Wednesday and Boscia Blemish Balm

You know what I hate about Wednesdays? The fact that it's the day that people say "Happy Hump Day." People need to stop saying this, no more of that, don't be one of "those" people.

Instead people should say, "Oh hey, it's the middle of week, that sucks." Because it does. In any case, what doesn't suck is beauty blogging, well, except for the picture editing (and the website fixing, okay I lied sometimes it sucks okay?).

The good news is I have kitties and makeup to get me through the week (and to keep me from yelling at "hump day" users.) Those are my cats, it's the momma  and her kitten doing what they do best, sleeping and being adorable. Their names are Caprica (because I'm a nerd) and Zooey (I named her after my girl crush Zooey Deschanel, except I pronounce is, Zoo-ee.)

Well now that we're done with that you probably want me to get on with the beauty blogging right?

I suppose, but you're so demanding!


I am constantly on the hunt for the best new foundation. I don't think I've found one I'm completely happy with yet, though I couldn't tell you exactly what is missing from all of them that I want. I feel like I'll just "know" like when you fall in love! I'll know it's the right one for me.

So, in my constant search for foundation I decided to try Bocia's Blemish Balm. I've never tried any of the original Blemish Balms so I have nothing to compare it to, so I'll just do my own review based on my experience with this alone.

Pros:

• It covers evenly and makes it almost unnecessary for me to use concealer. I still have to use some in some part of my face but if I'm not nitpicky in the morning I could skip it with this one.
• Goes on easily and evenly with fingers.
• Has crazy good SPF.
• It fit my NC35 nicely, I was nervous since it's a one shade pony.

Cons:

• You can't put it on with a brush or a sponge, it never looks right!
• You still have to use concealer if you want a flawless face.
• I found I needed to set it with a powder, which is fine, I've come to expect it with combo skin!
• The crazy good SPF? Gives you ghost face in pictures, wanna see?   That's me in the middle with the ghost face! Yay!  

If you want something that works along the lines of a tinted moisturizer but with more coverage, this would do it, but I don't recommend it for a night out where pictures will be taken! Unless you like the ghost face, I'm not judging you girl.

Maybelline Fit Me - Will it?

For starters let me say that I love a new foundation about as much as I love a new eyeshadow. I've used all kinds and like to change it up until I find my true love. So, it's no surprise that when I saw the Maybelline Fit Me line at my drugstore I was about as happy as a brat on Christmas day. I always like to read up on things before I buy them so I decided to go home and see if there were any reviews or background on the new line.

Maybelline's description is, "No oils, no waxes, no nonsense. Natural coverage that leaves skin the way it was meant to be: fresh, breathing, natural. Exclusive translucent base and lightweight pigments allow skin's natural highs and lows to show through." The way the line works is by having 3 different ranges of foundation light, medium and dark. Each range has 6 foundation colors, 2 concealers, 6 powders, 4 blushes and a bronzer. The idea is that once you find the shade that fits you can easily go on and choose a concealer, powder, bronzer and blush that is guaranteed to fit your skin color. From reading some quick reviews it seemed that people generally liked it and those that didn't disliked it because they felt it didn't provide enough coverage for their needs. However, I love light to medium coverage foundation so I decided that this may be worth trying.

I chose to try out the foundation first, since I wanted to ease into the line. The most amazing part about doing this was that I could find my correct foundation color in store, which is not something you've ever been able to do in a drugstore, it's usually a bit of an awkward gamble to try and guess. This line's display has little testers in front of it so that you can actually match your shade perfectly. So, I did what I usually do when trying a new foundation; I did a quick color match on my hand then put 3 shades on my face and stepped out into day light to find the closest match. Once I did that I noticed that the 220 (Natural Beige) blended in perfectly. The foundation was light, and had a "barely there" scent to it (that I liked) and seemed to blend in easily so I decided to give it a go.


I tried this foundation the next morning when I did my make up routine, I quickly noticed something I wish came with the product; a pump. The packaging it super attractive but without a pump was a little harder to use than I would like, nonetheless, once I used the product I was super pleased. The foundation was light but evened out my skin, blended in nicely and even gave me a bit of dewy-ness that I like from my foundations. I was afraid the foundation might be a little too dewy for my combination skin, but I wore it all day after setting it with my setting powder and it didn't budge or make me oily half way through the day. I usually use Clinique Almost make up and this foundation gave more coverage than that but was on par on just about everything else. Maybelline Fit Me cost me $8 for 1 oz and Clinique's Almost Makeup costs $22 for 1.5 oz. If you can find Maybelline on sale (since drugstores tend to do that often for make-up), then it'll be even cheaper.

