Touring My Various States of Makeup

Hello, dear readers,

Since I was absent for such an extended stretch of time, I thought it might be fun to show you a few pictures from recent months. Then I realized something fantastic: In each of the photos I selected, I was wearing a different degree of makeup. Even better, I unknowingly chose them in the following order: No makeup, everyday makeup, and makeup for going out. As a proud makeup aficionado, I will admit that I spring towards the cosmetics aisle of every drugstore and Target I enter. I swear each and every Ulta store exerts its own gravitational pull on me; it's not my fault! 

That being said, I've relearned to love makeup free days and letting my skin breathe. The people who matter most to me have seen me too many times to count without a drop of makeup, so it's nice to go out with my face au naturale. This does not, however, include lip products. I must have at least a tinted lip balm on before I leave the house. That's just how it is. 

And now, on to our tour: 

Me, Makeup Free!

This was taken at a house concert at the beginning of December, and I have to say I love the way my nails look here. I believe I was wearing OPI The Spy Who Loved Me from the Skyfall Collection. I have absolutely no face makeup on here. On my lips? Faded by that point was none other than NYC Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm in Big Apple Red. The very same product I reviewed a couple of days ago. [And no, I did not crop out the other people in the photos because I'm a raging narcissist. I simply didn't want to post anyone's picture without his or her permission, and not everyone in the photos knows I write this blog.]

Everyday Sort of Look

Obviously I don't wear makeup every single day, but this is the kind of thing I will wear when I feel like looking a little more put together to see friends or to go to class. In this particular instance, I was baking cupcakes with friends before we brought them to a quasi high school reunion in late December. On my face, I mixed my Olay moisturizer with Avon Ideal Flawless Invisible Coverage Liquid Foundation in Light Ivory. Believe it or not, the shade is significantly darker than I am; combining it with moisturizer is the only way I can wear it. A shame, really, because I quite enjoy the formula. I applied Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Spot Corrector + Treatment in Fair under my eyes and to cover up any redness or spots I might have had that day. I finished off my face with Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent. On my lips, I had -- wait for it -- NYC Applelicious...You get the drift. Same lip product as before.

Maid of Honor Makeup

Finally we come to my version of full makeup. This was one of the professional photographs from my sister's wedding in October. I was the maid of honor, and I did my own makeup. I cannot take credit for the hair, though. I can never do my own hair for special occasions. I used the same concealer and powder as usual, but this time I wore them over my Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 1.0, the palest of the yellow-toned foundations from that line. I went to Sephora with my mom to get my color match with the Color IQ system, and this was the product I decided on. It was my mom's treat for me, since she knew I'd be doing my makeup and would want to get it right. It's maybe a shade darker than I am, but it goes on beautifully anyway.

I wore Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara in Black, a rarity for me. Unlike most beauty junkies, I don't find mascara to be that life-changing a product. I don't have the world's darkest, longest, or fullest lashes by any means, but they show up just find on their own. I like this mascara because it's the only one I've found that doesn't get under my eyes and make me look like a raccoon by the end of the day. My lips were a bit tricky for me. I started with YBF Cosmetics lipstick in Fabuloso, a cooler toned cherry red, but I wasn't satisfied. It didn't pop, so I tissued off as much as I could. I then applied YBF Cosmetics lipstick in Love Affair, a vibrant, orange-y red that was exactly the shade I needed. If you've never heard of the brand, I wrote about YBF Cosmetics in this post here. My makeup lasted from pictures in the early afternoon until after the dancing ended around 9 p.m. It showed up nicely in the photos, if I do say so myself. You can't really see here, but China Glaze Ruby Pumps was adorning my nails.

Each photograph was taken during a joyful occasion, and each joyful occasion called for a different look. I hope you enjoyed the little snapshots of my past few months in life and in makeup.

xEsther

Mini Review: Fusion of Color Mineral Face Makeup

Aura Tint (Light), Concealer (Shell), Finishing Powder (Out and About)

Hello, dear readers,


If you have been reading my blog since at least the beginning of this year, you may remember a post called "Mini Review: Fusion of Color Lipsticks." I received three lipstick samples and three mineral face makeup samples from Fusion of Color Cosmetics back in January, I believe, and I think it's about time I did a review of the face makeup. I more than owe it to the company, especially Kathy Duncan, the woman behind the brand. [If you don't care to read the previous post, I should tell you that this is a Chicago-based company that sells exclusively online. I'm also not being paid for this; I received these sample sizes in exchange for review.] 


