A Comparison of CoverFX Packaging

Item was received in a contest by CoverFX.

Back in October 2012, CoverFX announced that they would be changing the names of the colours and all you had to do to enter this competition was to comment with your new shade colour. Now there's a bit of background here to get into and since I tend to be longwinded, I'm going to somewhat skip it. But the short of the long is that I had been using M80 (G70) instead of B0 (N70) or B15 (N70) and while I won't mention how or why that happened (I'll explain it if you ask), I did revert to the recommendations that the Sephora Color IQ test gave me (you can check my results here). The reason why I preface this post with that is because you're going to notice that the colours are different -- but this post is not about the colours and rather about the packaging.

The original packaging came with a small puff which I ended up discarding almost immediately. The reason for that was because I was using brushes at the time and had no use for a puff. With the new version, it's a bit thicker but that's because the puff they add in in now separated from the makeup.

G70 (left) and N70 (right).

The puff underneath the pan of the new compact.

Holes that have been placed in to help the excess
foundation escape and allow the puff itself to breathe,

My new foundation (N70) matches perfectly and I could kick myself for being dissuaded from purchasing it on the first go. Nonetheless, I'm really happy that with the help of Sephora and CoverFX, I was able to find the correct matching foundation and get a free compact out of it. 

Day of Foundation Samples

The month of December was pretty busy -- with vacation and moving, and let's not get started about the move. The move meant that a lot of my makeup got shook up in the process and made me realize that I had a lot of samples. So I took out an hour and decided to get through some of my samples. Now the problem with samples is that they aren't selected to match your skin type so while I tried to take a lot of photos, a lot of them didn't quite turn out all that well.

Almost everything I used below was a sample size, with the exception of the Cover FX in M80 (which is now G70 in the new chart). Also note that I already covered the primer that I used in my Primer Samples post.

Cleanser: First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser (Retail: $18).

Primer: Sephora Collection Perfecting Ultra-Smoothing Primer
Foundations: 
 - Cover FX Pressed Mineral Foundation in M80 (Retail: $35)
 - Per-fékt Skin Perfection Gel in Radiant (Retail: $57.50)
 - bareMinerals READY in Medium Beige (Retail: $29)
 - Stila Stay All Day 10-In-1 HD Beauty Balm (Retail: $38)
 - Stila Stay All Day Foundation & Concealer in Warm (Retail: $44)

On the left is bareMinerals and
the right is Stila.

The first comparison I did was with the bareMinerals READY and the Stila Stay All Day 10-In-1 HD Beauty Balm. The picture on the right shows the two of them side by side. Now as I mentioned, the colour that I got for the bareMinerals sample doesn't match so it gave a ghastly appearance. Thus I will not judge it based on that. What I think we can note is how the flash reflects off my skin. Mineral powder for the most part doesn't fare well against a camera, but even without looking at a picture, I can tell you that the BB really surprised me. It went on smoothly and covered my skin well.

On the left is CoverFX and
the right is Stila.

This one is even harder to see than the previous rendition of two-face but on the right is my CoverFX foundation that I use everyday and on the right is the Stila Stay All Day Foundation & Concealer in Warm. I was actually pretty intrigued by how the Stila foundation worked -- it was a bit darker than what I'm used to so I really had to blend it in. It kind of gave my skin a bit of a light tan almost. It's not hard to work with, but very pigmented. When I washed it off, it was kind of like pouring out chocolate milk.

The Stila foundations by this point were quite easy to work with -- but I have to say that in the past, I've never had a problem with them. I think they are great but they always seem to give me a slight tint. The BB cream though was spot on and evened out my skin without adding that tint or hint of colour, which is a nice change.

Per-fékt

For the Per-fékt foundation, I didn't really have anything left to compare it to. It has a lighter tint than the Stila Stay all Day Foundation (not the BB version) which made me a bit less discerning about working it in. Given that it's a gel, it seemed easier to apply than the Stila but has equal the amount of coverage. It's incredibly moisturizing as a result which I liked. It does strike me as a tinted primer though only because of the way it feels.

Truth be told though that if I were to make a switch from my CoverFX powder, it would probably be to the BB cream. I'm not a huge fan of liquids or gels, even though they might perform better (I can't attest to the longevity of these foundations). Plus there's the point of mineral foundation not coming off as flattering due to the flash element. Either way, the Per-fékt and both Stila foundations are working out very well.

