Foundation - Café Makeup

Invisible Zinc UV Silk Shield Foundation Review

Feb 192013

Invisible Zinc Foundation01

One of the best things that anyone can do to prevent aging is to wear sun protection. Invisible Zinc is a company that specializes in broad-spectrum physical sun protection using ingredients formulated to look invisible to the eye. According to the company, this formulation “uses Zinc Oxide which although invisible to the naked eye still provides outstanding broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays.” An Australian company, these products are are rated at SPF 30+, the highest rating available to products in that country. This is available at Cult Beauty (use free ship code MAKEUP25 to standard shipping on all orders over £25 except for Escentric Molecules).

Invisible Zinc Foundation04

Living in California, and sometimes traveling to sunny, humid climates, I’m quite interested in sunscreen-intensive makeup products. I prefer physical sun protection, as more stable and less irritating solution compared to chemical sunscreens (although I’ll take a product with a mix of physical and chemical.

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In the past, I’ve used Elta MD Physical SPF 41 as a tinted physical sunscreen that can be worn instead of foundation as well as Shiseido Sun Protection SPF 42 PA+++ Liquid Foundation. Invisible Zinc is sold in a stick form in three shades: light, medium and tan (I tested the lightest shade).

Invisible Zinc Foundation05

Invisible Zinc is a creamy, medium-to-full coverage foundation that feels pleasant on the skin. Some of my efforts to try a high-SPF foundations have not been successful–as one example, I washed off Smashbox BB Cream SPF 35 before an hour because of the heavy sunscreen scent and heavy feeling on my skin. By comparison, Invisible Zinc UV Silk Shield gives serious coverage but feels light. The scent is very subtle (you have to get close the tube to pick any scent up) and fades very quickly. It feels very pleasant, and allows my skin to breathe.

Keeping in mind that this is a functional foundation, I planned to use this for trips to the pool, beach, or outdoors for long walks. For that format, nothing beats a stick format (no shaking required!). In the convenience department, Invisible Zinc wins out over Shiseido’s liquid. I found it held up well for a good 7-8 hours before I started to feel a need to touch up on my combination skin. It’s pretty easy to pull a stick foundation out and blend in some coverage (adding my Nars 413 Blkr Street Multiple completes the look). My testing days (which were mostly in-office days) led me to conclude that Invisible Zinc UV Silk Shield gave me a pretty finish that was far better than the rougher-textured Elta MD Physical SPF 41.

The ingredient list for the Invisible Zinc UV Silk Shield is above (click to enlarge). For a workhorse sunscreen, I was very impressed by Invisible Zinc. I’d love to test it the next time that I go to a very humid climate, but I did find that the foundation held up beautifully in the more temperate, sunny Northern California testing ground. With the addition of some Guerlain finishing powder, I found that Invisible Zinc gave me a great look that I’d be pleased to wear any day of the week. As an aside, the three finishing powders that I tried (on three different days) were the Geurlain Illuminating and Mattifying, Guerlain Meteorites, and the Guerlain Voyage Meteorites.

Here are a few quick swipes to show how the Invisible Zinc UV Silk Shield in Light compares to Chanel Lift Lumiere in Ivoire and MAC Pro Longwear in NC15. To my eye, it’s close to the MAC NC15 shade:

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Bottom line: For anyone interested in a great, stable foundation this is well worth it. This foundation is available in the US from Cult Beauty, which also sells several additional products from the line. (use free ship code MAKEUP25 to standard shipping on all orders over £25 except for Escentric Molecules).

Invisible Zinc was sent to Cafe Makeup by Cult Beauty without charge for consideration for review. This post contains affiliate links (for more information, see About Cafe Makeup)

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Foundation: My Thoughts/ Review

Foundation, Giorgio Armani 24 Responses »

Oct 012012

Giorgio Armani’s Maestro Fusion Makeup ($62) is an exciting new step in foundation technology. This formula (the details are explained in several links at the bottom of this post), suspends color pigment in a combination of light dry oils. I literally gasped when I saw it on my forehead. It looked like…perfect skin. It adheres beautifully. Hands down, this the most long-lasting foundation I’ve ever tried. At night, it looks almost exactly as it does in the morning. It is an extraordinarily stable product on my combination skin.

The color self-adjusts to your skin tone, so combined with its sheerness there is a lot of forgiveness in the color range (swatches of all shades are here at The Makeup Blogette) (I’m using 5.0, ordered online based on those swatches).

