REVIEW: Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation

Laura Mercier is the brand of my dreams, promising glowy skin and naturally gorgeous looks packaged in sleek, simple tubes. Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck with their products. Their formulas are almost always perfectly fine for me, but their shade ranges? I don't know what it is, but I can never find a passable match in a Laura Mercier formula. When they released the Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation, a product name full of words I love but refuse to keep typing throughout this review, I thought things might be a little different.

 Natural light on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Fair, MAC Face & Body Foundation in C1, Kosas Tinted Face Oil in 02, Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Foundation in 1W1 Ivory.

The Flawless Lumiere foundation is $48 for an ounce of product housed in a simple glass bottle with an easy-to-control pump. As of this writing, there are 30 shades in the range, stretching from fair to decently dark, though it looks like there's quite a jump between the depth 5 and depth 6 shades. I chose the lightest warm shade, 1W1 Ivory. In swatches, it's about NC15 with very strong golden undertones, but I do think it gets a bit darker after application. Even when I self-tanned my neck, this shade was too dark for me.

The formula itself is a thin, relatively fragrance-free liquid that spreads easily with your fingers, a brush, or a sponge. If I had to describe the texture in one word, I'd call it "soft."

Laura Mercier says this product has medium coverage, and some people have taken umbrage with that. I actually think Laura Mercier is right, though you could call it a "light medium" or "natural medium" coverage. As you can see in these before-and-after pictures, my skintone is evened out and most of my flaws are covered or softened, but you can still see my freckles and a bit of the darker surface redness peeking through. This is a very skin-like foundation, and while it isn't outright glowy on my dry skin (what foundation is?), it certainly makes me look healthy and hydrated.

The one issue I had with this foundation? I had an awful time blending my blush over it. I tested all of my cream blush formulas, which normally spread like a dream for me, and they all experienced a bit of "catching." Powdering mitigated the issue a little, but of course, it cut down on the radiant finish. In the end, the best fix for me was to really warm up the blush on my fingertips or the back of my hand, then take my time slowly but surely patting it in to my cheeks. Going over the blush with a damp Beauty Blender also helped.

Here's a macro shot of my makeup completely finished. Looking at my nose, the skin around my brows, the tops of my cheeks...I think this foundation looks just like skin. Really, it's a beautiful texture.

PS: Why do so many brow pencils turn red on me? Is this some weird makeup version of a Midas touch? Send help and ashy pencils, please.

As far as wear goes, the Flawless Lumiere foundation performed pretty well. I noticed some oil breakthrough on my nose after three hours, and a lot of oil and some fading on my nose after 8 hours. The skin on the driest parts of my face--around my mouth and up the sides of my jaw--also looked a little dry at the 8 hour mark, though you had to get really close to my face to see that. I'd call that pretty solid performance, though I'd hesitate to recommend this foundation to truly oily skin. I didn't experience any itching, discomfort, or breakouts from this product; it was comfortable and weightless all day.

Now, in these pictures, I buffed out two pumps of foundation with a Real Techniques buffing brush, then bounced a damp Beauty Blender on top of it, as directed by many-a-YouTuber. However, Laura Mercier suggests using a sponge to apply this product. So I used a damp sponge and my usual "spray your face with moisturizing spray until it's dripping wet" tactic on my next test run, and I got this:

While they're both really lovely finishes, I'd say I prefer this sponge-and-spray look to the brush-and-sponge look. It has an even more natural finish. I also applied this product with my fingers during another test, and while it looked just fine, I really think a damp sponge works best.

And yes, I wore a turtle neck and applied the foundation to the top of my neck. This stuff is way too dark for me, but dammit, it's pretty, and I wanted to wear it to work at least once.

So there you have it: another Laura Mercier foundation that doesn't work for me, personally, but is an overall gorgeous product. If it wasn't such an uphill battle to apply my cream blush on top of it, the Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere What Is With These Long Names Foundation would be a five star product.

RATING: 4 out of 5

I purchased this foundation from Sephora.

REVIEW: Kosås Tinted Face Oil

We're all prone to marketing pushes, and I'm no exception. When Kosås started promoting their products via Instagram ads, and several accounts I follow began posting about the Tinted Face Oil, I started nosing around for reviews and photographs. Despite the hype kicked up by that marketing push, however, there's still relatively few in-depth reviews of the Kosås brand. Wanting to fill that gap, slash, totally suckered in by slick advertising and products that seem right up my alley, I purchased both the Tinted Face Oil and a Weightless Lip Color on Black Friday.

Natural light on top, ring light on bottom. From left to right: Kosås Tinted Face Oil in 02, MAC Face & Body in C1, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Sephora Bright Future Concealer in Fondant.

