Winter Primer & Foundation

I found a winning combo and I thought I’d share it with y’all! I am always on the search for a perfect base that is smooth, radiant, non-sticky, & long lasting. Is it too much to want to look like a Victoria’s Secret model every day? I obviously have pretty high expectations for a foundation and I finally stumbled on the right products. (Pictured above no filter natural lighting)

As far as primer goes, I really was not a fan. I didn’t notice a difference in wear time; I don’t have oily skin so pores are not an issue for me. And honestly if you have skin concerns I believe you should look into changing your skin care routine not invest in a primer to just mask the issues. I’ve tried primers from Smashbox, Bareminerals, hourglass, Becca, Lancome, Clinique, Benefit, etc. And nothing changed my opinion…UNTIL NOW! Except, it’s still not a primer, it’s an oil/serum. This Phyto Replenish oil is liquid gold, I’ve never tried anything from Dermalogica until I received a free trial sample from Ulta. I actually almost threw it away because I was so sure I wouldn’t like it, I stay true to my moisturizing oil from Fresh. But this oil/serum really acts like a primer: it smooths any lines/pores in your skin so it looks blurred and flawless, blends with makeup to give your skin a luminous glow that looks natural, is light and sinks into skin so you don’t feel sticky or oily, and does act like a canvas for makeup to apply beautifully and last longer. It even amped up my foundation’s coverage! It’s perfect for daily use under makeup to keep your skin hydrated and improve your skins texture throughout the day, I’m so impressed! I massage 4-5 drops all over my face and then apply foundation on top, they blend like a dream. The only downside is the price, $75 for 1.0 oz

I purchased the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation in April after obsessing over it on YouTube for months. This stuff is highly hyped for a reason! The packaging is so sleek and luxurious, it costs $64 for 1 oz. I’ve never been to a Sephora where this is carried in store so I had to order online, which I hate because I can never match my skin tone shade by eyeballing it. But I tried, and failed LOL I went with the shade 4 thinking I would rather it be too light than too dark but hopeful I could still wear it when I have my fake tan on. It’s way too light, I really didn’t reach for it all summer because I was closer to a NC40 skin tone and I would say this is more NC20, in MAC reference. Even though online it says it’s a light-medium tone. But I didn’t want to fuss with returning and exchanging and ordering online again so I just held onto it and figured if I liked it in the winter I would order a deeper shade next spring. Plus I had other darker foundations I wanted to use up. But the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk is a cult favorite; it’s all over YouTube and loved by celebrities and makeup artists everywhere. It’s absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I was expecting a super dewy foundation like the Becca Aqua Luminous but this foundation is more of a natural glow. I love that it’s not sticky and it doesn’t transfer or slide all over your face and on my skin it lasts all day without powder. Again, I have high standards for foundation so I want it to last all day without having to cover my face in powder!! When I started using the Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil underneath this foundation I was blown away, it’s a gorgeous combination. It gave the foundation more coverage so I am using only 1 pump instead of 2 with a damp beauty blender, and it just looks like you woke up with glowing healthy I-am-a-Victoria’s-Secret-model-that-drinks-12-gallons-of-water-a-day skin.

Natural lighting no filter on left, artificial lighting indoors no filter on right

I’m so picky when it comes to liquid foundations, I don’t want it to look heavy or sit weird on my skin, I need something moisturizing and not too pink in tone, nothing that’s too wet that’s going to transfer all over my daughters face, and that won’t break me out. Which is why I typically reach for tinted moisturizers but they don’t always have good staying power! This foundation delivers and paired with the Phyto Replenish oil my skin looks radiant and smooth all day. I highly recommend both products!! And if you're curious what other makeup i used for this look, I'll list below the pictures :)

Applied in order: Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk in shade #4, Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in light golden, Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting highlight in shade 01, Bareminerals Invisible Bronze powder bronzer in shade medium, Clinique Brow Shaper in 01 Taupe, Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel, Mario Badescu Aloe Cucumber & Green Tea Facial Spray, Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in 1 Black Ink, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, Clinique Superbalm Lip treatment, Hourglass Long Wear Lip Liner in Eden, and Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Sugar, Cosmetics bag are Vera Bradley in the print Bohemian Blooms and my sweater is an oldie but a goodie from American Eagle :)

#Makeup