To close, between each swatch, I used the First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser and my face was quite happy with that decision. In the past I've had to wait 30 minutes between each swatch because the cleanser would be rough on my skin and cause a rise in the redness. This time my skin didn't flare up with redness and I was able to get through the swatches quickly. I double checked and realized that the cleanser was good for sensitive skin which probably helps. This might have to be a future purchase once my current cleanser is done. 

Primer Samples Time!

Since my stress has been a bit overwhelming lately, my face decided to take a break (and by break, I mean, break out) so instead of trying to perfect the cat eye or any general eye shadow technique, I decided to gather up all the primer samples that I've accumulated and try them out for a week (well, approximately a week anyway).

Our starting point is that I've only ever used one clear primer and that is Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer. To be honest, I actually don't use primers that often but overall I've been content with the Revlon one. It is a gel like consistency and I always end up using just a dab of it -- it goes on a bit greasy but absorbs really quickly. Overall, I'm satisfied and I have no real complaints toward it. So that's what I'll be comparing the others to -- so just understand that we're starting from a "satisfactory" (hereby known as a "C" rating) standpoint.

For this post I'll be grading each of them and since grading varies, here's the breakdown is below. (Interestingly, there is no use of the letter "E" in this grading system because like that of grade school, it was temporarily phased out [depending on the system used] so in that way one couldn't confuse "E" as standing for "Excellent." (Source)).

A = Excellent
B = Good
C = Satisfactory
D = Bad
F = Fail

L'Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer

I got this in the Target Beauty Bag and I was kind of hesitant to try it out. I looked at the colour and immediately went "Oh no..." which is my usual reaction when I see anything that boasts "Suitable for all skin types and tones" but isn't clear. Sorry, I'm a cynic when it comes to that and rightly so. I put this on and while the consistency which was a cream like texture was good, I immediately noticed how "bright" my face was. And by bright I mean, I had this ghastly pallor, one that can be described as ashy or an indication of wearing a shade too light for my skin tone. This was before I had even put on makeup which meant that my medium coverage mineral makeup went into overtime which was a rough start. Overall, this is something that I'd stay away from since it just looked terrible.
Grade: F

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
This one has SPF 15 in it which is a plus. I loved the light creamy consistency of this one and also liked that a little went a long way. It was lightweight, absorbed quickly, and left my face feeling like a blank slate. Which was fantastic (if I didn't have bags under my eyes but were not counting that). Overall, I am in love with this primer, it goes on like a dream and lasts all day. When I was creating Sugarpill Cosmetics swatches, the colours looked so smooth and vibrant. Love, love, love this primer, but really hating on the $52 price.
Grade: A

Amazing Cosmetics Anti-Aging Face Primer
This one is clear -- not quite a gel but a bit liquid-like. It turns out that it does have a moisturizer in it (or at least that is what the packaging claims). It applies just like the Hourglass primer which is just dreamy, with that new added bonus of being a two-in-one. It is smooth and silky and the absorption is quick so on the first day I was very pleasantly surprised and impressed. I'm still incredibly happy with this one and it's at a much more affordable price of $34.
Grade: A

Sephora Perfecting Ultra-Smoothing Primer
I will completely admit that after trying to the Amazing Cosmetics primer, I kind of didn't want to try any others. I was in love and that was all that mattered (in regard to a primer). I finally got over that (took about two weeks to get over it, to be honest) and started using a different primer again. The Sephora primer feels pretty good and is almost comparable to the Amazing Cosmetics and Hourglass primer but it was a bit more thicker in consistency. This wasn't a problem; it held up well and felt good. This one goes for $15 and I have to admit, I'd really consider it -- I think the only thing that puts Amazing Cosmetics in the lead is the fact that it doubles as a moisturizer.
Grade: B

BritePrep FX

I was kind of excited to try this one since I already have other CoverFX products. When I tried it on though, the first thing I noticed was that it was ridiculously greasy. Maybe I just got a bad one but my skin did not like it at all. It didn't absorb into my skin and just created an oil slick which meant I ended up using way too much powder to try to cover it up. The bright side I guess what that my makeup didn't look caked on even though I knew that it was. My assumption was that maybe it didn't react well to my moisturizer.
Original Grade: D

I tried this one again without a moisturizer and overall, I really like it. It is very moisturizing on it's own and definitely helps the makeup go on well and stay put. It is trully amazing how well it works together with mineral makeup. It made my skin look fantastic and this is definitely one to consider (but it does cost $45).

