Foundation Overview - Make Up For Ever (MUFE) HD Invisible Cover Foundation

Foundation Overview - Make Up For Ever (MUFE) HD Invisible Cover Foundation

From Make Up For Ever and Sephora:

The MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Complexion products use innovative formulas to create a new generation of make up which is both invisible on HD cameras and to the naked eye. The HD Foundation is an oil-free medium-to-full coverage liquid foundation which covers skin imperfections, while remaining invisible on-screen and in real life. Its extremely fine texture is supple and easy to apply. Enriched with moisturizing agents, it leaves the skin soft and radiant. It is available in a wide range of shades to suit all skin tones.

This foundation creates a soft-focus effect, which is designed to meet the coverage concerns of those in the spotlight. It leaves your complexion with such a flawless finish, it can withstand bright or harsh lighting.

Size: 1.01 oz.
Price: $40

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My Skin Background

I have normal/oily skin with larger pores on my cheeks and nose. I have light freckles across my nose and a sprinkling on my cheeks as well. I have a warm undertone (yellow) and relatively even skintone. I don't have issues with acne or red spots so I don't need much coverage.

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PRICE:
This costs $40 for 1.01 oz. This is within the range of higher end foundations and I'm sure the HD label factors in quite a bit here. No issues for me here because quite frankly if you are going high end for foundation then this price is expected.

PACKAGING:
The foundation comes in a hard plastic rounded bottle with a built in pump. This is ideal since it's more sanitary than an open bottle plus you have more control over how much product you dispense. Plus since it's built in you don't have to spend extra dollars on a separate pump. I do prefer glass for foundations just because it extends shelf life but this is hardened plastic so it's as close as you can get to glass minus the breakage risk.

This bottle is not completely transparent even though it appears to be so guessing when you need a refill takes some eyeballing and squinting to figure out how product remains.

 
SHADE RANGE:
This foundation is available in 25 shades at Sephora and Make Up For Ever. The colors cover a great range of skintones from very light to deep with pink, beige, olive and yellow undertones. It is best to get matched to the correct shade in person but you can check out Temptalia's Foundation Matrix for what others have found to match. I'm shade 173 - MAC NC45 for reference.

AVAILABILITY:
Make Up For Ever is available in the US at Sephora, Sephora.com and The Make Up For Ever boutiques in NYC

COVERAGE:
Medium coverage. I don't get full coverage from this foundation since it is a lightweight and thinner formula. It allows the skin to show through while evening skintone and covering light discoloration.

FINISH:

This finish is suited for HD cameras since it looks like 'real skin'. The finish is satiny and very slightly dewy. Your skin looks healthy and glowy without appearing shiny. The foundation covers large pores and doesn't settle into lines so feel free to go HD and embrace the flash!

With Foundation   /     Without

WEAR:

Since I have oily skin any foundation that touts 'dewy' 'glowy' 'radiant' will allow my oils to seep through pretty quickly. Thankfully the foundation is oil free so I get a few (read 3.5-4) hours of wear before I need to blot. But I have to do that anyway for the most part so I don't mind. It does give a good 8 hours of wear before it seems to start wearing off as well.

OVERALL:

I recommend this foundation for normal to dry skin but maybe not so much for oily ladies such as myself. It is moisturizing, lightweight and feels great on the skin. It's great for photography and HD filming but I wouldn't wear it on a hot summer day.

Since the foundation is oil-free and non-comedogenic then it will also be great for sensitive and acne-prone skin.

To get the best effect for HD filming this foundation needs to be used with other HD products such as primer and powder. Otherwise you may lose the intended 'HD'ness of the foundation.

My Favorite Blushes

My Favorite Blushes

 I was asked to do a post of my favorite blushes and here goes nothing. It took me a little while to get everything in order and swatched but I hope it helps. And somehow I can't find my MAC Tartan Tale Collection blush sets which hold a couple of my fave blushes...thankfully I already have pictures of them. Argh! Don't hide from me my pretties!
I also threw in a couple of declared bronzers and highlight shades that I use as blushes instead. And...I couldn't stop at 10 or even 20...but hey that means more options right? : )

Oh and don't forget to share your favorites with us too....maybe some I should check out!

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Bite of An Apple - Soft coral pink (Matte) (Limited Edition - MAC Venomous Villains Collection)

I love Bite Of An Apple. It gives a great natural flush to the skin. I was nervous at first when I saw how bright it was but it doesn't apply as red as shown in the pan.
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Coygirl - Powdered rose (Sheertone)

Coygirl is one of my faves because it's such a simple and subtle purple pink. it leans on the cool side and pairs well with cooler toned looks.

