The Struggle with Oily Skin is Real: Multi Foundation Review

Yesterday's post on Instagram got me to thinking that I could probably do some kind of beauty review on some of the foundations on my rotation lately. Well, technically, they're not rotating. I've pretty much mashed them together in an effort to create the PERFECT foundation for my skin type.

Here's the goal:

- smooths

- evens tone

- looks natural

- feels natural

- combats my oilies

I know, I know I'm asking for a makeup miracle, but here's the thing...I don't really wear a lot of foundation, which is where the desire for natural feeling coverage comes in. I have some uneven tone due to hyperpigmentation (I'm a serial pimple popper) and I have oily skin equivalent to bacon grease (like for reals). I'm sure I'll appreciate this oil factory later in life, but right now, it's more of a pain.

In addition to the foundations pictured, I also wear the Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NC45, but find that coverage works best in cooler months, though I do typically use a dusting of it as a finishing powder over my liquid foundations. 

Here's my issue... I was uber intrigued by the CoverFX Custom Cover Drops. so I had to try them out (but of course). I didn't love them, but was determined to make them work for me if only for their $45 price tag. The problem I had was that even after pouring over the shades for 2 days, my shade G60, was a tad off.  A smidge too yellow, but I don't want to buy another bottle in G70. Then of all the mixing mediums I tried, the only one I truly liked was with the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Moisturizer. But after a couple hours you know I'm looking like the canola factory.

Next, I decided to try Maybelline's Fit Me Matte & Poreless. Love, love, love the formula and it addressed nearly all of my needs/concerns, especially the oil control, however the shade range sucked. There's only 16 to choose from. I chose shade 330 Toffee as the next shade. 355 Coconut. was too deep and too red for me. What I really need is a shade between those two, that still has a golden undertone. I'm going to keep wishing for that one, but in the meantime, I decided to start trying to mix my own.

Using the No7 Beautifully Matte Makeup Base as my mixing medium proved to be just what I needed for my CoverFX drops. And in order to get the oil control I need, I apply this concoction over skin on which I've also applied a thinner primer. I told y'all, this summer oil control business is real.

Grainy iPhone photo, but you get the idea...

 

The Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous isn't a bad formula, it just isn't high on the list and because that shade is too dark for me, I use it to add a deeper warmth to my custom foundation mix, so that it isn't so yellow. The grainy pic above looks relatively good color wise, but it depends on the lighting. It usually looks kind of 'meh' when I leave the house, even a bit too chalky. but by the time it starts to settle onto my skin an hour or so later it looks pretty darn good and I don't have to blot until about 1:30. Sometimes I'll apply Urban Decay's De-Slick to speed up the "settling" process, but I think that seems to cause early oil breakthrough, even though that's the opposite of what it's designed to do.

Ultimately, I'm still working this out for myself, but hope I've given fellow oily girls some recommendations that you may find helpful, especially if you're not AS oily as me. But if you have any tips, tricks or foundation recommendations I'm all ears!

Have a great week!

Argan Oil - Bandwagon or Believer???

credit

This is not a sponsored post. All products were purchased with my own funds and all opinions are my own.

So for more than a few years argan oil has been all the rage in skincare and beauty. As far as trying it for myself, I was disinterested. As gullible and/or curious as I can sometimes be about product claims, I was, for some reason, less than intrigued by that one.

In the meantime, Josie Maran has gone on to become a beauty business powerhouse thanks to the throng of argan oil followers.

You will absolutely find me somewhere in that throng.

Who me?? Yep, me!

Ok, so here's what really happened... Rewind several months back and the skin around my mouth, from my nose to my chin, decided to morph into something else. Something unrecognizable by my own hands - Sahara desert dry, rough texture, and frequent bouts of patchy whiteness. Not cute. Not cute. at. all.

This was literally the only region of skin on my face or body that changed. So I slathered on extra moisturizer, cocoa butter, Aquaphor, and even extra Vaseline. No good. I was afraid to even break into a smile in public, due to the horror that would break free around my mouth. I was desperate when I wandered into Sephora seeking a balm of a sort, something to hold in moisture. 

I happen upon a $30 box of three Josie Maran argan balms in little tins. 

Um...$30? Y'all don't have anything for $10?? Of course not... Begrudgingly, I purchased them and at my next stop, the dressing room of NY & Co, I whipped them open and rubbed some in.

After about three days of applying the balm to my face 3 - 4 times a day, my skin came back to life! Yaaaayyyy!!! 

After a couple weeks, I only needed to apply morning and night after cleansing and before my moisturizer. But then I began to wonder, if it could do such wonderful things for that small area of skin, what could it do if I dipped my whole body in it!?

Enter the Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Ultra-Hydrating Body Butter! I've been slathering it on for the last few months and my skin is silky, soft with a luminous glow even 24 hours later. Expensive? Yes indeed, but worth the investment because I'm claiming it as my veritable fountain of youth.

So bandwagon or believer? Honey, I'm a believer!

I still haven't purchased the actual oil, but I did add some other Josie Maran products to my arsenal, including the Infinity Cream Intensive Creamy Oil and the Whipped Intensive Hand Cream.

Needless to say, I recommend it. Get into it, ladies!

Maracuja Oil Review

I'm a lover of QVC. I watch it pretty much like I do reality TV. Recently, after fighting the temptation to order a bottle of tarte's 100% Pure Maracuja Oil for $46 (plus tax and shipping), I was intrigued enough to try out the oil if I could find it at a more affordable price point. I also wanted a smaller bottle in case it didn't work out for me.

What you must understand is that my skin has a love/hate relationship with me, and we've just recently been able to come to a sort of friendly accord. Which I owe to a regular skincare regimen, that I was finally able to fine tune, and a fabulous aesthetician that I see every month (shout out to Valerie!). I was curious, but also reluctant to disturb this harmonic balance. However, I was just product obsessed enough to give it a trial run.

Keep reading to find out how things turned out...