I should emphasize that the coverage is sheer. Right now, my skin is mostly very smooth (thank you, Dr. Perricone!) I’ve been working very hard on my skin since February. There are a few small, faded discolorations that are nearly gone. Unlike Burberry’s Sheer Glow Foundation (reviewed here), I did not have much luck building up the coverage of Armani Maestro Fusion. I found that the color built up well on my good skin areas, but even 3-4 swipes left the tiny discolorations still there. To its credit, the foundation did not cake up, but it didn’t get rid of the imperfect color either. I found that adding a touch of concealer (such as Edward Bess Platinum or even a bit of MAC’s Perfectly Defined Sculpting Creme) to those areas gave me the perfect look. I would imagine that Laura Mercier’s Concealer would be genius for this, but mine is across the country at the moment so I went with what I had.

The foundation has an ever-so-slight glow to it all day. I’ve worn this primarily with my Guerlain Meteorites Illuminating and Mattifying Powder (I’m on my second compact of this one) as a sheer powder to mattify the look.

I’ve been wearing Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion for about 2 1/2 weeks. Once I found the concealer trick I couldn’t stop. I found my other foundations tended to look a little heavier. I’ve really loved the natural look that this provides. Plus, the stable, all-day coverage has been a blessing. I found myself reaching for it, not just out of habit but because I really preferred it. Having said that, one day I did have some peeling in one area and–oh my goodness–this foundation did emphasize that. If you have dry skin, you’ll want to sample this first before investing.

A few pointers:

Like many self-adjusting foundations, Armani Maestro Fusion looks terrible for the first five minutes before it sets, then the loveliness starts;
Only use the tiniest bit. I’d be surprised if you needed more that 3 small touches on your face. This is a thin fluid packed with pigment;
Try it with and without powder, to see which texture you prefer. The powder doesn’t seem to affect the longevity–the foundation lasts very well on its own;
The texture doesn’t change much over the day. Despite the use of oils, the soft luminosity doesn’t seem to become much oilier throughout the day;
Because of the differences of opinion, sample before you buy;
In this order: Serum/ moisturizer, sunscreen, concealer, then foundation

This foundation has SPF 15 (click to enlarge to see the ingredients):

Additional information from the box (click to enlarge):

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion is a polarizing product–reviewers seem to have a bit of a love/hate reaction, depending on their individual experiences. If I were forced to choose, I’d put myself much closer to the “love” category. Here are some other reviews that I found helpful:

Positive reviews:

The Best Things in Beauty’s is here (interviews, explaining the technology, “astounding”)
The Raeviewer’s is here (video)(covers well, looks natural)
Beaut.ie’s is here (explaining the technology, “after” picture)

Less than enthusiastic:

Fleur de Force’s is here (good on some days, doesn’t sit right on other days)
Drivel about Frivol’s is here (drying, emphasized imperfections, before/after pictures)
Sasquatchswatch’s is here (too sheer, emphasized imperfections)

The foundation is available (with free ship) at Nordstrom.com.

This review contains an affiliate link (for questions, please see “About Cafe Makeup”)

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation and Swatches

Chanel, Foundation 27 Responses »

May 292012

This is a somewhat imperfect review of Chanel Vitalumeire Aqua Foundation ($58), introduced about a month or two ago. This foundation is a medium-coverage cream foundation sold in a luxe round compact. I found that it gave a flawless finish, particularly when applied with Chanel’s Blending Foundation Brush #7 ($54) (review forthcoming).

When applied, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua feels like air, there is no heavy foundation feeling or any oiliness. I find that cream foundations like this look amazing for formal occasions, whether for work or social activity. It provides an airbrushed finish. There is a very slight “silicon” feeling to the foundation. It lasts well throughout a long day and holds up beautifully without a powder. No breakout for me.

Here are some swatches of most of the shades (B50 and BR32 are missing, but I’ll try to fill in the gaps throughout the week). As you can see, the “B” tones are warmer, and the “BR” tones seem to have a touch of cool rose.

And now for the imperfect part of the post–a beauty confession. I was matched to B30 at a mass make-over at a local department store, although I realized it was too dark I went ahead anyway. As frustrated as I am with myself, now that my overly generous sample has been used (it lasted about five days), I may exchange my untouched full sized B30 for another more appropriate color.

