Favorite Foundation, Concealer, Finishing Powder (& Primer): Then & Now (11 Years Later!)

What a long way foundation and concealer etc. has come since 2009!  It used to be that finding a nice, non-cakey full coverage concealer was only a high end cosmetic option.  Nowadays you can get great drugstore options.  Back in 2009, not a whole lot of people were using face primer.  The face primers that were available were usually silicone primers.  (Remember when Monistat Anti-Chaffing Gel was all the rage as an inexpensive option for a face primer?)

In 2009, I was using Clinique because I thought I was having allergies to my makeup and my makeup sponges.  It turns out I was allergic to shrimp & crustaceans in general.  I do not use Clinique anymore because they test on animals.

The KVD Lock-It Foundation has a learning curve as do most high coverage foundations.  Less is more with a foundation like this.  When people complain about cakiness with this and other high coverage foundations, it's usually because they are using WAY too much.  At the very most -- you only need ONE pump.  Use a non-silicone primer and some face mist to help the foundation spread better. You can even mix some of the primer with half a pump of foundation if you would like sheerer coverage (no need to get a separate foundation for that).  I use a nice dense brush with all of my foundations.

The same principle goes for high coverage concealer.  Slathering on high coverage concealer leads to cakiness and creasing.  Less is more.

Ta-Ta-For-Now!

Baby Luna!

March 2020 Favorites - Beauty And Bath

March continues with me finding makeup that suits me while my dark tan continues to fade.  Lots of similar tones in eyes and lips.

Hope everyone is well and is taking care during this time.

1.  Makeup Revolution The Emily Edit - The Needs Palettes:

I can wear the Emily Edit Needs palatte again.  Wasn't quite possible with the very dark tan, that I returned with, in the middle of February. I love this palette -- especially when I'm in a hurry.  Almost every thing I need is in there -- hence the name of the palette.  The one thing I wish it had a was a shimmery medium shade shadow.

2.  NYX Professional Makeup Lid Lingerie Shadow Palette:

I need to use this palette more.  As you can see, there are a lot of similarities between this palette and the Needs eyeshadows.  Again, I wish there was a shimmery medium shade for the lid in this palette.

3.  Kat Von D Shade + Light Quad in Rust:

I bought this palette for the same reason I bought the Emily Edit Needs palette.  When you have ADHD, having something that has just about everything you need in it, can help save time.  These colors are wonderful, they apply like a dream.  Again, I wish they could have put a shimmery shade in there.

4.  Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation -- Medium 59 Neutral - tan acorn with neutral undertone:

This was originally the shade I thought would work with my dark tan.  My tan had to fade a little to be able to wear this.  By the end of March I was able to mix my usual shade 52 with this.

5.  Kat Von D Eyeshadow -- Lolita:

I've featured this before.  This has got to be one of the prettiest dusty dried red rose shades.  When I use this with Wet 'n' Wild's Bed of Roses palette, it looks WONDERFUL!!!

6.  Wet 'n' Wild Rebel Rose ColorIcon Eyeshadow Quad -- Bed of Roses:

Bed of Roses has the shimmery shades and darker shades that I like, but lacks a medium matte shade.  KVD's Lolita fits the bill perfectly for that!

7.  Kat Von D 24-Hour Super Brow Long-Wear Pomade in Dark Brown:

I've featured this brow pomade several times.  I've decided that when I am done with my pencils, I want to stick with pomade.  Skinny pencils run out too fast and create a lot of waste that goes in landfills.  With a little practice, the perfect brow brush and some liquid eyeshadow mixing medium, one container of pomade can go a long way.  I've had this pomade for over a year.  It has started to dry out, but with mixing medium I can make it the texture that I like.  One I have, that I really like, and that I've had for ages, is Inglot's Duraline.  You can also place a bunch of drops of Duraline in your pomade before you close the lid.  The next time you open your pomade the Duraline should have been absorbed into the pomade.    

