The much anticipated (at least in my book) Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream finally arrived at drugstores this month.  As a fan of the ColorStay liquid and whipped foundations and the PhotoReady Perfecting Primer, I was eager for the launch of the brand’s first BB Cream.  I previously tried Smashbox Camera Ready BB cream and appreciate it for its multi-tasking properties as well as its almost medium coverage.  I wanted to purchase a tube, but decided to wait when I heard Revlon also had a BB cream on the way.

The packaging of Revlon’s BB cream is simple and hygienic holding 1 fluid ounce.

Some other BB Creams have a thinner consistency more reminiscent of a lotion or tinted moisturizer.  But Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream is in fact a cream.  It is thicker and less fluid but still blendable, best applied with hands or a dense face brush such as the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.

Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream in Medium

Revlon’s BB Cream comes in three shades:  Light, Light/Medium, and Medium.  Unlike the liquid PhotoReady and ColorStay foundations, the shade range is very limited and will not work on a skin tone darker than NC 40.

After trying the new BB Cream for a week, I am unimpressed and rather disappointed by a brand who leads drugstore brands in high quality face products.

bare face

My skin is currently clearing up from a couple break outs.  My skin type is normal-combination, I have redness around my nose and dark undereye discoloration.  I have tried the BB Cream ten minutes after applying moisturizer (with and without SPF) and without moisturizer and my results remained the same.  I did not try it over a primer as one of its multi-tasking properties is supposed to be priming the skin.

wearing Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream in Medium

The coverage given with a moderate amount of BB Cream is sheer.  While it makes my cheeks appear even, concealer is still necessary on a any redness and under my eyes.  The minimal coverage is expected from a BB Cream so the real let-down is the finished texture.  My skin appears very oily and small bumps on my forehead are accentuated.  Even with setting powder, I find it necessary to blot and powder every two (or less) hours.  Keep in mind that my skin is normal-combination.  There is no way anyone with combination or oily skin could successfully wear Revlon BB Cream unless they planned to incorporate a mattifier or maintain it every two hours.

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Price:  $10.99

Availability:  drugstores

Summary:  With a very dewey finish, minimal coverage, and limited shade range, Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream will work best for dry to normal fair to medium skin.

10am Beauty Approved?:  No

 With Revlons PhotoReady BB Cream launch, I somehow missed the hype on their newest foundation.  Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup didn’t show up anywhere on my radar until shortly before it was released this month.  But after being disappointed in the BB Cream, I am really happy I picked up Nearly Naked.

Available at drugstores, Nearly Naked foundation retails for $9.99 including 1.0 fl oz/30 mL of makeup.  There are 16 shades ranging from Ivory to Cappuccino.  Revlon is known for incorporating most skin tones into their various foundations, but the unfortunate downside is that most of the shades run neutral.  Shade matching is incredibly difficult and the closest match is still just a bit off.  This is easy to correct, but something worth noting.

Revlon offers a “Find Your Shade” pamphlet in store.  However, I followed the guide in choosing Medium then Warmer and was left with three choices:  Medium Beige, Warm Beige, and Natural Tan.  My first instinct was to reach for Natural Tan as that is one of my ColorStay shades.  But upon inspecting the bottle it appeared entirely too dark.  I opted for Warm Beige because I have very warm skin.  But after trying it for a couple days it was definitely too dark and strangely orange.  I went back and purchased 180 Medium Beige which happens to be a very close match for my skin, albeit a bit neutral toned.

Revlon ColorStay 310 Warm Golden / Revlon Nearly Naked 180 Medium Beige / Urban Decay Naked Skin 6.0

Of the three shades suggested for me, Medium Beige is the lightest medium shade.  In most other foundation lines from any other brand, my shade runs in the medium-deep or tan category.  So take note and look for undertones, not number sequence when choosing your shade. For reference, I am currently NC37.  When I wear Natural Tan from ColorStay, I am NC40.

Let’s talk about what Nearly Naked Makeup actually does.  I’ll begin with my bare face, freshly cleansed, toned, and moisturized.  As always, no retouching, just me…undereye circles, blemishes, and all.

Next is half of my face (the right side in the photograph) with a layer of Revlon Nearly Naked 180 Medium Beige.  It did a surprisingly decent job on my undereye area, it brightened my lid, and evened out everything else.  It did not cover my blemishes completely, but it isn’t meant to.  And with blemishes this red, there’s not much that does cover them.

Wearing Nearly Naked on my whole face makes a big difference!  With a light coverage, it does a great job of making everything uniform and only requires concealer in a few typical areas.

From here I want to begin my comparison of Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup and Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Makeup.  A full review of Urban Decay’s formula can be found here along with swatches and shade comparisons to other brands.

