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Category Archives: FaceDollface Reviews: Lancome Rénergie Lift Makeup in Lifting Porcelain
This foundation was a bit of an impulse buy. I spotted it in the duty free section of Sanford airport on my way back from Florida this summer, and was drawn in by two things: 1. The colour. I got the lightest shade available, which is number 10, ‘Lifting Porcelain’. I could tell right away that it would be a good match for my skin, and because it’s so unusual to find foundation pale enough for me, it was worth buying for that reason alone. 2. The ‘lifting’ bit. This claims to not only even out your skin and cover imperfections, just like every other foundation on the market, but to also “to visibly lift slackening skin and blur lines and wrinkles for 12 hours”. Well, that was all I needed to convince me: I bought it with the last of my dollars, and for the past two months, I’ve been alternating it with my Revlon ColorStay, using Revlon on the days when only the thickest coverage will do, and this when I feel I can get away with something a little lighter. Rénergie offers mid-level coverage, although it layers up quite nicely in areas where you feel you need a little extra. It’s a lightweight texture, which goes on smoothly and evenly, and is just really nice to apply. I posted a swatch on my post about foundation for pale skin, but just in case you missed it, here it is again: Benefit The POREfessional minimizes the appearance of pores
I’ve been meaning to write about this product for ages now, but better late than never, I guess! For most of my life, I’ve been plagued by open pores. As a teenager, I always assumed this was one of those temporary, teenage thing (like acne, say) that I’d one day grow out of, and be left with perfect, pore-free skin, but that day never came, and those pores are just as large and as open as they’ve ever been. To be honest, I’ve not really tried to do much about this, as I’ve always had more pressing beauty concerns on my mind, like trying to work out which mascara will make my eyelashes actually reach the ceiling, and that kind of thing. The appearance of this product on the market did pique my interest, though. Its full title is “The POREfessional: pro balm to minimize the appearance of pores“, and that really tells you almost everything you need to know about this. The most important thing to note, however, is that it’s designed purely to disguise those open pores, not to treat them, so if you want rid of them forever (or to minimize them, rather: if you get rid of your pores altogether you won’t be able to sweat, and that won’t be pretty) this isn’t the product for you. If your content just to hide them a little better than foundation alone can generally manage, however, it’s a clear balm which can be applied over or under makeup, and which you can use throughout the day for top-ups as needed. I’d be really interested to know how much of a difference this actually makes. Anyone tried it? It costs $28, and you can click here to buy it from Benefit. Perricone MD No Foundation FoundationAs soon as I heard the phrase “No Foundation Foundation”, I started getting excited. I mean, this is basically The Dream, isn’t it? Foundation that doesn’t actually look like foundation? Flawless skin, without heavy coverage? Count me in… And don’t get me wrong: I love my heavy coverage. My skin isn’t naturally flawless, so Revlon Colorstay is currently my best friend, but there’s no getting away from the fact that thick coverage comes at a price, and often that price involves foundation falling into the lines under the eyes, or just generally looking like thick foundation (and actually, it can sometimes make your skin look worse, rather than better, especially in direct sunlight). Perricone MD’s No Foundation Foundation, however, is designed to be the answer to all of that, so when the company offered to send me some to try, I jumped at the chance. Here’s what they have to say about the product:
When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was the medicinal appearance of the bottle – perhaps unsurprising, given the name of the company, and the fact that it was developed by a skin doctor. The pump dispenser comes separately, and screws onto the top of the bottle, allowing you to get the right amount onto your skin. Because the coverage is supposed to be translucent, it comes in “one universal shade”, and this turned out to be problematic for me, because I don’t think there IS one universal skin shade, and this one turned out to be too dark for my skin: Smashbox release Photo Finish Luminizing Foundation Primer
I know, I know: I talk about Smashbox’s Photo Finish Primer A LOT here (and, just to give you fair warning, I have a version of this en route to me as I type this, which I’ll be reviewing soon), but in my defence: 1. It’s awesome. 2. They’ve just released this new “Luminizing” version. Now, Sephora don’t give a whole lot of information about this product. From the description, I can see that the formula itself is the same as the other Photo Finish Primers, so we can expect it to feel like skin, and make our faces smooth, soft and ready for foundation. What’s different about this formula, however, is that it’s a colour described as “sheer golden beige”, which will apparently give skin a “beautiful luminous glow.” I’m all for the beautiful luminous glow, but I suspect the “golden beige” bit will be a problem for my not-even-remotely-golden-or-beige skin, so this sounds like it’ll be much better on those of you who have that kind of skin tone naturally (or get it from a bottle). Either way, it’s always great to see new incarnations of my favourite primer: the more, the merrier, right? This is $38 at Sephora. Dollface Reviews: Revlon ColorStay Makeup in 110 (Ivory)
