The Beauty Within

I normally shop drugstore brands for eyeshadows and lip colors only. I figure that for foundations, powders, and blushes, it’s more worth while to spend a bit more money at a department store so you can find that perfect color to match your skin. Also, I’ve always felt that department store brands tend to have better base products (base - foundations, etc.).

I was able to prove myself wrong the other day when I sauntered into my local CVS. I saw a sign at the L’oreal section that read “Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off,” so I stopped on my tracks and began checking out the products. Hey, I love a good deal, so what do you expect?

I figured I’ll get a foundation from the True Match collection to begin building my base colors, since in the back of my mind I do want to do some free-lance make up work. While I’m at it, I figured I’ll get a pressed powder for me since I’m almost out of my Stila pressed powder.

Since figuring out what color works best for each individual is hard by just staring at the products, L’oreal does something that’s quite smart. They hang these little plastic cards out with all the different shades represented as a translucent block, and you put that card about an inch in front of your wrist. Whichever color disappears is the color that matches you. Using this system, I found a pressed foundation that matched my skin perfectly.  The foundation I got was initially 1 shade too dark for me, but with the sun out lately, the shade matches my darker skin to the T.

Both products are extremely blendable, which is what you want from your base make up.  You don’t want your foundation to look streaky on your face, and you don’t want your powder to look patchy.  I find that the foundation is *gasp*, easier to apply than my beloved Nars Oil Free Foundation (don’t worry Nars, this does NOT mean that I’m abandoning you.  I still love you for everything you offer).  Both products are also oil-free, which is great for gals like me with oily, acne-prone skin.  I just wish the foundation was a bit more mattifying, but that’s the only con I have about the foundation.

I’m waiting for the next BOGO Free or BOGO 50% off sale at CVS, so I can stock up on their TrueMatch Blush.  I actually once stopped a girl to ask what blush she was wearing (well, I was in college and flyering on campus to promote Lotus Steps for my club, and had thrust the flyer into this unsuspecting girl), and she said it was from L’Oreal’s TrueMatch collection.  =D