Both foundations contain the same amount of product.  Both have a fluid consistency, though Urban Decay Naked Skin is a more watery than Revlon Nearly Naked.  They are both meant to feel and look natural and naked on the skin.  So what’s the difference?  Urban Decay Naked Skin does not contain SPF (Revlon has SPF 20), is peptide infused and paraben free, comes in a pump bottle, and costs $38.00.  Urban Decay also comes in 18 shades with a more clear shade matching system.  Lastly, I get longer wear from Naked Skin on my combination skin.

Wearing Revlon Nearly Naked 180 Medium Beige

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Price: $9.99

Availability: drugstores

Summary: While the shade matches are a challenge, the formula is quality and works well on combination skin.  A natural looking low maintenance formula that requires blotting and powder only every few hours.  At such a low price, Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup is a fantastic deal.

10am Beauty Approved?: Yes

Whether you work too much, don’t sleep well at night, are an exhausted mama, or wound up with some less than favorable genes, there’s a very good chance you suffer from undereye circles.

I have been plagued with them my entire life.  Okay, maybe not my entire life, but from about the time I started the crazy adventure of hormones.  Towards the end of elementary school, I remember people coming up to me and asking if I was okay.  Maybe I had some unfortunate illness?  Maybe I was bulimic and needed to seek treatment (I was also excessively thin, worsened by the fact that I was very tall for my age and a late bloomer)?

For me, the dark undereye circles started with the genetic kind.  Then they worsened as I became an insomniac teenager.  And some time after college when I thought I’d finally catch up on sleep, we started a family.  Needless to say, concealer and I go way back.  Waaaaay back.

Lucky for me, studio lighting downplays the darkness ;)  But on the left side of the photo, you get a very good idea of what my circles look like:  more of a brown discoloration than a blue/purple baggy tired look.

There are a few things to consider when choosing an undereye concealer:

• blue circles are best covered by a peach corrector
• purple circles are best covered by a yellow corrector
• yellow also counteracts red, which is common in some genetic discoloration

My circles do have some red toward the inner corners.  Because of my warm skin tone, I’ve never had any luck with peach-toned correctors.  They always make me look ashy and draw more attention to what I’m trying to cover up in the first place.  I opt for yellow tones with a heavy-coverage formula.  I prefer creamy concealers or those than can be found in a jar.  Some of my favorites for my coloring:

• Laura Geller The Real Deal in Medium
• Tarte Maracuja Creaseless in Medium (used for this post)
• Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength in 02 or 03
• Sonia Kashuk All Covered Up in Sand

Step 1:  Yawn, stretch, assess, reach for concealer.

Step 2:  Using my ring finger, I dot (okay, dab) concealer in a triangle under my eye, then extend it past the outer corner to more resemble a check mark.  This helps brighten the corner of my eye (see how dark it is above?) and makes it appear more lifted.  I do not apply concealer to the lid.  I rely on eyeshadow base and eyeshadow to cover up the darkness.

Step 3:  Using my ring finger, I tap to help blend.  then I lightly roll the tip of my finger to blend the remainder.  Never EVER drag the finger.  Tugging the skin ages eyes faster and the skin on the eyes already ages faster than the rest of the face.  No sense in speeding it up further!

Step 4:  Apply foundation.  I prefer to do this after applying concealer to get a more even color across my entire face.  It also allows me to see if I need foundation as a second layer over my circles.  Again, be careful not to drag that foundation brush over delicate eye skin.

Step 5:  Powder, fill in brows, add a light shimmery eyeshadow, heavy black mascara, and bright blush and lip color.  The whole face will look bright and awake!

Go about your day confidently looking and feeling your best.  You deserve it!

I’m pretty sure everyone is aware of my love for Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lip Creams, but I’ve never put them all in one place before.  So I wanted to do a quick post with arm and lip swatches.  I have one shade from each color family (nude, pink, spice, berry, and red) and each one is “that perfect” shade.

The formula isn’t incredibly long wearing, but it’s the most comfortable texture I’ve ever tried.  There’s no shimmer, they look glossy, each one is full-coverage, and they are hydrating.  I also adore the packaging.  No plastic here!  Just a sleek gold tube with the embossed Too Faced logo.  Love!

As I said, I own five La Cream Lip Creams.

Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lip Creams are $21.00/each and come in 20 different shades.

 My bare lips, feeling all dry.

In the Buff (nude)

Spice Baby Spice (spice)

Fuchsia Shock (pink)

So Berry Sexy (berry)

Stiletto Red (red)

In the Buff is definitely my perfect nude.  I consider Spice Baby Spice a pink on me and it makes a perfect every day color.  The bright pop of color from Fuchsia Shock brightens up any look and it pairs beautifully with Perfect Pink lip liner.  New for spring is Too Faced’s berry family of which I own So Berry Sexy.  I was really hoping for a deeper berry shade and this runs more of a vivid purple, but I still like it.  And rounding out the range is the blue-based Stiletto Red.  It is oddly the sheerest of the five, so I always apply an extra layer.  I love it over red liner to give the most impact (I am not wearing liner above).

