Make Up For Ever HD Foundation Review.

What they say: "The HD Foundation is an oil-free medium-to-full coverage liquid foundation which covers skin imperfections, while remaining invisible on-screen and in real life. Its extremely fine texture is supple and easy to apply. Enriched with moisturising agents, it leaves the skin soft and radiant. It is available in a wide range of shades to suit all skin tones". 

I have been wearing this foundation daily for the last two weeks and I can say that I completely agree with everything they say. Here's my breakdown:

Texture & Coverage: It feels so light on the skin while providing quite a robust coverage which I would say is more medium than full. The fact that this isn't quite a full coverage foundation means it is invisible and looks just like 'your skin but better'. It dries to a semi-matte finish – oily-skinned girls will probably need to use primer before applying and powder all over, dry-skinned girls could totally get away with no powder at all. I'm somewhere in the middle, I tend to powder just under my eyes to set any concealing, down my nose and on my chin. I find this foundation lasts all day with no fading.

Colour: The colour selection is second to none and I'm sure that whatever skin-colour you have you will find a perfect match. I use shade 118 which is described as being for "light skin with beige undertones" and it matches 100% - it's actually quite amazing.

Packaging: Extremely good quality glass-looking plastic bottle with pump. I find I only have to use one pump and two drops for my entire face.

Price & Availability: This is a sore point. It really pains me to hand over £28.95 for a foundation. Saying that, I do think it is worth it because it really does perform and you need minimal product so will probably last a while. I will definitely re-purchase. It is quite hard to get hold of MUFE products in the UK, I bought mine from www.gurumakeupemporium.com (praying to the gods that I had chosen the right shade!). They also have a store in Fulham, London. PAM in Shepherd's Bush, London are also stockists (www.preciousaboutmakeup.com). Outside of London I'm not sure where it is sold, I'm hoping they open more places soon.

I give this a 4/5 – knocked one mark off for the price.

Make Up Forever HD Microperfecting Primer in Mauve and the HD Microfinish Powder

I bought two new items: The Make Up Forever HD Microperfecting Primer in Mauve and the HD Microfinish Powder, also from MUFE.

I got a little freebie of the neutral HD primer last year and really liked it, but I have the memory retention of a developmentally delayed guppy, so of course I forgot about it until I saw it in the shop.

I am extremely fair-skinned but I have instead of a pink or pure blue undertone, I have olive, which means I can go sallow, and this mauve stuff? Is genius.

Violet “color correctors” are nothing new, but this is by far the best I’ve tried. It’s got all the things I love about the regular HD primer –goes on like a dream, doesn’t cake, makes makeup stay put and last– plus brightens and evens out my skin. It really is almost luminous (and NOT from mica or glitter particles THANK YOU.)

It’s moderately pricey, but you only need a teensy bit and it doesn’t ball up or curl on the skin like some other primers do.  Plums up. Big fan.

The powder:

Wow.

This is a good powder.

But…I almost don’t want to call it a powder because it’s such a completely difference species from the old Coty loose powder or anything in a solid, and it’s lighter and cake-proof unlike the pure mineral veils.

It’s like the Photoshop “blur” tool in particle form.

I put it on over my regular skin care products and although I wouldn’t say it provided any coverage per se –which is good, because I didn’t want coverage– it made my skin look almost angelically soft, naturally.

Warning: It is ALL about the brush with this product.

You absolutely need a kabuki brush and you need to buff it in well. Not that it will look bad if you don’t buff properly, but you won’t get that perfect radiance either. If you don’t have or don’t want to invest in a kabuki brush –my favorite is this dead cheap real badger brush which is like, six bucks — then just skip it.

So two big Ws for the Make Up Forever products!

I also purchased their Mist and Fix spray which supposedly sets your makeup and is beloved by MUAs the world over. I haven’t put it through its paces yet, but it’s in the works, including before and after photos!

Make up forever eyeshadow palette

Fall 2011 hasn’t begun but the products are pouring in online. Here is one that hasn’t released but I know when it does.. it will be flying off the shelves. This is the one perfect for all ages and lifestyles.

Smoky Palette ($61 Value)
What it is:
A limited-edition palette featuring eight highly pigmented, long-wearing eye shadows to create a multitude of smoky eye looks.
What it does:
This must-have Smoky Palette is perfect for creating unique, colorful smoky eyes ranging from subtle neutrals to dramatic jewel tones. It boasts eight rich eye shadow shades along with a mirror and two individual brush applicators. Smoky Palette features everything you need to achieve the perfect smoky eye including step-by-step instructions on how to easily get the look.

This set contains:
- 8 x Eye Shadows in: #4 Black, #79 Deep Plum Shimmer, #81 Metallic Navy Blue, #80 Peacock Green, #122 Metallic Copper, #127 Metallic Taupe, #126 Yellow Beige, #7 White Shimmer
- Brush 16P
- Brush 10P

Sephora is the exclusive beauty retailer for this product.

Price:  $45
Availability: Only at Sephoras and Sephora.com
Pros:

• Pigmented
• Perfect hues for everyone
• Works for Fall and into Winter
• No fall out
• Lasts a long time
• I put it on my hand and washed the dishes.. still there!
• Smooth and easy to blend
• Comes with two brushes. Great for touch ups
• Looks great in photos

Cons :

• Only available at sephora and sephora.com
• Limited edition
• All the colors are pretty “safe colors” nothing too crazy

Pigmentation: High pigmentation. The black eyeshadow is amazing… deep dark black

Overall: I would recommend this to anyone looking for an all in one smokey palette for them purse or even their every day go to palette. It won’t let you down and has a variety of pigmented colors. You can use the black and white shadows to deeping or lighten the existing shadows in between.

Product provided by brand for review consideration. As always all reviews are unbiased and based upon testing and past experiences.