I purchased the Tinted Face Oil in shade 02, since it's the lightest shade with yellow undertones. As these swatches demonstrate, 02 is roughly NC15 on a MAC scale. It works fine for me when I'm self-tanning my neck, which, frankly, is something I've been doing regularly for the past six months or so because I'm tired of trying to match the single whitest part of my body. Since this is not a full coverage base and it has a skin-like finish, I'd guess it would work for anyone in the NC10 - 20 range. There are only 10 shades in the entire range, but there's a solid gradient, and Tone 10 is quite dark.

The texture of this product is different from just about any other foundation I've tried, and I've tried dozens. My Instagram followers bombarded me with two questions over and over--"How does it compare to the original Glossier Skin Tint?" and "How does it compare to MAC Face & Body?"--and I'm here to tell you that it's kind of like those two products had a super-runny baby. The texture is extremely thin and watery; it starts running down your hand immediately after you squeeze it out of the thin, plastic nozzle. A little goes a long way: a dime sized amount was enough for my entire face, and it has an incredibly powdery, silicone-ish feel to it that makes it slide across the skin in seconds.

Initially, I wanted to call the Tinted Face Oil a light coverage base. However, looking at these photos, I can see why the brand would call it medium coverage. This has the same sort of blurring effect that the original Glossier Skin Tint had, making it look like it provides more coverage than it technically does in photographs. In both real life and photographs, redness and patches of uneven color are evened out; blemishes are softened, but not completely covered; freckles are still visible. The difference is that the tint has a "soft focus" effect in pictures and a "skin like" effect in real life.

You can see the oil settling in to the fine lines around my lips. I took this photo after I'd already patted the product out of these lines three times. By the way, I hope you all appreciate the fact that 30-year-old me is giving you these sexy shots of my fine lines, youth-obsessed culture be damned.

The problem with this blown-out effect, of course, is that it's pretty damn hard to take macro shots. While this looks perfect and natural in pictures, and from about a foot away from my face, get a little closer and you'll see that this clings to dry patches. Even more annoyingly, it doesn't stay put: I had to pull this tint out of my fine lines at least four times, and it would transfer on to my fingers or fabric if I touched it for hours after application.

In terms of wear, the Kosås Tinted Face Oil is "meh," and I say that as somebody with very dry skin. My nose was oily in a few hours, which is no surprise, but you can also see a bit of shine and wear on my forehead and chin at both the 4 hour and 10 hour marks. I also noticed that my skin looked even dryer and flakier after several hours of wear. And each time I wore this product, I would notice new, painful, under-the-skin pimples in odd places at the end of the night, suggesting that something in the formula broke me out. Since it's hard to see in these time lapse photos, here are some super-sexy macro shots:

That picture on the left gives new meaning to "frosted flakes."

When it comes to rating the Tinted Face Oil, there's part of me that wants to give it three stars. I'm thrilled to see the darker shades at the end of the range, the actual texture of this product is beautiful, and it looks fantastic in photographs. But even if I set my personal acne triggers aside, I have to think about how useful this will be to most people. It doesn't stay put, even on dry skin, and it emphasizes both dry and oily patches. I have to admit to myself that I lean toward a 3 out of 5 because I so desperately wanted this to be a new favorite for me. That desire? That's not worth an extra star.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Kosås products are available on their website.

REVIEW: Surratt Surreal Skin Foundation Wand

I've lusted after the Surratt Surreal Skin Foundation Wand for over a year now, but I couldn't bring myself to pay $130 per ounce for a foundation. Then Sephora put most of their Surratt products on sale, including this foundation, and I decided that I could stomach $32.50 to test a half ounce of Japanese-aesthetics-inspired luxury. That sale was only temporary, of course, so the question remains: is this product worth that $65-per-wand price tag?

The Surratt Surreal Skin Foundation Wand is described as a "medium-to-full coverage and long-wearing" foundation that "instantly melts into skin." It comes in a plastic tube that looks solid black on the website, but actually has this elegant bluish-green, sparkly gradient color at the top. You press a button at the end of the tube to dispense product through the attached brush. Makeup artist and brand founder Troy Surratt has claimed that he wanted the Surreal Skin Wand to be your primer, foundation, and tool in one package.

 Natural light on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Surratt Surreal Skin Foundation Wand in Surreal Skin 1, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Sephora Bright Future Concealer in 03 Fondant.

The shade I purchased is the lightest in the range, Surreal Skin 1. It's described as being pale with beige undertones. I actually think it has a bit of the cool yellow undertones I go for, though it's not as pale as the NARS concealer or as yellow as the Sephora concealer. Overall, I'd say this is an NC/NW10-15 foundation that can be used by people with neutral or moderately yellow undertones. I don't know if this shade will be pink enough for people with strong pink undertones.