In the Buff / Spice Baby Spice / Fuchsia Shock / So Berry Sexy / Stiletto Red

Are you a fan of the La Creme Lip Cream formula?  What are your perfect shades from each color family?

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Price: $21.00 each

Availability: Too Faced, Sephora, Ulta

Summary: Too Faced La Creme Lip Creams are a perfect way to wear glossy looking lipsticks.  The formula is ideal for dry lips and the shade range certainly offers enough variety to pair well with any skin tone.

10am Beauty Approved?: Yes – Highly Recommended

Disclaimer: Fuchsia Shock was a gift.  All others were purchased with my own money.

It started raining 24 hours ago so I didn’t even bother styling my hair this morning.  Hair gone wild!!  Clearly I need to get some curl enhancing (and controlling!) products.  Any favorites you want to recommend?  To cheer up the rainy day gloom, I pulled out the Urban Decay Ammo Palette for a colorful eye look.

During my transition from winter to spring makeup, I’m slowly adding bright color to my looks.  A recent purchase of the Urban Decay Ammo Eyeshadow Palette is proving a good fit in my makeup collection.

Housing ten of Urban Decay’s most popular shadows in an edgy case, Ammo brings shimmering brights and deeps to the table.

Six of the ten shades fall into the neutral family while four can be used to add a pop of color to the eyes.

 Smog / Mildew / Oil Slick / Last Call / Chopper

Together the top row resembles Christmas, doesn’t it?  Smog eyeshadow single is the only other eyeshadow I own from Urban Decay.  Simply put, I adore it.  It’s a great shade for buildable color and is neither too bronze nor too gold.  Mildew is a golden medium green.  Oil Slick is a matte black with silver glitter.  Last Call is a deep mauve. Chopper is an orange toned gold.

Maui Wowie / Shattered / Polyester Bride / Grifter / Sin

This row definitely screams Easter.  Two holidays are officially covered…though neither really require “ammo” !  Maui Wowie is a gorgeous vintage gold.  Shattered is a beach glass blue with pistachio green shimmer.  Polyester Bride is a glittering muslin.  Grifter is a pink-lilac.  Sin is a cool nude champagne.

My biggest issue with the Ammo palette is the fall-out from the shadows.  If you look at the opened package photo above, you can see shimmer all over the package.  I didn’t even use the shadows before taking the photo.  Definitely apply concealer and setting powder after these eyeshadows.  Even then, I was brushing the occasional stray glitter off my face throughout the day.  I did use a tacky primer first, patted on the color, and did not sweep it, but still had minor fall-out.

Sin on inner lid and browbone / Shattered at outer 1/3 and lower lashline / Maui Wowie in center / Smog in crease / Smog Glide-on Pencil

The goal of the look I created was to show how easy it can be to wear blue eyeshadow.  This is not something most women are comfortable with but there are a few key tricks to keep it looking sophisticated and not clownish.

• Use neutral shadow in the crease.
• Use neutral eyeliner on the waterline and at the top lashline.
• Keep cheek and lip colors minimal.

Fun fact:  (Not including the shimmer) Shattered is the same shade as one of my favorite scrapbooking inks – Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass.  The resemblance is striking!

I can’t wait to play around with some more color.  Mildew, Grifter, Shattered, and Last Call are warm enough for me to wear and I anticipate a lot of experimentation.

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Price: $34.00

Availability: Urban Decay, Sephora, Ulta

Summary: The Ammo Palette by Urban Decay offers wearable color with moderate shimmer.  It is a great introduction to colorful eyeshadows.

10am Beauty Approved?: Yes

Disclaimer: I purchased this item with my own money.

For the record, the red carpet at this year’s Academy Awards was kind of boring.  And by red carpet, I mean “faces of.”  Basically, no one’s makeup stood out.  So when I saw pictures pop up a few days later of Ginnifer Goodwin rocking a blue party dress and some serious lashes, I was shocked that I had missed it.  As it turns out, the really good makeup was saved for the after party and wasn’t even worn on the red carpet.

I originally saw Ginnifer’s look in an online article over at Glamour.  Yet another blue eye look that is complete perfection!  I’m seeing a trend as spring rolls around…more and more blue!  I also really like the challenge of finding a way to make more colors work for me.  My last post put vivid light blue into a day look.  Here, I’m channeling the work of Ginnifer’s makeup artist who happened to use all NARS products.  Since I don’t have all the same items, I put together my own rendition of Ginnifer’s dramatic Oscar Party look.

