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Three for May: Building a Foundation

Posted by girlpaint | Filed under concealer, foundation, perfect pores, primer

As promised, my focus in May is on three makeup makers: Benefit, FACE atelier and Beauty Addicts. And why not get started at the foundation…literally?

First up is Beauty Addicts’ Mineral SheerTINT SPF20. A favorite of Oprah’s, A lovely light-to-medium coverage, lightly moisturizing and oil-free ‘foundation.’ So many tinted moisturizers tend to leave me a little (or a lot) greasy, but not Mineral SheerTINT…just nice, even and natural coverage. But don’t get me wrong, this ‘foundation’ is not drying, nor is it flat. It adds just the right touch of moisture and radiance. My favorite feature of Mineral SheerTINT is, in fact, the color–it’s downright glow-y. It mirrors your skin perfectly while giving a just-right amount of coverage. Plus, it has a very lovely subtle shimmery quality. Beauty Addicts’ Mineral SheerTINT is perfect for those days when you want a no-makeup look (while still having a nice boost of color and coverage). $35

Next up is FACE atelier’s Ultra Foundation. This product is the cornerstone of the FACE atelier line…and now I know why. It’s an amazingly flexible product. The level of coverage is dependent on the way you apply and what you mix with it. First of all, you can apply it straight out of the bottle with your fingertips. You can apply it with a brush or sponge…but you’ll get a completely different look with each application type. You can mix in a little moisturizer for a lighter finish. Or…and this is really cool…FACE atelier has created two very special foundations called Zero Plus (a deep caramel brown) and Zero Minus (white!!) with which you can adjust the color of your foundation by adding a drop or two. You can opt to apply Zero Minus before your foundation as a highlighter, or you can apply Zero Plus after foundation to contour. The texture of Ultra Foundation is deceptively thin, almost watery, but it packs a wallop of lovely, dense pigment; a little goes a long way. The colors tend toward the golden/yellow range, so if you long for redness reduction or if you have skin that begs for warmth, you’ll love the color selection.

Once you put Ultra Foundation on, it’s on. I tried a little experiment by putting a few drops of Ultra Foundation in the palm of my hand and then immediately ran water over it and attempted to wash it off…it smudged a little bit, but it stayed put until I grabbed the soap. FACE claims, “Ultra Foundation is a silicone-based emulsion that floats on top of the skin, doesn’t crease or flake, and lasts all day long.” So…because of the amazing silicones and high quality pigments, Ultra Foundation is a combination primer/foundation in one…and a heckuva good one, too. After a really long day, running up and down stairs, inside, outside (this is my life, by the way, as a full-time staffer at a four-star resort hotel–we run around for a living!), Ultra Foundation didn’t budge…and it looked REALLY good–smooth, pore-free–even at the end of my very long day. For a full-coverage foundation (which I usually don’t prefer), this is my favorite due it’s very high-quality, non-greasy, non-oily, lovely-textured formula. FACE atelier Ultra Foundation isn’t cheap at $39, but (I repeat) a little goes a very long way. UF will last much longer than much less expensive foundations, and I find it to be of such high quality that it truly is worth more than its more expensive competitors.

P.S. No review for a Benefit foundation (although I do love Benefit’s Non-Fiction…wonderful stuff).

Permalink | Comments (5) | May 5, 2007

5 Responses to “Three for May: Building a Foundation”

1. Make-up Junkie in Canada Says:
   May 5th, 2007 at 1:21 PM

   LOVE Face Atelier foundation!! Who is behind the brand for Beauty Addict? Is it the blogger of Beauty Addict?

2. GirlPaint Says:
   May 5th, 2007 at 6:21 PM

   make-up junkie, as cool as the beauty addict (blogger) is, she did not develop the Beauty Addicts makeup line. Adam Gerstein (of Neurosmith fame) is the creator of the line. Maria Ashe (co-founder of Preti Cosmetics) is the President. You can find out a lot more about the Beauty Addicts (and their amazing makeup) at http://www.beautyaddicts.com. Thanks for stopping by (again!) and congrats on your wedding.

3. Ribbon Rock Star Says:
   May 8th, 2007 at 11:42 PM

   I may have to try this one!While I am here…Do you have any recommendations for sunless tanning?Linda

4. Make-up Junkie in Canada Says:
   May 9th, 2007 at 12:44 PM

   Thanks for the info GirlPaint and I’ll definitely check out their site!

5. Anonymous Says:
   October 7th, 2008 at 9:55 PM

   I have a few Beauty Addicts products and I love them. They are the best quality make-up that I own and were worth every penny. However, if you are looking to save then you could go to hautelook.com because they are having a sample sale on Beauty Addicts tomorrow and thursday.