Reviews and Other Stuff

best compact foundation

Latest Foundation Favorites

best facial foundation face and body 2019 2020

 

This season, there are several foundations that really impressed me. I’ve been loving them a lot and they’re definitely at the top of my holy grail list. You’ve probably heard about these foundations or own them since a lot of folks seem to really love them as well.

Ideally, for me, a foundation should be lightweight, non-sticky, has very good coverage, non-cakey, and should adhere to the skin for hours and hours, even if you sweat. It should have a good SPF number, but it should not oxidize. Yes, I’m quite picky that way, although that’s a lot to ask for a foundation. I also prefer foundations that don’t need to be applied with a primer, because there are days when I’m so in a hurry to go somewhere and applying primer is an extra step that I may not be able to afford putting on when I’m time-constrained.

Anyway, as much as I want that perfect foundation, there are only a few that I could count that seems to satisfy my criteria. Nowadays, I tend to use foundations that almost met and satisfy these criteria. They are almost, if not, perfect for me, or are the next best thing.

 

Charlotte Tilbury

 

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder in 1 Fair

 

Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation in 4 Neutral (44 USD) – This skincare-foundation is my most favorite from Charlotte Tilbury. It has a very pretty and elegant packaging and on my skin, this feels light. The coverage is full and it has a natural matte finish that doesn’t look dry or cakey. A little bit goes a long way with this and it lasts several hours on me. This blurs my pores, blemishes, and post-acne marks. Also, this evens my skintone well and it kind of makes me look glowy. I love that this doesn’t budge or slide on my oily skin, and it doesn’t transfer. I can wear this alone or with any primer.

Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder in 1 Fair (0.28 oz: 45 USD) – This very fine setting powder packed in a luxurious golden compact looks impeccably elegant. I love how natural this goes on the skin and it not only reduces shine and sets makeup/foundation, it doesn’t have any flashback and it can work as a standalone powder foundation as well. I love that this doesn’t cake and this does not settle on my pores. However, this powder tends to oxidize and it doesn’t have a good shade range (only three, so far), so, I suggest picking up a lighter shade than your normal tone. Overall, this product blends and applies on my skin and foundation seamlessly and it’s one of the most wonderful setting powders I’ve ever tried.

 

Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation in 2 Neutral

 

Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation in 2 Neutral (1.6 oz: 40 USD) – I didn’t realize how good this foundation was until I tried a sample of it. Texture-wise, this is perfect. I love how light and fluid this feel and this applies like a second skin on me. The finish is matte but not drying and this actually looks more natural. I would say that the coverage of this foundation is medium yet it’s good enough for me since it completely covers my sins and imperfections, lol. I also love that you can use this not only for the face, but also for the body, and it doesn’t slide nor cake for any skin type, not even for my oily skin. The packaging of this is cute too. Now, if only this has an added SPF.

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Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation in Light Medium 9 swatch

 

Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation in Light Medium 9 (1.18 oz: 68 USD) – An ultra-expensive foundation from PMG that does not disappoint. This truly is a very good foundation and is almost perfect in every way, with or without any use of a primer. The coverage of this can go from light to medium, and even to full, and the finish is very natural. It feels very light and fluid like the Dior Backstage Foundation above and is also very similar to the Chanel Vitalumiรจre Aqua and Perfection Lumiรจre Velvet Foundations. I love that this looks and feels like a second skin, so, this is very light. This does not settle on the pores and fine lines and looks very very natural. Still, I wish this has an SPF.

 

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in 2W1 Natural

 

The New Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in 2W1 Natural (1.7 oz: 47 USD) – An update to the original Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer that is loved by many, this new and improved formula is meant to have more skincare benefits and still has that natural dewy finish look. The coverage of this tinted moisturizer is pretty light as the previous version, but this feels a bit less creamy and it sets better on the skin. I like to wear this on very good skin days, or for a quick everyday natural makeup look. Since my skin is on the oily side, I still set this with a very good setting powder like the one from Charlotte Tilbury, the Airbrush Flawless Setting Powder above, or the Armani Luminous Silk Compact Powder Foundation, reviewed HERE.