Eyes:

• Primer:  Sonia Kashuk Extreme Wear Eye Base (all over) / Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight (lid only)
• Lid:  Milani Liquif’Eye Eyeliner in Aqua blended with finger (as a base color) / Sonia Kashuk Eye on Pure Color Shade 12 / theBalm the Mother-in-Law
• Above Crease:  NARS Galapagos
• In Crease (to blend) and inner corner:  theBalm The Guy Who Died But Didn’t Really Die
• Dot at Inner Corner and lower lid:  theBalm The Supermodel
• Browbone Highlight:  theBalm Matt Malloy
• Eyeliner:  MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder (upper and lower lashlines and waterline) / Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Black (upper lashline)
• Mascara:  MakeUp For Ever Smoky Lash
• Brows:  Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Shade 9 and  Brow Definer in Taupe

Face:

• Primer:  theBalm Time Balm Primer / Jemma Kidd Manequin Skin Complexion Enhancer
• Concealer:  Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Medium
• Foundation:  Revlon ColorStay Whipped Foundation in Warm Golden
• Powder:  NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder (all over)
• Highlight:  Physician’s Formula Happy Booster in Beige (tops of cheeks, sides of forehead)
• Contour:  Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
• Cheeks:  NARS Madly Blush
• To set:  Urban Decay All Nighter Spray

Lips:

• Base:  Revlon Soft Nude Lipstick
• Color:  Too Faced La Creme In the Buff
• Gloss:  NARS Spring Break

I really should be wearing false lashes (I mean, come on, they make Ginnifer’s look as fun as it is), but when I tried to apply them, my actual lashes got rather angry and refused to cooperate.  There was even gluing of one of my eyelids…to itself.  For fear of ruining my makeup (my eyes were starting to water and my nose was running) I shrieked, gave up, and moved on.  I do have an abundance of false lashes now that need to be used.  Feel free to suggest a look.

I’m beginning to feel like I’ve finally conquered blue eyes.  I do have one or two more blue looks I really want to try out, but for the most part the tricks to pulling it off remain the same:  line the waterline and use neutral shadow in the crease.

Oh, and let’s not forget those brows…fill ‘em!

Recently, I posted a tutorial on concealing undereye circles.  While there’s nothing wrong with Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer, I’m a bit of a concealaholic and love having options.

I caved.  Between the extra break-outs I’ve had recently, and my love of the NARS spring releases, I bought Radiant Creamy Concealer in Medium 1 Custard.  NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is an excellent addition to my collection.  There are ten shades. TEN, people!  What I love most is that the shades represent a wide variety of undertones.  So many brands focus on only peach or pink tones for undereye circles.  NARS, however, offers something for every skin tone.

When choosing a shade, my biggest suggestion is this:  Look for undertones, not sequential order.  Many early reviews are showing that bloggers needed to go a couple shades darker to find their match.  This led me to believe that I needed the shade Ginger which has a “golden undertone for medium complexion.”  When I swatched it, Ginger looked way too orange for my needs.

So I went one shade “lighter” and tried Custard for a “yellow tone for light to medium complexion.”  Custard is p.e.r.f.e.c.t. for my current NC37 skin.  It is also a match on Cafe Makeup for NC 15/20 skin.  Another thing to note is that Custard is labeled as “Medium 1″ and I use a “Medium 4″ foundation shade.  Both are perfect matches.  See what I’m saying?  Go by undertone.

Here is a quick comparison swatch of my current NARS Foundation match (Barcelona), Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard, Benefit Boi-ing 02, and Tarte Maracuja Creaseless in Medium.  The NARS and Tarte formulas are both brightening and both medium to full coverage. The difference in consistency is that NARS has a more airy texture.

My face currently has a few healing blemishes (between my brows, on my forehead, side of my chin) a new blemish (jaw line at left of screen), redness around my nose, and my usual dark undereye circles.

My first concern is always how concealer performs on my undereye area.  I need full coverage, I want a close skin tone match, and a brightening effect is always appreciated.

Fairly impressive, yes?  I concealed under the eye on the right side of the screen and all my criteria are met.  If I did the other side, I could leave the house….without foundation! What?!  Let’s see if Radiant Concealer is just as radiant over blemishes.

After covering both undereyes, any redness and blemishes, the concealer is invisible and my skin looks almost flawless.

Well done, NARS!  On its own (without primer or powder), Radiant Creamy Concealer sets and lasts 6 hours before fading.  With my usual makeup routine of primer, foundation, concealer, and powder, the NARS Radiant Concealer has real staying power, lasting 10+ hours.  This makes for one happy mama.

Share your favorite concealer in the comments below…do you look for coverage on undereye circles, blemishes, or both?

