Review: L'Oreal's True Match Foundation...Is it worth it??

Hello Gems and Jewels! Today’s review is on L’Oreal’s True Match foundation.  With L’Oreal being one of the most expensive drugstore foundations besides Covergirl, I was a little skeptical as to whether it would actually be worth the price and if they could live up to their 100% match guarantee.  Well beauties I am happy to say it is so worth the price!  The packaging of this foundation is labeled “super-blendable makeup” so imagine my facial expression when I finally decided that I would in fact purchase and try this “True Match” foundation.

L’Oreal’s True Match makeup comes in 33 shades and is nicely broken down into the warm, cool and neutral undertones of one’s skin.  I have to say that once again I was able to pick the correct color on my first try.  I could tell right from the bottle that this matched my complexion.  They even have a little test to help you figure out what your undertones are.  Apparently the 7 years of research that they put in the product has not been in vain. 

When I first applied my True Match foundation in “W8” with a stippling brush and no primer, this makeup glided onto my skin very well.  It wasn’t until I finished applying it that I remembered that I didn’t apply a primer; needless to say I just proceeded with my look for the day.  I did apply True Match a second time with a very good primer and it still blended very well into my skin.  When you apply this foundation it feels very lightweight and once you start blending it you will see how natural True Match looks on your skin.  This foundation offers a light to medium coverage while still managing to look very natural.  Overall I am very satisfied with the outcome. I wore this foundation twice for approximately 4 hours each and I did notice some oil in my t-zone area but that can be fix with either setting powder after you have applied the makeup or blot powder. 

Pros: They have a wide range of shades to choose from (can be slightly overwhelming at first).  True Match foundation does feel very silky when you apply it and it blends out so easily that it’s almost unbelievable.  It also dries down quickly if you want to reapply another layer if you choose.  I will note that I generally have very good skin to begin with but during this particular season, I get skin eczema flare-ups.   I happened to have several patches on my face during the time that I wore the foundation and I didn’t get any additional irritation from wearing True Match!

Cons: It is a little more expensive ($10.00) than most drugstore foundation but L’Oreal does offer a money back guarantee if you cannot find your True Match foundation.  L’Oreal did not include a pump with this product so you will have to pour it on the back of your hand and risk possible pouring too much and making a mess! If does have a slight makeup smell but that quickly fades away.  

My Recommendation:  I have normal to combination skin usually and I did notice some oily spots but nothing out of the ordinary.  I would say that L’Oreal’s True Match will definitely benefit dry skin simply because of the consistency of the product but I recommend that all skin types give it a try with a good primer and a good setting powder and you will be happy with the results.  As for my oily beauties, I suggest that you try it as well but without a primer and with a setting powder.  Then if you have a mattifying primer, I would suggest applying it before you apply your True Match foundation.  Beauties, this one is a winner, give it a try and let me know what you think! Thanks Melanie for keeping me up and remembering all the products I used! 

L'Oreal True Match Foundation W8
MAC Natural Radiance Prep and Prime
Maybelline Blush/Coral Burst
MAC Trace Gold Blush
MAC Peachtwist Blush
Maybelline Vibrant Mandarin Lipstick (885)
Maybelline Fushia Flash Lipstick (865
Red Cherry Lashes #82

Eyes
Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
Lid: Snakebite
Crease:Busted
Highlight: Walk of Shame
Eyebrow: Spiked Brow Pencil

L'Oreal True Match
Super-Blendable Makeup

My, my Maybelline Lipstick/Blush Review

I'm back again Gems and Jewels!! My experience researching and trying Maybelline's products has really inspired me as well as restored some of my faith in drugstore makeup! My fellow beauties, I think I am in love with their lipstick and lipgloss colors.  When I turned around and saw all of the beautiful colors of Color Sensational Vivids, I was like a kid in the candy store.  This line consists of 18 highly pigmented lip colors that range from "Pink Pop 860" to "Brazen Berry 905"and to describe them as vivid is an understatement.  These colors POP on your lips and will be great for spring and summer or for any day that you need to add color to your outfit.  While some of these colors may look too bold they can be easily toned down to be worn in the workplace by blotting your lip with a tissue! Because the Vivids are so pigmented, when the color wears off your lips will have enough stain left on them that you can just place some clear lip gloss on and have a totally different look.  The lipstick is very creamy and glossy and I have applied it with a lip brush and straight from the tube.  My recommendation is that you apply them with a lip brush for more control! Color Sensational Vivids are very moisturizing and they have a pleasant light smell that reminds me of fruit.  I also loved that the top matches the color of the lipstick.   These are priced around $8 dollars which is not bad for the amount of color payoff.  I hope that they extend this line or release different Vivid colors every season!