So how does the foundation and the applicator work? I have to be honest: I didn't expect it to work at all. I've always been leery of products packaged like this because I'm fussy about the cleanliness of my tools. (I've been cleaning the brush with Dr. Bronner's soap every couple of uses.) I also didn't think it would work very well, since, in the video I just linked, Troy Surratt applies the foundation and blends it out with the attached brush, then goes in with a Beauty Blender.

"Sure, Troy," I said snidely. "This is the only tool I need, asterisk, and a Beauty Blender." I'm happy to report that the foundation always comes up through the center of the brush after a few clicks, and it's easy to manage how much you get, but swiping the brush on my face for my first test run didn't fill me with hope. The brush isn't the absolute softest tool out there, and the foundation felt a little stiff.

When I started buffing the foundation in to my skin, however, I realized that the brush actually works just fine. In fact, I was able to cover my entire face in a thin layer of foundation in about two minutes. Okay, Troy, I stand corrected. I'll put my Beauty Blender and my shitty comments away.

Now, I'm not usually happy about having a cystic pimple on my face, but looking at these before-and-after photos, I'm glad this zit came to visit. Surratt claims that this foundation is "medium to full coverage," and I can't fathom why. This is definitely a light coverage foundation: you can see that it covered up my discoloration and gave my skin a more even look, but it barely softened the angry red zit on my chin. In my experience, a medium coverage foundation will cover a zit at least partially, and a full coverage foundation will work about as well as any concealer. That's not what's happening here.

In terms of finish, the Surreal Skin Foundation looks like skin. It does cling slightly to dry patches, though this softens up a bit throughout the day; as promised, it sort of "melts in." Also, it's worth mentioning that my skin was at its absolute driest when I took these photos. Buffed over less parched skin or a moisturizer, you'd have to get right up against me to see any dryness or clinging.

The picture on the left is 15 minutes after application, and the picture on the right shows 6 hours of wear. (I didn't take a later picture because it looked roughly the same at the 9 hour mark.) The foundation stays skin-like and beautifying, but it does start to fade a little from my nose, the one oily part of my face. However, you can reapply the foundation without making it look cakey or dry, which I tested one day: I threw the wand in my bag and buffed it back over my nose during my lunch break. Lastly, this foundation was comfortable all day and did not make me itch or break out.

On the whole, I really enjoy this foundation. I think it will be a better fit for me in the summer, when my skin and the air around me are less dry, simply because this isn't as dewy as what I normally reach for and it can emphasize my dry patches a little. It's not the sort of product I'd recommend to very oily skin, either, given how it performed on my nose. That doesn't change the fact that people looking for easy-to-apply light coverage with a skin-like finish will really enjoy Surreal Skin. Is every ounce worth three full days of my teaching salary, though? Eh...I'm on the fence about that one. I can see myself using this up, but unless it becomes my go-to in the warmer months, I'm not sure I'll repurchase.

RATING: 4 out of 5

You can purchase Surratt products at Sephora.

REVIEW: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

Few things make you feel better about your spending habits and your "makeup rehab" progress than buying just two items and spending under $60 at a Sephora sale. While very few products tickled my fancy, I was definitely looking forward to testing out the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. Admittedly, I haven't had much luck with NARS formulas, but I've heard nothing but raves for this sheer foundation.

The NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer will run you $45 for 1.9oz. Yes, that's bigger than the standard 1oz tube, but you'll want to use almost 1/4 teaspoon of this product to get the listed SPF30 and some coverage, so you'll go through it faster. I've always been a fan of NARS's simple, sleek packaging, and this black squeeze tube is no different.

Natural light on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation in Tickle the Ivory, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Finland, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly, Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer in 03 Fondant.

I went for the lightest shade in the range, Finland, which is listed as the palest shade with yellow undertones. I think the undertones look a bit peachy, and it's closer to NC15 than my usual base product choices, but it was workable for me. I'm more disappointed by the darker end of the range: there are only a couple of deep shades, and the gaps between them are pretty big. Given the shade ranges on their more recent launches, I know NARS can do better.

This is a tinted moisturizer, so I didn't expect much coverage. However, this product definitely gave me a more even, healthy-looking complexion, and he also concealed the pink post-inflammatory pigmentation I had on my cheeks. It generally looked smooth and natural on my skin, but it clung a little to the dryer parts of my face, especially my chin and the lower half of my cheeks.

The NARS tinted moisturizer also has a strong perfume-y scent that I could smell as I applied it. I didn't notice it throughout the day, but it was potent enough to make me go "ugh" while I rubbed it in.

Despite the strong fragrance and the bit of clinging, I really liked how this tinted moisturizer made my skin look shortly after application. It photographs beautifully, especially on a cell phone, and it looks incredibly natural. I definitely noticed the shine appearing on my nose around the 3 hour mark, but it still looked good. Then we get to the 8 hour photo, and wow, when is the last time you ever saw my face look that shiny?! (There's a secret part of me that wants to love the shine, since my skin is so dry that it only looks that shiny after I've applied moisturizer, but the logical side of me knows it's not a good look.) Besides the shine, you can also see that the tinted moisturizer has worn off of my nose completely.

