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Sephora Teint Infusion Ethereal Natural Finish

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Sephora Teint Infusion Ethereal Natural Finish FoundationWe went so long without comically long names, but Sephora Teint Infusion Ethereal Natural Finish Foundation makes two this month.

This is foundation I mentioned in my New and Noteworthy at Sephora post last month – the one that I was super excited to try? I wanted it, and in fact almost ordered it when I ordered my Silk’n Flash & Go Freedom – but being unsure of my coloring, I decided not to (yes, I know I can return/exchange it – but if I can also make a little effort before buying to see if its the right color, I’d like to. I don’t want stores to have to trash products because I was lazy. Don’t be that guy, that guy sucks).

During my most-recent Sephora trip I mentioned, before they used ColorIQ to, “match,” me, I mentioned that I was interested in the new Sephora Teint Infusion Ethereal Natural Finish Foundation and lamented its online-only status. One of the bubbly SA’s chimed in that they carried it.

What?! Are you sure?!

She was sure. Her friendly team-mates were sure.

Okay, they carry it. That is fantastic…and probablydefinitely meant I’d be making an unplanned (for that trip, anyway) purchase. ColorIQ matched me to 16 – Linen, which was comically inappropriate for my ghastly-for-me complexion. I had a friend with me and she was highly amused by the, “Oh, no – no no no,” face I made when I tried to blend it out. It probably matches the skin I’m in when I’m, you know, not in winter hibernation mode…but not now. I shook the tester for 12 – Ecru, and dispensed a single drop onto the back of my hand. Like all the other serum foundations out there (YSL Fusion Ink [costs 2.5x as much], Perricone No Foundation-Foundation Serum [more than 2x as much], bareMinerals BareSkin [$5 more, so-so reviews]), it has a very thin consistency. But don’t be dissuaded – one drop went so. damn. far. just on the back of my hand.

Insert whatever choir of angels audio springs to your mind by default. Yeah, I bought it. Is that a question?

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Worth it? Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer

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Urban Decay Naked Skin ConcealerUrban Decay Naked Skin Concealer

Urban Decay recently released a new concealer to flesh-out (ha) their Naked Skin line of products. Keeping with the line’s aesthetic, Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Concealer is packaged very similarly to the Naked Skin Foundation – a simple, cylindrical tube with a clear body and chrome-colored cap. It has launched in eight shades – fewer shades than I’d hoped for, because it still means women of color and the ghostly pale are kind of screwed for now.

I recently had the opportunity to try it at during a Naked Skin event at my local Sephora, and wanted to share my experience with it.

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Sephora’s ColorIQ is Drunk, Sometimes

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ColorIQColorIQ by Sephora & Pantone

‘Tis winter and hence I am pale. I’m not using my Million Dollar Tan because a faux-glow in February doesn’t mean much to me. Ponds Luminous Finish BB+ is the only thing that has matched me for a while, so on a recent trip to Sephora, I had them bust out the old (okay, it isn’t old at all) ColorIQ to match me.

I really love to see technology intermixing with makeup. In fact, I’ve probably talked about how much I love the idea of ColorIQ, and how innovative it is.

I was able to have the SA assisting me bypass my cheek area because I have non-rosacea redness on my cheeks sometimes that throws off the match by thinking I have pink undertones. Instead, he matched my forehead, jawline, and chin. We did get a yellow-toned match this time, but it assigned me 3Y04. Before even seeing the matches, I knew it would be too dark.

Even though it didn’t match me to an Urban Decay shade, the SA wanted to take a shot at it and grabbed 3.0 (which I’ve tried before and will in no universe match me), and 2.0 – which is actually rated for 3Y03 – which surprisingly turned out to match. But this was luck, not ColorIQ knocking it out of the park.

In what I was looking for, Sephora’s new serum foundation (I spotted it in the new and noteworthy stuff!), it matched me to shade 16 – Linen. Based on what I read online I figured I’d be that or 12 – Ecru. I swatched Teint Infusion Ethereal Natural Finish Foundation in 16, based on my ColorIQ assignment and it was hilariously dark for me. I didn’t even put it on my face – just swatching it on the back of my hand I could tell it was too much. I tried again with 12 – Ecru, and found my match but this was my own guess.

I want to love the device, I do – but it either needs further refinement, or there’s been enough user error every single time I’ve used it to not get a one-hit-one-kill match. I still think it is worth using because it gets you in the ballpark if you’re otherwise lost, but Sephora’s ColorIQ is drunk, sometimes. I’m looking forward to future versions of the device that can give us closer approximations to what we need, but I still applaud Sephora and Pantone for trying.

Lambswool Paddle – What?

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QVC is not my first stop when shopping for beauty products (often because I just forget), but they offer a lot of brands I’m interested in – Josie Maran, Philosophy, Clinique, Tarte, and a few more – so I visit every now and then because they sometimes offer impressive sales on products I like that beat the competition.

During one such curiosity-filled visit to QVC.com, I came across what looked like a bath sponge pouf on a handle:

Laura Geller Lambswool Paddle

Laura Geller Lambswool Paddle

I quickly realized that this is not a shower implement – after all, we don’t use wool scrubbers – but I still wasn’t sure what it was. I clicked through.