From Left
Raspberry Reflection
Vibrant Mandarin 885
Mad for Magenta 95
Oh La Lilac 90

I also tried Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick/color.  These went on very smoothly as well and are  pigmented without a lot of simmer but manage to still give you a more soft look and weightless feel.  This line has 20 shades of of Whisper and I'm thinking that they will extend this line as well.  I managed to grab one of the "High Shine" glosses in Raspberry Reflections and I am in love with this gloss.  It is pigmented enough to wear alone, in fact it wears more like a lipstick.  These glosses are shiny, creamy and pigmented all without feeling sticky.  They come in 12 shades and are priced at $8 dollars and they are wax free yay!

L:Wild Blossom R: Coral Burst

The last thing I grabbed from the Maybelline line was a few of their limited edition blushes, one in "210 Coral Burst" and "205 Wild Blossom" and these colors are AMAZING.  These blushes are also very pigmented with a very slight amount of shimmer.  I used my Real Techniques contour blush and they looked fabulous.  These contain as much pigment as a some of my MAC blushes.  These are not available on Maybelline's website but are available in drugstores with the cost around $7 dollars.  My recommendation is to go try some Maybelline products, I think you will find at least one product that you will like!

My, my Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Review

Hey Gems and Jewels! This is a review that I’m super excited to share with you because the products FAR exceeded my expectations.  Initially when I chose Maybelline products to review, I planned only to mostly on the foundation and concealer because we all know that creating a smooth canvas to work from is extremely important.  Well…Ulta had a sale and then I saw colors, colors and more colors of lipstick, glosses and blushes…oh my.  So while I am very pleased to report on the foundation and concealer that I chose to review fortunately I have a few lipsticks/glosses and blushes that I will touch on as well. Maybelline has a quite a selection of foundations but I chose to review one the “Fit Me” collection.  I chose this collection mostly because it looked as if it was the easiest to match up with my complexion (and it was) and because it is the collection that I see advertised the most.  The results…

 Maybelline's Fit Me Foundation: Overall I have to say that I am very pleased with how this foundation wore.  Let me start by saying that it does not have a pump so I poured it on the back of my hand and used a Real Techniques stippling brush to apply it.  The Fit Me foundation is a light to medium coverage that blended very easily into my skin.  Perhaps what I most surprised about was the fact that I actually picked the correct color match on my first try and that it actually did look very natural on my skin.  Also note that I applied MAC’s skin prep as a primer and also used a Maybelline Fit Me concealer in café (30).  I wore the foundation for about 3-4 hours but even during that little bit of time, there was plenty of shine even though I set it with a finishing powder.  It has a dewy finish so if you are going for that look it will work well for you.  Thankfully Fit Me is very well priced at about $8 and I did not experience any breakouts from wearing it.  Maybelline has also done a good job with making it easy to pick you foundation, powder and concealer and as I mentioned it was pretty accurate as far as matching my skin tone.  

Cons: Although the foundation blended very well, it felt heavy on my skin and had a makeup smell to it (pet peeve).  Fit Me is absolutely not for oily skin.  After wearing it for a short time, I had a lot of shine all over my face.  It also fell short when in comes to the color range as I am an NC45 girl but am also at the end of the spectrum (350) when it comes to this line.  It comes in 18 shades which is pretty good but they could stand to extend the color range a little further. 

My recommendation is to steer clear from this foundation if you have even slightly oily skin or if you perspire heavily.  The Fit Me concealer has a light coverage and covers slight imperfections but if you like more coverage, especially for under eye then you may want to choose another one.  

Maybelline Fit Me

Thanks for reading everyone, gonna do a separate post on the lipsticks and blush since this one ran a little long!

Fun with Color

Hello Gems and Jewels!! One sick pet equals little time to blog especially between vet visits.  Hopefully we're in the clear and I can catch up. Oh and one sick pet also equals LOTS of retail therapy so stay tuned for pictures of all the hauling I have done...I am seriously smh at myself.  So in the meantime, I figured I would post a few more pictures, this time of me, and provide you with several reviews to make up for lost time! And I think I'm in love with Maybelline, stay tuned....