I may have kept this tinted moisturizer for work days and just used a powder or a primer on my nose, but there's another problem: this irritated my skin. Every time I put it on, I would develop a new pimple or an angry hive within an hour. The ingredients list looks relatively benign, so if I had to blame anything for this, I'd blame the fragrance.

So I guess I can amend the introduction to this post: I'll be returning this tinted moisturizer and will therefore have purchased just one item from the recent Sephora sale. Hey, you gotta take your wins where you can get 'em.

RATING: 3 out of 5

I buy my NARS products from Sephora.

New Assortment of Light and Dark Swatches

Between orders I've placed on Sephora and Nordstrom and a swap-for-samples with a generous Redditor, I've gathered enough foundation and concealer cards to do another slew of swatches! I tried to pick cards that came with both a light and dark shade; samples that only included medium shades, like the NARS and Bare Minerals ones, were not used for this post. As always, if any company would like to send a sample of their lightest and darkest base product shades for me to swatch, please contact me via the email on the side bar. This is especially relevant for dark shades--for whatever reason, companies never include anything near the darkest shade in the range on their sample cards.

These swatches were photographed in three lighting situations: natural light on the left, ring light in the middle, fill flash on the right. Please remember that these are being swatched on the inside of my arm, which is very light and leans cool yellow (NC5-ish). Hence, some undertones or shades may appear quite stark. My hope is that you'll be able to compare the shades to each other to figure out if you have a match. Also, I apologize about the disparity in swatch thickness; almost all of these came from free sample cards, and some of them give you almost no product to test.

From top to bottom:

•  Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation in 1.0.  This is the lightest warm shade in the range.
• Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer in 1N. This is the lightest neutral shade in the range.
• CoverFX Natural Finish Foundation in N20. The CoverFX range includes neutral (N), warm (G), and cool (P) undertones; there are two neutral shades lighter than this, and there are equivalent cool and warm shades.
• Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation in Sand. There are five shades before this.
• Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y225. There are two warm shades lighter than this and several lighter shades with different undertones.
• Fenty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 150. There are five shades before this.
• Marc Jacobs Shameless Youthful-Looking 24H Foundation in Light Y210. There are three shades lighter than this.
• Lancome Skin Feels Good Skin Nourishing Foundation in 01N Nude Vanilla. This is the lightest neutral shade; 01N and 010C are currently the lightest shades in the range, but they have different undertones.
• NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia. This is the lightest yellow shade in the range.

From top to bottom:

• Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation in 8.0. There are six shades after this.
• Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer in 4N. There are three shades darker than this in the range.
• CoverFX Natural Finish Foundation in N100. The CoverFX range includes neutral (N), warm (G), and cool (P) undertones; there are two neutral shades darker than this, and there are equivalent cool and warm shades. The darkest shade in the range is cool (P125).
• Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation in Espresso. This and Cool Espresso appear to be of similar depth, but with different undertones; they are the darkest shades in the range.
• Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y505. There is one warm shade darker than this; most of the darker shades in this range have red undertones.
• Fenty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 420. There are seven shades after this.
• Marc Jacobs Shameless Youthful-Looking 24H Foundation in Tan 420. This is actually in the middle of the range; there are other "Tan" shades and five "Deep" shades.
• Lancome Skin Feels Good Skin Nourishing Foundation in 12W Sunny Amber. This is the darkest warm shade and currently the second darkest shade in the range. There is a big jump between this shade (12W) and the darkest shade (16C), which suggests that the range will be expanded in the future.

REVIEW: Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint

I bought the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint a couple of months ago with the expectation that summer would be on its way. Well, we're almost finished with April and it's not even 50° Farenheit outside, so this ended up being a bit premature; it's still cool enough for me to wear a regular foundation without feeling like I'm sweating under it, and I'm not outside enough to warrant daily sunscreen use. Yet I've worn this tinted sunscreen quite a bit in April because I like it despite its foibles.

What foibles, you ask? Well, there are several, but the most egregious is the packaging. Philosophy dumps their Skin Tint in a jar with a plastic cover, and while that jar might fit with their brand aesthetic, it's a giant mess. A lot of the product sticks to that lid and seeps around the edges; opening and closing it always leads to Skin Tint smeared on your fingers, no matter how careful you are. You could get rid of that little plastic cover once you've scraped all of the product off of it, but I wouldn't recommend it, because then you'll have an even bigger mess--you can see the product that's gotten on the lid even though I've used the cover.

At this price point ($39 for 1oz), I think a tube would be easier to control and still reasonably attractive. Be kind to us, Philosophy; most of us still own at least one white shirt or beige bag we'd like to keep stain-free.

