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. 

Make Up For Ever eyeshadows

I love this company!  I have had a professional discount with Make Up For Ever for about 9 months now and I have never ordered anything from them.  I've used their products in the past like their eyeliners and the HD foundation but never really branched out from there.  Let me just say that I will be purchasing their products for a long time to come. 

Christmas time is coming up and being a beauty girl, I tend to give gifts of makeup and other things beauty related.  My older sister asked for makeup for Christmas this year an I thought it would be a good opportunity to order from Make Up For Ever since I haven't in the past.  I called in to their store in New York and was greeted by a very friendly girl on the phone.  She was so helpful and nice and knowledgeable.  I ordered the HD foundation for my sister but I was stuck trying to decide between 3 shades.  She immediately knew the different tone and color of the three shades and was able to accurately recommend the right one. I also wanted to order the Rock For Ever eyeshadow quad but she said that the store does not carry that and it was for Sephora only.  She did offer to make the quad for me using the eyeshadows. 

$45 Sephora.com

I received the package today (Monday).  Shipping was extremely fast and I was not expecting that.  The eyeshadow quad included #307 (a black with silver glitter), #306 (a peach with silver sparkles), #82 (a basic shimmery silver), and #7 (a white with a slight sheen to it).  All of the shadows are very pigmented and beautiful.  They're also much larger than MAC eyeshadows.  MAC eyeshadows are 1.5g and MUFE eyeshadows are 2.5g.  I love this quad.  I love it so much that I'm keeping this one and buying another for my sister.

I was already wearing a silver eye today and thought I'd punch it up a bit and put some black in the outer corner.  Thinking that it would be similar to MAC's Carbon eyeshadow, I was prepared to spend a half hour blending to get it looking only ok.   That was not the case at all.  These eyeshadows are so buttery and so smooth, the only MAC eyeshadows I can compare them to are the Matte2.  If you've ever used Blanc Type or Typographic you know just how buttery and smooth they are.  It was a dream.  This is my new favorite black eyeshadow and I'm afraid Carbon is going to be living in the graveyard of unused makeup like many of my previously loved products. 

$22 Sephora.com

Next on my list to try will be smoky lash mascara.

16 Random Things About Me

I saw this tag on someone else's blog and thought it would be fun to do. 

1. I have been with my boyfriend for 6 1/2 years and still no ring.  We have lived together for 5 years and have been talking about getting married for even longer.  He's the love of my life, my best friend, and the most wonderful caring guy I could ask for.  He wants me to have everything including a diamond way out of our price range which is the hold up.  He's a romantic and I am much more practical.

2.  I work for a large global office supply company during the day.  I get to work from home which makes this one of the best jobs in the world!  I started working there 4 years ago taking my older sister's job as an administrative assistant when she got promoted.  Two years ago, I was again promoted to the position she took when I started with the company.  Some say "it's not what you know, but who you know" and while I agree that she is the one that got my foot in the door, I have worked my butt off to be where I am now.

3. I have a dog named Bailey.  He's almost 2 years old and is a Japanese Chin.  He is the cutest and funniest little dog and I am so in love with him.  He follows me around all day long and sleeps on my head at night.  We are inseparable. He's currently curled up at my feet keeping them warm.  I also have 2 cats.  Sammie is a 12 year old long haired black cat.  He is the luckiest cat in the world. He has run away 5 times since I've had him for several months each time and has somehow managed to stay alive and well through all of that.  Onyx is my good luck charm.  I was bummed out one day when Sammie ran away and adopted this tiny black haired kitty.  An hour after we brought him home, my boyfriend spotted Sammie and we caught him.  Sammie has not run away since.  He is best friends with Bailey and is in love with my sister's cat, Valentine. 

4. I am from a big family.  I have 2 older (half) brothers, 2 older sisters (1 half, 1 full blood), and one younger sister.
 
5. I work part time for 3 cruise companies on the weekends with my parents. 

6. I am really good at putting together furniture.  I put together my vanity, my makeup storage, my wardrobe, 2 of my dressers and my kitchen table.  My boyfriend is awful at it.  We were building a dresser together a few years ago and I finished 3 drawers in the time it took him to do one and he did it incorrectly.  I had to fix it.

7. I'm naturally a blond but have been dying my hair red since I was 17.  I have blond eyelashes, blond eyebrows, blond body hair.  Occasionally I'll switch it up and go back to blond but everyone has always told me that red is the color my hair should be (except my mom.  She likes the blond).

8. Although it was not always the case, I love my parents more than anything.  Growing up has made me realize that they are actually really fun people.  We like to go out for happy hour and go on vacations every chance we get. 

9. My first makeup job was with MAC.  I applied at a Nordstrom for holiday work hoping to work in the housewares section.  During the interview the woman asked where I wanted to work and I told her that I'd love to work in cosmetics not thinking that there was an opening.  Turns out, MAC was hiring for part time.  The interview process was insane.  I think I had 5 interviews and 3 months before I finally started working.  It was the most rewarding experience ever.  I learned more in 4 months than I had in 10 years. 

