Lights! Camera! PhotoReady!

Revlon's PhotoReady Foundation
in shades Vanilla(002)and Shell(003)

(pictured swatch from left to right: Vanilla and Shell)


Makeupalley is an online beauty site that is home to thousands of beauty junkies, addicts and good friends. This is a crew that is hardcore in their beauty tastes and doctrines. They have seen it and tested it all. You would think this would make them jaded. But they will open their hearts and wallets to a newcomer like Edward Bess or the indies like Lime Crime or Fyrinnae. This group is a barometer of all things beauty,fashion and pop culture. MUA delivers news before CNN and Fox.

So it is no surprise that MUA is where the news broke about Revlon's PhotoReady foundation. This little diddy is a 2010 release but the gems started popping up at various drugstores in December. Lemming and lust spread across the makeup board like a wildfire. It could not be contained. A kind and genius MUA Member(snickersforsnuggles) started a map on which drugstores had PR in stock.
http://tinyurl.com/ybba6s7

When lemmings inspire map making...you know it is serious and you need to be part of the action. I searched throughout my city limits and located bottles at a CVS drugstore in Poland, Ohio. Luckily it was BOGO. I purchased Vanilla(002) and Shell(003). Patti aka Cavewoman had purchased Nude(004) and we are generally a skin tone match. There was no 004 to be had. The display had been ransacked. I counted my blessings and tried to clean it up for the next poor soul.

My first testing was a major fail. I have been using tinted moisturizers for the last few months due to the extreme cold conditions and my sudden aversion to all things heavy and cake-like. The texture and formula of PR foundation gave me a very heavy look. My complexion was even, with a lovely shimmer cast. However, the foundation emphasized every enlarged, cantankerous pore. The overall appearance made me shudder and recoil from my image in the mirror.

I scrubbed it off and started with a recipe of Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+, a generous lathering of the last drops of my La Mer moisturizer (side note: A Saks Friends and Family sale is much needed for me!), and some Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Primer. I let this recipe dry.
I proceeded with Revlon PR foundation. The results were better. I still was not enthused with the heavy factor but my pores were less terrifying. I needed to go back to the drawing board. I did not have to go through this much trouble with my MUFE High Definition foundation.

The third testing was more successful. I mixed equal parts of foundation with MAC's Moisture Lush Cream. Moisture Lush is a whipped, hydrating moisturizer that gets the job done. The foundation appeared less intense and matte-like. Even during the failed attempts, this foundation had "above average" capabilities with "evening out" the complexion. It contains very small particles of shimmer as a smoke and mirrors device. This adds a cast to the face like a highlighter. It can be detected in both natural and artificial light. Some muaers have complained about quality control issues concerning the shimmer. Some have compared it to the sparkles of Twilight's Edward Cullen while others have found whole glitter flakes. I did not get any of that vibe from either bottles. In fact, I might be going out on a limb, my vanilla had very little shimmer at all. Shell had more glimmer.

According to the online site, Grazia, daily.co.uk, the foundation is based on the"technology of transition lenses in optical glasses". The pigments have been manipulated to cover flaws.
http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/beauty/archive/2009/12/04/beauty-treat--things-we-ve-loved-this-week.htm

The bad news is this foundation "did me no favors". Every flaw was exposed including some I was not aware of having. It is prone to settling onto pores. Coverage was medium to above average. The texture was a light consistency and felt weightless on the face. It just looked heavy and matte-like on my skin. Lasting power during all the testings was first rate. There was no morphing of color throughout the 12-hour period. The foundation did not budge, melt or disappear.

This foundation was created for dry skin. It is a oil free formula with a SPF 20. PR contains Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. It also has no fragrance. I have to report that I did have some tingling sensations with each application. I have never been sensitive to a foundation before.

The color selection for PhotoReady foundation is confusing and limited. I believe these skew light. The lightest shade I located was Vanilla (002). There are reports that an even lighter shade is being launched while others have the bottle currently in their possession. It might be called Ivory.
Vanilla is a very light shade with very slight yellow undertones. I think this might be the most brilliant match for my face. Shell is also worthy being a shade darker with a more pink cast.
Color matching might be difficult at your local drugstore. I have spotted this line at Ulta online. I think a visit to your local Ulta store is in order for accurate swatching. I am hoping there is an Ulta in Karlasugar's neck of the woods.
The color system does not match Revlon Colorstay foundation. From what I could gather, even numbers represent foundations with yellow undertones. Odd numbers represent foundations with pink tones.
For women of color the selection is highly limited. The ultra-pale girls(me) will have more luck.
The shades are: Vanilla (002), Shell (003), Nude (004), Natural Beige(005), Medium Beige(006), Cool Beige(007), Golden Beige(008) and Rich Ginger(009).

