CoverGirl Outlast 3-in-1 Foundation in Ivory 805 Review and Swatches

The product in this review was provided by Ladies' Home Journal as part of the Beauty Ambassadors program. I am not being paid to review this, and I am quite sure they do not know I have a blog, but I figured since I got it (and gave them my opinion already), I should review it! I am in no way affiliated with CoverGirl, nor am I being paid to review this (duh). No links herein are affiliate links, blah blah blah. (Okay, FTC, are you happy?)

With that disclaimer out of the way, let me get to the review! I chose to receive this in the lightest shade, Ivory 805, and was frankly expecting it to be a disaster. They claim it is an "all-in-one foundation with a long-lasting formula that fuses primer, concealer, and foundation in one easy step!" and that it "provides a flawless look that lasts all day long". I used a CoverGirl foundation many years ago and it was not the greatest, and this one makes so many claims that I prepared myself to be underwhelmed on all counts. I was wrong! Though it's still not the foundation for me.

Cover FX Clearprep FX Matte Foundation Primer and Anti-Acne Treatment Review

I considered posting this on Skincare Saturday this weekend, but ultimately decided it would be disingenuous to do so, since I don't use it as a skincare product. Which is why this rant ended up happening instead. Whoops? The good news is, while Clearprep FX hasn't done anything for my skin, it has completely knocked my socks off as a primer. I feel stupid typing Clearprep, since it's not a word, lawdy, so I'm just going to refer to it as "the primer". Scratch that: The Primer. There we go.

Image via Sephora

Foundation Primers Reviews and Comparisons: Urban Decay, Fyrinnae, Black Radiance, and Too Faced

I've been trying a few different face primers recently, and rather than doing individual posts on each of them, I figured I'd save myself some trouble and just do one bigger post. There's no real rhyme or reason to the order, except that I put my favorite at the end, so feel free to read only that, or all, or none. You know, the usual!

I discovered over the course of testing these primers that MAC Matchmaster does not play well with primer, so I ended up just wearing them all with Revlon ColorStay, which can benefit greatly from use of a primer (though, as you'll see, it doesn't always!). I haven't tried any of these with MMU, but if/when I do, I'll update this post.

Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion – Pore Perfecting

$31 for 1 oz, available from Sephora and Urban Decay

I got a little sample tube of this from Sephora awhile ago, and have used it a few times. There's not a whole lot I can say about it; it doesn't really diminish my pores any, and it does absolutely nothing to control my oilies or make my foundation last longer––in fact, I think it makes my oiliness worse. The only good things about it for me is that you barely need any product to cover your face, since it's silicone-y and spreads really easily, but that hardly makes up for the fact that it sucks as a primer. Verdict: Be off with you!

Currently Coveting: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15

Currently Coveting is a not-at-all daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new, cult classics, or something in between!

image via Sephora

I've heard pretty much nothing but raves about this primer, and I'll admit, it's getting to me. I'm always hoping for something that will control my oil and make my foundation last longer, and all the positive reviews have put this on my mind. I like how brief the ingredient list is, and the SPF, but I vehemently dislike the price––$17 for 0.33 oz or $52 for 1 oz, ouch. I'll probably spring for the mini size someday when I'm feeling flush (and oily, hah), because I can't not try it after hearing so much about it. I just so wish it were cheaper...

Amazing Cosmetics Anti Aging Face Primer Review

I'm sorry I've been so lax about posting lately!  I've been working on a truly epic brush post and on some winter skincare stuff, but you can't really derive any enjoyment from those until I've posted them, which will be a few days yet (did I mention we're past the halfway point in the term?  Shit's starting to get real).  So I decided to write this rather brief, picture-free review to tide you over.  My apologies, and I promise, bigger and better things are on the horizon!

I love Sephora's free samples.  They're great for entertainment value, if nothing else (such as when I get perverse pleasure from finding a truly revolting perfume), but sometimes, you even find a cool new product.  Such is the case with the Amazing Cosmetics face primer.

Amazing Cosmetics Anti Aging Face Primer, image from Sephora

Meow Cosmetics Premier Puss Primer for Oily Skin Review

More Meow products, whee!  I just love that company.  I ordered several more samples during their anniversary sale (who can argue with 25% off and free shipping?), including this one, since I was running low on my Mattify! ULTRA and figured Meow's would be worth a shot.  It has only three ingredients: kaolin clay (great for absorbing oil), boron nitride (very low-friction and sticks well to skin, giving an airbrushed feel), and silk powder (also oil-absorbent, has some SPF properties, and is good for balancing skin), and, like all Meow products, is very finely milled.  Someday I might want to try formulating my own powder, but for now, the convenience and price of the Meow keep me happy.

It doesn't take much to cover my face with a fluffy brush, and even just wearing the primer powder helps soften my pores and even out my skin.  It's not quite as effective as my Mattify! at controlling oil, but it still lasts a good 6 hours before I get too shiny (an eternity in my world!), and it helps provide a nice surface for my Meow foundation.  In short: another Meow success!  They also make a primer for combination skin that has mica instead of kaolin, so if you have combo skin, it might be worth a try.
$1.00 for sample baggie, $14.25 for 4 g, available from Meow

Have you tried Meow's primer powders?  What did you think?

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer SPF 15 with Dermaxyl Complex Review

I'm on a Sun Safety Kit roll!  I realized there's still several products from there that I haven't reviewed yet, and a few that I haven't even tried, so I'll try and remedy that.  I was excited to see that the kit came with a mini Smashbox Photo Finish with Dermaxyl primer, because Smashbox's primer is popular in the beauty world (admittedly, the famous ones are Photo Finish and Photo Finish Light, but I was happy to get a chance to try anything from their line, and who can complain about SPF?), and because, with my oily skin, I try and take any help I can get at prolonging the wear of my makeup.

Photo from Sephora.com

Mattify! ULTRA

I have extremely oily skin.  If I wash my face and don't put anything on it, I am shiny within half an hour, and slick within an hour.  I was searching for a primer that would help control my oil, and came across a review for Mattify! on EDS, and after reading the reviews on MUA, I ordered the smaller size, opting for the ULTRA formulation instead of the regular or sensitive, because I figured I needed as much help as I could get.