Natural light on top, fill flash in the middle, ring light on the bottom. From left to right: Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint in 2.5 Ivory, Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation in 110 Porcelain, Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation in Tickle the Ivory, The Ordinary Serum Foundation in 1.0N.

The shade range is another puzzler. On the Sephora website, 2.5 Ivory looks to be the lightest shade; the little color square is quite light and yellow, and of course, it's the lowest number. I was damn shocked when I opened the jar, though, because the product looks much darker and more beige. It's lighter on the skin, but it still is darker than the online swatches suggest, and it has a peachier undertone than what I'm used to seeing. I'd peg it at a MAC NC/NW15 at the lightest.

Also, while the color squares make 2.5 Ivory and 3.5 Sand look very different in terms of depth, the swatch pictures make 3.5 look lighter. Let me demonstrate:

To be clear, I swatched 3.5 Sand in a Sephora in JC Penny's, and it could be darker than 2.5 Ivory. But I honestly couldn't tell in the store lighting, and these swatches on the Sephora website just add to my confusion. What gives, Philosophy? Am I using the right shade? Why are the shades on the website so different from what's in the pot? And while I'm asking questions, what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? (Oh, God, I really am 30 now, aren't I?)

On the bright side, the shades range from light to dark. They could definitely use more variety in their undertones, though, especially since this isn't quite as sheer and shade flexible as you might think. This also oxidizes, getting about a half shade darker roughly 15-20 minutes after initial application.

Despite the fact that the Philosophy Skin Tint is much darker than what I normally go for, I've been able to wear it because I've started self tanning my neck and I'm using less product now. When I first tested this tint (above left), I used a bit more than ¼ teaspoon, which made it look a heavier and dryer than it should, and it also made my un-tanned neck seem even lighter by comparison. These past two weeks (above right), I used a little less, and combined with the self tanning I've done on my neck, I got a pretty good match.

Now, it is generally recommended that you use ¼ teaspoon of sunscreen or a "nickle-size dollop" on your face. As my dermatologist pointed out, however, one size does not fit all; people have different face shapes and sizes, some formulas are easier to spread evenly than others, etc. As somebody with a relatively small face who keeps a ¼ teaspoon on her desk just to measure product amounts, I think that the slightly-less-than-a-fourth-teaspoon, closer-to-a-penny-size of product I apply is fine for me if I wear a hat and only get incidental exposure. You might apply more because you have a larger face or want more coverage, or you might apply even less for a barely-there finish. Just keep in mind that you may not be getting complete sun protection.

Philosophy calls this a "whipped water-gel makeup and skincare hybrid," and I think that's a fair assessment. While it looks like it will be quite rich and thick in the jar, it actually has a bit of a "fluffy," airy texture, and it feels smooth and weightless on the skin. It's very easy to blend with both fingers and a Beauty Blender; a brush gave me some streaking. Again, I have found that a penny size amount works best on my skin; it gives me a smooth, even application with light coverage that doesn't cling to dry patches or majorly emphasize fine lines. You can build this to a light-medium sort of coverage, but if you have dry skin, more product will mean more clinging.

One of the best things about this tinted sunscreen is that it also works well on dehydrated skin. I did look a bit dryer and more matte on the most dehydrated parts of my face at the end of the day, but it wasn't my usual "shriveled prune, dusty cabinet" sort of look. Because it's not mattifying, though, I'd hesitate to recommend it to truly oily skin. Combination skinned folks will definitely want to use a mattifying primer or some powder on their oily spots to cut back on shine.

From left to right: 15 minutes after application, 3 hours of wear, 7 hours of wear. The day went from cloudy to sunny in between pictures 1 and 2, hence those differences in lighting; picture 3 was taken at night with no natural light.

I found this tint comfortable for a full day's wear. It was totally weightless and never itched or burned. I definitely got shinier on the oily parts of my face, namely my nose, but the product didn't really break up or get patchy. (I am wearing powder in my t-zone in the above photos, but I found the wear to be roughly the same with or without powder.)

It photographs well in natural light and in artificial or studio lighting, but it does turn a little white in flash photography. I will gladly wear it to my friends' upcoming daytime summer wedding, but I certainly won't wear it for a night on the town. It also seems to have a sort of "skin blurring" effect, probably because there's a decent amount of silicone in the formula.

The verdict: I love the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint way more than I expected. I can see it becoming my go-to summer base, thanks to its lightweight texture, ease of application, and SPF protection. But no product with packaging this shitty can earn 5 stars from me. Work on that container and the shade range, Philosophy, and then we'll re-assess your value.

RATING: 4 out of 5

I purchase Philosophy products from Sephora.

