YVES SAINT LAURENT: Perfect Touch Radiant Brush Foundation
Yves Saint Laurent Perfect Touch
The $52 cost of the foundation probably has to do with the cutting edge ingredients used in the formulation. But the ingredients list also includes sodium chloride and hexylene glycol, which can irritate the skin. The product also contains fragrance, a troublemaker for those with sensitive skin.
Ingredient list: Cyclomethicone, Aqua (Water), Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Hexylene Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Phneoxyethanol, Propylene Carbonate, Polyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer, C9-13 Fluoroalcohol, Phosphphoric Acid, Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract, Fructose, Glucose, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum (Fragrance), Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Trisodium Edta, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Castanea Sativa (Chesnut) Seed Extract, Octenyl Succinic Anhydride, Polydodecanamideaminium Triazadiphenylethenesulfonate, Silica, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Alanine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Urea, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Larix Europea Wood Extract.
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $52
PRESCRIPTIVES: Virtual Matte Foundation SPF 15
Prescriptives Virtual Matte Foundation
Prescriptives is known for its wide range of shades. Its products are conveniently segmented into groups for women with yellow/orange, red/orange, red and blue/red undertones. Although its foundation colors might not suit everyone, it’s worth giving the line a try. On the plus side, Prescriptives offers some fairly dark shades for women with yellow undertoned skin, which is pretty rare. For those in the “hard to match” category, Prescriptives also makes customized foundations and concealers – just get it done by a specialist used to mixing shades for women of color. Their customized liquid foundation was the first foundation I ever used regularly.
Active Ingredients: Octinoxate 2.50%, Titanium Dioxide 0.97%
Ingredients: Purified Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Algae Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Ceramide 2, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Mannose Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Polysilicone-11, Phenyl Trimethicone, Lecithin, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Isteardimonium Hectorite, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Propylene Carbonate, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Laureth-7, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Methoxy Amodimethicone/Silsesquioxane Copolymer, BHT, Chloroxylenol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. May Contain, Mica, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $32.50
MAVEN COSMETICS: Visage Mirage Foundation (normal to oily)
Maven Visage Mirage Foundation
Maven Cosmetics, co-founded in 2002 by Chicago-based entrepreneurs Noreen Abbasi and Sandi Hwang Adam, once sat on the shelves of Sephora. These days Maven’s line can be found at spas and boutiques across the country. Their website has a list of locations.
Maven stands out because of it’s range. Visage Mirage not only offers a variety of shades complementing skin with yellow, orange or peach undertones, it also comes in normal to oily and normal to dry formulations.
I’ve never tried this foundation, but the ingredients seem relatively benign. The foundation contains a number of natural extracts that can really benefit the skin – pomegranate, for example, is a great antioxidant. But be careful, some natural ingredients can cause allergic reactions or sensitivities.
Ingredients (for normal to oily foundation): Water, Propylene Glycol, Octinoxate, Kaolin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Propylene Glycol Dipelargonate, Triethanolamine Stearate, Steareth 20, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Cetyl Dimethicone, Peg 40 Stearate, Steareth 2, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Cetyl Esters, Stearyl Alcohol, Algae Extract, Punica Granatum Extract (Pomegranate), Rosa Centrifolia Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilia Recutita Flower Extract, Tilia Cordata Flower Extract (Linden), Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract (Cornflower), Propylene Glycol, Water, Hypericum Perforatum Extract (St John Wort), Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol. May contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarine Blue, Ultramarine Violet, Chrominium Oxide Green, Manganese Violet, Mica.
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $29.50
L’OREAL: HIP Flawless Liquid Makeup
L'Oreal Hip Liquid Foundation
Count L’Oreal as one of the growing number of cosmetic companies starting to pay attention to women of color. The question is: Should these companies create separate lines for this community or should they just expand the color ranges of existing products so they match a larger ranger of skin tones and colors?
This product is a bit of a failure. It claims to be SPF 15, but it doesn’t contain a broad spectrum sunscreen ingredient. Plus it contains sodium chloride – salt – which can aggravate the skin. Wouldn’t hurt to try it, though: the salt is fairly low on the ingredients list.
Ingredients: Water, Isododecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Isoeicosane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cetyl PEG/PPG 10/1 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, C9-15 Fluoroalcohol Phosphates, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Tocopherol, Panthenol, Alumina. May Contain: Iron Oxides, Mica, Titanium Dioxide
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $13
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