Faces by Day...Purple Reigns

Model: Kirstin C.

Face:
MAC Studio Fix NC45, C7
MAC Prep and Prime Skin
Blush: MAC Raizin and Trace Gold
MAC Mineralized Skin Finish,
Semi Precious Pearl

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Cork, Fig 1, Purple Shower, Stars and Rocket,
Nylon (brow bone) Shock-A-Holic (crease)
MAC Zoom Waterfast Lash

Lips:
MAC Vino Liner
MAC Angel Lip Glass

Ulta/Sephora Haul...

Hello Gems and Jewels!!! I did a little shopping this week and grabbed a few items from Ulta as well as Sephora!! (DJM) I also managed to get my Marc Jacobs Eau so Fresh perfume and it is lovely.  Normally I go to Ulta for nail polish or when I have my 20% coupon but this visit was a little different. My goal this time was to buy, try and review drugstore foundations and concealers as I have had several questions about which drugstore products work best.  So I'm starting with Maybelline's FitMe line.  I will wear it for the next for days and have a review complete with pictures and all! My Sephora haul included grabbing more of Benefit's "They're Real" mascara and "Fine One One".... So Gems and Jewels I will keep you posted!!

p.s. If there is a drugstore product that you would like me to review, please feel free to leave me a comment or question. Thanks!

Review: Benefit's Fine One One Cheek and Lip Color

Hello Gems and Jewels! This review is on Benefit’s Fine-One-One sheer brightening lip and cheek color! I actually stumbled upon this product by accident.  Since I am addicted to makeup, I was browsing around Sephora and discovered that Benefit had this new product so naturally the name Fine-One-One caught my eye (and the packaging) I swatched it on my skin and saw how beautiful the colors were on my skin.  It still took me two weeks to buy it but I am sooo glad that I did. 

For those of us that don’t have time in the morning for a makeup routine that requires layering numerous products to contour and highlight, Benefit’s Fine-One-One illuminator is the ultimate time-saver.  Fine-One-One has three shades, pink champagne, sheer watermelon and soft coral.  To use the product you glide it on from the apples of your cheek up to your temple.  Next, you blend it out with your fingertips in an upward motion.  In one glide you have added color, highlight and contour to you face.  And just when you thought this product couldn’t get any better, it also serves as a lip color too!!! I apply Fine-One-One after I have applied my foundation and it can be layered for deeper color, if necessary.  Normally I am not a huge fan of Benefit but they do have a few products that work great on all skin tones and this is one of them and Benefit’s “They’re Real” mascara is another great product.

My Recommendation: Go give this a try in the store before you buy it.  It does go on as a cream but dries down to a powder and has good staying power.  Fine-One-One is a bit of a splurge but it is a multitasking product that won’t disappoint!

Benefit Fine One One

Review: MAC's Prep+Prime Natural Radiance

Hello Gems and Jewels, today I am reviewing MAC’s Prep+Prime Natural Radiance.  I am so excited about this product because as a woman of color, it can be very difficult to find a primer that hydrates, creates a smooth texture as well as provide the perfect amount of luminosity.  While MAC’s original Prep+Prime Skin is great for all skin tones and also creates a smooth canvas, MAC’s Natural Radiance caters to those with darker skin tones and I can personally say the results are great!! So far I have used this primer with MAC’s Matchmaster Foundation in 7.5, Makeup Forever’s HD Foundation in 177 and Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Foundation in 9.0 and 10.0 (all liquid foundation).  When I have primed my skin with MAC's Natural Radiance, I have used less foundation and had the perfect natural glow to my skin.  As with all primers, you can wear this alone or with foundation but because of the illuminating pearl powders that MAC’s Natural Radiance contains, I have worn it with just blush and mascara and have been fully satisfied with my look.  I apply this primer with my hands but it also goes on well with a stippling brush and it fully settles into your skin quickly. 

My recommendation: If you have oily skin, I would consider skipping the moisturizer and just using the Natural Radiance prior to applying your foundation.  This primer is very hydrating but of course it is going to depend on your skin type.  

MAC's Prep+Prime Natural Radiance