Benefit Oxygen Wow! Foundation Review

Shade: Toasted Beige

First Impressions:

Dewy Finish 

Pros:

The shade is perfect for me!! Not too light or too dark.  Blends really well.  No annoying foundation lines- huge plus!!

Decent coverage (medium).  Feels lightweight.

Looks so natural- like my skin only better.

Did a nice job of covering up flaws (didn't have to use concealer)

Cons:

Had to set with powder (MAC Studio Careblend) & had to touch up 2 additional times throughout the day because this made my face oily in the T-Zone.  I don't have this issue with my other foundations.  I never have to touch up my MAC Studio Sculpt.  (This won't be replacing that.)

Overall Thoughts:

I need something that lasts me all day at work without budging or having to touch up. This is a bit too dewy for my skin type.  I would recommend this for very dry skin or mature skin.  It would work really well.  If this didn't make me oily throughout the day, I would LOVE this foundation.  I received in a swap on Makeupalley.  I'm glad I didn't spend the money on this at Sephora.  I'll be wearing this on lazy days when I have to run errands and such.  I prefer a long lasting foundation for work.  This won't replace the MAC Studio Sculpt foundation, but it is a nice one. It just didn't work on my skin type very well.

(update: 11/18/12- I've been using this for the past week & loving it.  I set it with the MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder & it works well.  I will purchase this when my deluxe size runs out.)

Good Job Benefit!

Oct 2012 Favorites

Foundations:
Make Up Forever Face & Body (#34) -for light/med coverage)
MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation (NW40) -for full coverage
I absolutely adore both of these foundations.  I have sensitive skin, and I can't wear many foundations consistently.  I can wear both of these foundations consistently without them irritating my skin.  They both feel lightweight and natural on my skin, which I love.
(FYI: I do not use a primer.  When I do set my foundation, I use the MAC Studio Careblend pressed powder in Medium/Dark)

Powder: 
MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder (medium/dark)
My 2nd compact of this.  This is the only powder I will wear.  It stays in my purse. The coverage is fantastic with the powder puff.  I use this instead of concealer cause it covers to well.  This is great to set tinted moisturizers and lightweight foundations with, because it still looks so natural.  This has a demi/matte natural looking finish.  If you're looking for matte finish or oil-control, I would suggest maybe the MAC Blot Powder or Mark Mattenificent. 

Bronzer: 
NARS Casino- I LOVE this bronzer.  I use it everyday for contour & then I apply my blush.  So glad I got this one over Laguna.  You get a good bit of product in this compact & a little goes a long way.  I definitely feel like it's worth the price. 

Blushes:
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush- Dollface- baby doll pink. perfect for everyday use.  There is no shimmer in this blush, which makes it so nice for daily use. blends really well & long lasting 

Mark Just Blushing- Lovespell- baby doll pink. really good pigmentation & lasts all day (as it's advertised to).  This is actually really similar the the Tarte Dollface. 

Lipgloss: 
Mark Glow Baby Glow in M.Powerment Peach (peach/coral) & Peek-a-Boo (nude)
love these & they aren't sticky at all.
Mark Juice Gems- Raspberry - love the sheer berry shade for fall & non-sticky. 
Lipstick: 
MAC Creme Cup- great everyday nude/pink shade.  nice creamy formula

Mascara: 
Covergirl Natureluxe Mousse Mascara for length 
Rimmel Bold Curve MAX (green tube) for volume

Eyeliner:
Mark No Place To Run eyeliners- stays put all day & doesn't tug

FOTD: Oct 29,2012 (Ft. MAC STUDIO SCULPT SPF 15)

MAC STUDIO SCULPT SPF 15 FOUNDATION  *NW40*

CHEEKS: TARTE AMAZONIAN CLAY BLUSH *DOLLFACE*

EYES: REVLON SMOKEY SHADOW STICK, RIMMEL BOLD CURVE MASCARA

1st Impressions: MAC Studio Sculpt

MAC STUDIO SCULPT 

Spf 15

I've been watching youtube reviews on this foundation and reading about it online.  A lot of makeup artists use this on photo shoots.  The Jersey Shore girls wore this one of their promo shoots.  The fact that it's a gel based foundation interested me.  I like nice coverage, that still has a natural look & feel.  I had been using MAC's MatchMaster foundation in shade 5.0 for days when I wanted good coverage and for special occasions, but lately, that foundation has been looking well "foundationy" (& I don't like to look like I'm caked with makeup).  I wanted a change for days when I wanted medium to full coverage, without looking overly made up.  I already have a foundation for light (everyday coverage). 


I was going to order this in NC42, based on recommendations from the online artists at MAC.  I decided to wait, and I went to the MAC counter when I was at the big mall (45 min away) on Saturday.  The artist actually found me the perfect match this time.  (Usually, at that particular counter, I'm always matched either too light or too dark.)  My MAC artist matched the side of my face (along the jawline) & said "Wow! I'm good!".  I was impressed too.  NW40 matched me spot on (her first choice for me).  My girl friend who was with me even was impressed.  She said it matched so well it didn't even look like I had makeup on.  (& She would tell me if my makeup wasn't right.)  