All in all I would totally recommend this foundation for people with dry or combination skin. It's definitely worth the price and performs well. With 18 shades the line actually does pretty well at catering to olive skinned women, and that really impressed me, I hope that other lines follow in suit. I also hope more drugstore brands also begin to offer a way to try foundations in store. I definitely plan on trying the rest of the line, I hope it's as impressive as the foundation was. If you're on the fence about this, I say try it, you may be impressed. If you're not you can always return it, since most drugstores have relaxed make up return policies!

Foundation - Beginners Guide!

Girls, I've noticed a trend that really needs to be addressed. I realize that picking a shade of foundation can be extremely difficult sometimes, however, it does not give us the permission to wear shades that don't fit. It's hard seeing women walking around with a shade of foundation on their face only see a line on their chin where their foundation ends and their natural skin begins. Foundation should match your skin color perfectly and blend seamlessly from face to neck. It should be your skin only better.

Your skin is the one make up step you cannot skimp on. It's your canvas and your best asset. If your foundation is the wrong shade or the wrong formula for your skin type it can ruin all the work your put into you make up.

So, let's talk. When it comes to picking a foundation shade the best thing to do is to put it on your face, not your hand. You're going to be wearing it on your face, so try it there! The best way to do it is to try the shade you think will fit first, try a small swatch and blend it in completely, it's not meant to sit on top of the skin. Then go from there, if it looks too light try a darker shade and vice versa. If you get it right on the first shot try that shade's lighter and darker option in order to be sure you're spot on. Now, this is the important part, once you find what you think to be the correct shade go outside to ensure it looks the same in natural light.

These tips are great when you're buying a brand you can try before you buy. When buying from a drugstore the situation is a little different, however, the good news is that you can return make-up to most drugstores if it doesn't fit. I would check your local drugstore's policy as it can change from place to place, but I can definitely say I've bought make up at Walgreen's and returned it a week later because the shade just didn't fit right.

Just as important as picking the right shade it's important to pick the right formula. When it comes to picking the right one you have to consider your skin needs and the amount of coverage you want.

• Foundation sticks give full, even coverage and can sometimes double as concealer for spot treatment. However, it is best for Normal to Dry skin because it is rather thick and can make oily skin more oily.
• Liquid foundation can range from Full to Sheer coverage depending on the formula. Liquid is great because it's build-able, comes in a variety of formulas for different skin types and can be made sheerer if mixed with sunscreen or a moisturizer. It also can be found in matte or light reflecting formulas for your skin preferences.
  
• Tinted Moisturizers are the sheerest type of of foundation available. If you feel comfortable baring your skin then this is your best option as it moisturizes, let's your skin show through and evens out complexion. This also offers more freedom in color choice since your skin shows through very well, but still pick the shade closest your skin color.
  
• Cream to powder formulas give full coverage and a matte or natural finish. It's also the easiest of all the formulas to put on, however, is not good for all skin types as some cream to powder can be drying for dry skin and some can be too oily for oily skin.
• Powder foundations are great for oily skin as it keeps the skin matte. Dry skin should steer away from this as it will be too drying and look chalky.
  

Side notes:

• Liquid foundation looks best when applied with a foundation brush. Be sure to wash the foundation brush weekly and let it dry laying flat. Do not use a wet foundation brush to apply foundation as it will be streaky.
  
• Be sure to change your sponges often as they can harbor a lot of bacteria from continued use.
• No matter what formula you choose always opt for a foundation with sunscreen if you don't already use a moisturizer that contains SPF. However, if you do already use a moisturizer with SPF be weary of using a foundation with SPF as well if you're acne prone; too much SPF can clog pores.
• If you find yourself hard pressed to find a shade that fits, mix two and make your own!
• Most women need two shades of foundation, one for winter/spring and one for summer/fall as our skin can go from lighter to darker as we tan. So, watch it, and make sure your foundation color isn't past it's season.