The packaging for PR foundation is simple yet all kinds of genius. It is a pump that has been designed to deliver just the right dollop of foundation. Not to sound like Goldilocks...but the amount is just perfect! It leaves no mess or foundation around the nozzle. Serious engineering is behind this bottle.

Pros: inexpensive drugstore find, great shades for the pale girls, magnificent for photography(amazing results on MUA---no white cast even with a SPF of 20!), great lasting power, weightless feel and even coverage, slight shimmer for luminosity, and exceptional packaging.

Cons: heavy looking, emphasizes imperfections, settles into pores, matte-looking(not good for dry skin),varying skin reactions like tingling, shimmer issues in the darker shades, limited shades for women of color.

This product can be found at various CVS and Rite Aid drugstores. It retails for $13.99.
It is located at Ulta online @http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1790139#sku2212501
It is not online at Revlon's site.

Please share you experiences with this foundation in the comments. Gushing and dissing is encouraged! Any help with colors would be so appreciated by all of us!

Credits: Grazia, MUA, Ulta
Shout Outs: Karlasugar and snickersforsnuggles
Photo Credit: Blogdorf Goodman

Disclosure: I purchased these two shades of foundation from a CVS store in Ohio.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Foundation
Review for Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation

This is a very dense looking, high definition foundation that manages to feel and apply whispery light. The coverage skills are on par with the greats like La Mer, Kanebo, MUFE's High Definition foundation and Jill Stuart. I had no situations with caking, morphing or drying out. I did have some issues with it settling into my laugh lines. My laugh lines have been giving me grief lately. Foundation seems to be getting comfortable in their creases. Prescriptives Super Line Preventor Xtreme helps but situations rise every few hours. Hourly touch ups have become part of my daily ritual.

The coverage for Koh Gen Do is natural looking yet manages to mask every skin crisis. I used 3-5 tiny drops to get full coverage.

My color match was clearly #1, pictured on the far right of my arm.

All three shades are numbered 1-3. Number one being the most pale ivory shade to the very warm cocoa shade.

It blends in naturally and leaves a slight pearly sheen. It really is a gorgeous formula. This retails for $28 and is available online at their website. There appears to be three brick and mortar stores that carry this line. Nigel Beauty Emporium and Frends Beauty Supply Store in North Hollywood and Alcone Company in NYC.

For more information visit the website http://www.kohgendocosmetics.com/

The Aqua foundation and the white primer look very promising. I am currently testing the face powder and I am hooked.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Koh Gen Do.

Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Powder

This is part of their high definition series created to deliver flawless makeup that is camera ready. It is comprised entirely of mineral silica powder. I have mixed feelings concerning this product. I found this powder formula to be one of the most lightest I have tested. This is lighter than a feather. When you use it some particles escape and create a cloud of powder that slowly floats to the ground. This powder cloud dissipates like smoke.
It goes on lightly and does not cake or clog the surface. The actual texture on the face is beyond flawless.
However it adds a ghostly tint on the face. It gives that dreaded gray cast that most translucent powders do. If this had just a smidge or tint of color it would be spectacular for me. It retails for $30 and is available at your local Sephora.

What are your thoughts? Post in the comments.
http://www.makeupforever.com/

Disclaimer: I purchased this powder at Sephora.

Make Up For Ever: High Definition Foundation

My local Sephora finally had the Make Up For Ever's High Definition foundation range in stock. I have been curious about this line for quite a while. This foundation was created for the needs of high definition imaging. Regular foundations were not cutting the cheese when it came to the new format. Every flaw and wrinkle was exaggerated and highlighted. Make Up For Ever created a comprehensive line of foundations, primers and a high definition powder to be film friendly.

The foundation has Sericite. This heightens the diffusion of light and intensifies the glow of the skin. This is a fancy description of a smoke and mirrors effect. I think the coverage is above average and ranks among the best with La Mer, Carmindy and Kanebo's Sensai Fluid Finish. The effect is flawless skin with a hint of glow. This is more moisturizing than Carmindy's foundation with the added ingredient of Relipidium. It creates a smooth texture that clings on to powder. There are no caking or creasing issues. It is a waterproof formula so it seems to resist disappearance acts.

I generally shy away from oil free foundations. I find them hard to maneuver and drying. This formula's texture feels richer and thicker than a standard oil free foundation. It applies smooth and resists streaking.

I was seriously impressed with the color range. I would like to see more dark shades but pale girls will be delighted with the tone choices. Tone is often forgotten in creating foundations.

Let us know what you think of the foundation in the comments.

Credit: Sephora

Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me.