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 Gingerly - Capri bronze (Sheertone)

I always saw Gingerly at my counter but never picked it up until a MUA STRONGLY recommended it for my skintone. What a great neutral color for dark skin. It adds the perfect glow without being pink.

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Instant Chic - Mid-tone muted coral (Sheertone) (Limited Edition)

I'm so happy I picked this up and I'm surprised it wasn't more of a hit. it is such a great soft coral color without being too orange.

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Melba - Soft coral-peach (Matte)

Melba is a fantastic peachy coral blush. It has just the right touch of peach and coral mixed in and it matte!

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Peachykeen - Very baby peach (Sheertone Shimmer)

What a pretty blush. it has a great peach base with golden shimmer and looks so glowy and healthy on the skin.

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Petticoat - Pale rose with gold and amber veining (Frost) (Limited Edition - MAC In The Groove Collection) (Repromote)

 This is my fave MSF of all time. It's great for all skintones and adds just the right amount of golden pink shimmer to the cheeks.

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Pink Swoon - Clearly pink (Sheertone)

Pink Swoon is divine! It's a cool toned pink and sheers out for a nice glow.

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Plum Foolery - Faintly Plum (Sheertone Shimmer)

How did I not own this before MAC A Tartan Tale Collection? It's a gorgeous golden plum color.

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Ripe Peach -  Light coral (Blush Ombre - Satin) (Limited Edition - MAC Spring Forecast Collection)

This is one product that deserved the hype! it's well sought after and for good reason. It can vary from a light coral peach to a more pinky peach depending on the color concentration used and it has the softest touch of shimmer for a kick.

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Sincere - Muted beige/coral (Sheertone) 

 This is a simple neutral blush for those 'natural' days. Barely shows up but adds a nice glowy effect to the skin.

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Springsheen - Peach with pearl (Sheertone Shimmer)

Oh! What a great golden coral color. This blows Stereo Rose out of the water for me.

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Stark Naked - Shimmery mid-tone mauve with gold pearl (Beauty Powder Blush)

This is a nice golden plum blush and one of the only plum blushes I will use.

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Utterly Game - Warm peach with soft pearl (Mineralize Blush - Frost) (Limited Edition - MAC Fabulous Felines Collection)

This again was a great blush that many people slept on. It is still on the MAC website. It's a great subtle coral shade for just the right flush on the cheeks.


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Foundation Overview - Make Up For Ever (MUFE) Mat Velvet + Foundation

Foundation Overview - Make Up For Ever (MUFE) Mat Velvet + Foundation

From Make Up For Ever and Sephora:

Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation

A shine controlling, oil-free, water-resistant, complete coverage liquid foundation.

The Mat Velvet + foundation conceals skin imperfections, evens out the complexion and matifies with a non-oily powdery finish. The result is flawless and lasts for hours long. Its smooth, fluid texture is very stable, water-resistant and long-lasting. While it has a good coverage, it is also easy to apply. The end result can be fitted to your needs. Applied lightly, Mat Velvet + provides a natural, matte look to the complexion. Using several layers to help conceal blemishes creates a supple and elastic velvety finish. This new oil-free and non comedogenic formula is suited to sensitive skins.

Although this foundation provides full coverage, the end result is completely adjustable to fit your needs - a little goes a long way.

$34 for 1.01 oz

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My Skin Background

I have normal/oily skin with larger pores on my cheeks and nose. I have light freckles across my nose and a sprinkling on my cheeks as well.  I have a warm undertone (yellow) and relatively even skintone. I don't have issues with acne or red spots so I don't need much coverage.

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PRICE:
This costs $34  for 1.01 oz which is on the cheaper side of the high-end makeup spectrum. It is cheaper than NARS, Chanel and even Laura Mercier and Lancome. The price of this foundation is quite reasonable for the quality.

PACKAGING:
The foundation comes in a plastic squeeze bottle. This packaging is quite simplistic and functional. You can squeeze out just what you need with wasting the product. The plastic bottle is not transparent so you will only be able to tell when you need a refill by the weight of the product. I still have no idea how much product is left in my own bottle. Yikes!

SHADE RANGE:
This foundation is available in 16 shades at Sephora and Make Up For Ever which is not the easiest for color matching. Because it has a narrow shade range you may have a bit of trouble getting the right color. It is best to get matched to the correct shade in person but you can check out Temptalia's Foundation Matrix for what others have found to match. I'm Shade 70 - MAC NC45 for reference.

