Beauty Blog

Well, it’s certainly no secret that I’ll bow to the altar of a good makeup primer any day of the week. And I think this new Smashbox Photo Finish Light ($36) is about to get worshiped.

When I was first introduced to the concept of primer, Smashbox did the initiating, but then I found Lorac liquid primer, and I jumped ship because it was so much lighter and less drying. However, as I primed my face every morning, I often wondered why Smashbox hadn’t made a liquid primer. “There’s would be so good!,” I thought.

Well, lo and behold, they’ve heard my cries and come out with Photo Finish Light, a whole bottle of which a dear friend was nice enough to bestow upon me. I really, really like it. It’s very light, super affective, and it doesn’t peel. Fantastic.

I use it after moisturizing and before foundation, but really, I think it’s moist enough to go on a naked face.

The other day a friend told me she could live without any cosmetics but her lipgloss, which I found funny since I almost never sport the stuff. It did get me thinking, though, about my makeup drawer, which is over-stuffed despite the fact that I only use a fraction of its contents. I would, of course, never throw any of it out because who knows when the perfect occasion for teal eyeshadow might arise? It could happen.

At the same time, I don’t think I could narrow it down to any one product–I have a few major makeup loves/dependencies. I’m sure I’ve mentioned all of them at one time or another. Here’s the rundown:

Lorac aquaPrime ($30) is, hands down, my favorite primer because it’s very light and super effective. I am about to get hooked up with the new liquid primer from Smashbox, though, so we’ll see if I stay devoted to Lorac. I’ll keep you posted.

I’ve been a satisfied user of Revlon ColorStay foundation for a long time now, and I don’t see myself giving up on it any time soon.  I really love the new Soft Flex line in the dry skin formula, since the older I get the dryer my skin gets.

Oh, Lorac Sheer Wash ($17.50), how do I love thee.  Honestly, I don’t think any other cheek stain even sort of compares in terms of color or endurance. It’s like instant pretty.

I feel like I’ve done a thousand posts about Clinique True Bronze Bronzer.  I guess I just can’t say enough about it.  I ran out recently and started using some free junk I had in that stuffed up drawer, and that mistake has made me love my Clinique even more. If that’s possible.

I am of the opinion that loose powder is loose powder, and you shouldn’t blow a lot of money on it. I’m using Cover Girl ($10.27) right now because it was on sale at CVS, so it’s more the category of translucent powder that I can’t live without more than any brand.

Oh Almay ($13.65), my friend, what would I do without you (when did this post turn into an ode?!)?  Like I said in my recent “how to” post about liquid eyeliner, Almay makes the grade.  My only advice is to break in the wand on your hand before your first use because it’s just too pointy to be affective right out of the package.

When I first started wearing makeup, my routine consisted of foundation, loose powder and red lipstick–it was the 90s and I was thirteen, what do you want from me? But as the years went by, I brought in new things (eyeliner anyone?) and just let go of others. For instance, at one point, I nixed the lipstick, choosing instead to play up my eyes, and once the dewy look elicited my affections, liquid bronzer took the place of translucent powder.

But that’s all over now. I mean, I still wear the bronzer, but I’ve reincorporated the translucent loose powder and my makeup is all the better for it. And still pretty dewy.  Considering the way it keeps makeup in place all day (no, seriously!), absorbs oil, and minimizes the appearance of pores, I can’t believe I went without wearing it all these years. I guess I thought that it would give me too much matte texture, but if you apply it with a large powder brush, you can really control it.

My technique is to give my face a light dusting after the bronzer but before blush and eyeliner in order to increase the staying power and true color of both. Because of its moisture eradicating super powers, a quick sweep of powder on the eyelids before you let any liner or shadow near  ‘em will eliminate the smudges and makeup build-up in the creases. Yuck, I hate when that happens.

Another trick is to powder your lips before applying lipstick, which makes lipstick last and last. It’s also a good tool if you’re going for nude lips–just dab a little bit of foundation on your kisser until you get the fleshiness you’re going for and then lightly powder. You’ll be amazed at how long the effect will last.

Top to Bottom: LORAC Face Powder for the Face $28, Clinique Blended Face Powder and Brush, $18.50, Shu Uemura New Face Powder, $32

About a year ago, I fell in love with LORAC’s Sheer Wash Lip & Cheek Tint. At the time, I’d been looking for blush that would rosy up my cheeks and stay put all day, two wishes that weren’t coming true with standard powder or even cream blush. LORAC did that, giving me visibly flushed color that didn’t overwhelm but didn’t underwhelm either.

While LORAC isn’t insanely expensive, it does set me back $17.50, so you can imagine my delight when I caught sight of Revlon’s new Limited Edition Pinch Me Sheer Gel Blush. At around $12.00, Pinch Me seemed like a good deal, and the “Cheeky Cherry” hue it comes in looked like a close match to LORAC’s “Sheer Luck.”

The Verdict: I think I’m going to keep paying the extra 5 bucks to LORAC. The Revlon blush was less messy than the LORAC, which comes in a roll-on bottle that can be unruly at times, causing too-much-at-once application, but that wasn’t enough to convince me. The consistency of the Revlon was too gelatinous for my taste, and it seemed like the jelly texture caused the pigmentation to be barely visible. It also made it difficult to build color, and I’m not the type to pack it on, so if I couldn’t get the color I wanted, that’s saying something.

All told, I think I can live with Revlon’s Pinch Me until it runs out, but I won’t be going back for more. I prefer the thinner consistency of LORAC’s formula and the deeper color. I do, however, appreciate Revlon’s effort, and I hope more mass-market brands start making and perfecting cheek stains.

LORAC Sheer Wash Lip & Cheek Tint, $17.50