Fables in Fashion

About a month ago I was on a true foundation kick, I was wearing it everyday and was searching high and low for the perfect one. The timing worked out well as Clinique were kind enough to send me their newest foundation, Repairwear Laser Focus All Smooth Makeup SPF 15 in Shade 01.

As you can see by the photo below, I’d consider this to be a medium to full coverage foundation as it is able to cover ALL my freckles. Usually when I wear this I try to sheer it out a little more by buffing it into my skin. It has a slight chemical-like smell, a little similar to Revlon Coverstay, but once on the skin the smell disappears.

It does a good job at lasting all day at work for me, it tends to fade a little by around the 5-6pm mark (I put on my foundation at around 7am) so that’s not too bad. You can certainly feel it on the skin, but I wouldn’t say it’s terribly heavy. According to Clinique it actually also has skin care benefits, but I haven’t used it long enough to see if it has improved my skin.

I will say that why oh why didn’t Clinique add a pump? Dispensing this can be so difficult, I usually always get too much and end up wasting the product It’s not very good for when you’re in a rush, definitely more when you have time to put on your makeup.

All in all, the formula is very good, and I would honestly use it a lot more if it were easier to dispense. I really think it makes my skin look smooth and not at all shiny. Leaves a sliiightly dewy finish (but even then hardly noticeable). The SPF 15 is a great bonus too!

Re-package it with a pump, and I’d say this would be an amazing foundation for all!

Firstly, I know white foundation is not something the typical makeup lover will have in their collection. But then again, I’m not your typical makeup lover~ Either way I hope you guys find this comparison useful, I’m sure a lot of the cosplayers out there will~

Today’s comparison will be between MAC Full Coverage Foundation in White vs Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in RF 100. I’ve done a number of looks that require white foundation, and the needs of white foundation are very different to normal “skin toned” foundation. A couple of things to look out for:

• Solid opacity, the few coats to achieve this the better.
• Smooth even blending
• Formula dispensing, if you’re sharing this, hygiene is most important.

I know most people look for this in traditional foundation, but it’s even more important for white foundation since you are literally applying a new layer to your skin, not blending it into your existing skin. This makes it harder to get an “even” coverage.

A general comment on both foundations, they both have this plastic like smell to it. I have no idea why, I suspect it might be related to their pigmentation?

Comments on MAC’s Full Coverage Foundation in White:

• Comes in a compact, which makes it hard to share with other people. I usually chip off some into a plate each time I need it to avoid contaminating the compact.
• Whist very pigmented, it takes about 3-4 coats to get full coverage.
• Can be very difficult to blend, go slow with a sponge and avoid making any extreme facial expression, especially since it will crease.
• Not surprisingly feels heavy, recommend exfoliating skin after use.

Comments on Illamasqua’s Rich Liquid Foundation in RF 100.

• Comes in a tube, making it very easy to share with others.
• Very pigmented, needs about 2 good coats to achieve full coverage.
• Formula is rich, smooth and liquid, which makes application more gentle to the skin.
• Blending will still require some level of work with a sponge, but the job will go faster.
• Slightly more forgiving to creasing

Important note: Always always set your foundation with a white or translucent powder, or within no time you will experience some serious creasing

And the winner if you couldn’t tell would be Illamasqua, you can see in the photos how much easier the formula is to work with. It takes about 75% less time to cover my entire face and neck with Illamasqua’s foundation than it does with MAC’s.

It feels a little more light weight and less oily on the skin. I would still recommend using an exfoliator after use just because you are applying very heavy makeup at the end of the day.

Formula aside, packaging is so important. Not many people can finish white foundation all on their own, chances are (especially for me) I’ll need to end up using it on other people, which makes the Illamasqua foundation a great choice!

So if you need a white foundation, I’d head over to Illamasqua.

Pros:

• Smooth even coverage
• Hygienic dispenser
• Organic & Vegan

Cons:

• Strong herbal / rose scent
• Feels thick on the skin

Price: $59.95AU

Rating:

Where: Inika.

I’m a bit of a foundation junkie, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to honestly tell you how many foundations I already own, so when Inika offered to send me their new Liquid Mineral Foundation I couldn’t turn it down.

The first thing I noticed about this foundation is how strong the rose / herbal scent is, and it seems to last the entire time you’re wearing it though you notice it less throughout the day (maybe getting used to it?). A big plus is that this foundation comes with a pump, so it’s hygienic to use and even to share!

The foundation provides light coverage, very similar to what a tinted moisturiser would give, but it feels a bit heavier than what I’d like in an everyday foundation. It leaves a dewy finish with a subtle glow, and after a few hours I needed to pat it down with either a translucent powder or blotting paper to remove the shine as I have combo / oily skin (so it may perform differently for dry skins). You need about 1 full pump to cover the entire face.

One of the things that stood out to me regarding this foundation was actually the fact that it is organic and vegan. Now I’m neither vegan nor a person who exclusively eats organic foods, but I have a lot of friends on Live Journal (as well as family) who follow this type of lifestyle religiously so it really did stick out to me, especially now I have a brand I can recommend them. Inika claims that the foundation is great for people with sensitive skin, I personally have semi-sensitive skin and didn’t experience any problems with it.

Overall, whilst I really enjoyed the foundation for its formula and application, I mainly knocked down the rating thanks to it’s strong scent and heavy feel, if I’m using something that gives me a light coverage I’d more inclined to use it everyday. If the product gives heavy coverage, I’d use it for photo shoots, which is when I don’t mind wearing heavy foundations given how heavy everything else will be. I’d recommend mixing a bit of moisturiser into the foundation if you want it to feel lighter.

