Pro Kit: Foundation Part 2

One of my great loves of inexpensive makeup is ELF or Eyes Lips Face. For my kit I have two types of ELF foundation. I love them both but for different reasons. Both worth being used in my kit and for anyones personal makeup collection. I don't feel guilty purchasing ELF foundations because they are so fairly priced.

ELF Moisturizing Foundation Stick

I have depotted my sticks in stackable jars and it looks really gross so I took this image from the ELF website

Texture: This is a true cream foundation thick and creamy. The coverage is medium to full and needs to be applied with a light hand. Applied in light layers this is a natural full cover foundation but if you are not careful it is heavy and cakey. The best thing about this product is that is so long wearing. It dries matte and stays put all day.

Shade Range: Like NYX it doesn't have the best shade range. The darkest color being a dark medium. There are a total of 8 shades and not all of them are equal. Some are perfect and are very versatile while others are way too pink toned.

Price: You can get this on the ELF website for 6 dollars.

Use: This is great for special events because it is so long lasting. It doesn't contain any SPF so it is also great for photos.

How to Buy: The shade Ivory is a perfect match for my skin but some of the shades are either way to orange to look natural on any skin tone, or too pink to be natural. So be careful when buying.

ELF Flawless Finish Foundation SPF 15

Texture: This is a marketed as a liquid foundation but I find the consistency to be more gel-like. The coverage is light but what makes this foundation great is that it is so build-able. You can get a full coverage face using this product if you apply it in thin blended layers. It has a satin finish and I always set it with a powder. If you have dry skin you only need to swipe one powder under your eyes, nose, chin, and forehead. 

Shade Range: Like my other ELF foundation the shade range is very limited but they are more natural looking. All of the shades are nice if you have light to a medium skin tone. 

Price: This product is 6 dollars on the ELF website. 

Use: This product has SPF so it will give flash back in photos. This can be used for film but set it with a powder and use a primer. I like this for special events because it feels light on the face but packs good coverage. 

How To Buy: I own two shades from the line the lightest and darkest. I mix the two to get anything in between. It is pretty inexpensive so you could get more shades if you really wanted to. 

Shade Range and Drugstore Makeup

So this isn't something that I normally do but I just feel a huge need to express all of these feelings that I have inside. For a while now I have been professionally doing makeup and my eyes have really opened to something I knew was a problem before but now I feel super passionate about it. That problem is the shade range in inexpensive makeup, or that there are no/very few foundations for women of color. Don't get me started on concealer because there are even less shades.

I always was aware that when I went into a drugstore to get foundation I had an abundance of options. I have a light skin with yellow undertones. I have privilege in life because of my skin color; makeup included. Usually I am the second lightest shade in any drugstore or inexpensive foundation. When looking at shade ranges at the drugstore it goes like this 

Ivory, Buff (whatever that means), Vanilla, beige, tan, fresh beige, almond, medium beige. 

Lets be honest medium beige by no means is the darkest skin-tone that exists. In fact there are a million more variations of dark skin after medium beige. In some cases medium beige is too light for me to even use as a contour, that is ridiculous and it needs to change. Only a few brands carry dark foundations. I hate that when I have to buy foundations and concealers that are darker than someone with a medium skin I have to go to a niche brand which aren't always stocked in my local drugstores. When stocking my kit I usually have to spend way more money to get a good foundation for women of color. Makeup is so universal, so many women wear it and there needs to be a change. 

Two of my favorite brands that carry amazing products a lot of them aimed for makeup artists (on the cheap) are ELF and NYX. Though I love them dearly but they are the worse offenders when it comes to lack of shades. At most they will have 5-8 shades in a foundation. The darkest being a light golden tan color. 

The bottom line is everyone should be able to buy inexpensive makeup at matches their skin-tone. Not that many people have 30-40 dollars to shell out on a foundation that will last them maybe a few months. So please companies produce more shades.

To end things on a positive note Bh Cosmetics has beautiful foundation shades for women of color and you can get their liquid foundation for under 5 dollars. 

My Professional Kit: Foundation Part 1 NYX Mineral Stick

I have really started to buildup and use my kit for often now that I have really dedicated my life to makeup. The hardest thing about building your kit is foundation. Everyone skin is different and that means a different foundation. When looking for a foundation for your kit you want something versatile. You need something that will work on all skin types such as dry, oily and sensitive. Not all foundations are created equal and many are very expensive. I truly believe that you don't need to spend 40 dollars on a good quality foundation. So I thought I would share my budget kit favorites. 

NYX Mineral Stick Foundation 

Texture: This foundation is great because it give good build-able cover that is easily applied because it is in a stick packaging. The product is creamy is best blended with a wet sponge. For personal use I apply it with a beauty blended but on clients I use disposable sponges.

Shade Range: I love NYX products but they don't have the largest shade range. The darkest color is warm caramel. If you need a product for ebony skin this isn't the product. But the shades that it does have are good for latin, asian and caucasian skin.

Price: This is a more pricey drugstore product I got in at Rickey's which is NYC beauty supply store for around 10 dollars. You get .21 oz of compared to most foundations that has 1 fluid once.

Use: I like to use this foundation for film and photography because it doesn't give any flash back.

How to Buy: In total their are 9 shades I would suggest getting every other or the lightest, medium, and darkest shade. You don't need all of them because they are so similar. You can always mix to get the perfect shade for your client this is also a great money saving trick. I personally own 01 fair, 05 medium beige, and 09 caramel. Another great part of this product that is works amazing as a cream highlight and contour. Just look for a shade or two lighter than your skin tone for a contour a few shades darker.

You can get this foundation on the NYX website, some drugstores, Ulta and if you live in NYC at Rickey's

Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette Swatches and All

I have an obsession with Urban Decay. It is my favorite brand and basically I am more of a collector now. I have never owned a limited edition palette so I thought that the Vice 3 palette would be a great edition to my collection. You currently can still get Vice 3 in Sephora stores and on Urban Decay's website***** may change *****.