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Price: $28.00 each

Availability: NARS, Sephora, Nordstrom

Summary: For deep dark undereye circles, look no further.  NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer brightens as it conceals and works best on well-moisturized eyes.

10am Beauty Approved?: Yes – Highly Recommended

Disclaimer: I purchased this item with my own money.

My family recently took a vacation to a beach resort.  Despite having three outdoor pools, a splash park, lazy river, and the actual beach for our using, we didn’t get to spend much time outside.  The first full day was incredibly windy and rather cloudy.  The second full day we did have some sun, but I didn’t go home looking like I just took a Florida vacation.

To get that back-from-the-beach glow, I called in reinforcements.  Sonia Kashuk has a stellar line of bronzers and the newest might be my favorite yet.  Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Rich Bronze offers a natural looking contour or bronze glow.

The magnetic bronze packaging falls right in line with the Bare Minimum and the Illuminating bronzers and also houses a sponge and mirror under the product.  While I don’t find the sponge particularly useful for contouring, it can be used for a quick all over bronzing.  I do find the packaging a bit bulky for the amount of product.

Undetectable Creme Bronzer comes in two shades:  Warm Tan and Rich Bronze.  I was certain Rich Bronze would be far too dark for my NC40 skin, but it blends out quite nicely.  This shade would work well for anyone with a medium or darker complexion.  The Sonia Kashuk line often targets fair to medium skin tones and Warm Tan would undoubtedly work well for lighter women.

Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Rich Bronze

I tend to not do an all-over bronze until summer and for now continue to opt for a more sculpted look.  The creme formula offers a very natural appearance, blends easily, and sets to an almost powder feel.  The finish is not luminous, nor is it fully matte.  I opt for this bronzer on my lightest makeup days, typically worn with tinted moisturizer.  Below, however, it is paired with theBalm Tinted Moisturizer and NARS Sheer Matte foundation.

Have you tried a creme bronzer before?  Do you prefer it to powder?

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Price: $10.99

Availability: Target

Summary: Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer is a very blendable bronzer that works well for both contour or a tanned appearance.  It’s ability to set to a powder makes it easy to use and is ideal for anyone wanting a natural appearance.

10am Beauty Approved?: Yes

Disclaimer: I purchased Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer with my own money.

I’ve gone a little crazy upon entering the world of Buxom lip products.  My first was the Full-On Lip Polish in Tonya from the recent Sephora 500-point perk.  I have since fallen head over heals in love with their bronzer and illuminator as well.  With a hot date scheduled, I headed back to Sephora to find a Buxom nude pink to go with a smoky eye I had planned.

Buxom Full-On Lipstick in Sydney fits the bill.  It is a matte formula that is hydrating (yes, you read that right!) and leaves my dry lips looking full.  I am pleasantly surprised by the lightweight yet moisturizing feel and full-coverage of the formula.  It has average wear time of 2-3 hours, fades evenly, and reapplies smoothly.

The Full-On Lipsticks comes as a twist-up pencil, though “pencil” is a bit misleading on my part.  Its diameter is wider than a pencil and narrower than the balm stains offered by so many brands.  The twist up feature on mine has a bit of a quirk and sometimes takes an extra twist to get going.

As true nude lipsticks don’t work well for me, I was happy to find something pink that didn’t fall into the “bold” category I tend to favor.

Sydney (center) is more pink than Clinique Creamy Nude (left).  It is deeper and more rose-toned than Revlon Soft Nude (right).

I wore it on a date with Mr. M last Sunday night to an Italian dinner followed by a comedy show.  I chose a taupe smokey eye with half lashes to pair with Sydney.  Something sultry, but not over the top for a Sunday.

I’ve since worn Sydney during the day with rather low-key makeup and especially love it paired with Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Sandy.  I wore Sydney and Sandy Sunday night too.  (Try saying that three times fast!)

I can’t believe it took so long for me to venture into Bare Escentuals Buxom.  I see a new addiction coming on!

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Price: $19.00

Availability: Sephora exclusive

Summary: The most hydrating matte lip color I’ve ever tried, Buxom Full-On Lipstick begs to be worn.  Sydney is a classic nude pink that works even for warm skin tones and makes a great addition to any collection.

10am Beauty Approved?: Yes

Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money.

There are certain products that I simply know I will buy when first hearing of them.  In the earliest stages of promotion, before information is readily available, I just know I need it.  I then push it to the back of my mind and focus on other items so the anticipation doesn’t kill me.  Weeks later, having completely forgotten a release is happening, I’ll be browsing my local beauty store and BAM!  Gasp! Squeal!  Lo and behold, there it is.

This is exactly the process that happened with the new NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation.  Being that NARS Sheer Matte Foundation and I get along so well, there was no question in my mind I would purchase the Radiant Cream Foundation.  I’ve even been curious about Sheer Glow.  That’s how much I love my Sheer Matte.

