MAC:Face and Body Foundation
MAC Face and Body Foundation
Face and Body foundation is a longtime favorite in the MAC cosmetics line. It’s touted as a long-lasting product that photographs well. As a water resistant foundation, it should also still be doing its job of evening out the skin tone at the end of a sweaty summer day. For a long time, the darkest shade available in this foundation was C4. MAC has extended the line, as it has with many of its foundations, to include C5, C6, N5 and N9. Ostensibly that sounds great, but N9 looks extremely orange and even the darkest C shades look very light.
Unfortunately for me, MAC cosmetics have always broken me out. Since this one contains Talc, I would pass on it. But this would be a great foundation for women with less sensitive skin to try.
Ingredients: Purified Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Butylene Glycol, PVP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Tea-Stearate, PVP/Eicosene Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Talc, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Santalum Album (Sandalwood), Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Zinc Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben. May contain:
Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Chromium Oxide Greens
Cost: $32
PRESCRIPTIVES: All Skins Mineral Makeup
Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Foundation
Prescriptives has jumped on the bandwagon and introduced a mineral makeup line. It goes one step further than the others out there by adding semi precious gems such as rose quartz and amethyst to its formulation. According to Prescriptives, the latter two ingredients, plus the mineral calcite, give the skin more radiance. But all mineral makeups claim to make you “glow from within.” I’m not sure if additional minerals and gems enhances that ability or not.
Prescriptives offers warm and cool options for this foundation. Women with yellow or peach undertones should try the warm shades while those with pink, bluish undertones should look to the cool shades. There are six levels of shades in each section and, as usual for Prescriptives, they will work for a wide range of women of color. The ingredients content is another matter. Personally, I would try this product on my hand, but I could never put it on my face since it not only contains Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide but Squalane as well. I’d be a pimply mess within the week if I used this.
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 12.00%, Zinc Oxide 4.90%
Other Ingredients: Squalane, Lecithin, Quartz , Amethyst, Calcite, Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Maleate, Silica, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol. [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (ci 77891), Iron Oxides (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (ci 77163)]
Cost: $32.50
NARS: Powder Foundation
NARS Powder Foundation
When NARS introduced this powder foundation several years ago, I really wanted to try it. It arrived around the time I was having a love affair with mineral foundations. The idea of having a foundation do some of the work of a sunscreen really appealed to me. NARS offered an opportunity to get the sun protection of a mineral makeup in a more sophisticated formulation. Only later did I realized that my skin reacts poorly to Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide.
Unfortunately, the shade selection quickly shoved this product off my “to try” list. The Jamaica shade in NARS’s Oil-Free Foundation works well for me, but the same shade in the Powder Foundation was much too light. According to the NARS website, Jamaica is for dark complexions with yellow or neutral undertones. But when I tried the Powder Foundation, Jamaica made my skin look ashy. The shades Budapest, Barcelona, Santa Fe, St. Tropez, Sahara and Sedona should work for women with light to dark tanned skin. But women with brown skin will be disappointed with this product.
Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (4.9%), Titanium Dioxide (6.6%)
Inactive Ingredients: Nylon 12, Calcium Stearate, Silica, Lecithin, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Jojobate, Jojoba Alcohol, Jojoba Esters, Trimethyl Siloxysilicate, Lauroyl Lysine, Methicone, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, BHT, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (77491, 77492, 77499)
Cost: $45
CARGO: Foundation Oil Free
Cargo Oil Free Foundation
Cargo is another cosmetics line that offers a wide range of shades for women of color. I love how this foundation comes in a squeezable bag, it provides a welcome change from the familiar glass bottle, stick or compact. But I would be concerned about spills if I didn’t/couldn’t close the bag immediately after squeezing makeup out. And if something accidentally dropped on the foundation, I’d worry that the impact could make some makeup squirt out.
I tried the line’s oil free foundation several years ago and easily found a shade that matched my brown skin with yellow undertones. There’s a lot to choose from. F40 is a neutral sandy beige; F60 is a cafe au lait with pink undertones; and F80 is a mocha with yellow undertones. Things went downhill after I started using this makeup, however. I quickly began to breakout and had to go into cease and dismiss mode. There’s no way to know what ingredient or ingredient combination caused the reaction. But this foundation does contain Sodium Chloride, which is known for being highly comedogenic.
Ingredients: Water, CyclopentaSiloxane, Isododecane, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycerin, Caprylyl Dimethicone Ethoxy Glucoside, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Zinc Stearate, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Methylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Fragrance, Propylparaben, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Hydroxyisohexyl 3 Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Citronellol. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines
Cost: $28
CLINIQUE: Pefectly Real
Clinique Perfectly Real Foundation
This was a foundation that I quickly purchased when it first came out. Clinique has always frustrated me because some of their foundations – for example, Repairwear Antiaging, Clarifying and Stay True – don’t have shades in the Olive Dark range. Basically, a good portion of Clinique makeup is created for women with light to medium colored skin.