Updated Grade: A

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Let's do a recap... A few days out of the weeks that I tried these primers, I'd throw in the use of Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer for comparison. I made sure that I kept the tubes around to mix them up over time (which is why this post took so long to create). The ones that I kept coming back to was the Amazing Cosmetics -- even if I forgot that it had a moisturizer in it, the primer was able to accommodate for the extra moisturizer and make the makeup look good.

The others were not so kind to that error -- the BritePrep FX looked hideous if I tried to add a moisturizer  but alone it looked fantastic. If I were to run out to Sephora right now, I'd definitely get either the Amazing Cosmetics or the BritePrep FX. Don't get me wrong, I think that Sephora's own primer along with Hourglass are good, but Hourglass comes with a hefty price tag and Sephora's own lacks the moisturizer.

Moisturizer is incredibly important because I have combination skin and the parts that get really oily and really dry need to be balanced out. So what is the final verdict?

Winner: Amazing Cosmetics Anti-Aging Face Primer
Reason: Lightweight moisturizer and primer that feels good and absorbs fast. It can handle the extra moisturizer if need be and allows for makeup to look amazingly flawless.

Runner-Up: BritePrep FX
Reason: Brightens the skin, great for "setting the canvas" -- but it naturally greasy on its own and while it absorbs semi quickly, don't think that you need a moisturizer with it. If you do put moisturizer on, it will not be kind to your error. It does help to brighten the skin and even out the skin tone.

Review: Cover FX Pressed Mineral Powder

As my Bare Minerals is now at 50%, I've decided to start looking for another foundation (mostly because I've become exceedingly aware of how ashy it looks but that could be because I'm being sensitive). So this week I've been starting the day with a bit of moisturizer and then seeking help from various stores. Today I decided to approach Sephora for help since they have a wider selection to choose from. So with the help of one of the associates, we were able to narrow it down quite a bit.

After explaining what I currently use and what problems I was having, the first stop was MUFE, except that the colours didn't quite match. She was about to try out the Sephora collection before realizing that Cover FX might be a bit better. And it was.

She tried out three different shades and compared them side by side to figure out what would work. My skin tone is a bit uneven so that makes matching a bit difficult but we has success with Cover FX which was the Pressed Mineral Powder in B0. I've got to say that I was and still am quite impressed with the coverage of it. General remarks, if you find the right colour, it goes on flawlessly, provides good coverage, is lightweight, and feels great. (If you get the wrong colour then I admit it will look ashy or cakey). Unfortunately during the testing phase my moisturizer was removed so I can't say how well it works out with the moisturizer and primer, but the fact that it stands on its own is great. It's matte which means that the natural oils are being controlled though I still think that I would need a moisturizer underneath to help control my T-zone.

After a couple of hours it is holding up against the natural oils very well and maintains breathability which is fantastic. In comparison to the MAC Matchmaster that I tried out the other day, my skin doesn't feel as weighed down and there isn't very much residue. Overall, I love how much it accentuates the colours of my face and it definitely helps that it doesn't have as much additives (that's fancy for parabens) in it.

My one true sadness though is that Sephora is sold out of that one colour and it's sold out online. I can order it directly from the Cover FX website but then how will I ever get to V.I.B. if I don't order it from Sephora?!

Update: Sorry for the blurry picture but the interesting thing is how the oils appear. In every picture I took, the oils shone through however when I examine it in the mirror, although there is a slight shine, it doesn't appear as bad as it does in the photos. The oiliness could be because I'm not wearing anything underneath the makeup (no moisturizer or Milk of Magnesia) however it still looks okay. In this photo I'm also wearing a NARS blush in Torrid.

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Product: Cover FX Pressed Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 10 (Powder FX), B0
Price: $35
Would Recommend? Yes
Takeaway: Great for oily skin, variety of colours, medium coverage (which is great for those with an uneven skin tone), lightweight, little if any residue, feels great and looks great.