Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Foundation
I mentioned my latest foundation discovery in my post on Accutane-friendly products, but I'd like to elaborate a little bit. I actually started using this foundation after a Sephora cast member (did you know that Sephora thinks it's Disney World and calls employees cast members? It's true.) recommended it to me when I was shopping for a new concealer. Good on ya, Sephora Girl, you got me to buy a whole bottle of foundation when I came in your store looking for a tiny tube of concealer. But this wasn't just some random up-sell this is actually a superior product, and one that I'm so happy to have in my beauty arsenal.
Prior to this foundation, I was using all BareMinerals cream concealer and powder foundation. I liked the coverage of the concealer, but it ended up getting cakey under my eyes, which led me to hunt for a new concealer. Sephora Girl saw me looking at the Make Up Forever section (I used their concealer for awhile) and intervened, steering me toward Smashbox. She used the Studio Skin Foundation on me and told me it could double as a concealer. I liked how light it felt, and LOVED how, if I used it as a concealer, I could save mega bucks. I got a bottle in shade 1.1 (the lightest shade offered, as I have the complexion of an albino ghost) and took it home to try out.
At first I used the foundation just as I had my old concealer, dotting it on troublesome spots, then giving my face a once-over with BareMinerals foundation. This turned out to be a bit troublesome, because the two products wore completely differently on my face. I'd end the day with splotches of my Smashbox foundation all over my face, and the BareMinerals had completely disappeared. BOO.
I experimented a little with my makeup routine, and found a system that's working well for me: I put on a thin layer of Smashbox Foundation all over my face, then use a finger to dab it on spots I want to conceal. (I use about one pump of the foundation total for these steps.) Then I use my BareMinerals foundation as a setting powder (mainly because I have a bunch of it left, I may switch to a non-foundation powder when I run out of BareMinerals). The thin layer of Smashbox foundation keeps me from getting those splotches of concealer by the end of the day. In fact, this makeup lives up to its title and can last a full 15 hours. Staying power, a barely noticeable feel, with full coverage? Sephora Girl knew what she was talking about.