The Christmas lights are blinking, the neighborhood cats are slinking, and the Dark Choclate Stars are twinkling in their dish. The decorations have been hung by the makeup counter with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
And he will…but he has to stop by the Petco first to pose for pics with a long line of eager pets and their parents (more on that in a minute).
It’s that time of year! — although you’d never know it by looking at BECCA. The beachy Australian makeup brand always seems to have one foot in the sand.
Designed for normal, combination and oily skin types, BECCA’s new Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation ($42 and available in 18 shades) showcases the brand’s trademark endless summer vibe with an almost weightless formula and a dressed-down eggshell finish that practically tiptoes on the skin.
With coverage about halfway between a tinted moisturizer and a full-coverage foundation, it’s made for guys and gals who like flexibility. Going to the beach (maybe you live in the Southern Hemisphere)? Wear it sheer by rubbing in a few dots. Or for heavier coverage, work in a pea-sized dollop all over your face, and then pat and blend a little extra wherever you need it.
What makes Radiant so rad?
- It handles combo skin like a champ! It’s easily one of the best foundations I’ve ever used on my combination skin. Not only does it take care of any slick, oily spots on my face, but it does so without drawing attention to any flakes and dry areas.
- It goes the distance. Lasts the day and looks just as fresh at 8 p.m. as it does at 8 in the morning.
- Looks like it’s been applied with an airbrush. You hear that airbrushed finish thing a lot, but I gotta say — I really do think my pores look smaller, and my fine lines look smoother, when I wear this stuff. It’s as close to a flawless finish I ever get, and yet I think skin still looks real with it on, not like it’s been plastered with product.
- The extras. Did I mention that it’s moisturizing and water resistant? It contains Ejitsu Rose and vitamin E to help skin retain moisture, to improve elasticity and to protect against damage from free radicals. Yup, and it’s alcohol-, paraben- and fragrance-free.
I love what BECCA has done here. With Radiant, they created a comfy, long-lasting, medium-coverage liquid foundation with a finish I can only describe as airbrushed.
It might be a little on the casual side for some of the super formal, full-coverage holiday makeup looks we tend to see this time of year, but that depends. If you prefer more natural makeup looks, don’t overlook BECCA Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation.
PRICE: $42
AVAILABILITY: Available now at Sephora stores, sephora.com and beccacosmetics.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+ (drugstore, it’s not, but I love this stuff)
Pet pics with Santa
So, I had to go to Petco last weekend to pick up some food for Tabs, and the place was busier than the mall! There was a long line of cats and dogs waiting to have their pictures taken with Santa, awww!
If you’re wondering…yes, I considered it. I considered rushing back home, stuffing Tabs in his carrier and bringing him back to get his picture taken with Santa, but then I remembered something very important and quickly came to my senses.
I remembered that Tabs hates…
- Unflattering overhead florescent store lighting
- Going for rides in the car
- Unfamiliar places
- Other animals
Had I gone through with it anyway, I would have forever been known by the employees of Petco as the woman with the cat who clawed Santa to pieces.
Maybe I’ll just get Tabs one of these Thundershirts instead…
They’re supposed to calm anxious kitties by creating a swaddling effect on their torso…
Not exactly sure what that means, a “swaddling effect,” but I think they look pretty cute. 🙂
I would have gotten one from Petco the other day, but they didn’t have ’em in XXL.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
That sounds like my kind of foundation! I like more of a natural look. If I look too good, I feel like a liar 😉 I’ve been using a BB cream, but I think it’s actually making me break out… 🙁
i love me some thundercats!
This looks perfect for my cousin’s wedding! I’m doing her makeup… she never wears any makeup and doesn’t want to look too done up. Do you think this would provide enough coverage for a wedding day?
Really want to try this, but I always pick the worst color matches. My nearest Sephora doesn’t carry Becca yet 🙁
What have you been using to apply this one with? I have it but sometimes I find it looks a bit patchy :S
Hi Kat,
I tried a few different application methods, but my fave by far is fingers, and then buffed down with a flat foundation brush.
Hi Karen,
I know you sometimes do swatches of multiple colors of foundation. You wouldn’t happen to have buttercup and nude on your hands would you?
Need this foundation now! Your skin looks amazing with this foundation.
This looks nice. Do you think it would work for us with oily skin?
This foundation looks *AMAZING* on you! I wonder how it would handle my oily skin! I’ve been so pleased with everything i’ve tried from Becca lately, I really want to try one of their base products now!
Wow that does look beautiful. Oh how I wish there was a drugstore dupe for this. I don’t wear too much foundation, so it would be wasteful of me to buy an expensive one. It looks wonderful on you, though!
Wow, this foundation looks great on you. I want to give it a shot but the price is pretty steep.. and I just recently bought a foundation at the drugstore. I have to use it up first. 😛
Oh geez! 😉 Almost out of my foundation (Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow) and have been shopping for a new one that absorbs better. I like the coverage I’m getting but the problem is it’ll come off on my fingers if I touch my face, or it’ll transfer onto fabric (like when I hug somebody — once left an orange-y print on someone’s clothed shoulder, aaahh). Looks like the Becca one blends in really well — and stays put?