(a little bit wet from the constant rain, but surviving Sandy)

I have been wearing this for the past 3 days, and I must say, I'm impressed.  When I asked the MAC artist what the difference between this & the MatchMaster were, she told me that the MasterMaster is more matte & oil-obsorbing, while the Studio Sculpt is more moisturizing (great cause my skin is drier in the colder months) and has better coverage.  I like that it's water based. The coverage is fantastic, but it doesn't look heavy or cakey.  This is buildable as well.  A little goes a long way.  You don't need much to get good coverage.  This covers blemishes, dark areas, and even darkness under the eyes.  I don't even need to use concealer with this. The MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder is nice to set this with, though I prefer wearing the foundation on it's own.  It's been raining nonstop here since Sunday, with Hurricane Sandy in the works, but this didn't budge or get messed up in the rain (unlike the MAC Studio Moisture Tint).  This stayed put all day for me & wore really well.  I had it on for 10 1/2 hours yesterday, and at the end of the day, it still looked just as fresh as it did when I put it on in the morning before work.  (I have no tried this with a primer yet).  

First Impressions: Overall, I really like this foundation.  It's nice for normal to dry skin, has a natural finish & great coverage.  It doesn't look or feel cakey & felt lightweight on my skin.

*I recommend always getting a sample of the foundation & getting color matched to ensure the correct shade.  Everyone's skin is different & it's always smart to try before you buy.*

Top 5 Foundations

#1. Covergirl & Olay Tone Rehab (shade 157)- LOVE this foundation! This is my go to foundation for everyday use.  Feels lightweight, great coverage (buildable/medium), doesn't look cakey when built up, smooth finish, smooth application & blends like a dream. The finish is a natural finish (not matte).  Easily accessible at drugstores & super centers (Walmart/Target). Affordable. Nice range of shades. My skin is sensitive & I can wear this consistently with no issues. I love this foundation for work because it lasts all day & has nice coverage without looking "made up".
($12.98 Walmart)

#2. Mark Got The Goods Foundation Lotion (shade 6)- This is more along the lines of a tinted moisturizer.  I've been loving this new foundation by Mark.  It's similar to the Covergirl & Olay Tone Rehab but with less coverage.  It has a very smooth application & is blends like a dream.  This feels great on the skin & makes the skin feel very smooth and soft.  The coverage is light but can be built up without looking cakey.  (However, if you want full/matte coverage you won't care for this.)  This has a dewy/natural finish.  Perfect for days when you want a polished look with enough coverage to smooth away flaws but not be fully made up.  I wear this when I don't want a lot of coverage.  This did last for me all day, and I've been wearing this a lot lately to work.  I switch off between the Covergirl & Olay & this foundation.  I reach for the Covergirl when I want more coverage, but usually, I've been wearing this basically everyday to work.  It is on the pricier side ($18)- more expensive than drugstore foundations but less expensive than department store brands such as NARS, DIOR, & MAC. 

#3. Make Up Forever Face & Body Foundation (shade 34)- First of all, I was just checking this out on Sephora's website & I swear that the price went up.  I remember the price being in the mid to high $30 range but never $40!  I love the lightweight consistency of this foundation.  This is a liquid foundation that actually has the texture of a liquid (not creamy like a lot of "liquid" foundations).  It has a runny, mousse like texture.  It's not as runny as the MAC version nor does it feel sticky on the skin like the MAC one can  Also, for as lightweight as this is, the coverage is fantastic.  It's flawless & this feels virtually weightless on the skin, like you're wearing nothing on you're face. I wear this when I want something lightweight but want decent medium coverage.  Lasts all day & is waterproof! This is a great Summer foundation & perfect for the beach/vacations.   The downside is the price.  It's $40 & avail at Sephora & Make Up Forever boutiques.

#4. NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (St. Moritz)-  This tinted moisturizer has FANTASTIC coverage & covers better than most foundations.  SPF 30 which is great for Summer & is moisturizing without making skin feel greasy or look oily. As I mentioned, my skin is sensitive, and I can't wear a lot of products with SPF because they tend to irritate my skin.  I can wear this with SPF 30 with no issues.  Great when you want something lightweight but with great coverage.  This is pricy - $40 & avail at Sephora & NARS counters.  I purchased mine at beauty.com with 20% promo code (they have tons of sales there!). 

#5.MAC Matchmaster Foundation (shade 5.0)-  I love how these shades of this foundation as neutral (perfect for my skintone which isn't too warm or too cool).  This formula is supposed to adapt to your skin tone & shade 5.0 is the perfect MAC.  (In other MAC foundations, I'm NC40/42) .  This foundation has amazing coverage (full with demi-matte/natural finish).  It's buildable.  I use this when I want FULL coverage, while still giving me a natural look.  Also, it photographs beautifully.  It's $33 (more expensive than other MAC foundations), but you also get more for your money.  This is the only full coverage foundation that I can wear consistency without it irritating my skin.  Covers EVERYTHING while still looking natural.  Now that's a WINNER! (great shade range too for very light to very dark skin tones!)

FOTD: OCT 17,2012 ft Mark Got The Goods Foundation

Face: Mark Got The Good Foundation (*new*) shade 6 & Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer Park Ave Princess (cheeks)
Lips: Mark Juice Gems Lipgloss Raspberry 

Holiday Makeup Ideas

NARS Casino Bronzer, MAC My Highland Honey Blush

Eyes: MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, Sephora Glitter Liner

Lips: MAC Kissable Lipcolour Enchantee