REVIEW: Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation

I remember when the original Make Up For Ever HD liquid foundation launched. High definition was becoming THE standard in television and photography, and people had to figure out new ways to put on their makeup without looking made up on camera. MUFE HD foundation promised to give you that perfected-but-not-Photoshopped look. I bought it in what was then the lightest yellow shade, 115, and found that it was too dark for me, great in pictures but makeup-y in person, and overall just not to my tastes.

I also remember when Make Up For Ever reformulated a lot of their base products. The switch from their admittedly gorgeous, but smelly Face and Body foundation to the sheerer, still stinky Water Blend prompted a lot of hurt feelings on the net. However, the reformulated HD liquid foundation received a more mixed review, with some raving that it was far superior to the original formula and others grousing that they didn't like the new version. I waffled on buying this for years before getting a Sephora gift card via Ebates (note: referral link) that would cover the cost.

Natural light on top, ring light in the middle, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y205, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in Sx01, NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia, Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Fair, The Ordinary Coverage Foundation in 1.0N.

The reformulated MUFE HD liquid foundation is roughly equivalent to the previous formula in terms of price and packaging: you're paying $43 for just over an ounce of product in a clear, plastic bottle with a pump. The pump is easy to control and dispenses just a little product at a time, so don't be freaked about their "two pumps" recommendation--it's not as much foundation as you might think. The biggest change in the formula, in my opinion, is the shade range; there is now a yellow shade light enough for me (Y205 Alabaster), and there are multiple very deep shades.

Actually, I think Y205 might be a bit too light for me, since it seems to match my super pale neck and that's more fair than I normally like to go, but you can be the judge of that. I did not notice any oxidation.

The formula itself feels thinner than the original Ultra HD, almost like it has a bit of air fluffed in to it. The smell is not especially strong to me after application.

Applying this foundation with a brush gave me a true medium coverage, but it was much drier feeling and looking than I want. In fact, it felt a bit uncomfortable on my dry, dehydrated skin applied straight to the face that way. So from then on, I applied it with a damp Beauty Blender over a rich moisturizer (usually Belif Moisturizing Bomb). This gave me slightly lighter coverage, but only slightly; I'd still call that "after" picture medium coverage.

The good news is that, like its predecessor, this formula looks beautiful in photographs. It gives me skin a downright soft focus look in both cell phone selfies and HD pictures. The bad news is that it doesn't look quite that good in real life. It's dry and makeup-y without being patchy, flaky, or heavy-looking; the best way I can describe it is "chalky." Get within three feet of me wearing this product, and you'll think I've dusted my face with a flour. I actually felt uncomfortable in public when I wore this foundation to the grocery store because I knew it looked so odd.

 Me wearing MUFE Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation.

I also had a Hell of a time getting it to apply to my nose. Unfortunately, the HD-ness of this foundation made it almost impossible to photograph these foibles, but if you zoom in on the above "after" picture, it should be a bit more clear. (Not the salty Demi Lovato gif, the actual photos of my face.)

So it's not as "unnoticeable" as MUFE claims. It is, however, weightless when applied with a Beauty Blender. I felt like I had nothing on my skin when I wore this.

Note: I did blot with a blotting sheet after taking the 3 hour photo.

Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation was "meh" on me in terms of wear as well. Again, it looked gorgeous in pictures, but it got drier and more chalky on most of my face and faded off of my nose throughout the day. It didn't control the oil on my nose, either, which makes me think it's not a good option for truly oily skin.

I was hoping I'd like this reformulated product better than the original. Unfortunately, my feelings are roughly the same: it's great in photographs and weird looking in any other scenario. Granted, "chalky" is a different look from the original formula's "heavy," but it's still unattractive. What a bummer. Maybe I'll give Water Blend a second chance, but really, the smart thing to do might be to give MUFE a wide berth. I think it's an overall lovely brand that just doesn't suit my skin or my needs.

RATING: 3 out of 5

I purchased this product from Sephora.

Another Slew of Light and Dark Swatches

I've gathered samples for the past few months and am now tentatively ready for a new slew of swatches. I say "tentatively" because it's damn near impossible to get truly dark foundation samples on sample cards. Most brands just use their "darkest-of-the-middle" shade. I'll repeat what I said on Instagram stories here: if any brand wants to send me 1-2 use samples of their lightest and darkest foundation and/or concealer shades (no full size products or payment needed), I'll gladly take them for my next swatch post.

I thought I'd try this in three lighting situations this time, so let me know what you think about that! The left photo is in direct sunlight, the middle photo is in indirect sunlight, the right photo is with flash. Please remember that these are being swatched on the inside of my arm, which is very light and leans cool yellow (NC5-ish). Hence, some undertones or shades may appear quite stark. My hope is that you'll be able to compare the shades to each other to figure out if you have a match. Also, I apologize about the disparity in swatch thickness; almost all of these came from free sample cards, and some of them give you almost no product to test.