Really! I had no idea Becca was now at Sephora (hopefully in stores!). I have wanted to try this cosmetics line for a while, but you know .. ordering online, you can’t swatch etc.
I’d love to take my dog (tri color cocker spaniel) to Petco for a Santa pic, but he’s a bit fearful and not good in new situations. I’d hate for him to nip Santa!
Cheers, Monica
Your skin looks fabulous! I wish I could swatch this in person – Shell would probably be my color though (assuming it’s pale enough, haha – porcelain is definitely overly pink though).
I’m pretty sure my boys would freak out at seeing Santa separately, let alone together. Holding them both at the same time would be impossible.
This foundation’s formula sounds like a win all around! If I didn’t already have my Urban Decay Naked foundation to finish, I would try to track this one down somehow. Thanks for reviewing this, Karen! 🙂
One year I took my cat to have her picture taken with Santa. She slapped that Santa across the face like a soap opera diva! My sweet little old lady cat. The picture was taken right afterward and the look on Santa’s face was priceless! BTW – she didn’t scratch him and he was totally fine. He said he got puppy-peed on all the time and that a little cat slap was nothing.
I have seriously considered this for one of my chihuahuas, as he freaks the F out when it storms and we get these out-of-the= blue tropical storms often. He likes to be held when it thunders or he will restlessly walk in small circles. Sometimes he rolls around in a blanket to the point it’s like he’s the center of a thick burrito. I think swaddling refers to wrapping up, like a swaddling an infant.
I really wonder if it would help? I also wonder if it can be returned if it doesn’t, lol…
Oh this looks so lovely… but alas I have too many foundations I have to get through… maybe for next summer? LOL. well that is what sephora shopping lists are for!
Oh this is definitely on my to-try list! I have combination skin so COME TO MAMA!
That Thundershirt thing is funny. Tango can’t really walk if I put anything on him though LOL
I am still hooked on Josie Maran’s foundation and I don’t even wear it every day… but this stuff makes me want to wear something everyday! What a gorgeous dewy finish!
This foundation looks like a second skin on you. Can barely tell that you’re wearing foundation. I’ve never really managed to snag anything from Becca, I don’t know why.
I’m so in love with foundations lately. My current favourite is Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Even-finish Foundation SPF 15 (really long name) which is oil-free and works wonderfully well on my combination oily skin. I also really like Laura Mercier’s Oil Free Supreme Foundation.
Will definitely try this one out the next time I’m near a Sephora. I’m wary of buying foundations online without testing out the shades in person first.
Oh speaking of foundations, Karen, have you tried the Buffer Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation brush by Tarte? I got it recently when the bf was in the US and I love it. Two swipes (after dabbing the foundation on with my fingertips) and the foundation is blended onto my skin – perfectly. I really wanted the Hourglass foundation brush but couldn’t justify the price so I asked him to get this one instead as it had a lot of good reviews. It’s so, so nice!
Im not so sure about “radiant”. I really like a matte, flat finish on my foundations… 🙂
We have the thundershirt for my dog. He freaks out at fireworks and thunder (shaking, wanting to be held, hiding) plus we’ve had a lot of issues with barking in the evening. The shirt definitely helps: he is much calmer when it’s on. He doesn’t shake or try to hide, which is a huge difference. It does not get rid of all the anxiety, but it helps. It also helps with the barking (when we use it-we try not to very often). He doesn’t really like the shirt, but he tolerates it. I do reccommend following the instructions: introducing it before a fearful event and making it a positive experience. Anyway, just my experience with it!
I like the sound of this foundation, it is reminding me of my absolute favorite from Liz Earle. I’d try this one when I’m in need of a new one!
Definitely looks natural and airbrushed Karen! I wish Becca was available in my part of the world!
I tried this recently, but my skin was in the middle of a huuuge dry/flaky freakout, so it didn’t look that great… but nothing would have at that point. I have to try it again now that things are a little smoother. I got Shell, which is a teeny bit more yellow than I probably really need, but I have such issues with redness that a little yellow will likely do me good.
Darn it – I wish I’d seen this on Monday because I know it’s hard for you to answer questions days after the post! How do you think this compares to Tarte Smooth Operator in terms of feel (you know I prefer the silicone glide to something more “dry” like Laura Mercier) and coverage? I think of SO as being quite sheer but maybe I’m wrong.
Also, I totally laughed at the Thundercats, HO. And that kitty straightjacket. I can’t imagine my cats feeling less stress when they’re being constricted like sausages! HAHA!
Hey lady!
So, this foundation’s just slightly little thicker than Tarte SO. To me SO feels watery to me, and this one’s more more dense, if that makes sense. What’s cool is that even though it’s got that slight thickness to it, you can’t feel it at all.
Lemme know if you have any other q’s…
Thank you for answering – you totally rock!!!! 🙂
Karen, my Becca Radiant skin satin foundation will be here any minute! I can’t wait to put it on. Just hope I chose the correct color!
Really wanted to like this foundation but seemed very drying and accentuated every line. Not really better than drug store foundations.
So bummed! I believe it has been discontinued. Just went to the Becca website and it’s no longer available. Do you know if they ever bring back discontinued foundations? Thank you very much!