'll do it for now.  I spent all day working on this (in between actual work, of course) but I think it's time for me to get up to bed.  Keep a look out for my favorites of the month. 

Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42

In my quest to find my  Holy Grail foundation for winter, I decided to try the Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42 in the color SP 20. 

$34 Macys.com

Pros:

The color match is flawless.  Though the foundation does not have a wide range of colors, I found that the SP 20 blended into my skin perfectly.  It's also a really lightweight foundation that doens't feel like you're wearing anything.  It's got a nice matte finish straight off but I still set it with a powder anyway.  The coverage is medium to buildable and does a good job of making my face look even overall. It's also slightly less expensive than the other foundations I'm considering. However, it is a smaller bottle.  That being said, you only need a little bit to get the coverage needed. 

Cons:

I read a lot of reviews for this foundation saying that it was very water resistant and didn't budge off your face all day and didn't really show oils.  Some people even said that they had to use an oil cleanser to get it off.  I found that after about 4 hours, not only was I oily but the foundation itself was now visible on my face.  I could see it pooling up around my mouth and it had somehow gone from very lightweight to very caky around my eyes and nose.  It may have something to do with the primer I'm using (Laura Mercier oil free primer) but I did not expect this to be like every other foundation I've ever tried. 

The search continues!

The Search For The Perfect Foundation

I've been thinking about starting a blog for a while now so I thought why not start now.  I'm on the hunt for the perfect foundation right now.  I've used a lot and I still haven't found my Holy Grail foundation yet.  Having lost my tan from the summer now, I'm in need of my winter color so why not take this time to search for the right formula for my skin as well. A little background on my skin first. I have very oily acne prone skin with dark circles under my eyes, lots of acne scaring, large pores and a few new pimples that my proactive has not taken care of. 

Foundations I'm considering:

$42 NARScosmetics.com

NARS Sheer Glow - I used the color Stromboli in the summer when I had a very deep tan.  In MAC terms I was probably a NW30-NW35.  I thought it was the best foundation ever.  Less noticable pores, excellent full coverage, long lasting.  Seemed to be the holy grail for me.  I am now using the color Deauville which is the perfect color match for me.  Unfortunately, it always seems that when my skin is lighter, foundations don't cover as well.  I've found that my large pores are back and the acne scars aren't being covered as well.  The dark circles aren't being covered as well any more and it doesn't seem to be lasting as long either and my face looks oiler faster. I may be returning this but I think I'll give it a little more time. 

$54 Nordstrom.com

Chanel Pro Lumier - I used the color Cameo.  I like this foundation. It made my skin look even but for $54, it should do a whole lot more than that.  Despite some of the reviews I've read for this foundation, I did not have a problem with it staying.  It covered well enough but I found that I needed to use a concealer for spots on my face too.  It was really liquidy and was kind of messy.  I only had a sample so I can assume that it's not quite as messy when you get the full bottle. Another draw back was that you definatly need to use a setting powder.  There is no way around this.  Powder powder powder.  I had to use a setting powder and a mattifying gel but it looked pretty nice after all of that work.  No real caking.  Overall, it was ok but it's way too much work for a product that I think should do it all at that price point.  I will not be purchasing a full size bottle.

$42 Nordstrom.com

  

Laura Mercier Silk Cream Foundation - Initially I got a sample of the rose ivory which was PINK! Not the right color for me so I kind of ignored it for a while.  I recently got a sample of cream ivory which was the right color for me.  This foundation is also only ok.  It didn't do anything very special.  It looked nice but didn't really stick around either.  Didn't cover as well as I would expect either. Probably not going to get the full size either. 

$40 Sephora.com

MUFE HD foundation - I had this in the summer too and when I first got it, it was the best thing I had ever used.  Since I've tried other foundations, I've found that there are better ones out there.  I wish this was the perfect foundation for me because I get a professional discount at MUFE. Once again, needed concealer, not really buildable, didn't help with the oil.  Just nothing special.  I did however notice that my pores appeared smaller when I used it. 

$26 MACcosmetics.com

MAC Studio Fix Fluid - I used this foundation for really long time.  I never had any problems with it breaking me out or anything.  It lasted for a long time and didn't make me look oily or anything but it sometimes did look a little cakey.  I liked it but the color wasn't exactly right.  I tried NC 15 and NC 20. The NWs were too pink for me so that wasn't an option.  I probaby won't go back to this.







I'm not sure the perfect foundation is out there for me.  It's the one thing that I just can't find that suits me.  I don't like using the matte foundations like NARS Sheer Matte or the MUFE Matte Velvet Plus because I don't find that they keep me matte any longer than other foundations and they tend to looke cakier on me.  Maybe it's out there, maybe it isn't.  Today I'm going to give the Laura Mercier a little more love.  I recently got the LM primer so maybe it'll work with that.  We'll See.