 

Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation SPF 30 in 220 Linen (1 oz: 47 USD) – An Allure Best of Beauty Winner, I feel like this could be the foundation I’ve been looking for. It seems to meet all my criteria and standards for a foundation, except that I couldn’t find the right shade match for me. Thank goodness I got a sample to try it first. Hopefully soon, I will be able to find the exact color for my skintone because this foundation is truly amazing. I love how you don’t need to put a lot of this and still has that perfect medium to full coverage with a natural finish on the skin. This feels fluid but not too fluid and not overly creamy either. Also, this covers imperfections very well and it can last for several hours without sliding, no matter what the humidity level and temperature may be, and it stays on even when you sweat. Something about this foundation reminded me of the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in terms of performance and lasting power.

 

Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation SPF 30 in 220 Linen

 

Overall, I love love these foundations. They serve my needs at any activity level and they helped me put on my best face forward, rain or shine, sweat or dry, and whatever the situation may call.

 

Do you have any holy grail foundations? What are they? Have you tried these already? What do you think of them?

 

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Favorite Body Cleansers And Body Scrubs

favorite body wash and shower gels

 

Hi guys, I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas soon and I’ve been busy prepping my home and doing some last minute gift wrapping for my friends and families. This year, I’m playing Santa so I’ve got several presents to hand to. Oh, the joys of the holidays! Anyhow, as promised on my Insta, I’m sharing you now my personal favorites in body scrubs, cleansers and shower gels.

 

This post is a continuation of my roundup review of some of my favorite body lotions and body butters, seen HERE, as well as my fave dry body oils, HERE.

 

I love body cleansers and body scrubs. I always look forward to using them everytime I shower instead of the using the good ‘ol soap bars which are kinda messy to use. I not only like the convenience of using shower gels, but I also love to buy them in different scents so I could alternately use them depending on my mood, the season, or what my skin currently needs.

 

These are my faves so far.

 

Korres Shower Gel review

 

Korres Shower Gel (13.53 oz: $21 Korres site, $38 Amazon) – These have been my favorite go-tos because they come in several scents and they remind me of that nice fresh Mediterranean shower. My favorite scent so far is the Japanese Rose, Cassis Fig, Yogurt, and I still want to try the Guava one. These shower gels don’t foam as much but each bottle is large enough and can last a month or two. I love how these don’t dry my skin and it’s great to use everyday.

 

Philosophy Falling In Love Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel (16 oz: $26) – My newest love from Philosophy and it has a sweet warm vanilla scent. The bottle is huge and the cleanser itself has a light lavender shade which looks cute with its message of Falling in Love with yourself. This lathers well and it leaves my skin thoroughly cleansed.

 

Philosophy Falling In Love Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel, Kiehl's Creme de Corps Smoothing Oil-To-Foam Body Cleanser

 

Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Smoothing Oil-To-Foam Body Cleanser (2.5 oz: $12.50, 8.4 oz: $29) – If you love the Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Nourishing Dry Body Oil reviewed HERE, then you’re gonna enjoy this unique body wash. It first starts as oil then it transforms into a foamy body cleanser as soon as you rub it a few times on the skin. It is so moisturizing and perfect for those with dry skin. I tend to use this around this cold winter season to protect my skin from dryness.

 

Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Bath & Shower Gel (10 oz: $20) – This is one of my most favorite body washes of all time. This smells so fresh, so invigorating and just so good. I also have the body lotion version of this cleanser, reviewed HERE. I like using this shower gel all year round even though this has a Summer-vibe scent. I just love how this awakens the senses and it’s definitely foamy, energizing and just perfect in every way.

 

Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Cleanser (8.5 oz: $20) –ย  Another personal fave of mine and one of the first few body washes I’ve ever loved and even keep using up to this day. This smells like fresh bursts of oranges and clementines. The only drawback is that this doesn’t foam much, so it’s costly to use without using a scrub or a loofah.

 

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash

 

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash (18 oz: $8.99) – My favorite drugstore body wash along with the other Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Yogurt Body Wash with Apricot & Honey. This is inexpensive, easy to find anywhere and this has a nice clean mild scent that lathers well. The texture of this is gel-like and it’s super moisturizing for daily use.

 

Scrubs

 

I haven’t experimented on several body scrubs since I tend to use them once or twice a week at most just so my skin won’t dry as much. Currently, there’s only two that I keep coming back to and these are from Aesop and Dove.

 

Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub

 

Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub (6.1 oz: $35) – This is a pricey body scrub that is super grainy and totally exfoliating. I love the fresh green scent of this that’s just spa-like and it leaves the skin soft and smooth after every wash. Further reviewed HERE.