One of my favorite things about NARS foundations (and concealers) is the extensive shade range.  I’m a dead ringer for Stromboli.  And while I wish the name was something much more cutesy or exotic, I am thankful that Stromboli is a shade included in the new compact foundation.

I’ve swatched the cream compact above heavily on the left.  It is blended out on the right and nearly invisible.  Only after close scrutiny can the blended swatch be seen. (Look at the freckle on the lower half of my arm for the line where the foundation begins.)

I do find that Stromboli in Sheer Matte (left) has more yellow tones than in Radiant Cream (right).  When blended out they are much more similar.

The foundation itself comes in a small compact with a sponge (that doesn’t fit inside).  This is sufficient for anyone who doesn’t plan to carry this in a purse.

However, there is a refillable compact available with room for the foundation as well as a breathable compartment for the sponge.

The directions are a bit unclear when it comes to housing the refill in the compact.  The lid of the refill has a label indicating that all four corners need to be pressed down to be sure it is closed completely.  The lid is removable, but it fits into the compact with the foundation so I am leaving mine in place to keep the makeup fresh longer.

And while the sponge is of nice quality and works well, I prefer application with a dense brush and reserving the sponge for touch-ups when I’m not at home.  A light tapping into the product and lots of blending creates a flawless base.  The below photos are the results I experience while using the sponge dry.  It can also be used wet for a sheer coverage.  Something tells me Radiant Cream Foundation will be a Beauty Blender lover’s delight.

Before wearing foundation, my skin needs evening out and I like to cover my undereye circles.  NARS Radiant Cream Foundation does a fantastic job of letting my skin look natural.  As with other radiant foundations, any textural issues will be more apparent after the foundation is applied.

The formula offers lightweight coverage so my undereye circles and some redness around my nose need extra help.  The pores on my inner cheek are more visible after foundation than before.  With a setting powder my pores are no longer visible.

On its own Radiant Cream Foundation lasts 4-5 hours before my T-zone gets too shiny and the makeup fades.  Wearing concealer over this foundation causes creasing so I recommend setting powder or not layering the two.  (To test this I used NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and I can normally wear that without any setting powder.)

I love NARS Radiant Cream Foundation.  The finish is naturally glowing, not dewy, and while not intended to be a long-wear product, creams are my favorite formula to use for touch-ups.

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Price: $38.00 (foundation) / $10.00 (compact)

Availability: NARS, Sephora

Summary: NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation is a versatile product that can be applied wet or dry, has sheer-medium coverage, and works very well for touch-ups.  While on the large side, the compact is sturdy and easy to carry in a purse.  There are twenty shades offered and the radiant finish is ideal for normal to dry skin.  When worn on combination skin it is best paired with a setting powder.

10am Beauty Approved?: Yes

Disclosure: This product was purchased with my own money.

Lately I’ve been rethinking my makeup application and really focusing on skin.  Finding proper foundation and concealer matches  is now an obsession so when brands enter the market in my area, I feel the need to check them out.  I recently won a giveaway on The Style and Beauty Doctor for Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation.  This was about the same time that my local Sephora started carrying Cover FX.  I did a little research and learned that Cover FX carries 28 shades of foundation!  I’m pretty sure you can all guess what I did next… I got in touch with Cover FX and they were kind enough to send product samples that work with my skin tone and type.

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My current skin type and concerns:

• Monthly hormonal cystic breakout
• Balanced skin – not oily and not dry
• Redness around my nose
• Dark genetic undereye circles
• Preference for finishes that aren’t completely matte

Cover FX recommended trying:

• Natural Finish Foundation (provides a dewy finish)
• BB Gel in G Light-Medium and G Medium-Deep (to banish blemishes during hormonal weeks but still provide coverage)
• Blemish Treatment Concealer (extra coverage and spot treatment)
• Illuminating Primer (pre-launch exclusive – provides a radiant, luminous glow when priming skin for foundation)
• Cream Concealer (perfectly creamy and great at concealing undereye circles)
• Illuminating Setting Powder in Light (radiant finish, avoids matte complexions)

Cover FX BB Gel G Light-Medium and G Medium-Deep / Total Cover Cream Foundation G50 /  Natural Finish Foundation G40 / Blemish Treatment Concealer G Light / Creamy Concealer G Light and G Medium

Let’s talk about these shades…

• G is for “golden” and Cover FX also offers N “neutral” and P “pink”
• The numbers increase as shades deepen
• each shade is one step (about 3%) darker

Currently I am a G40 foundation shade (G50 was perfect in fall), G Medium-Deep BB Gel, and G Medium concealer.  The best part is that the G shades actually match my skin undertones.  Some brands offer warm shades that still appear pink next to my green undertones, but I don’t get that from Cover FX!  I have both winter and summer shades that work for my previously hard to match skin.