Thank you to Tressa from Nordsrom Seattle for patiently sending me these samples for us all to enjoy. To be clear, Tressa took no part in the color matching for me, or my own personal decision to cave to the makeup artist’s inaccurate recommendation.

Onward and upward, and I hope you learn from my mistake.

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 PA+++ Review

Foundation, NARS 13 Responses »

Mar 022012

I’ve been wearing the just-released Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 Sunscreen/ PA +++ ($42) for about one month. I picked up the product when I read the Nars brochure, which promised broad spectrum sun protection, increased hydration, giving skin a more radiant and luminous surface and “helping to reduce the appearance of discoloration and dark spots in just four weeks.”

Part of me wondered whether Nars Tinted Moisturizer was an ambitious effort to deliver skin care protection in an everyday foundation-type product. Last year, Le Metier de Beaute’s Peau Vierge promised skin care benefits in its tinted moisturizer, why not other companies? As many of you have noticed, the BB Creme trend promises skin care as well, and currently Dior, Estee Lauder, Boscia and others are introducing those products to the U.S. I chose to investigate Nars, in part because it seemed to offer something seriously different than the others. Nars Tinted Moisturizer improves skin through protection and hydration, relying on Octinoxate 7.4% and Titanium Dioxide 6.1% to keep skin protected from the sun.

Nars Tinted Moisturizer comes in nine shades. At my local Nordstrom, I was matched to Alaska (the 2nd lightest shade), which is a touch too yellow and slightly dark, although not noticeably so once I add bronzer and blush. Some Makeupalley users wear Alaska and they are NC 20/25. Note that I’m really pale now in this post-winter phase, although sometimes I lean NC 15/20, I’m definitely a solid NC15 now.

If I apply this with my fingers, I get medium coverage (with a brush, I can sheer it out). The texture is very lightweight and it feels a little like a gel. It’s weightless and lasts the entire day (14-16 hours). It gives a slightly glowy look that I absolutely love. It doesn’t emphasize any pores. No breakouts or clogging.

The most delightful part is that my skin has noticeably improved. Some darker old acne marks have noticeably lightened. Although the formula is hydrating, it doesn’t feel oily or heavy (the brochure says that the product is oil-free). I love the small size, which I can tuck into my bag without the weight or breakage of a glass product (will be loving this for travel!). It’s a generous 1.9 oz. size (most foundations have 1 ounce only).

Dear reader, I know that foundations are very much “your mileage may vary.” I’ve been absolutely loving this one for me. Unlike Chanel Perfection Lumiere, the Nars has more “life” and luminosity. It has a solid dose of sun protection, which I greatly appreciate living in sunny California. Unlike the vast majority of my foundations, I’ve seen improvement in the texture and even toned texture of my skin. Great, lightweight formula. Love.

The ingredient list for Alaska is: Water, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Diethylhexyl Succinate, Glycerin, Nylon-12, Cyclomethicone, Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Stearic Acid · Phenoxyethanol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Fragrance, Dimethicone/Vinyl, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trisodium, Edta, Aluminum Distearate, Talc, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Polysilicone-2, Vibrio Alginolyticus Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Maris Sal (Sea Salt), Hydrogen Dimethicone, Bht, Algae (Algae Extract), Sodium Metabisulfite, Curcuma Longa [Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract], Potassium Sorbate, Geraniol, Limonene, Citral, Linalool [+/- (May Contain): Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides)]. Note that Sephora.com has the ingredient list for all shades.

NARS NYFW Report: Creatures of the Wind

NARS 5 Responses »

Feb 102012

At Creatures of the Wind, NARS Director of Global Artistry James Boehmer created a look with gorgeous skin and strong eyes. He’s using Nars new Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF30/PA+++–something I’ve been test wearing for about a week and really enjoying so far. As a quick preview, it has a good physical sunscreen and is said to reduce the appearance of dark spots, give brighter, more even skin and provide moisture. I’m enjoying it so far–it has a very soft, lightweight feel and has a lifelike glow compared to some others I’ve worn. It has medium coverage (a full review forthcoming). If you’re interested, Nordstrom is running a gift with purchase for the foundation here.

I love the way that Nars Cayenne looks on that eye! “The look is about ethereal, forest-wet skin,” said James Boehmer, NARS Director of Global Artistry. “You can’t use enough moisturizer – it’s dewy and really radiant. The eye should be defined in its shape but worn-in with its effect. As if you can see the eyelid through it, which we get from the gloss.”