8.  Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed -- Opal:

I had this in February's favorites, as well.  This actually looked better during the month of March.  Not as big of a contrast.  Still glowy, but a little more subtle.

9.  Girlactik Luminous Pressed Powder -- Fair:

By the middle of March, the e.l.f. Bronzer, I was using, as face powder, was a little too much, I started mixing the L.A. Colors mineral powder that I got in Alabama with my Girlactik powder.

10. Kat Von D #70 Pomade Brow Brush:

I've had this brush on my favorites list several times.  This brush is AMAZING!  If you have sparser brows like I do and need a brush to give a defined shape with a clean edge, this is the brush!

11. Colourpop Just A Tint -- Gimme S'more: 

I just love the way these smell -- like passionfruit!!!  I got this in a bundle that emilynoel83 curated for Colourpop.  It's a warm nude color with some gloss to it.

12. Kat Von D Studded Kiss Crème Lipstick -- Cathedral:

I've loved this color for years!  It's the older formula which seems to dry to longer lasting matte finish. It's described as a satin matte coco-rose.  A beautiful color!

13. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick -- Pillow Talk:

I got this during the holiday season.  They were selling the lipstick with a free lip liner.  It's a comfortable formula and goes on with a satin-matte finish.  Pillow talk is a very flattering pinky-beige nude.

14. Black Moon Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick -- Wrath and Harvest:

I've said before that Black Moon Cosmetics makes my favorite formula of liquid lipstick. I also love the flat applicator, which I think makes it easy to define lips.  Wrath, which is a dusty rose color and Harvest with is a muted orange both fit the complexion bill in March.

15. Wet 'n' Wild PhotoFocus Pressed Powder -- Warm Light:

I love, love, love this pressed powder!  It has a satiny finish.  I've mixed this with my darker mineral powder and before my tan, mixed this with Girlactik's powder.  I will use it on its own if my skin is on the oilier side during the month.

16. Milani Baked Powder Blush -- Bellissimo Bronze:

This warmer blush suited my medium tan complexion very nicely in march.  I love Milani's Baked Powder Blushes because there is some shimmer to them.  Really makes the skin look alive.

17. ILNP Nail Lacquer -- The Magician:

ILNP makes some of the most unique nail polish ever!  Per their website: "The Magician effortlessly shifts between intense hues of red, orange, and green once applied over just about any base color."  The effect over dark nail polish is just beautiful!

18. Alba Botanicals Mega Moisture Conditioner -- Coconut Milk:

I got this from Costco.  I was needing a moisturizing conditioner that wasn't a hair mask.  This feels really nice.  The only caveat with this conditioner --  it has a LOT of slip to it.  It can make your shower or bathtub floor a bit slippery.

19. L.A. Colors Mineral Pressed Powder -- Cream Beige:

I bought this when I was in Alabama, and my e.l.f. Sunkissed Bronzer, which had hit major pan, broke while it was in my suitcase.  Argh! I couldn't find it in Target so I bought the L.A. Colors Mineral powder.  I use this with Girlactik's Luminous powder.  It goes good together!

20. China Glaze Nail Polish Liquid Leather 544:

If you like layering certain polishes over a basic black polish, this is THE one!  A YouTuber I watched several years ago tested several black polishes.  This was the only one that was opaque in one coat.

21. Josie Maran Holistic Fragrance -- Courage Vanilla Apricot:

I really love this fragrance.  I wish it was a staple in Josie Maran's line -- but alas! I hadn't worn this in a while.  I decided to use it during March and was in love all over again!

Ta-Ta-For-Now!