During the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, Cover FX posted product suggestions on Instagram to achieve that angelic glow.  I gave it a try with Illuminating Primer, Natural Finish Liquid Foundation, and Illuminating Setting Powder in Light.  No airbrushing, no retouching, no filters…my skin looked and felt heavenly!

Stay tuned for more on each of these products, and until then check out Cover FX and tell me which products stand out to you!

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Now that the seasons have turned and the colder months are here, I rarely reach for bronzer and instead opt for contour products and highlighters.  My current most-used face product is Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector.  My foundation, concealer, powder, and highlight items change daily, but for contour I’m loving the soft shadow this taupe cream is offering.

Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector swatched heavily and lightly blended

Lowlight Sculpting Perfector isn’t as ashy as some taupe powders I’ve seen which means it works for olive skin.  No muddy appearance here.  It looks natural as long as I apply where shadows would naturally fall on my face.

before contouring

placement of Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector

after

The difference is subtle enough to be believable, which is exactly what I like in every day makeup.  I use a stiff oblong foundation brush and tap on the product for placement.  Then I ever so gently sweep the brush back and forth lengthwise to blend.  I do find it easy to add more Lowlight Sculpting Perfector to build up the effect and often find it necessary because it is easy to over blend and lose the contour altogether.

wearing Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector

Accentuated cheekbones are happy cheekbones and mine are loving Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector for giving them the lift they crave!

What is your winter contour product?

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The post Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector Review and Swatches appeared first on 10amBeauty.

Cover FX BB Gel

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Those pesky monthly breakouts I get have met their match.  The cruelty free and vegan Cover FX BB Gel is an anti-blemish treatment recently added to my complexion collection that mattifies and offers coverage buildable to medium.

Cover FX BB Gel G Light-Medium and G Medium-Deep

My skin is very close to its lightest shade for the year.  There are three shades of BB Gel available for the G (Golden) range – Light-Medium, Medium-Deep, and Deep.  I’ve been wearing G Medium-Deep because I feel the lighter option makes me look just a bit milky.  You know, not an obvious white-as-a-ghost color, but definitely something that needs a touch of bronzer around the edges to look seamless.  G Medium-Deep, on the other hand, gives me a “healthy glow.”  Darker than I need, but the coverage is light enough that it passes without question or need to blend down my neck.  When blended, Cover FX BB Gel dries one shade lighter than it swatches because of the high water content.

I’m currently sporting a few dark spots and healing marks.  I pick – seriously…it’s like a compulsion – and my olive skin is left with dark spots for about two months.  Under both corners of my mouth I have some older marks from too much Halloween candy and there are fresh marks to the left.  I would likely be mark-free if I hadn’t given in to the urge to pop the blemishes.  This round was smaller than ever, and I contribute most of that to the Cover FX BB Gel because it is the only difference in my skin care.

Cover FX BB Gel in G Medium-Deep to the left

With a small buffing brush, I stipple and lightly blend the BB Gel over my skin.  Then I go back in with a second layer on the areas needing more coverage.  (Where are those marks we saw before??) Hands work just as well, but I’ve been doing the least amount of hand washing lately as mine are dry and uncomfortable right now.

wearing Cover FX BB Gel in G Medium-Deep and Creamy Concealer in G Medium

Because of the 1% Salicylic Acid, I avoid applying BB Gel on my undereyes and only use Cover FX Creamy Concealer there.  I like applying the Cover FX BB Gel over a primer for the longest possible wear, but I have to be careful about using anything too dewey or I notice product breakdown.  It seems the mattifying properties of this one aren’t big fans of being layered over ultra-luminous moisturizer and primer.  I can, however, wear all sorts of radiant powders over the top so I get my glow that route.  A small price to pay for wearing an effective blemish treatment.

wearing Cover FX BB Gel G Medium-Deep and Creamy Concealer G Medium

On top of great skin care, I now have a solid treatment and complexion product rolled in to one to help prevent and treat my regular breakouts.

What face products do you reach for when your skin gets spotty?

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The post Cover FX BB Gel Mattifying Anti-Blemish Treatment Review, Swatches, and Demo appeared first on 10amBeauty.

Happy New Year!  My first resolution for 2015 is to spend more time on my skin.  Skin care, treatments, face products — all of it!  The first and easiest part is sharing with you Cover FX Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation.

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With 24 shades and one of the most versatile coverages I’ve tried, Natural Finish Foundation truly offers a natural finish.  It can be applied with a damp blending sponge for sheer coverage, with long brush strokes for medium coverage, or stippling and buffing motions for full coverage.