According to QVC this is a lambswool paddle for buffing and blending makeup to a flawless finish that is suitable for all skin types. The page continues to explain that because wool is a natural fiber, it can absorb excess product (if you were accidentally heavy-handed). Laura Geller does seem to be a Cruelty-Free brand, but vegans may want to steer clear of this because, you know, wool.

Anyway, as for use, QVC suggests that you apply your full face but before you set it with powder (if you do that) or setting spray, you should run it all over your face to blend and buff products in.

Natural fibers do tend to hang on to stuff (product, skin, oils, etc) more than synthetic, so this would be something you’d really need to keep on top of cleaning. For that matter, though, I wonder how you would approach cleaning it? It doesn’t seem like it would be the easiest thing to care for.

The Kenyan-manufactured lambswool paddle runs $17 (with like $5+ shipping) and, to my surprise, has mostly positive reviews. One reviewer complains that it is very small, the rest laud it, one going so far as to say that she is going to buy one for her daughter.

“Too much blush? Rub a bit o’ sheep on your face, honey, here you go.”

Maybe I’ve gotten complacent with my current methods (real talk: I’m not), but I can’t see myself ever dropping almost $20 on wool-on-a-stick to blend. I think it is a neat, unique idea and I’m happy if it works for other people who struggle with applying too much makeup, but it just isn’t something I’d be interested in trying or using.

I’ve seen bristled paddle brushes with a similar purpose, but never this. Have you ever seen any products utilizing wool like this? Have you ever used anything like it?

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

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I feel like it has been a while since we’ve had an absurdly long product name.

Mineral-peddling beauty brand bareMinerals is has released a new face product for its loyal fans who want simple-to-use products to improve their complexion without a bunch of fuss. A mouthful, the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream claims to combine the best of tinted moisturizers, BB, and CC creams.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel CreambareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

Whoop – hold on. Really, there’s nothing that makes a CC cream especially different from a BB cream; it’s just marketing. CC usually stands for, “Color Correcting,” but it is still just a BB cream – maybe it has a bit of green to help neutralize some red, or a bit of lavender to neutralize sallowness. That doesn’t make it a different product class! So, we’ll nix that and say it claims to combine the best of tinted moisturizers and BB creams.

The bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream is an SPF 30 tinted moisturizer with a surprising first ingredient (as far as bareMinerals products are concerned, at least): Water. After that, there’s a boatload of non-mineral content – humectants, emollients, ingredients that help slow or prevent oxidation (something common with bareMinerals products). It doesn’t seem to have a super-star cast of ingredients, but it also doesn’t feature anything off the wall. It is both silicone and oil free, which is a plus if you like to avoid those things.

But it also contains mineral electrolytes that will energize your skin when you use the product. Holy shit. Really? Reading the product description makes me want to go watch Idiocracy. Even if the product contained electrolyte content, 1) it is small and 2) the skin on your face would absorb a hilariously small amount and 3) please excuse me while I beat my face off my desk at how ridiculously foolish this marketing attempt was.

Anwyay, being a tinted moisturizer, bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream offers a sheer finish which will likely be well-received by the masses of bareMinerals faithful. I, however, am a little skeptical that it is much more than a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen. Is a tinted moisturizer with SPF really worth nearly thirty dollars? I personally don’t think so (and even if I did think so, the electrolyte-marketing was really off-putting). My Ponds Luminous Finish BB+ is a third of that and isn’t relying on a lengthy, gimmicky name or marketing claims, (Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream!).

Just call the product what it is! If it’s a good product, you shouldn’t need to build a mountain of nonsense marketing buzzwords around it.

bareMinerals is selling a new complexion brush to accompany the release of the Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream, the Smoothing Face Brush.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream - Smoothing Face Brush

This duo-fibre brush has a domed head and looks as though it should blend and buff face products (tinted moisturizers, foundations, y’know). I liked the idea of the brush that was released with their serum foundation, but never got to check it out – I heard mixed reviews; some weren’t impressed, others loved it…if not for the efficacy, for the novelty. This brush, however, seems pretty straightforward and should do well with all types of facial base products. Personally, I wouldn’t buy it, preferring instead to spend my money on Sigma.

You can buy both products for $29 each at Sephora, Ulta, and bareMinerals directly, if you’re so inclined.

First Look: Silkn Flash and Go Freedom Unboxing

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Silkn Flash and Go Freedom Box

“I love shaving/waxing/epilating/depilatory-ing!” said no woman ever.

I say, “woman,” because I do know of men that enjoy shaving.

Many moons ago, a laser hair removal school was in my area – if you’d be their guinea pig, you’d get a full course of treatments for something like 75% off (this was during the Land Before Groupon). Students were supervised and guided by a licensed, experienced instructor; and all of the students were either doctors or licensed estheticians. It wasn’t unpleasant, and the first session went well – but lasting results come from a course of treatments. Unrelated circumstances prevented me from continuing, but I have wanted to ever since.

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