ISO: A New Foundation Routine

For a while now I have been in search of a new foundation routine. Before it started to get really hot I was enjoying the light Tinted Moisturizer from Mary Kay and if I wanted a little extra coverage, I would top it with the loose powder from Mary Kay. Then I started noticing that the warmer it was getting outside, the more I began to break out. In addition to that, I always have issues with facial sweating but in the Alabama heat, it's about 100 times worse than in the winter months. One Sunday I was HORRIFIED. I applied my tinted moisturizer and powder as normal and went off to church. There was an issue that day with the A/C coming on in the room that I lead children's worship in but I just did the best I could with it. After worship, I went into the bathroom and the moisturizer was literally STREAKS running down my face and the powder was all clumping up and I thought at that moment I could not continue to go on like that throughout the summer months, especially singing and dancing around with kids each week!

So, I set out on a hunt for something new. I am not one for immediately jumping to high end products without trying more affordable ones first, especially ones I know I can get coupons for! I began watching videos and reading blogs from other people who have tried and reviewed different primers, foundations and powders. I also sat down and watched some people's foundation routines on You Tube just to see what others are doing and why they are doing it. I figured I might be able to come across someone who has some of the same concerns that I do! I then made some notes about ones I might want to try and set out to the makeup section in Target the last time I was there. 

I decided to start with a Sonya Kashuk Blending Sponge and the Revlon Colorstay Foundation (I also purchased Revlon Airbrush foundation but have not tried it on my face. I was not really turned on by the one swatch I did, so I haven't gone there yet.) I couldn't, however, find any primer that I was interested in trying. I did see several rave reviews about Elf's primer but since I haven't had luck with any other Elf products I've tried, I figured that wasn't a good place to start for me. I ended up purchasing a Hard Candy primer the next day when I went to Walmart. 

*One point I want to make about my decision to purchase the Sonya Kashuk blending sponge is that I was rather humored by the reviews I found on beauty blenders on You Tube. Now, for those of you that are familiar with the different beauty blenders you know that they are special sponges, varying in shape and size, that are used damp to apply your face products for a more "air brushed" finish. Also, if you don't already know, you need to know that the Sonya Kashuk sponge is $10 LESS than the pink, egg-shaped, beauty blender. Here is where the humor comes in: I would find several reviews from people RAVING about the SK sponge. They would give an awesome review, show proof of the product with before and after pictures, and go on about how they wouldn't go back now that they had it. Then, you would find a later video where they would state that they keep seeing videos from other people about this pink TWENTY DOLLAR (YIKES!) sponge and they just HAVE to try it. <Blank stare inserted here.> Are people so desperate for perfection that the things they once thought were perfect aren't perfect enough any more?? Anyway, they would buy the pink ones, fall in love and never go back to the SK one. <Rant completed. Sorry.>*

Unless my SK sponge causes me some kind of mental agony... I officially have NO intention of purchasing a beauty blender (A $20 sponge.) with my own hard-earned money. 

Today I decided to give all 3 products a try. I am very very pleased with the coverage, wear and ease of application of ALL products I used this morning! This is the first time EVER that I have ZERO complaints! I am on my way headed out to an outside-in-alabama-heat birthday party and am looking forward to seeing how it holds up chasing the kids around in this nonsense we call weather here! LOL So here is my face of the day along with all the products I used. I will be letting you all know tomorrow how it held up outside and I intend on giving a final opinion review in a couple weeks!!

Moisturizer: Philosophy "Take A Deep Breath" (sample received as part of my $10 June Glam Bag Subscription)

Primer: Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer: Ultra Light Formula ($8 - Walmart)

Foundation: Revlon Colorstay Makeup in #250 Fresh Beige for Oily/Combination skin ($9.99 - Target) applied with Sonya Kashuk Blending Sponge ($10.49 - Target)

Powder: Mary Kay Loose Powder in Ivory #1 ($14.00  - Local Mary Kay Rep)

Eyes: NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk ($4.49 - Ulta), Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Illuminating Black (From the Trio for Hazel Eyes - $9.49 - Walmart), Covergirl Eye Enhancers in #710 Champagne- $3.39 at CVS), Mary Kay Mineral Eye colors in Espresso and Lavender Fog ($6.49 each - Local Mary Kay Rep), Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara (Part of the realEYES Natural Smokey Eye set from Ulta for $32 - $19.99 separately at Ulta), Tarte multiplEYE Lash Primer (Part of the realEYES Natural Smokey Eye set from Ulta for $32 - $22.00 separately at Ulta)

Lips: Mary Kay Lipstick in Raisinberry (My ABSOLUTE fav lipstick ever!!) ($13.00 - Local Mary Kay Rep)

*All products were purchased on my own unless otherwise noted. Some products, such as the Cover Girl Eye Shadow, were free or highly discounted due to couponing efforts on my part. If you would like any information on how I use coupons in my purchase of makeup, please let me know in the comments and I will be happy to post about that!*


*Please remember all opinions expressed above are my own and of my own experiences.*