I picked this up last month, having heard lots of people raving about how good it was, and having also been impressed by the paleness of the lightest shade which is 110 – Ivory. As I mentioned in my foundation roundup, I’m not 100% happy with the shade, and while it looked like a perfect match in Walgreens, there are times when I feel it’s just a touch too dark for me, which is disappointing, because if they released this in a lighter shade it would instantly achieve Holy Grail status for me, that’s how much I like it. There are two different versions of this: one for normal/dry skin and one for oily/combination skin. I have lots of problems with shine on the t-zone, so I went for the latter, and it’s been fantastic: in fact, I rarely need to use powder with it because it soaks up the excess oil on my forehead, and heaves a matt, but not powdery finish. So far, so good. Coverage, meanwhile, is full and thick, so if you’re looking for something light, this probably won’t be for you. It’s not quite as easy to apply as some lighter products: I mostly use my fingers (yes, I know, it’s shocking, but it’s what I prefer!) or a foundation brush, and it does require a bit of blending, and extra attention to the areas around the nose and eyes where foundation can tend to gather. It also smells pretty bad: I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but it’s fairly strong, and a bit medicinal. You do get used it, but I was a bit put off when I first used it! Once applied, however, this is thick enough to cover any redness, and most small blemishes, however unlike some other very thick foundations I’ve tried, it doesn’t look caked on, and it doesn’t crease around the eyes: it’s called “colorstay” for a reason and I’ve been really impressed by how well it lasts, and how fresh it still looks by the end of the day. I normally find that foundation will have started to wear off (or slide off) by the time I go to bed at night, but this does a great job of staying in place, which is another huge point in its favour. At £11.99 per bottle, this is one of the pricier drug store brands, however, I think it’s excellent value for money: it’s one of those ” little goes a long way” foundations, so it should last a long time. Ultimately, though, I love it because it just makes my skin look better. Most foundations, I find, do a reasonably good job, but still leave my skin looking like, well, like my skin, just a little bit more even. This one, however, makes me look like I have someone else’s skin, and as the “someone else” apparently has better skin than I do, I’m good with that. One of the small downsides of this (about the only one I can think of other than the issue I have with the colour) is that it comes in a glass bottle, which can be a bit of a pain to use. I much prefer a squeezable tube or pump dispenser (according to the comments on my other post, it does come in a squeezable tube in some places. I bought mine in Florida, and only ever saw it in the glass bottle, but if it is available in a tube, that’s good news!), but that aside, I find practically perfect in (almost) every way. Now, let’s have some paler shades, Revlon, pretty please? BUY: Revlon ColorStay Makeup, £11.99 The Best Foundation for Pale Skin: a roundup plus colour swatches
Following on from my post on being Pale and Proud, a lot of you asked for advice about foundation for pale skin. Trust me, I feel your pain on this: I think for most of us palefaces, finding foundation that doesn’t look orange (or, in my case, just make me look like I haven’t washed for a week) can turn into a lifetime’s search with nothing ever being just right. The list that follows, then, is a highly biased list of my own favourite foundations for pale skin. Needless to say, these are just the products I’ve used myself, so the list is far from exhaustive, and I’m hoping some of you will help add to it by leaving your own suggestions in the comments. Before I start, I’m also just going to go ahead and state the obvious: that not all pale skin is pale is pale in exactly the same way, so what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. For reference, my skin is pale and freckled, with pinkish undertones. In MAC terms, I’d be an NW15, but I actually find that shade too dark for me, so here are a few of the foundations I use, or have used, instead, in no particular order: Dollface Reviews: Lancome Tropique Minerals All-Over Magic Bronzing Brush
