guest post

Written by Sam

The director wants us to use the rain machine again, but it shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll just pick up an extra tube of that stuff I heard about from Sam.

Concealer is one of those products that makeup artists often quarrel over. Do you use it under or over foundation, with or without a corrector, only for dark under-eye circles, or do you use it for blemishes, too? And some people even question whether you need to use it at all, proposing that perhaps some can rely on a fantastic foundation instead.

Every makeup artist has a different opinion when it comes to concealer or a different technique, but one thing most of them agree on is this: MAKE UP FOR EVER Full Cover is an industry favorite, and tonight we’re going to explore why.

MAKE UP FOR EVER is one of the few professional level cosmetics lines available to the general public, thanks to Sephora and a handful of boutiques in New York and across Europe, and that means that all of us, professionals and enthusiasts alike, can pick up any of their products without presenting an industry card or a list of credentials.

But this isn’t a brand overview (we’ll save that for later). Let’s focus tonight on one of the company’s most beloved products, Full Cover Concealer ($30, available in 12 shades).

Starting with the packaging — gorgeous! Black borders with a see-through section in the middle so you can tell exactly how much product you have left? I like. And it comes in a squeezable plastic tube, which I prefer to other designs because it lets me get every last bit of product out without having to hack into the package. To apply, just unscrew the black cap to reveal the near-needle nose applicator.

Fortunately, the product inside the packaging is just as gorgeous as the packaging itself. Full Cover is silicone-based, and formulated without any oils, so it’s great for all skin types. Since silicone molecules are larger than pores, they don’t gunk up the works. That’s means the product is non-comedogenic, and perfect for acne-prone skin. The silicone also creates a sort of webbing, like a primer, that shouldn’t accentuate flakey patches, which also makes it suitable for dry skin.

There’s absolutely no fragrance to aggravate sensitive skin, either, and I can attest to it being A-OK for my oily and sensitive skin.

Like other silicone-based products, Full Cover doesn’t mind oil at all. I’ve yet to see it rub off, fade, or become mottled on my oil-slicked face. And when my eczema flares up, it works wonders at covering up the redness while not drawing any unwanted attention to the irritated areas.
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Written by Sam

Lights, camera, action! Today we’re filming on location, and the show is in HD. Let’s take a closer look at a mammoth makeup all-star in today’s guest post from Sam.

Within every category of cosmetics are those products that almost everyone adores but yet for one reason or another I just haven’t tried. Maybe I had my nose stuck in a novel, or perhaps I was busying myself on a different bandwagon at the time.

Whatever the reason, I always seem to be hopping on some bandwagons late, like this one, which drove by me like a lumbering, metal makeup truck with the words, “MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Invisible Cover Foundation” plastered across its side.

Actually, I’d latched onto the rear bumper of this popular foundation about three years ago, but I was just getting into makeup at the time and rarely stayed with the same products for more than a month, regardless of how good or bad they might have been. It wasn’t long before I lost interest in Invisible Cover Foundation ($40 for a 1.01-oz. bottle; exclusive to Sephora) on my endless quest to find bigger and better things.

Then, a few months ago, I decided to try it again, so I grabbed a new bottle of this four-star-rated product and gave it a whirl.

My skin is pale (think Elmer’s Glue), with yellow undertones, which few cosmetic companies seem to recognize as an actual skin tone, as if they think that if you’re pale, you’ve gotta be pink. Color me surprised and excited to learn that Invisible Cover comes in 26 shades!

That’s pretty impressive for a consumer line, and the colors run the gamut from pale, to pale pink, to deep ebony, meaning that most people, including me, should be able to find a match. In my case it’s Marble 117, for “light skin with yellow undertones.”

The product comes in some of the most stunning foundation packaging I’ve ever seen. A completely transparent outer plastic bottle has the information and product name printed on it in MAKE UP FOR EVER’s signature font, and the actual product is housed within an inner vial inside the outer shell.

Under the glossy black cap sits a pump (thank god, a pump!). I’ve really come to despise bottles of foundations designed to be poured because no matter how hard I try, they always make a mess. And I can never get that last bit of product out that sticks to the sides of the bottle without getting Medieval on the packaging.
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