Week of October 13th -19th - Saturday's Makeup

Last in this Week of Makeup!  Another more "natural" look for the weekend.  I'm finding out that I wish Lime Crimes XL II palette had more shades like the one on the upper left corner.  I don't want to run out of that shade so I've been trying not to use it as much.  Otherwise I'd be using it constantly as a starting shade for the crease area.  I found out I can start going back to my Beauty Bakerie Cotton Candy Champagne Blush palette.  After I came back from Puerto Vallarta on October 5th, I found out that I had gotten a little too tan for the palette to show up the way I like it. (Yes, I lose a tan pretty fast, here, in Washington State.)  This was definitely fun to do.  I will probably come back to this in the future.

Starting tomorrow, however, I will start a week's worth of posts on what I feel are my Travel Necessities.  I travel at least three times a year.  My husband and I usually do at least one trip a year where we take a plane ride, arrive at a certain destination in the country (U.S.) and take road trips between several states. I HATE packing.  So I am on a constant quest to find the most convenient packing situation for myself.

 Ta-Ta-For-Now!

Coco looking extremely cute!

Week of October 13th -19th - Friday's Makeup

Yesterday's makeup was about creating a more natural look.  (W/all of those products -- it doesn't seem like it would look natural, does it?)  The Laura Geller powder foundation is what I use when I just don't feel like fussing too much with foundation; and, I know I won't need to have my makeup on for a long time.  Like Girlactik's Luminous Pressed Powder, the shades on the Laura Geller Balance and Brighten tend to run darker.  I'm a medium to light-medium with most other foundations.  I'm a fair with both the Laura Geller BnB and Girlactik.  Most of the shades on Juvia's Place The Nubian palette were pearlecent so I used the contour shade in Becca's Lowlight/Highlight palette for that crease contour.  I just got the Covergirl tinted balm from Amazon.  I like the way it looks!  I'm waiting for a more nude shade; but, that won't arrive until Wednesday.

Ta-Ta-For-Now!

Luna says, "Yay!  It's Caturdaaaaay!"

Week of October 13th -19th - Thursday's Makeup

Continuing the week in giving some old palettes some love!  Makeup Geek's Manny MUA palette was so exiting when it came out.  I remember watching Mirrors and Haze's YouTube tutorial video.  I was so excited to get my Manny Mua palette.  This was fun to work with again.  The LORAC Pirates of the Carribbean palette's Stargazer highlight was on of my favorites -- I wish LORAC made a single highlight in Stargazer.  I really I had originally intended to use my seldom used UD Junkie Vice Lipstick palette from a few of holidays ago.  Alas, I discovered it had gone bad.  Things had developed in the lipstick.  Yuck.  I kept the lip brush & had to throw it out.  I decided to use the one Milani Metallic lipstick I hadn't used yet.  I actually wished I had put on a different lipstick.  I think it was too much with the eye palette.  It is a really beautiful lipstick, however. 

Ta-Ta-For-Now!

Coco makes an excellent model!

Week of October 13th -19th - Wednesday's Makeup

I've really been enjoying going through my stash and pulling up these old favorites.  I forgot how much I loved UD's Jean Michele Basquiat collection! Every time I see this collection, I'm reminded of the 80's.  My Cryptic Cosmetics liquid lipsticks are kind of on their last legs and unfortunately cannot be replaced (Wah!).  I started adding my primer into the posts, yesterday.  Primer is part of how makeup turns out.  Wrong primer with a certain foundation means starting over.

Ta-Ta-For-Now

Sophie striking a pose.

Week of October 13th -19th - Tuesday's Makeup

Ta-Ta-For-Now!

Luna looking especially beautiful!

Week of October 13th -19th - Monday's Makeup

Ta-Ta-For-Now!

Coco looking serene.

Week of October 13th -19th - Sunday's Makeup

Ta-Ta-For-Now

A rare moment of Coco & Sophie sleeping together.

Favorite Primers, Foundations, Concealers and Powder

I missed this!  I do this for me and for anyone who cares to read.  I love makeup, music, gothy oddities and curiosities and books, to name a few things.  I decided to start with some makeup basics that I really like.  Enjoy!

Ta-Ta-For-Now!!!

(My friend's cat, Goblin.)