Until this month, I had only tried one of the powders, but I am finally ready to give you my honest opinions on the products. The first product I tried was called the Aura Tint, in the shade Light. The full size retails for $7. According to the website here, this is a colorful version of the Aura-Lusion Diamond powder, a white powder that can be used as a primer or setting powder, or it can be mixed with another foundation to achieve the correct shade.

Aura Tint (Light)

I don't think I owned foundation at the time, and I still don't use mineral foundation, but I used this as a setting powder. Considering I walked to and from school, a half-hour trek each way, this product held up really well. I found that it blended the tinted moisturizer and concealer, that I was using at the time, quite nicely. This went on silky smooth, but didn't give a completely matte finish. I actually prefer it to the Physician's Formula Mineral Wear® Talc-Free Mineral Airbrushing Pressed Powder SPF 30, that I reviewed here, because it's sheer enough for my super pale skin. 


It didn't hold up quite as well as my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent, which can last seven or eight hours; then again, I haven't found anything that has. This is a good option for a reasonably priced mineral makeup powder that feels great going on and lasts for about five hours, even through speedy, and, yes, sweaty walking. I should say that it only fades on and around my nose and chin, where I get oily. I can't speak to its other uses, but I can say that lately I've been using it as an under eye concealer because it has a slight yellow tint that I find works better than my Hard Candy Glamouflage. I stopped using that product, because it's too dark for me and shows up orange.


Next, I tried out the Concealer in Shell, which is advertised as both a concealer and an eyeshadow base. The full size retails for $14. It does not claim to hide major blemishes, but rather conceal dark circles or minor flaws. The ingredients are listed on the website, so check there to find out. My picture of the ingredients came out extremely blurry.

Concealer (Shell)

Unfortunately, this is one product I would skip. The pinky shade served to actually accentuate the purplish-blue darkness underneath my eyes. The good thing is that it didn't crease. I don't use eyeshadow, but I would imagine it would be neutral enough to use as a base if you have light skin. I can't really comment on that, but this is not a product I would purchase as a concealer. 


Unless you have any greenish imperfections [i.e. a tiny bruise or something], pink concealer won't really do you any favors. You're better off with a yellow or salmon concealer for underneath the eyes. Because it's pink, it won't do anything for blemishes, either. Again, the powder itself feels light and smooth, but if you'd like to try it, buy it as an eyeshadow base or purchase a sample size [as pictured] instead.


The final product is probably my favorite. It is the finishing powder in Out and About, which is advertised to be used over foundation or alone. It has an SPF of 16, and contains rice starch to control oil. The full size retails for $12.

Finishing Powder (Out and About)

This is a very nice finishing powder, and I also enjoyed wearing it on its own. Like the Aura Tint, it has a slight yellow undertone. To me, however, it looks slightly more neutral than either of the previous products. I like the way it brushes onto my skin, evening out skin tone, and I love that it has a sufficient amount of SPF. Possibly the best thing about it is the fact that it helps control oil. I feel like it gives a very sheer coverage, but also keeps greasiness at bay for long periods of time. 

I have also tried this as an under eye concealer, and I think it works for that purpose as well. Its slight yellow tones work well to conceal any purple or blue circles, but it's not too yellow so as to be noticeable. Until I find a fuller coverage under eye concealer, I will probably be alternating between this and the Aura Tint. As you can see, this is quite a light powder so I can't say what other skin tones this would work on. Personally, I think it's pretty great.

Overall, I think Fusion of Color Cosmetics is a great company as far as quality of formulation and staying power of their mineral face makeup [not to mention the lipsticks]. I would recommend the Aura Tints and the Out and About Finishing Powder, but I would try one of the other concealers, listed on this page, if you're curious about the powder formula. If I had to choose just one to purchase, it would be Out and About. 

This review is extraordinarily overdue, and I've been feeling so guilty about it!  I'm glad it's finally out there for you to consider. Check out the website, Fusion of Color Cosmetics, for more information. 


xEsther