Cover FX Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation G40 and G50

I currently own and match shade G40 which is a peachy golden medium, but happened to have a sample of the deeper and more olive G50 on hand for swatching.  While I’d still love to see an O(live) shade range, I’m pretty pleased with both of these.

The Cover FX Liquid Foundation brush is easy to use with Natural Finish Foundation.  Make sure to shake well, dispense a small amount, and start blending.

with and without Cover FX Natural Finish Foundation in G40

On its own, Natural Finish covers a lot!  The hyperpigmentation and most of the dark spots from scarring are covered with foundation alone which makes face products so much faster in the morning.  Best suited for dry and normal skin types, I do occasionally have trouble with Natural Finish Foundation staying put on my nose.  That’s my trouble spot anyway and it’s been particularly finicky over the last couple of weeks, so I opt for a pore minimizing primer to wear with Natural Finish Foundation.

wearing only Cover FX Natural Finish Foundation G40

I hadn’t worn full coverage makeup in some time and was first taken aback at how light my skin looked.  But as the edges of my face are naturally darker and higher coverage cancels out natural depth to the skin, I simply add a gentle contour back to my forehead, temples, and under my cheeks.

Overall I’m impressed.  The finish is ideal, coverage flexible, and shade range superb.

Which Cover FX foundation are you most interested in? 

The post Cover FX Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation Review, Swatches, and Demo appeared first on 10amBeauty.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle Foundation

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Things have gotten crazy around here. My kids have been sick with fevers off and on, my kitchen light completely stopped working just in time for me to cook dinner after the sun went down, I had a huge project at work, and somehow my skin started acting very strangely.  Naturally, I found that the perfect time to test a foundation.

The wonderful people of Rouge Bunny Rouge sent Milk Aquarelle Foundation in Cashew Milk Parfait for me to test.  With sophisticated yet whimsical packaging, Rouge Bunny Rouge is luxury to its core. Milk Aquarelle Foundation has a $52.00USD price tag, which is nothing to scoff at. The weighty glass bottle, smooth trigger pump, and beautiful cylinder box all work into such a hefty price. But more importantly, so does the incomparable formula.

Milk Aquarelle Foundation in Cashew Milk Parfait swatched and blended

First off (and most importantly, duh)….helloooooooooooooooo, olive goodness!!! Can you even see where it’s blended?  Look closely…I’ll wait.

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I know, right? Green undertones to the max, impressed me right from the start. The texture is liquidy (water is the first ingredient), spreads across the skin quickly and requires little to no effort to blend.  Seriously. This stuff blends in right while I brush it on. It makes morning makeup way quick. The coverage is light-to-medium, the finish natural, and the overall look awe inspiring.

before Milk Aquarelle Foundation

wearing Milk Aquarelle in Cashes Milk Parfait on the left

wearing Milk Aquarelle Foundation in Cashew Milk Parfait

Cashew Milk Parfait is too dark for me in winter so it might be worth be trying Almond Milk Parfait. But I just don’t care because it is so amazing! As opposed to some foundations, I don’t mind wearing Milk Aquarelle under my eyes and it does a decent job of covering my circles while still letting my skin breathe and look like skin. Without primer I touch up with powder around the 7-8 hour mark. My skin recently went from balanced to combination, so it is certainly safe for both skin types. Milk Aquarelle Foundation would also work well for dry skin as it contains plenty of hydrating, nourishing, and softening ingredients.

For my olive loves out there, I’m sure you’re all curious how Cashew Milk Parfait compares to our other limited shade matches. Look no further!

NARS Stromboli / RBR Cashew Milk Parfait / Cover FX G50 Cream / Becca Olive / Sonia Kashuk Buff

Cashew Milk Parfait is darker and slightly more green than NARS Stromboli, darker and more green than Cover FX G50 Cream, lighter and slightly less green than Becca Olive, and darker and more green than Sonia Kashuk Perfecting Luminous Buff.

Becca Olive / Rouge Bunny Rouge Cashew Milk Parfait / Becca Nude

The closest matches in color are from Becca. Cashew Milk is lighter than Olive and darker than Nude. Because the RBR undertone is so spot on, I plan to mix it with a lighter foundation or just blend it down my neck until I see the sun again because my skin looks so flawless.

wearing Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle Foundation

I’ve been wanting to try Rouge Bunny Rouge products for ages. Between the packaging, trinkets, and stories (not to mention seasonal promotional looks that blow my mind), RBR had me starry eyed for the last couple of years. I am so pleased with the quality and look forward to sharing more!

What luxury brand have you been wanting to try? What about the brand gets you hook, line, and sinker?

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Availability: Rouge Bunny Rouge products can be found online and at Beauty Habit.

Disclosure: Products in this post were provided by PR for consideration.

The post Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle Foundation in Cashew Milk Parfait Review and Swatches appeared first on 10amBeauty.