Since I have moved to the South my skin hasn’t been as dry as it was in the City of Angels, Los Angeles afterall is a desert basin so not much moisture in the air. The flip side of my more hydrated skin is that my former foundation routine is now null and void. The beautiful products I coveted formerly–Cover Girl NatureLuxe and Smashbox BB Cream melt off my face the minute I open the front door. I think I mentioned that my husband even commented on my ‘different color skin’ and wondered why I would do that to myself. I previously really loved the Korres mineral foundation and it is what I wore when I eloped, but they have limited colors and it seems I am not as pale (read translucent) as I formerly was and thus there’s not a shade that fits my new skintone (off-translucent). My main criteria for foundation is that it doesn’t dry out my already dry skin, that it covers my hyper-pigmentation on my cheeks, has an SPF of atleast 20 and makes it look like I just have clean, fresh skin and no make-up. I suppose you can sum it up as a ‘freshly scrubbed’ visage. I used to love the Cargo OneBase concealer + foundation but it was discontinued from Sephora where I usually have a gift certificate from friends and family that know about my severe beauty addiction, so I never shop at any other beauty store. I did find it at Ulta the other day and against my better budget judgment I bought it. My rationale was that a little goes a long way, my last one lasted me almost the entire year so if I amortized it, it would basically be pennies on the dollar. I had some Laura Mercier tinted foundation (another product that a little goes a long way), which I like to use when I am just running around doing errands, but it’s very sheer and doesn’t disguise the blotches of hyper-pigmentation on my cheeks, when I put the two together it became my new winning combination. How do I gauge this complexion perfection? My husband looked at me the other day and said, “This is how I like you best no make-up”. I just smiled, who am I to crush his delusional mind?
P.S. If you haven’t already don’t forget about the Stationery Stamp giveaway, lot’s of winners to be had!
I am a huge Laura Mercier fan and I agree with you and LOVE the tinted foundation.
She really does a great job on making non-make-up-y make-up. Her primer is quite nice as well, but I don’t need it if I just use the tinted moisturizer. Isn’t that sooo much more info than you needed?
You must try the Smashbox BB Cream again in the fall, then. I’ve been wearing it in New Orleans this summer and I love it so, so much! My husband has mentioned how beautiful my skin looks, even my grandmother mentioned how lovely my complexion was.
Here’s my routine for summer heat and humidity:
1. Moisturizer (because, like you, I have dry skin)
2. Smashbox BB Cream
3. a LIGHT dusting of Raw Natural Minerals foundation as a finishing powder (my favorite mineral makeup of all time!)
My skin looks practically perfect after all of that, but still natural, and I find it still looks good 8 hours later – no small feat in a New Orleans summer!
Suzonne your skin ALWAYS looks flawless and your Raw Naturals is TOP on my list to get when I run out of my current mineral stash. I am up for trying anything that makes my skin look as beautiful as yours;)