10.  I knit and crochet.  I'm good at it.  I like making scarves because they're easy but I've been working on a blanket for my dog for the past year.  I'll probably be finished by the time he's 12.

11. I love YouTube.  I think the beauty community is just amazing.  I didn't even know what MAC was before YouTube.  Now, the majority of my collection is MAC products.

12.  I am a slob but I'm trying to get better.  In previous apartments it used to be that you couldn't get through a room without tripping over something.  I don't work well without checklists so my boyfriend and I have chores that we're supposed to do every day.  We don't always stick to it but I can tell you that there has not been a time when you couldn't walk through the room without stepping on something in the past 6 months. 

13.  No one else in my family is remotely interested in beauty products.  My mom and younger sister don't ever wear makeup and my older sister hardly does either.  I don't know why I got the makeup dork gene but I'm the only one that has it.  My older sister taught me how to properly apply makeup when I was 14 and I have been doing her makeup for special occasions ever since.  

14.  I am a nail biter.  It's disgusting and painful but I can't stop. I'll try to stop every few weeks but when my nails get even a little long they start breaking and I end up biting them.  They're currently in a disgusting painful short phase right now. 

15.  I smoke.  It's gross, expensive and killing me.  I'd quit if I didn't have to go into the office every once in a while but all of my friends at work smoke too. 

16. I can't fall asleep unless I'm listening to an audio book.  I like the Harry Potter series (Jim Dale's voice is soothing) and the Twilight series.  I find it hard sitting through meetings and conference calls because people talking for an extended period of time makes me really sleepy. 

Face Of The Day

While working at MAC I learned a lot of really helpful tips and tricks that I didn't know before working there.  One thing I could never really get was how to do winged eyeliner.  I love MAC's fluidline but find that it can be a little difficult to work with if you're a beginner (like I was).  I always found that it balled up on the brush and I couldn't get a straight line for the wing.  The wings would be uneven and sometimes one would go up higher than the other, one would have a greater angle...I just couldn't get it right. 

The other day I watched a YouTube video from Sarah Victor where she's doing Angelina Jolie inspired makeup.  One of the biggest parts of it is winged eyeliner.  She explained that because she has hooded eyes that are slightly down turned wearing it that particular way created the illusion of a more cat like eye.  I have hooded eyes that are slightly down turned so getting a tip from someone who did not have the classic almond eyes was really helpful.  She said to draw regular eyeliner using your gel liner then when you get to the end, draw a dot right where your eye creases.  Draw a line from your lower lash line to the dot.  Connect that line with the line previously drawn on your upper lashes finishing where your eye color starts on the outside.  fill in the triangle and you have a perfect cat eye.  I tried this today and I'm really very happy with the results. 

FACE:

Murad Oil Control Mattifier

NARS Sheer glow (Deauville)

MAC pro longwear concealer (NW25)

Estee Lauder Maximum cover foundation for face and body (light)

Benefit High Beam

MAC Blot Powder Loose (light)

MAC Creamblend Blush (So Sweet, So Easy)

MAC Blush (Desert Rose)

Stila Bronzer (01)

BROWS:

MAC Eyeshadow (Brown Down)

Anastasia Brow Powder

Anastasia Brow Gel

EYES:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Eyeshadow (Blanc Type - All over)

MAC Eyeshadow (Shroom - inner corner)

MAC Eyeshadow (Scene - Crease)

MAC Eyeshadow (Soft Brown - Blend Crease)

MAC Fluidline (Blacktrack - Upper lashline)

MAC Khol Pencil (Fascinating - Waterline)

MAC Opulash

LIPS:

MAC Lipstick (Lustering)

MAC Lipgelee (Preppy)

Murad Oil Control Mattifier

A few weeks ago I bought some items durring Sephora's Friends and Family and received a sample of the Murad Oil Control Mattifier.  It sat on my vanity for a few days while I tried out the new products I got (Laura Mercier Oil Free Primer, NARS Sheer Glow foundation, and Benefit Powderflage).  I was in need of a new primer and I'd heard all these great things about the Laura Mercier primers and remember using it with great results about 7 years ago.  This time, it did not do anything for me.  It was nothing more than a lotion that aided in the fading and caking of my foundation. 

$39.50 Sephora.com

The other day I decided that it was the primer that was causing all the issues I'd had with my foundations lately.  I was getting ready to do my makeup and instead of grabbing for the Laura Mercier primer I grabbed the sample of the Murad.  It was a miracle!  No matter which foundation I used (NARS sheer glow, Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation, and even the extremely dewy Chanel Pro Lumier) I was left with a soft matte finish and the foundation stayed all day with NO touch ups required.  Not even my concealer budged and I have a big problem with that fading.  That evening I went and returned the Laura Mercier Primer and Benefit Powderflage to Sephora and picked up the full size Murad Oil Control Mattifier.  It has made all the difference in how my face looks and feels.

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.