New Foundations I Am Trying!
Dear Friends and Readers,
Recently I have decided to play around with some new foundations. My usual battery of foundations have either gotten depleted from too much use, or have gone past their expiration date. So I decided to sample some different brands with different formulations to try and see what I wanted to make an investment in, and below are my thoughts.
The three foundations that I am currently trying are:
Kjaer Weiss Cream Foundation
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40
Vapour Velvet Glow Foundation
Now to be honest - most days I don’t really wear a foundation. Or I substitute a foundation as a concealer. That is really about it. The only time I seem to make myself up is for a zoom call, or to venture out to the market or to walk the dog. So I really don’t see the need to spend a lot of time or money on foundation. But as a human who lives in a perpetual state of hope: hope that the pandemic will end, hope that I will go back to an office where I am seeing people all day, hope that I will go out and be wined and dined once more before I am 60 - I thought I should probably have something in the ready…for those ‘hopeful’ (if elusive at present) moments. And luckily the Detox Market here on the West Coast offers samples (for a small fee) of a number of different green products so someone like me can play and try on a vast array of things, especially now during the pandemic when in store shopping and trying things on is so limited.
So here goes - my dabbles and adventures in makeup:
Kjaer Weiss Cream Foundation……$47.60 This sample that I got, Is similar to the RMS un-cover up concealer/foundation. I have had the RMS for years and though I am a big fan - the RMS seems to pull a little yellow on me, so I thought I would try a sample of the Kjaer Weiss. One positive of the RMS is that it seems to be a bit lighter in texture to the Kjaer Weiss formula. It is also cheaper to the comparable KW foundation. But back to the KW cream foundation, I really like this product - though it is on the thick side, so I use it more as a concealer rather than an overall foundation. I think the color is perfect for me: I use ‘like porcelain’ and the staying power is great. I do mix it with a little moisturizer to get more play from the product. But it really has staying power, and I notice that it is still there hours into the day.
Pros: Staying power, great color, beautiful packaging. Ingredients: Coconut oil, sweet almond seed oil, rosehip oil, and sunflower seed oil to name a few of the good things in this product.
Cons: A lot of reviewers say this is difficult to apply, and can some times sit on the skin. Here is a tip from doing some research online: this product needs to be warmed up prior to use - so warm it with your hands and then apply it with your fingers. Price point is high due partially to the fact that the packaging is gorgeous - fun tip: I get the refill - and I get the product without all the packaging and it’s less money.
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40…….$46.00 If you are on social media at all then you probably have seen a lot of ads for this beautiful product. I fell prey to the power of advertising and went out and took the plunge and bought myself a bottle! At first I wasn’t so sure about my purchase, but after reading reviews and playing around with it - I really love it. What sucked me in? Well it was all those models looking happy, glowy and not ‘made up’ - which is a look that I strive for. I know, I know: advertising. But I also liked that this was both a skin tint (read: very light foundation) along with a serum AND had a pretty high SPF…so…..here goes. If you have fairly good skin, that doesn’t need a heavy foundation, and you are a bit on the dry side - then this could be a game changer for you. I have always liked the idea of a BB Cream or a tinted sun screen , but felt at least for me there wasn’t a lot of variety where the colors were concerned, and again they either seem to pull yellow or pink on the skin. Also part of the beauty of this product is that it imparts a glowing sheen when first applied, - I think that is due to the fact that it is a skin serum, so that dewy, shiny look (that isn’t for everyone) is part of what makes this product unique. Don’t worry, the shine does dry down and it just becomes a nice product that lets your own skin come through. Oh and I love the high SPF in this little bottle!
Pros: An award winning product, Allure Best of Beauty 2020, and Byrdie Ecco Beauty Award Winner 2020 to start with. This product is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid along with plant squalene to help give the appearance of softening fine lines on the face. Also as listed on the website this is: silicone-free, fragrance-free, chemical screen-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic, and safe for sensitive skin. Oh and the bottle is made from a new type of plastic called PET that can be recycled!!
Cons: This can go on with a bit of a whitish cast and you will think - oh no I got the wrong color. But you got the right color - this is just part of how this skin tint works. This can also be very runny, I use a makeup sponge to help in distributing the product evenly all over my face, and it has proven to be the best tool, when using this skin tint. Some people think that this product sits on top of the face - I didn’t find that to be the case, but skin, like people is different. And if you have oily skin some reviewers say that the product can move so you will want to help keep it’s longevity by using it in conjunction with a powder.
Vapour Velvet Glow Foundation…..$48.00 I want to start first by saying I am a long time lover of Vapour. A company based in Taos, founded by two women, one that survived a cancer scare - and that this is a great company! When Vapour first came on the scene they had many, many products, and they were wonderful and fun to play with! And they had a great sample program that for a small fee you could try a number of things in their line, because 1) they were hard to find in brick and mortar stores and 2) seemed to have mostly an online presence. I fell in love with their lipstick colors, foundation sticks, stratus instant skin perfecter and their Aura multi sticks to name a few of the things that I used regularly when beginning my green beauty journey. Then they decided to do a re formulation/re packaging and were off the scene for a bit, and I think unfortunately lost customers to newer products and lines that were out there vying for a spot in the market place. Well now they are back with a much more limited line - and it is still full of beautiful products. I actually wanted a to try a different product by Vapour after I saw an online video with Katey Denno touting their Soft Focus Foundation. But when I went to Credo, I actually fell in love with this Velvet Glow Foundation - a newer product and I am just gaga for and they were kind enough to give me a sample! This product to me is similar to Chanel’s Vitalumier Aqua which I believe has been discontinued but imparted a light, soft, velvet type of finish to the wearer. The Vapour site recommends to use this foundation with a makeup brush.
Pros: Chock full of desert date oil, macadamia oil and jojoba oil to nourish your skin. This is a buildable foundation that you can use more of/ less of, depending on the day and time of year. Because it is more of a matt finish - customers are loving it for zoom calls, because it gives you beautiful, soft, even coverage that doesn’t look garish. Especially good when lighting is bad.
Cons: Some reviewers have said that the find the consistency runny - that wasn’t my impression. This is more of a matt formula, so it is going to be a fuller coverage on your face - not dewey like the Ilia foundation. I still wouldn’t say this is a heavy foundation like M.A.C - but it definitely is buildable and is considered a light to medium coverage.
So those are my thoughts on my newest foundation acquisitions. If you have any thoughts or products you want to share please do so in the comments below. And please most importantly: enjoy Fall where ever you are!