Pros:

• Smooth, creamy liquid formula
• Gives a natural, even subtle glow
• Pump application
• Has SPF15+

Cons:

• Can leave an oily T-zone after 1day for people with very oily skin

Price: $70AU

Rating:

Where: Myer or David Jones.

This is my “every day” (I don’t wear foundation everyday, but you know what I mean) foundation because it gives me the most natural “my skin but better” look, and feels almost non-existent on the skin. I picked up my bottle whilst traveling through Japan earlier this year and I’m about ¼ of the way through.

I’d say the coverage is about medium, and is build-able. I use 1 pump for each application, which is the perfect amount for my entire face. I place the product on the back of my hand, and use my MAC 130 (best foundation brush ever) to stipple it all over my face and then buff it in with the same brush.

The pigmentation is just right for me, because anything heavier would leave my skin looking artificially even. I want my natural skin tones to still shine through, whilst evening out my less than perfect areas, which is what this foundation does. I love using it best at work, leave me looking very naturally fresh, clean and polished without people being able to tell I am wearing makeup.

Believe it or not, in my everyday life, I usually wear no makeup or go very natural / minimal, most of the people in my offline life have no idea that I cosplay / do photo shoots / do crazy makeup or run this blog

The foundation comes with a pump, the way all (unless tube form) liquid foundations should come (for hygiene and product control purposes). The formula is not at all drying, in fact if you do have oily skin you may find yourself having to blot your T-zone by the end of the day.

If you want a comparison, I’d compare this to Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation, except that this contains SPF15 and is less pigmented. Which is exactly why I’d use the Bobbi Brown for during the day and Giorgio Armani for cosplay / photo shoots. Formula wise (in terms of thickness, texture) I find them very similar.

If you are in the market for a new foundation, I’d try this one out. I’m currently using “Sand”, and it’s probably no surprise this foundation works well with my favourite concealer too lol. (I only just noticed they are both the same brand)

Pros

• Great coverage
• Very easy to blend
• Rich formula, a little goes a long way and versatile
• Feels lightweight
• Easy pump application

Cons

• Very expensive

Price:$98AU
Where: Visit the counter at David Jones.

My friend Sheila recommended this foundation on her weblog, and thank goodness she did. Out of all the foundations I’ve tried, this has got to be my favourite. I applies like a dream, very light and can easily be layered (give each layer a few minutes to dry). This is great because I absolutely can’t stand foundation that make me feel cakey or bogged down.

2-3 pumps is enough to cover my entire face, but since I generally don’t wear full foundation everyday (only for photo shoots) I’ve ended up using this as an under eye concealer on days I’ve feeling drained or need an extra lift.

I love that this bottle comes with a pump, making it easy to control the amount of product I need. The best part is it comes with a lid, so any foundation still caught in the nozzle never dries out, no wastage!

The only downside is the price, it’s extremely expensive. Luckily for me, I bought my bottle around mid 2008 and it is still as good as new (I know liquid foundations should be throw out every 6 months, but it seems perfectly fine to me!), and I’m not even half way through the bottle yet. But if I were to wear foundation everyday, I’d be inclined to search for a cheaper alternative. If you know of any, feel free to let me know

For the curious, my shade is 4 – light sand, which matches my skin tone perfectly.

Pros
• Great coverage
• Pump gives good control over amount used
• Contains SPF

Cons
• Pores feel clogged
• Terrible smell
• Pump allows for wasted dry foundation
• SPF gives it a bit of shine if no powder is used

Price: $48AU
Where: Visit the MAC website, or go to any MAC stores or counters at David Jones or Myer.

I’m not sure why, despite there being many products in the market that I am currently loving (and could not live without) I had to make my first product review on something I really disliked. Is the glass really half empty?

I’ve always been a fan of mineralising products, I admit I have been brainwashed by the “good for your skin” gimmick. I absolutely adore the loose powder version of the Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 Foundation, so I only figured that the liquid version must just be as good. Right?

I was so wrong.

This foundation does provide great coverage and is very buildable (so long as you give time for each layer to dry a little), but it has a heavy bog down feel. For example, every time I use this foundation I feel the need to wear a clay mask and after use a pore strip after removing my makeup because I feel like my pores have been clogged up right after use.

But on top of all of this, the worse part for me was the smell. I couldn’t stand it, and I have no idea why this is the only foundation I have that gives off this strange, plastic, stale-like smell. I really can’t stand it, and since I’m not huge on perfumes, when I wear it, I’m pretty much stuck with it.

The other thing that bothered me was actually the pump, whilst I love pumps, I think they all need a lip. Because the next time I use this product, there is always a bit of hard dried foundation at the tip, which is wasteful and personally I find gross.

Based on the reviews at MUA, I don’t feel too alone either. I bought this bottle in Hong Kong for probably around $30AU, however this retails at $48AU in Australia. I would definitely not repurchase it, but I’m still unsure as to whether I will throw it out… it’s not a foundation I can stand to use for a whole day or any social events, but I might keep it around for future Lookbook entries and photo shoots, just because it does provide good coverage and photo shoots only last a few hours. (Plus I hate throwing out any products unless they are really doing serious damage to my skin / hate it)

If you are curious to know what the coverage is like, stick around in the next week or so, I just finished shooting a Lookbook entry where I have been using this foundation to hopefully give you a better idea.