Let's talk about my FACE! I have very sensitive skin that used to be dry but has gotten oilier over time. I'm also fair, so it's pretty obvious if I get red from products or the sun. My skin has been really fussy since I switched birth control 2 years ago- HOLY BREAKOUTS, Batman! I got cystic acne in my mid-30s and it was miserable. It didn't only look bad, it hurt like hell. Working with my dermatologist I have been on antibiotics on and off for a while, as well as tretinoin (retinol), but I think we have finally hit on spironolactone as my solution to acne. I'm 3 months in and things are a LOT better. The side effects haven't been too bad- my main complaint was a couple of weeks of breast tenderness (this is a hormonal treatment to block some of the testosterone that brings on hormonal acne).
In the past I didn't wear foundation much as it is really hard for me to get a foundation that is light enough for my skin-tone, and I didn't want anything on my face that would irritate my acne even more. But as time marches on, my skin has gotten blotchier and redder and I need something to sort of even everything out and cover the redness. There are a few foundations from the drugstore that I like (I'll cover those in a future post), and I have one from Clinique that I like ok, but I wanted to revisit MAC. The prices aren't bad and they have decent reviews.
So I wandered into the local MAC store on a Sunday evening and a very nice girl named Maritza helped me to find a foundation for my skin type and tone. We determined that Studio Fix Fluid SPF15 was a good fit for my skin type, then the adventure into color started. MAC's color system makes no sense to me so I would recommend just going to a store or counter and getting color matched. My skin is fairly neutral (it's got golden and pink undertones, at least under the redness). She tried C3.5, which was way too yellow, so we went with NW15 (my former shade from a good 12+ years ago), which was too dark, and landed on NW13. I couldn't believe that I've gotten paler with age (hello consistent sunscreen use, you're actually doing something!), but this is definitely a good match, as you'll see in a minute.
So hold on to your hats boys & girls, here's my face without a stitch of makeup on. Only sunscreen and some Olay Regenerist Serum that I use as a primer:
Pretty glorious, right? Some redness, some acne, some scarring, oh my GOD put some makeup on woman.
So here I am with the new foundation on. I used probably 1.25 pumps and dotted it all over my face, then blended it in with a Real Techniques Bold Metals Triangle Foundation Brush, which worked really well. Not winning any beauty contracts or anything, but things are getting decent. I don't do heavy foundation, it feels gross on my face.
Next, I added a little concealer. Maybelline Age Rewind Instant Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in "Light" under my eyes, using a round brush to buff it in, and then Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in Shade 4 on any blemishes or redness that the foundation didn't completely cover. I know, I know, you're all like "What blemishes??"
HAAAAAAAAA!
I use a tiny brush to put concealer on any spots that need covering and then tap a fluffy brush right on top to blend it in.
Ok, then I topped it all off with powder. I got MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium (the MAC link is absolutely not working, so Nordstrom wins the link battle today), which has some coverage as well, and also MAC's Prep & Prime Finishing Powder (transparent) for setting concealer and my T-zone, which does a great job at mattifying everything. It has been in the mid-90s for weeks, with the heat index well into the 100s, so keeping everything in place is a challenge.
Oh, I should probably point out that powder alone didn't make my eyebrows darker, or my eye makeup all intense. But that's not the point of this post, and I'm sure I'll cover it all later. The point is... NW13 seems to be a good match. Here are the face products used:
And the brushes used to apply it all:
Top to bottom we have an Elf Complexion Brush (for powder), Real Techniques Bold Metals Triangle Foundation Brush, Laura Mercier Camouflage Brush (for the setting powder under my eyes), Sephora Collection Blending Brush (for blending out concealer), Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush (for blending under-eye concealer), and a Real Techniques Detailer Brush (for applying concealer).
And ALL of the stuff I used on my face this morning, minus my big Lorac Pro 2 eye palette:
I'm not going to list all of that, it'll get covered in specific posts later on.
I've had this foundation for a couple of weeks now and I've been really happy with its longevity and the fact that it hasn't broken me out. It doesn't feel like a mask but it seems to cancel out redness. Any questions? Ask Away!
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