Review: Make Up Forever HD Foundation

I decided to try the Make Up Forever HD Foundation on whim.  This foundation was recommended to me by Sephora Beauty Consultants many times when I inquired about a new foundation.  I had read mixed reviews on this. I knew that it was a fuller coverage foundation, and I tend to stick with sheerer coverage foundations or tinted moisturizers.  I was a bit disappointed with the NARS Sheer Glow that was recommended to me as well. Don't get me wrong, it was nice.  It just wasn't extraordinary to me and certainly not worth the pricetag.  I decided to just get color matched for this and get a sample when I was at Sephora one day (I don't get over there often.  The closest Sephora stores are bout about an hour away.)  I was matched to 150 and given a pretty generous sample.  I was able to get about 4 days use of it, and there is still some left over.   I fell in love with the coverage and the feel of this foundation.  To me, it was everything it was hyped up to me and more.  It blended like a dream.  It didn't cake up on my forehead (like the NARS Sheer Glow did).  It didn't make me look oily either. It feels so light on the skin, yet it covers so well. The only problem that I found was the color.  It looked okay in person, but in photographs, I had a white cast on my face and looked a bit ashy.  I felt that the undertone wasn't right either.   When I went back to Sephora with my 15% Beauty Insider coupon, I asked to be matched again.  This time, the woman tried 153 and 170 on me.  She tried both of this along my jawline. 170 was visibly too dark, and didn't blend in to match quite right.  153 was a pretty great match, and I ended up purchasing it with the 15% off (huge plus! yay! for discounts!) The shade is called Golden Honey and for Medium Skin with Olive Undertones.  (150 is called Pink Beige and is for medium skin with dark beige undertones.)

My Thoughts:

My skin looks flawless, yet natural with this on.  It photographs really well too.  I had a blemish, and it was literally invisible when I was photographed with this on.  I am never one to look for a full coverage foundation, just because I imagined that they would feel heavy and look cakey.  This definitely does not.  My skin is sensitive, and this doesn't irritate it, which is a huge plus in my book as well.  I also find that this wear quite well, for me.  I don't use a primer with any foundation.  I found this to last all day.  (Everyone's skin is different though.  There are several primers out there that are high rated, including one by Make Up Forever.)  I also love the packaging of this.  It has a pump, just like with the Make Up Forever HD Blushes. Very hygienic & keeps things from getting messy!  The only downside, in my book, is the pricetag.  This retails for $40 (Sephora), and you get 1.01 oz of product.  I plan to use this for days when I want extra coverage and a flawless, yet still natural look, as well as for special occasions.  This would get quite expensive if I used it everytday, but it's well worth it.  Excellent product- Excellent Quality.  There are 25 shades, ranging from very pale to very deep, with a wide variety of undertones.  That's a major plus for accommodating a wide variety of skintones.  I hate when companies only have a few shades to choose from.  

   

Overall/Conclusions: 

This really does give your skin a flawless finish in real life and in photographs, while still looking natural.  The pump is great. There are 25 shades to choose from with numerous undertones to suit a wide variety of customers.  There's an excellent selection of shades for women of color.  This did not irritate my skin, unlike some other face products that I've used, which is a huge plus in my book.  If you have sensitive skin, this is worth a shot.  If you want flawless coverage that looks natural & doesn't look cakey or feel heavy, this is for you! If you have trouble finding a perfect shade, you have a good chance of finding your perfect shade with this foundation.  This is great if you take a lot of flash photography as well.  I highly recommend checking this out.  Get a sample at your local Sephora and try this out for a few days to see if it's suitable for you.  (If you don't have a Sephora near you, you can always order it online and try it out. The return policy at Sephora is really great.)


Price: $40 
Size: 1.01 oz
Availability: Exclusive at Sephora & Make Up Forever Boutiques 

See For Yourself!

*So far, I've tried the Make Up Forever HD Foundation and the Make Up Forever HD Blushes. (I have the blush in #14, which is love.  I purchased and returned #12, because the color was a bit too strong for me. I also have a generous sample of #3.)  I'm impressed with the quality of both of these products, and I would love to try more products from Make Up Forever.  They are giving MAC a run for their money in my book.  I wouldn't mind trying out the Make Up Forever Face & Body for summer.  I have MAC's Face & Body, and I'm not 100% happy with their shades options.  Make Up Forever has a wide variety of shades to choose from.*

FOTD 4/10/2011: Tropical Paradise

  

  

I went for a very bold look today, which is unusual for me.  I went to the local outlet mall on Saturday and purchased some MAC goodies from the CCO.  I'm used two of those products for this look.

Face:
Avon Smooth Minerals Liquid Foundation Pure Beige
Cheeks:
MAC Full Fuchsia Blush (Pro- from CCO)
Eyes:
MAC Eyeshadow Sweet & Punchy (from To The Beach collection- CCO) & Maybelline One by One Volume Express Mascara in Blackest Black
Lips: Random Pink Clinique Lipgloss (freebie from Clinique lol)

It was really warm out today, 79 degrees, which is a heat wave compared to the weather that we've had the past few weeks.  It had been in the 40's and 50's, with a lot of rainy and windy days.  Today, it actually felt HOT outside.  I was out in a tank top and short denim shorts! It felt nice not to have to wear a heavy hoodie or jacket!  I thought that this makeup look complimented the weather quite well, as it has a bold, tropical feel to it.  The bold cheeks are a change for me, but I had a lot of fun with this look.  It's nice to change this up a bit from the usual natural looking makeup.

  

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My HG Foundations & Comparisons!

