What I Thought// Maybelline Fit Me Stick Foundation

I don't know what exactly drew me to this foundation to be honest. I never tried the Maybelline Fit Me liquid foundation because it's not exactly targeted for my specific skin type but for some reason, I was drawn to this one. It could be due to the fact that it was receiving fairly good reviews on YouTube, or the fact that it stated that it was a "shine free" foundation. With that said, I basically hunted this down when I went to the States last month - if you're Canadian you know it takes ions for us to get anything new - and finally found one at Wal-Mart. I believe it was about $8-10 USD. 

This foundation, as stated above, claims to be shine free. It's a gel stick foundation with what is marketed as an "anti-shine" core to "instantly" dissolve oil. I picked up the shade 220 Natural Beige because between this one and the shade above, this one looked like it had yellower undertones. It is smidgen light for my skin however it works well if I keep it away from the perimeter of my face [which generally tends to be darker anyway..]. 

I find the fact that it's a stick foundation to be rather convenient if you're on the go. I've heard it applies best when blended out with fingers, however if I'm not in a hurry I like to blend it out with my MAC #130 duo-fibre brush. I would say the coverage is light to medium however it's definitely something I'd recommend using on good skin days, or if you don't really need full coverage to begin with. 

As for it's "shine free" claims.. to be honest I don't think it hold true to those claims. The "anti-shine" core is supposed to dissolve excess oils however I find that I get oily quicker with this foundation than I do with the Revlon Nearly Naked [Review HERE]. I would probably recommend this foundation to those with normal skin because it doesn't hold up amazingly against oily skin, however because it's in a stick formulation I don't think it'd agree with dry patches either - it may even accentuate them more than you'd like. If you're a teen whose just starting out with makeup this might be for you as well as it's easy to use and take with you on the go. Otherwise.. it's not my favourite.

xoxo

What I Thought// Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

I picked this up a while ago when it was on promo for a combo pack of the foundation and powder for $11CDN, which mind you.. is quite a steal because you're basically getting one of the products for free! And who doesn't like such an awesome deal? I picked mine up from Wal-Mart and got the shade 170 Natural Beige - which was a tad dark on me at the time - however since I've actually been out and about in the sun this summer I've acquired quite a darker colouring [*the pale asian in me squeals with excitement*] so being that this was the only foundation to match me during the warm months, it has been my go to foundation for pretty much all of summer. 

It's got a light to medium buildable coverage and is definitely a dewy foundation. Being an oily skinned gal myself, this could either turn out a disaster or.. on the odd occasion, work out! Either way, it's what I've been using lately and while I do find myself having to blot a few times - not that blotting or getting oily throughout the day is foreign to me - I'm pretty pleased with it. While my skin is oily, I don't always want a matte foundation because I do get the occasional dry patches and matte finishes can look really flat and unnatural. 

I use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply it and set it with powder. Overall, I would recommend this foundation to those with dry to normal skin. However, if you're combo to oily this could work for you! If you turn out an oil slick within an hour then I'd definitely steer clear of this foundation. And finally, for those of you who are like me who don't always want a matte finish and don't mind touching up throughout the day, then you might want to check this little number out the next time you're at the drugstore!

xoxo

P.S. I'd say my only gripe with it is that it doesn't have a pump [BOO!] and due to the fact that it's on the liquidy side of formulations, it can be a little messy if you're not careful..

What I Thought// MAC Matchmaster Foundation

I picked up the MAC Matchmaster Foundation a while back when I finished my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (which I miss dearly btw..) and I thought I'd share my thoughts on it.

This is one of MAC's newer foundation that claims to adjust to your skin tone with the use of "Shade Intelligence Technology". I always found products with a "self-adjusting" claim to be quite gimmicky, although when I first tried a sample of this foundation, I was actually impressed with its ability to adjust quite closely to my skin tone. 

I initially bought this in the shade 3.0, which is what the MAC associate advised for me since I told her I was NC30 in the MAC Studio Fix Fluid and Pro Longwear, but I exchanged it for the shade 2.0 because I found that the 3.0 oxidized on me (turning me an unflattering oompa loopma orange). 

Bare Face

Left (w/Foundation) vs. Right (w/o Foundation)

This foundation claims to have a demi-matte finish with medium, buildable coverage and has an SPF of 15. I actually agree with the claims because it was definitely matte with a slight glow that doesn't make you look greasy, and I could still see my skin peeking through. It's definitely not as thick as the Studio Fix Fluid, but easier to blend than the Pro Longwear. I also found that it held up better against my oily skin than Pro Longwear did.

Whole Face w/ Foundation

Full Face of Makeup

I find that I rarely have to blot throughout the day with this and I love that I don't necessarily have to set it with powder because it sets fairly quickly. Now, that doesn't mean you have to work quickly to blend it out, but it doesn't have that annoying tacky feeling when you're anxiously waiting for it to set so you can move on with the rest of your face. 

Overall, I'm impressed with this foundation and I appreciate that it sticks relatively close to its claims. It's probably one of MAC's foundations that I can actually openly recommend without picking out its flaws. 

xoxo