 

Dove Exfoliating Body Polish (10.5 oz: $5.99) – A well-made inexpensive body scrub that is loaded with moisturizing ingredients and it leaves the skin supple with a nice variety of fruity milky scents. My fave one is pomegranate. See some of the other scents reviewed HERE.

 

 

Have you tried any of these body cleansers yet? What’s your go-to body wash?

 

 

Favorite Compact Powder Foundations

favorite compact loose powder foundation

Hey All! Today I’ll be reviewing about my top 3 Favorite Compact or Loose Powder Foundation which I’m currently using in conjunction with my favorite liquid foundations.ย 

These compacts are so good at absorbing oil from your skin and giving you that mattifying or slightly silkyย finish.ย Some of them come with Spf while one can be used wet or dry. I’ve repurchased a few of them simply because they’re so good, while a few are the ones I’m currently testing and loving. I must admit that I don’t have a lot of powder foundations given that I have an oily skin. I really should have, but my issue is, once I fell in love with one specific powder foundation, I tend to hoard them while forgetting to venture and try some other ones out there. I’m kind of a product/brand loyal once I’ve found the right or compatible product for my skin, and that’s because in the past, I’ve had issues with powder foundations looking cakey on me, plus I’m also loving the liquid matte foundations that’s been popular lately.

Powder Foundations are really great for the summer when your skin is prone to sweating and humidity, but I still think that you should go to where you’re most comfortable with and what works well for you. I like using liquid foundations during the cold months because my skin tends to be drier and liquid foundations give that extra moisture on my skin.

Anyways, you ready for my top 3?

 

 

mac mineralize loose powder foundation

MAC Mineralize Spf 15 Foundation/Loose (Medium Plus) : Had this for some time and is currently being discontinued by MAC. The closest product I could find is this. What I like a lot about this foundation is its overall packaging and formulation. I love mineral makeups, but my skin tends to break out with them. Yet this foundation is mild and it works really well in making my skin looking oil-free. I also love its quick easy to apply buff/sponge.

 

 

dolce gabbana perfect matte powder foundation review

Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Matte Powder Foundation (Warm 100) : L.O.V.E. I am totally crazy about this foundation. My absolute favorite and hands down one of the best powder foundations I’ve tried. I know a lot of people that swear by this and have repurchased this several times. What I like about it? There’s a lot to like about it for sure. Besides from creating a very natural look, it can be used wet or dry and it has such a fine and smooth formulation that mattifies my skin for several hours without any annoying scent and no breakouts later. My skin does not look completely flat like a flatbread, (LOL) but more silky or velvety. ย I also love its gorgeous packaging and it comes with a nice sponge. I’ve repurchased this several times now because I’m afraid of D&G discontinuing this, plus this particular product tends to run out easily. Another great thing about this product is that the shade Warm 100 is really spot on my skin color. Just a few drawbacks though, first, the price. It’s $61, so better use it down to its last grain. And lastly, there’s no Spf. Might as well make good use of moisturizers and primers with sunblocking capabilities. I recommend Murad Oil-Control Mattifier and Smashbox Photofinish Primers since they both have SPF.

 

 

 

chanel le teint compact foundation review

 

Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Compact Foundation Spf 15 (30 Beige) : A great all-in-one compact that answers to your oily skin issues. It produces a matte effect but it also has a natural and flawless finish. Extremely buildable and comes with a sponge applicator and with the typical yet subtle Chanel foundation scent, just like the Vitalumiere Aqua and the Perfection Lumiere Velvet. The shade 30 Beige is also a true match to my skin tone just like D&G Perfect Matte Foundation in Warm 100 reviewed above. Actually, these two powder foundations mentioned are almost neck and neck with each other. I can’t tell which one I preferred more. I just had this Chanel Le Teint Ultrawear Compact Foundation but I’m already liking its soft and well-refined formulation that is very very similar to D&G Perfect Matte Foundation as well. Plus it has an Spf 15 and it’s also $1 less.

 

As you can see in the swatches below, the shades from Chanel Le Teint Ultrawear Compact Foundation in 30 Beige andย D&G Perfect Matte Foundations in Warm 100 are almost invisible on my NC30 skin. As with the most effectiveย way of choosing your foundation, the shades should match and disappear onย your skin tone quite well.ย 

 

favorite facial compact powder foundation skin swatch

 

Any recommendations for a good mattifying powder foundation? What are the ones you swear by?

 

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