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.

I Want To Be Loved By You

Reasons Why I Have To Have Poopoo Pidoo by Ego Facto

1. It is called Poopoo Pidoo
2. It has rice powder as a note
3. There is an eyelash decal
4. Luckyscent describes it as "lush and plush as a swans-down powder puff dabbed on Marilyn’s creamy shoulders"----SOLD!
5. It was created by Dominique Ropion

This lemming is at Luckyscent and retails for $90.
http://www.luckyscent.com/
I am trying to be strong and resist this sirens call.
Must stay strong for self-imposed "no buy" challenge.

Disclaimer: This is just a lemming or a coveting.
No samples were abused in this post.
Who I am kidding? I am weak as water.
I will cave on a bottle within a week.

The Best Fragrance for Spring:

Lancome's Peut Etre

The scene takes place in a french garden. She was wondering aimlessly amongst the roses, lilac, iris and jasmine. She was thinking about him. Dear lord...has Lancome been reading my diary?

Maybe he was the one after all...

he loved her dearly but she expected something from him, a sign that would cast away all her doubts.

A breeze arose and the wind stroked her dress and skin. Her hair waved gently to the rhythm of the wind..A few petals floated and became entangled in her hair...She closed here eyes, taking in the scents borne by the wind.

She heard the sound of footsteps and opened her eyes.

He was talking towards her.
His gaze was deep. (**butterflies***)

He gave her the feeling that there was special excitement in the air.

She was now oblivious to the wind, her heart was beating so faster. My heart is beating faster too. Lancome really has me now!

A shiver ran through her body: he seemed to be hiding an object in the palm of his hand.

They just ruined the story for me.

At that moment, she knew something was going to happen....Peut-etre. (from the perfume box)

Lancome is slowly releasing many of their fragrance gems from the vault.

Peut Etre was originally launched in 1937. Armand Petitijean, Lancome's founder, was inspired by the last of the lilacs and the first of the roses, mingled with the fragrance of a lime tree. The newly launched fragrance has notes of Seringa flower,Bulgarian Rose Essence, Iris with a musk and amber dry down. It is light as a whisper but with great sillage. The musk is not overpowering in this fragrance. It is quiet and peaceful.

I purchased it after just one whiff.

I loved how close it stayed to the skin and how fresh the composition was.

This is the perfect scent for spring.

It retails for $125 and is available at your local Saks store and the Lancome website. Saks is having their Friends and Family event on Thursday...so if you have SA then you might ask for a hook up. I have no other details as of right now. If you know more...please post in the comments.

Credit: Blogdorf Goodman

Disclosure: I purchased 2 bottles of this fragrance and wished I bought more. This scent was heavenly.

L'Artisan in NYC

The day I fought falling in love with Fleur d'Oranger!

From L'Artisan:
A delicate, invigorating fragrance that whisks you away to the fragrant orange groves of Nabeul.
From Me:
A slice of heaven

From L'Artisan:
Limited edition.
From Me:
I want it more.

From L'Artisan: Features the 2004 harvest of orange blossom from Nabeul in Tunisia.
From Me: You can not get me with fancy harvests in far away lands...or can you?

From L'Artisan: Delicately blends orange bigarade, petitgrain, neroli, honey, and orange blossom.
From Me: Damn you L'Artisan!

It is lovely and almost worth the $250 price tag.
I wish I had never sniffed it!
pics: annieytown

Sunday Night Lemmings

Caron powders: I covet each and every one of them. They are incredible powders. Available at the Caron boutique in NYC.

Tarte cheek in Cloud: Looks like a lovely lilac shade. It has a grape candy scent according to the sephora website. $28 at sephora.com






L'Artisan amber ball $75 at Aedes.com

Maria Evora scented soap $7 at bigelowchemists.com

Guerlain's L'Heure Blue at Bergdorf Goodman

L'Artisan Aedes candle: notes are japanese incense with leather, balsam and musk. $60.00 at Aedes.com