After much searching, I've finally found two foundations that I consider HG (Holy Grail) status, and surprisingly, they don't cost a fortune (2 thumbs up for saving $$$)!  Those are the two that I currently rotate.  So far, I've tried MAC's Studio Moisture Tint in two shades, MAC's Face & Body foundation, MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, Benefit's Playsticks, Benefit's You Rebel Tinted Moisturizer, L'oreal's Visible Life Foundation, Covergirl's CG Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer and Foundation, Tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer, NARS Sheer Glow, Avon Smooth Minerals Liquid Foundation, and Covergirl Natureluxe Silk Foundation.  Out of all of those, two that have currently reached HG foundation status are the Avon Smooth Minerals Liquid and the Covergirl Natureluxe.  (I really like the Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay tinted moisturizer, as well.  That one is my favorite tinted moisturizer for the warmer days when I like a bit more SPF.  I did like the L'oreal foundation.  I HATED the CG Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer and Foundation, but the other foundations that I've tried are give or take.  I'm not really crazy about them.  I could give or take, and I most likely wouldn't repurchase any of them)

Price & Availability:
I think that the Avon Smooth Minerals Liquid and the Covergirl Natureluxe are both awesome products that have a very awesome price tag.  The price of both of these combined (at full price) is $24.99.  The NARS Sheer Glow costs a whopping $42 plus $5 extra if you want the pump for it, and you get the same amount of product (1oz) as you do with the Avon and Covergirl.  (Sheer Glow's glass bottle is crappy and hard to get the foundation out without the pump.  For that kind of money, the pump should be included.)  The Avon Smooth Minerals foundation is originally $11, however, during certain Avon campaigns, you can find this at a reduced rate.  Avon sometimes even has sales for their foundations, where you can get buy one, get one free!  Right now, Campaign 9 is going on, and the Smooth Minerals foundation is $7.99.  I actually got to purchase it from one of the Demo books, because I'm a rep.  I purchased it for $4.39, which is an awesome steal!  The Covergirl Natureluxe foundation retails from between $9.99-$13.99, depending on where you purchase it.  I've seen it on sale at Walmart and Target for $9.99, and I've seen it at the drugstores for $13.99.  However, a lot of times the various drugstores have BoGo sales, where you can get Covergirl (& other) products buy one, get one 50% or buy one, get one free.  I've also seen 40% sales on Covergirl products in various drugstore weekly ads.  The prices are both affordable.  You get 1 ounce of product in each, and a little goes a long way.  A nice thing about the Covergirl Natureluxe foundation is that it's easily accessible.  It is available at supercenters, such as Walmart, Target, & KMart, as well as most drugstores.  The Avon Smooth Minerals foundation is available through your local Avon representative or from avon's website.  If you order directly from a local rep, you avoid a shipping fee that you may encounter if you order online.  However, their are often coupon codes available for free shipping.

Comparisons:
Both of these foundations are lightweight.  The Covergirl Natureluxe performs exactly as described on the bottle.  It truly does have that barely-there feels, while still giving flawless coverage.  It doesn't feel heavy or look cakey at all.  I was truly impressed, because I had been disappointed with the Covergirl Tinted Moisturizer and CG Smoothers Foundation.  I was reluctant about even trying this new one.  I decided to try it after reading and watching reviews online and on Youtube.  I'm glad I gave this one a try.  I purchased this at 20% for Rite Aid with my wellness card.  The Covergirl Natureluxe has an SPF of 10, which isn't very high, but it's better than nothing.  I really like the coverage of this one.  The coverage is light to medium, and it's definitely buildable.  This has more coverage than the Avon Smooth Minerals.  I use this one when I want a little more coverage and want I want a more matte finish.  The Avon Smooth Minerals has a dewy finish, but not overly so.  The Avon Smooth Minerals is described as sheer to medium coverage.  It's on the sheerer side, but it's buildable as well.  I love the natural looking finish of this one.  Both of these foundations look very natural and are light.  These are perfect for everyday use.  The Smooth Minerals is a more liquidy consistency than the Natureluxe.  They both remind me of a tinted moisturizer almost, just because of their consistencies.  I tend to reach of the Smooth Minerals more than with the Natureluxe because the consistency is a tad lighter, and I find that my skin tends to actually look better after I take it off.  The Smooth Minerals is marketed by Avon to be safe for sensitive skin and to be good for your skin even after you take it off.  I think that is true, atleast in my experience with it.  I'm not a fan of mineral powder makeup, but I really like the liquid. With my experiences with mineral powder foundations, they have felt heavy and looked cakey.  I was still interested in using mineral makeup, and this liquid version caught my eye as soon as I saw it a few months ago.  I'm glad I finally tried it, because I really like it alot.  I have sensitive skin.  My t-zone can get somewhat shiny during the warmer months, but my forehead is drier.  Both of these foundations have worked well with my skintype.


Overall:
I'd definitely recommend both of these if you want light to medium, buildable coverage that truly feels lightweight on the skin.  Some foundations can feel heavy on the skin, like you are wearing makeup.  Neither of these feel that way.  You can't even feel that you have anything on your face.  In my opinion, the Natureluxe has more flawless looking coverage (but still natural).  If you're a fan of mineral makeup and have sensitive skin but don't like the mess or feeling of the powder, you are going to love the Avon Smooth Minerals Liquid foundation.  Both of these get an A+ in my book.  Check them out!!


Check out my Avon/Mark store for great deals, as well as the Avon Smooth Minerals line!!  Give the Smooth Minerals Liquid Foundation a try by shopping my store! :)
http://smathianas.avonrepresentative.com -