From top to bottom:

• Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Aquacealer Concealer in Light. This is the third lightest shade in the range.
• Tarte Double Duty Shape Tape Concealer in Light. There are three shades lighter than this in the range.
• Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Creme in Light 3. This is the third lightest shade in the range.
• The Ordinary Coverage Foundation in 1.0N. This is the lightest shade in the range; there is currently a 1.0P shade that is equally light, but with a pink undertone.
• Becca Ultimate Coverage Foundation in Porcelain. This is the lightest shade in the range.
• Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Foundation in 1N2 Vanille. This is the second lightest neutral shade in the range.
• Josie Maran Vibrancy Argan Foundation Fluid in RG5 Dynamic. This is the lightest shade in the range.
• Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint in Ivory. There are two shades lighter than this in the range.
• Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in Sx01. This is the lightest shade in the range; Sx02 is a very similar depth, just a hair darker and more pink.

From top to bottom:

• Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Aquacealer Concealer in Deep. This is the second darkest shade in the range.
• Tarte Double Duty Shape Tape Concealer in Tan. There are three shades darker than this in the range.
• Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint in Tan. This is the second darkest foundation in the range.
• Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Dark Golden. There are three shades darker than this in the range.
• Becca Ultimate Coverage Foundation in Maple. There are five shades darker than this in the range.
• Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Foundation in 5N1 Pecan. This is the second darkest neutral shade in the range.
• Josie Maran Vibrancy Argan Foundation Fluid in RG80 Magical. This is the second darkest shade in the range.

REVIEW: Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer SPF15

Every time I fall a little in love with a base product, it betrays me. In this instance, the Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer SPF15 made for a great slap-it-on-and-go, invisible-to-the-naked-eye foundation that worked well on my uber dry skin and passed my mother's very critical judgment. Unfortunately, something in this tinted moisturizer breaks me out a little if I wear it more than one day in a row, and that's not something I'm willing to tolerate in a product that goes all over my face. So I'll be returning it whilst whining about my first world problems. Still, I'd like to review it for people who don't have the same ingredient sensitivities.

The Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer retails for $46 per 1.7oz tube. While you're getting more than the standard foundation here, the creamier, more moisturizer-like texture means you'll require a bit more product for each application. It's packaged in an opaque squeeze tube with a nozzle that's relatively easy to control. I also like that the cap is easy to twist on and off, but still stays on; that should make this a little easier to open if your dexterity is limited.

Natural light on top, flash on the bottom. From left to right: Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth in 110 Porcelain, Buxom Show Some Skin in Tickle the Ivory, Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain Tint, NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia, The Ordinary Coverage Foundation in 1.0N.

There are 8 shades in the range, and while it goes from very light to decently dark, I feel that there's a big jump between Deep Tint and Rich Tint--I'd love something in between there. There is some flexibility in the range because the coverage is sheer.

I purchased the lightest shade, Porcelain Tint. I think it reads a tad pinker in these photos than it is in real life, but it certainly has a neutral-pink undertone. People in the NC/NW 10-15 range should have no trouble using this shade. If you're closer to NC/NW20, or you're an NC15 with very strong yellow undertones, you may want to bump up to Extra Light Tint.

I was having a very good skin day in the above before-and-after photos, though I had some redness, particularly between my brows. (That's life with chronic hives.) While this tinted moisturizer doesn't fully cover those issues, it does give the skin an overall smoother appearance. I also love how moisturized and healthy it makes my face look.

Advertised for "normal to dry skin," I definitely think this is a product that will work best for people on the dryer end of the spectrum, or normal/combination skinned people who like a dewier finish and are willing to powder where necessary. If you like a decent amount of coverage, a more matte finish, or foundations that control oil, you'll want to take a pass on this one.

The texture definitely marks this as a dry skinned person's product, since it's very rich and creamy without feeling heavy on the skin. (I was going to call it "unctuous," since I'm trying to bring that word back in a positive way, buuuuuut I don't think we're there yet.) Unfortunately, like most Bobbi Brown products, this formula is also loaded with fragrance; this one reminds me of a barber shop cologne, and it takes a few minutes to fade. Zero stars, would not recommend that smell. Stop putting fragrance in your bases, Bobbi Brown, because they are super gross.

After testing this tinted moisturizer on its own a few times, I decided it would be best to wear it as shown above and in the header: with a bit of powder on my nose and my eyes, the only oily-ish parts of my face. As you can see, I still got a bit shiny on my nose; I powdered right after that 3 hour photo. It definitely fades a little on my oilier spots, and it looks a tad dry by the end of the day. That said, it's much less Sahara Desert-y after 6+ hours on my skin than most foundations, and it's only noticeable if you're super close to my face.

While this tinted moisturizer didn't work out for me in the long run, I'd have no qualms recommending it to most other dry-skinned people, provided they aren't acne-prone and the ingredients list checks out for them. Just be forewarned that this stuff reeks, reeks, reeks right out of the tube.