Last week someone asked me a question on Formspring about how I deal with the issue of mismatched foundation once I have a tan. Now, I don’t ever tan naturally (SPF 50 all the way!) but I do use self-tanner at times during the summer, and one of the ways I deal with the foundation issue is shown above: Lancome Tropique Minerals All-Over Magic Bronzing Brush. (The other method, in case you’re interested, involves foundation that’s a shade darker than I’d usually wear. There is a use for all of those foundations that just don’t work on my pale skin!) This was sent to me just before I left for vacation, and I used it every day while I was away, and fairly frequently since I’ve been back, too, although I must admit, I’m using a lot less self-tanner at the moment. It’s a mineral bronzing powder which comes with a self-dispensing brush: just pump the end of the tube a few times to release the powder, then dust it on to the forehead, cheekbones, and anywhere else you want to add a touch of summer “glow”. At first I found the brush a little tricky to use: I seemed to be pumping the dispenser without anything much happening, but I assume this was just because it was brand new. Since those first couple of uses, I’ve had no issues with it, although as the shade I was sent is the palest one Lancome do (shade 01), it does need a bit of layering for me to notice a difference. This particular shade isn’t for you if you’re looking to radically change the colour of your skin (there’s a darker shade available if that’s the case) and end up looking like a bronzed goddess. What I found was that it’s perfect for giving a natural glow, without making me look like I have a “tan”. I don’t think anyone would think I was wearing bronzer, for instance, although I can see quite a big difference as it really takes the edge of my pallor, while still looking natural. This was particularly important to me, because I’m really bad with bronzer. Most of the time I just end up looking like I have a really dirty face, so I loved the subtlety of this, and the fact that it’s virtually foolproof: I haven’t had to spend any time locked in the bathroom frantically trying to blend too-dark bronzer, put it that way… This is a mineral powder, which makes it comfortable to wear, and the effect lasts all day. It’s fairly expensive at £33 per tube, but after a few weeks of steady use, I’ve barely made a dent in it, so it should last a long time. You can buy a tube here, if you want to try it out for yourself. Dollface Reviews: Sephora Smoothing Primer – a good alternative to Smashbox Photo Finish
This was actually one of the samples I was given in Sephora last month, but I liked it enough to use it up, and wish I’d purchased the full-size bottle, because this is a really nice primer, and while it’s not exactly cheap at $15, it’s still cheaper than what I’ve been paying (about $36) for my usual Smashbox Photo Finish. For me, comparisons to that Holy Grail of primers are always inevitable, but in this case there are even more similarities: like the Smashbox product, this is a clear gel, and like Smashbox, as soon as it hits your skin, it transforms into a gorgeous, silky finish which makes your skin feel super-smooth and velvety, making an excellent base for makeup, and holding it in place all day without any difficulty. To continue the comparison, I’d say this isn’t quite as good as the Smashbox product at controlling oiliness: it does have a mattifying effect, but it’s not quite as long-lasting as the other product. It also feels a little greasier/heavier on the skin, and doesn’t absorb quite as easily, although I’ve found that leaving it to sink in for a couple of minutes before applying the rest of my makeup resolves that issue. With that said, the difference in price and similarity in texture and quality will probably make me reach for this next time I’m in Sephora, purely because it seems like better value, and does exactly what I need it to. Urban Decay Urban Defence Tinted Moisturiser
Sadly, though, tinted moisturiser isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be either, and I often find it just doesn’t provide enough coverage to stand alone. Urban Decay’s Urban Defence, however, promises to be different, with buildable coverage that can be as light or as heavy as you want it to be – just apply another layer if you feel you need it. This also has SPF 20, and is designed to be light-diffusing, which will help disguise any fine lines. I often find tinted moisturizer to be too greasy to wear without a generous covering of powder over the top, so I’ll be interested to see this in person and find out if it’s any better at disguising (or at least not emphasising) the oil slick than my t-zone can turn into from time to time. If you’d like to try it too, it’s $32 at Sephora. Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray
As a relative newcomer to the world of the makeup setting spray, I’ve yet to find one that falls into the Holy Grail category although, admittedly, I haven’t really been looking particularly hard. With summer (hopefully) on the way, though, and my holiday just two weeks away, it would be nice to be able to put my makeup on in the morning and not sweat it off by afternoon. Sorry for the unpleasant visual there, but it’s true, and if you live in an area with high humidity, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Urban Decay’s All Nighter, then sounds like just what I’m looking for. Like most products in this category, it takes the form of a super-fine spray which you mist over your face after applying your makeup: it promises to basically hold your face in place no matter what you put it through after that, be it sweat, tears, or just the normal wear and tear caused by sun, wind and rain. It’ll also keep the colours looking vibrant, and “just applied”, and it’ll do all of this for just $29 per bottle. Want to give it a try? Buy it at Sephora.  | |||||||
