Foundation Nation

As promised, once a month I will be reviewing both my Drugstore beauty picks as well as my pricier purchases.  Good news: everything I write about is tried, true, and believed in.  Bottom line.  I will never endorse a product that I have not been using in my daily routine.  The idea is to save you money and give you the confidence that (hopefully) these products will work for you.

This month's topic is...Foundation.  A scary word for some, a beauty must-have for others.  For me, foundation is something I use to feel a little better in the morning.  It evens out my skin tone, covers my acne/freckles, and ultimately makes me look like I have slept more than 6 hours. I don't use foundation to hide who I am or, or enhance myself.  I use it to look like me, just refreshed, and a better-slept version of myself.

Because foundation is not something I swear by, I have been on a quest to find the best of the best in the following categories: light, natural, and non-irritating. For those of you who don't know, I have the most sensitive skin on the planet. My skin loves the following: allergic reactions. puffiness, swelling, redness, and irritation.  Whenever you mix in a little something it hates, my skin will FREAK out.  For this reason, I have to be extremely careful with all of my makeup and beauty products. And, for this reason, I really do know what I am taking about.  The products I recommend WON'T cause those so called freak outs, and are meant for people with sensitive and irritable skin.

So let's get to business.  Before I reveal my Holy Grail (yes this is what the beauty bloggers call it) of foundation, I have to talk about my first love...Primer.

Primer is the mecca of all good makeup.  No makeup will stay or last all day without it.  Trust me. If you are going to take the time to apply foundation, and blush, and bronzer, use primer.  Otherwise, those minutes you spent are completely wasted.  My thoughts here are, you go into work, school, the hospital, and you look the same when you leave as when you came in.  Yes, you may be tired, worn down, exhausted, but your face won't show it.

My tried and true primers are a combo of the following:
Benefits The Pore Professional & Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer

I use the Pore Professional over my moisturizer to smooth out my skin and create an even canvas.  The Smashbox primer then provides a hydrating layer which will keep your makeup looking fresh throughout the day.  Best news here--Smashbox gets it.  They know that not everyone has the same skin, the same "flaws", and they have a primer built for you.  Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself: www.smashbox.com/its-about-prime/primer-finder.  You may not be meant for the Hydrating Primer, but I guarantee there is one in this line for you.

Now the big reveal...I have been, and will continue to, chat with my friends, co-workers, family, about one beauty product that has become my #1.  Urban Decay's Naked Skin.  The search for my foundation is over.  Light weight, truly a 2nd skin, glowing--yes.  Naked Skin will give you YOUR best skin. I believe in this product so much that I am on bottle number 2 (rare for me).  Naked Skin will even out your skin tone to a place you did not expect.  You look like you, but just better, more well rested, healthier (everything I was looking for, right?).  Even for those who tend to be scared by the F word, this is the perfect transition from a tinted moisturizer or BB cream.  I promise, you will glow.

One thing to note with Naked Skin, you MUST get color matched in store (Sephora, Macy's, Ulta).  Because the foundation is rather pigmented in the bottle, you will not be able to correctly color match from an online swatch.  Head to your local department store and ask for a sample -- trust me, it's worth it.

Here is the swatch of all three products on my arms and blended in.  You can clearly see the difference, but of course if you disagree with me, let me know! I love to hear your opinions and experiences!

Arm swatch of all 3 products before blending (from left to right: Smashbox Hyrdating Primer, Benefit Pore Professional, & Urban Decay Naked Skin, Shade 5.0).

Left- Blended Products; Right- No Products

Prices (from Sephora.com):
Urban Decay Naked Skin, $38
Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer, $42
Benefit's The Pore Professional, $30
Tip: You only need a small amount of each product as a little goes a long way--save your money and apply lightly!

That's all for September...it's been a fun month of showing all of you what our lives are about! Hopefully you have enjoyed & learned just a little more about who we are...the best is yet to come! xoxo.