Hey Everyone,
*This is a sponsored review, I did not purchase this product, Elizabeth Arden was kind enough to give this to me to review. So I know this is pretty much overdue compared to my video launch already, but here it is in blog form for all of you who are too lazy to hear me rant. so here we go:
Powder foundation to me was always hidden back in the recesses of my makeup never try list because I always thought that it could never ever achieve the same effects and coverage as a liquid. Looking natural versus Barbie was never a hesitating choice, I wanted to look like barbie minus the blonde hair and never walk out with a single blemish on my face. I was happy with liquid until as always my onsugar newspaper had a little article by the lovely Sarah Chaudry and Diana Salleh about how much they loved this stuff and since EA was kind enough to sponsor me, I was totally eager to give this one a homerun try. And, I am glad I did.
You’d probably like to know a little more about what is inside this baby though before applying it to your face. I received the foundation compact, big application brush and mini on the go kabuki.
So what’s in the foundation?
Lots of good stuff and debatable bad stuff. Good stuff? It’s of course made apparently of the purest minerals and is rich in: (thanks to the Mineral Makeup Blog: http://www.themineralmakeup.com/mineral-makeup-review-elizabeth-arden-pure-finish-mineral-powder-foundation-spf-20/02/09/2009/)
– Sea Water Minerals which are rich in calcium and magnesium that support the skin’s system
– Mica & Sliica – blur those imperfections baybay! Soft – focus effect for the win!
– Vitamins A,C,E – any vitamin is good right?
– Aloe makes it soothing and Magnesium Myristate makes it have a soft. feathery texture.
Ingredients List:
mica, dimethicone, nylon-12, zinc stearate, silica methicone, squalene, magnesium mystirate, sea saltmaris sal/sel marin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, silk powde/serica poudre de soie, ascorbyl palminatet, retinyl palmitate, tocopherol, glycine soja ( soybean) oil, alumina, oryza sativa ( rice ) starch , butylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, sodium dehydroacetate ( may contain bismuth oxychloridem, carmine, iron oxides, titanium dioxide )
And the sketchy? Because it is SPF 20 PA+++, the foundation also includes titanium dioxide which some people are allergic or sensitive too. If you can’t put more than a sunscreen of spf 15 on your face, I suggest that you don’t apply this on it unless you would like to grow a national mountain. I have one right now, I call it a unicorn because it makes me look like a unicorn but sometimes it makes me look like a narwhale. If you don’t know what narwhales look like:
These are my least favourite zits. haha MOVING ON. ok. If you also don’t want another national mountain, do beware that this mineral makeup also contains traces of bismuth oxychloride, a preservative (i know this thanks to my PlusOne Asia job when I had to input all those chemicals to the government, I guess its useful now) so if you are allergic to Bare Minerals or Bare Esscentuals, most likely you’ll be sowing seeds to create new zits. Dimethicone may be a bummer to some folks allergic to primers, because its basically the main ingredient to create a silky smooth and flawless face and of course the parabens make it not 100% natural.
Nice packaging, much?
Forget the puffs of wastage when you open the jar (one of the reasons why I quit everyday minerals) or scatters of powder on your outfit, the Elizabeth Arden has ingenious packaging and what loose powder folks should have thought of a lot earlier. Grind them folks, you’ll get a customised amount of foundation without the mess. Love it. However, it’s not the first. Smashbox Halo Powder has the same exact concept, but props to EA for the implementation.
How are the brushes?
As expected. Synthetic brushes are supposed to be soft and I’m not going to be like “OMG OMG OMG, THESE BRUSHES ARE SO SOFT” x 1000 because making real hair brushes soft should be more award worthy. They’re soft just like Everyday Minerals and just like Ecotools if you’ve tried them out and nothing too special. I like how the big one is angled and large making application easier :)
So what did you really think about it?
I have to be honest. The first few tries of this powder were horrible, the coverage was sheer and no way was I walking out with a face that I felt was barely covered when I could have easily slapped on my MUFE. But, then I realised that I wasn’t being fair. I still concealed with my studio finish and applied my MAC MSF natural over my MUFE foundation so I had to compare apples with apples so I did the same and the difference was dramatic. I have to say that I did of course apply more concealer than average but after everything I still ended up with the same flawless finish plus a more natural appearance without the slight thickness of the liquid. I loved the ending! Plus, it stays on for ages even when I worked out at the gym! All in all, I think the foundation is a great makeup base for your concealer powder overtop but nothing I would wear without the additional effort. The coverage is too sheer in my opinion to cover my many blemishes but would be an wonderful addition to a person with good skin or a person willing to add more concealer. I have honestly cast aside my liquid and have been using this ever since and still currently use this everyday. Its a flawless natural finish that I love, easier to apply without the liquid mess and quicker as well. The concealing just takes longer.
I give it: 4/5 :) Good job, EA, I honestly might even re-purchase it :)
Where to get it & Price?
In Singapore, you can get this at any Sephora Singapore store (the one in ION specifically) for $58 and the brush is sold seperately. You can also get it at any EA counter like takashimaya etc. In Australia, you can get your hands on this in Myer or David Jones Elizabeth Arden counters :)
Hope this was useful!
Love,
Roseanne
P.S: If you didn’t know already, I was selected by the beauty club to be their special guest and celebrity blogger/reviewer for Melbourne Fashion Week hosted my Loreal! I will be attending Pre-Runway cocktails, attending a show, and will be receiving a The Beauty Club giftbag and a giftbag by Loreal. It’s going to be on the night of March 16, I’m so excited :) Read my fb page for more updates: http://www.facebook.com/pages/roseannetangrs/319351314600?ref=ts