RATING: 4 out of 5

I purchase my Bobbi Brown products at Nordstrom.

REVIEW: Maybelline Dream Cushion Foundation

I stopped wearing a full face of makeup to class for a very specific reason: one day, when I was teaching with my usual assortment of gesticulations and hyper-active movements, I managed to swipe the sleeve of my white blouse right across my fuchsia lipstick. I didn't have time to run to the bathroom and fix the problem, so I finished class with my lipstick applied a la The Joker and a ruined shirt. After that, I decided to go to campus bare faced or barely-made-up.

But I started a second job this month, and since wildly waving your arms around medical equipment is generally frowned up, I figured it'd be a safer place to wear makeup. I'll still be waking up at 6:30am, so I wanted to try some products that promised fast and easy application. A friend recommended the Maybelline Dream Cushion Foundation, a western take on Korean cushion foundations. (Sidenote: I know that Korean cushions are often similarly priced and come in cuter packaging, but every one I considered contained one of my DO NOT TOUCH ingredients or didn't have a shade match for me.)

I bought the Maybelline Dream Cushion in the lightest shade, 10 Porcelain, for $12; prices may vary in your area. Like most cushion foundations, this product comes in a plastic compact with a puff for application and an inner lid to keep the foundation drying out. It's decently sturdy packaging and, as promised, mess-free. The only issue is that the puffs are very hard to clean; I know some people just buy replacements on the regular.

There's 0.5 ounces of foundation in this product versus the standard full ounce for liquid foundations. You might want to write that off because it doesn't seem like a traditional liquid foundation, but...that's actually exactly what it is. You've just got a sponge on top of the liquid foundation to alter the application. That said, you're expected to pay a bit more per ounce for the convenience and travel-friendliness.

Flash on top, natural light on the bottom. From left to right: Maybelline Dream Cushion Foundation in 10 Porcelain, Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Pen in Ivory, NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Siberia, MAC Full Coverage foundation in W10.

Porcelain seemed to be the lightest shade, but when I swatch it, it actually looks relatively neutral to me. It's certainly darker and less yellow than my go-to shade match NARS Siberia. I'd peg this one at roughly N15 on a MAC scale. I wish Porcelain was closer in color to the Maybelline Dream Lumi concealer in Ivory, but eh, it's doable.

As a whole, I'd say the shade range is pretty "meh." There are plenty of light and medium shades, but the deeper end of the range disappoints me. It's especially unfortunate when you consider how broad Maybelline's Fit Me range is.

I'd been told that the Maybelline Dream Cushion gave "next to no coverage," but that's not how it worked for me. In the before-and-after photos above, I dabbed the provided sponge on to the cushion, then pressed the product in to my face using quick patting motions. I'd consider this a relatively solid medium coverage: my skin tone is completely evened out, and my blemishes and redness are covered. At the very least, it's on par with my Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation.

On the other hand, applying with the sponge seemed to make the foundation a bit thicker than I wanted. It didn't look bad, per se, but it kept sliding in to and emphasizing the fine lines on my forehead and around my mouth. It could also look a bit makeup-y. So the next time I tested the foundation, I tapped a buffing brush in to the cushion, then buffed it in to my skin. This prevented the settling in to fine lines. However, it also gave me lighter coverage, streaked a bit, and still looked a little makeup-y and fake up close. Obviously, most people aren't going to get that close to me, but I noticed things like this creasing above my lip:

And that bothered me.

Another issue I experienced in person: oxidization. You can't notice it in photos like these, where I've applied the foundation less than an hour ago and it's photographing beautifully, but this foundation definitely went orange on me. Halfway through the day, I was practically a kumquat. A glowy kumquat, but a kumquat, nonetheless. While it's relatively rare for a foundation to oxidize like that on me, I noticed a decent number of "this got really dark on my face" comments in other reviews.

In terms of staying power, I got some shine throughout the day on several parts of my face, and there was no product on my oily nose by the 6 hour mark. That's an average performance from a satin-finish foundation, but if you're oily skinned, you'll definitely want to take a pass on this one. I also had some trouble with this foundation transferring throughout the day, though only if a decent amount of pressure was involved. The nosepads of my glasses and the inside of my hoodie, for instance, had tiny swipes of foundation on them, but my cellphone and my cat were fine.

Overall, the Maybelline Dream Cushion foundation didn't live up to my expectations. It photographs well, no doubt, but the oxidization is a deal breaker for me. More importantly, this is not as fuss-free to apply as a cushion should be. Add the mediocre shade range in to the mix, and I'll take Maybelline's Fit Me Foundation over this lackluster cushion any day.

RATING: 3 out of 5.

You can purchase Maybelline products at Ulta.