Perfectly Real was Clinique’s way of reaching out to the multi-racial masses. There are 25 shades that should work for almost every woman. Unfortunately, the formula, for me at least, was not ideal. Talc and Titanium Dioxide break me out and I did, indeed, break out from this product. Too bad Clinique doesn’t apply this all-embracing policy to all of its other foundations.
Ingredients: Talc, Silica, isostearyl Palmitate, Methicone, Nylon-12, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Alumina, Triethoxycaprylyisilane, Tetrasodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Chromium Oxide Greens, Mica, Manganese Violet, Ultramarines, Carmine, Bismuth Oxychloride, Orange 4 Lake, Red 30 Lake.
Cost: $22.50
PRESCRIPTIVES: Virtually Fresh Skin Refining Makeup SPF15
Prescriptives Virtually Fresh Skin Refining Makeup
This foundation won Allure magazine’s Best of Beauty award last year. Virtually Fresh was created to remove skin imperfections and pore visibility, leaving users with perfect looking skin. It’s basically a silicone-based foundation. The silicone acts as a primer to at least erase pores. Hiding imperfections requires some layering of the product, since it goes on a bit sheer. As usual for Prescriptives, the foundation comes in a wide range of shades, for women with yellow/orange, red/orange, red or blue/red undertones. There’s a pretty good chance of finding a color that matches your skin color and undertone.
I have a big problem with the formulation of this foundation, however. Products with alcohol in them have a tendency to make people oily when used frequently. Alcohol is drying, so the skin starts producing more oil to compensate for the loss of moisture. This foundation also contains Sodium Chloride, but it’s so low on the list I wonder if it would have an effect on the skin.
Active Ingredients: Octinoxate 1.20%, Titanium Dioxide 1.00%
Ingredients: Water\Aqua\Eau, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Porphyridium Polysaccharide Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Phospholipids, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Arginine, Isostearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetto) Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Salicylic Acid, Silica, Algae Extract, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Trehalose, Behenyl Betaine, Methoxy PEG/PPG-7/3 Aminopropyl Dimethicone, PEG-8, Butylene Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Capryloyl Glycine, Sodium Chloride, Boron Nitride, Fragrance (Parfum), Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol. [+/- Iron oOxides (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499), Titanium Dioxide (ci 77891), Mica]
Cost: $32.50
LAURA MERCIER: Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free
I did a review of the original Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer awhile ago, but I never said much about the oil-free version. This product was released after the overwhelming success of the tinted moisturizer. Instead of containing oils, it relies on ingredients such as Glycerin and Squalane to provide moisture. I personally wouldn’t try this product because it contains Squalane, which seems to break me out. I and many other women also have not tested this product because it includes Ethylhexyl Palmitate, which is considered highly comedogenic.
Because of the concerns I have about the contents of this product, I’ve never tried it on my face. So I can’t comment on how it wears on the skin. My feelings about the range of shades in the Laura Mercier line still stands. Although this company does provide foundations for women of color, it tends to shortchange women in the darker end of the spectrum. But many women will find that shades such as Fawn, Tan, Almond and Walnut do work for them.
Active Ingredients: Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate.
Other Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Disiloxane, PEG -30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Phenoxyethanol, Boron Nitride, Jojoba Esters, Magnesium Stearate, Sodium dehydroacetate, Squalane, Laryl PCA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetradibutyl Pentaerithrityl Hydroxyhydrocinnammate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearrate, Disodium Edta, PPG-15, Stearyl Ether, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. (May Contain +/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Iron Oxide (CI 77499).
Cost: $42
MAKE UP FOR EVER: Mat Velvet + Mattifying Foundation
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet +
Make Up For Ever is a cosmetics line I always recommend to people because it has such a wide range of shades with a variety of undertones. Whether you have skin the color of bittersweet chocolate or a cafe au lait complexion, you can find something that works. The Mat Velvet line, for instance, includes shades of Sand, Neutral Beige, Honey Beige, Golden Beige, Caramel, Coffee, Cognac, Brown and Chocolate.
The formula includes modified corn starch, a great ingredient to control oil. But corn starch also causes some people to break out. I’m always concerned about products that contain Sodium Chloride, aka salt. Salt is considered highly comedogenic. But as is always the case, the possible side effects depends on the sensitivity of your skin.
Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Aqua (Water), Corn Starch Modified, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Mica, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Propylene Carbonate, Propylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Parfum (Fragrance), Cyclohexasiloxane, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone. May Contain: CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491(Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides).
Cost: $34
MultiFACEted Cosmetics 