AVAILABILITY:
Make Up For Ever is available in the US at Sephora, Sephora.com and Make Up For Ever boutiques in NYC.

COVERAGE:
Medium to semi full coverage. For me this foundation evens out my skintone nicely but still allows my freckles to show through slightly. You can layer this foundation for added coverage by letting the foundation dry between layers.

FINISH:
The foundation is slightly thick liquid that blends smoothly over the skin. The overall finish on my skin is natural and mostly matte. I do not get a dry effect at all which some mattifying foundations can cause. Once the foundation sets into the skin it will leave a semi powdery velvety feel.

With Foundation   /     Without

WEAR:
This foundation wears for at least 5 hours before I get any oily or shiny spots for which I just add a bit of blot powder. The foundation is water resistant so will not fade through light sweating or humidity.

OVERALL:
I think this foundation is best suited for normal or oily skin because of the matte finish. Dry skin may find this a bit too powdery once it dries down. The wear is relatively great but since I have very oily skin I still need to blot at least once during the day.

Since the foundation is oil-free and non-comedogenic then it will also be great for sensitive and acne-prone skin.

The foundation covers pores very well and doesn't settle into fine lines. The coverage may be a little on the heavy side and requires sheering out for a lighter feel. You can mix the foundation with Make Up For Ever All Mat primer for added mattifying power and for lighter coverage.

I give this a 8 out of 10!

OPI Russian Navy Suede NAILS

OPI Russian Navy Suede NAILS

Did you guys get into the suede nail polish trend this summer? I picked up a few of the Suede nail polishes from OPI months ago but I didn't remember them until today. These nail polishes have a much different finish from regular polishes. The polish itself is packed with shimmer and dries down to a matte finish. The overall effect is intended to look like suede but to me it looks more like nu-buck. I personally love the effect but they don't wear very well past a couple of days.

This is OPI Russian Navy Suede Nail Lacquer - no top coat in order to keep the suede finish.

'Raspberry Lemonade' Look

'Raspberry Lemonade' Look

I sat for a while thinking of a name for this look and this is the best I came up with. LOL. Sounds summery if you ask me but I'm wearing a summery top so why not. Hope you guys are having a happy Friday! Thanks heavens the weekend is here....sleep time! : )

Eyes:

PRIME:
I started off with NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base all over my lid up to the brow bone. I applied MAC Layin' Low Paintpot (matte beige) all over my lid and on my brow bone as my primary base. Sonia Kashuk Dome Blending Brush

COLOR:
On the inner lid and tearduct area I applied Bare Escentuals Clear Radiance All Over Face Color (shimmery light pink). MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush
Next on the middle of the lid I applied MUFE #4 Metal Powder (metallic yellow gold). MAC 242 Shader Brush
Next to that I applied MUFE #26 Eyeshadow (matte raspberry pink). MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush
On the browbone area and for blending I used MUFE #118 Eyeshadow (matte sky blue). MAC 217 Blending Brush
To define the crease I used MUFE #26 Pure Pigment (matte black). MAC 231 Small Shader Brush
For highlight I used Bare Escentuals Clear Radiance All Over Face Color (shimmery light pink). MAC Large 252 Shader Brush
For my lower lashline I used the MAC Designer Purple Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner Pencil (shimmery purle w/ pearl) - OUTER and Urban Decay Electric 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil (shimmery electric blue) - MIDDLE.

BROWS:
My brows are filled in with MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Stud and NARS Coconut Grove Eyeshadow (matte blackened brown). Paula Dorf Eye Definer Flat Top Brush

DEFINE:
I lined my upper lashline with Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner.
I lined my lower waterline with L'Oreal HIP Cream Eyeliner in Black. Stila #28 Smudge Pot Brush
I used Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara for my lashes and added Beautee Senses Annie False Eyelashes for effect.

Lips:

POLISH:
For my lips I used MAC I Like It Like That Lipstick (creamy pink) topped with MAC English Accents Lipglass (creamy pink).

Face:

FINISH:
MAC Oil Control Lotion and Tarte Clean Slate Face Primer. I used MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC45 - Sigma Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki Brush - for my face and set my t-zone with MAC Blot Powder in Dark. I used YSL TOUCHE ÉCLAT Radiant Touch in #5 and MUFE #14 Full Cover Concealer - Fingers : ) under my eyes set with Benefit Powderflage - Beauty Blender Sponge.

I used MAC Bite Of An Apple Blush (matte coral pink) for my cheeks - MAC 129 Powder/Blush Brush and MUFE #2 Sculpting Kit for contour and highlight - MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush.