Recently in Foundation Category

The weather has recently turned muggy and every time I leave the house I feel like my face is melting off.  This is why in the summer months I like to switch to a lightweight powder foundation; it's easier to touch up and doesn't feel like I'm clogging my pores.  La Mer just came out with an amazingly lightweight powder foundation-- I got it last week and am in love with it!  You can control the coverage depending on how much you apply it and of course being La Mer it also includes skin treatment benefits along with SPF protection.  I love the way the texture of this powder; super soft and fine, and it feels like nothing on the skin no matter how often I re-apply!  

A signature Radiant Ferment (no idea what that is but sounds like yogurt) continuously improves clarity and brightness to illuminate the skin. I was told there are airspun seaborne particles in it (again, no idea but am picturing foam bubbles from the ocean waves) - some of the lightest materials on earth - and that's what makes the flawless finish last all day no matter how much I sweat.  I slapped some of this on before running to my kickboxing session the other day and it held up really well.  I was even able to reapply afterwards without it gunking up.    

The Treatment Powder Foundation SPF 15 is $95 and available now at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and www.lamer.com

Want perfect looking skin without spending a fortune? Maybelline's Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish is damn near perfect! I never would have even given this a thought had I not seen it on my friend Melinda. She had just arrived home from Florida and I thought her glow was due to the fresh ocean air and being outdoors but she informed me it rained the entire trip and she didn't get to spend much time in the sun. I asked her why she was glowing and she gleefully told me "it's the new Maybelline foundation! I bought it because the model in the ad looked so good" (note to advertisers, your expensive models are paying off!). Now my friend is a very advanced Beauty Snob-- she is a hard core beauty junkie (her monthly Neiman bill can attest to this) and she does not hesitate to spend thousands of dollars on a jar of cream if she likes it. So I was shocked to hear she bought a bottle of $9 foundation and even more shocked to find out that she uses it more often than her $150 bottle of cream foundation!

Of course I had to investigate even though I had my doubts and fear (will the cheap foundation make me break out? will the color match? and how will I know what color to choose since there are no samples?). I ended up buying Nude beige in 3.5-- it looked most neutral in the bottle. I went home and washed my face and applied without much expectation.  The minute I pumped the first drop, however, I knew this was good stuff.  The consistency is smooth and lightweight (I didn't even need to blend with moisturizer!) and it left the most amazing velvety texture. I am not saying I'll replace my Chanel, Chantecaille or Cle de peau cream foundations but let me just say this is one heck of a foundation for the price point! I even used it on my photo shoot in LA last week. Jump to see photo--

Buy Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish here, $8.75 at Beauty.com.

Everyone wants flawless skin, right? But sometimes putting on too much make up in an attempt to achieve flawlessness leaves you looking cakey and overdone. I always use foundation to make my skin even and looking like porcelain (or so I believe) but it is hard to strike that perfect balance between getting enough coverage and looking perfectly natural. I have a closet full of foundation that I've tried, some are great, some have failed but nothing compares to the new Freeze 24/7 Mineral makeup system! A very light coverage completely transforms my skin to looking like porcelain - I no longer need to deceive myself, I actually have perfect milky skin. And even better is the bronzer that gives the most natural hint of sun. It has just a touch of highlighting shine to pick up the light but it is not at all sparkly, and it doesn't actually make you darker and tanned, it just gives you healthy color. There is also a blush to add rosiness to the cheeks. The system comes with 2 makeup shades to blend for a customized tone, a bronzer and the blush. The lighter of the makeup shades can be used to highlight under the eyes, brows, nose and chin. I am so in love with this and wake up in anticipation of putting on make up! The mineral has anti-aging qualities and it has SFP 18 so you are literally covered on all fronts! It comes with brushes so it is convenient and easy on top of achieving the natural beauty that you were meant to have! Freeze 24/7 Mineral Make Up, $85, comes in fair, medium and tan.

Clé de Peau has been on my radar since I first tried the iconic "La Creme" years ago. I had never tried its color collection, however, until the Beauty Event last week at Neiman Marcus North Park.  I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Clé de Peau National Make Up consultant Kyriaki Savrani that day and she helped me pick out make up colors (is there anything more fun than playing with make up all day?). A native of Greece, make up artist Kyriaki Savrani's resume extends across all corridors of the beauty industry. The sophisticated beauty got her start in 1992 while attending art school in Paris and assisting Stephen Marais. Since then Kyriaki has built an extensive list celebrity clientele (Nicole Kidman, Naomi Campbell, Anne Hathaway, Audrey Tautou and many others) and work with designers such as Chanel, Valentino, Dior and Karl Lagerfeld.  Yet no matter how "haute" the couture, Kyriaki brings her own unique perspective to her craft. 

During our interview, I learned a lot about the brand and its devoted followers.  Kate Moss apparently swipes a tube of the uber popular Extra Silky lipstick-$50 everytime they do her make up.  I wonder if I can get away with same at the counter?  I'm all about new shade 118 (Lily of the Nile)-- it's a soft pinkish beige that looks really natural!  Plus the formula has a shine to it so you don't need lip gloss.  Kyriaki declared that the era of heavy gooey gloss that bubble when you talk is over!  A hint of shine is much more sexy though she is all about the matte lipstick (in red no less!)


Another exciting newly formulated product is the Cream Foundation. ($118).  It now comes with a twist applicator that gives you the exact dosage you need (in the shape of the Cle de peau logo) so you won't waste a drop of this amazingly velvety foundation.  Kyriaki put O10 on me (at lunch she predicted I'd be O10 by looking at my chest.  Apparently the chest is the perfect spot to match foundation!) and it was the perfect shade for me.  (Just a warning, you'll read the word "perfect" a lot in this post.)  I was with a friend before going to Neiman Marcus and told her I was interviewing Kyriaki and she squealed, "I love the Cream Foundation, it's all I wear!  Tell them it's my favorite brand!"  

Instyle has great tips on choosing the right foundation for your skin tone.  Of course it's best to go in person and allow a make up artist assist and asses you but at least this will give you an idea of how to choose one to best flatter your complexion.  I am Asian with yellow toned skin but I never buy yellow foundation, it just makes me look yellower!  I always choose one with a subtle pinkish beige undertone.  After you try a new foundation at a cosmetic counter, always walk over to the door to see what it looks like in natural lighting.  The golden cast from cosmetic counter lighting is deceiving!  And to avoid the aging mask like look, add a drop of your favorite moisturizer into your foundation before applying and you'll glow with the look of youth!   

This is one of those few all in one products that really stands up to "all" that it is promising, including incredible convenience. This loose powder in a leak-proof brush dispenser is a lightweight mineral powder that has SPF 30 and is anti-aging. I love love love mineral make up, it looks flawless without caking down your face to give you that flawlessness. The Micronized Titanium Dioxide mineral physically shields against UVA/UVB rays so you can enjoy the sun without worry. One quick pass around the face in the morning and you can head out the door. Throw this in your bag for quick easy reapplication with no mess. Bare Escentuals is all green with no harmful additives. Can something be this amazing? Yes, it can =) Comes in 3 tones for light, medium and tan skin. At Sephora for $28. Enter the code NATURALBAG at checkout and get 8 free samples.

It is very difficult to achieve the flawless face that you see on the runways and in glossies.  I have about 10 bottles of foundation in my make up stash right now but have yet to find the perfect fool proof make up for photo shoots and television appearances (I always look like a grease ball!). Until I received a sample of M·A·C Studio Sculpt Foundation.

Creamy but not oily, it glides on the skin flawlessly-- without the weird caking in pores/lines. I tried it on my wrist first and when I saw how easily it blended in, I smeared it all over my face. You will not believe how easy and smooth this foundation is! Once again, M·A·C has shattered expectations for foundation performance with its debut of Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation. The gel-based cream formula is the final result of an extensive collaboration between M·A·C's Product Development experts and PRO team of makeup artists.

Backstage at fashion week provides the perfect testing ground for M·A·C's new products and our artists, working tirelessly at countless fashion shows, were eager for a foolproof makeup they could apply quickly and easily. Studio Sculpt is the answer to their prayers. It glides on smoothly and blends effortlessly for a flawless satiny finish--even when additional layers are needed for extra coverage.

The water-resistant blend leaves complexions perfectly even-toned and hydrated, while providing all-important broad-spectrum sun protection. Try it for yourself when it hits M·A·C stores and online on Feb. 7th. (Jump for more details!)

I walked through Neiman Marcus cosmetics this weekend and got a glimpse of all the fabulous gift sets for Christmas this year. You'd never know there was any kind of economic crisis standing there, women were throwing their credit cards at the SA's faster than they could say I'll take it.  The beauty industry is always the last to take the hit in tough times, I know I'd rather go hungry than go without my make up! 

If you're looking for gifts, stop by the Prescriptives counter-- Prescriptives has really chic gift sets that you won't have to wrap (will save you money on paper and ribbons). My favorite is the custom blend set ($115) and have picked it up for a couple of friends (you'll know who you are when you receive it!). 

The set includes • Custom Blend Foundation Bottle & Travel-Size Foundation Bottle • Custom Blend Concealer Vial • Full-Size Foundation Brush • Full-Size Concealer Brush • 15 ml Super Line Preventor Xtreme • Custom Blend Invitation • Deluxe Custom Blend train case

Other gift Sets start at $29.50 so there is something for every beauty budget.  Check them out at Prescriptives.com!

It's ridiculous how much  make up I have but you know, there is always room for fabulous new products!  I discovered Jane Iredale mineral make up at Cooper Spa yesterday and returned twice to pick up more things from the line.  I had just finished Kinesis with my trainer Lara and had to meet a friend downtown at the BIG sale so I ran into the spa, grabbed a brush, put some Amazing Base on, applied Cotton Candy blush (with 24k gold!), and ran out the door.  When I looked in the rearview mirror of my car, I couldn't believe how great my skin looked!  It was like I just woke up from a nice long nap! (Yes, if I do say so myself!  But all of my friends throughout the day kept complimenting on my flawless skin. My friend Dana went over right after work to buy hers after seeing me!).    (Jump for more and instructions to use!)

Call Cooper Spa to order for free shipping (US residents only- international shipping charges will apply when ordering outside the US). when you mention Beauty Snob!!! 214-383-1010