The Primary Beauty Products

Well this is my second post on Makeup on a Budget and I’m itching to bring you my next review.  I’m pretty excited about this review and I truly believe that this product will make or break your look.

Smashbox makes a product called Photofinish and it’s a foundation primer.  I purchased mine for $16 for .5 oz. at amazon.com.  If this product was cheaper and came in a bigger bottle I would bathe in it.  Although this primer is not the cheapest, it’s the best quality for the price.  If you use the right amount, it will last you a long time.  This product goes under your foundation and above your moisturizer.  It fills in pores and wrinkles like spackle on a wall.  This allows your foundation to be applied smoothly and evenly.

I wrote this last paragraph the day before my E.LF. shipment arrived.  Today I received the E.L.F. Mineral Infused Face Primer.  I purchased it for $6.  To me, it is the exact same product as the Smashbox product, less $10.  Actually, I take that back.  You get almost .09 oz more with the Smashbox product.  The point of this blog is to bring you items that will allow you to look exactly the same as if you had a champagne budget.  And this review is delivering exactly that.  It’s the same effect, less expensive, and a better feeling for it.  So I’d say, use the E.L.F. primer and you’ll be thanking me for it.

Now, onto the foundation.  This one’s tough.  There are so many more options than primer.  So let me just let you know what the necessities are for foundation.  An SPF is important as with any other topical application to your skin.  It’s also important to wear a product that feels light and isn’t cakey.  That means when it’s applied, there’s a seamless appearance.  I rarely wear foundation, but when I do, I use FIT Me foundation by Maybeline.  You can find it on Beauty.com for $5.59 for a 1 oz bottle.  It’s a great product that has a vast variety of colors which is critical to a great foundation. 

I mentioned that I rarely wear foundation, which is true.  I usually wear a tinted moisturizer which does the job of evening my skin as well as moisturizing.  It gives you a very natural feel and look and it’s one product instead of two.  Anytime you can eliminate extra products, you should.  I have Olay Definity Color Recapture.  It’s $23.97 on Walmart.com for 1.7 oz.  I have found that tinted moisturizer’s tend to be pricey, perhaps because it does replace two products.  I have also found that if I wet my beauty sponge applicator, it waters it down and will take it a much longer way.

I’d like to finalize my reviews by saying that there are lots of products out there but there’s no need to spend a lot of money on a product if you’ve found something inexpensive that works just the same.  Looking good shouldn’t have to cost much if you do the right research.  And I'm here to help make the research process a little less painful.  So until next time when we'll discuss my favorite beauty enhancement item...false eyelashes!  Don't be scared, they don't bite, they adhere :)

Staying Beautiful,

Makeup Maverick