LaurEss • Ethereal Foundation • Powder

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*TOP REVIEWER* piecesofpurple on 8/8/2011 2:02:00 PM more reviews by piecesofpurple

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Wow, I think I've finally found my HG foundation!!! I never thought I'd be able to say that. I've been on an extensive MMU hunt this summer, even though I've been exclusively wearing MMU for the past 4 or 5 years or so. I've tried well over 50 brands and spent more money than I'd like to think about.

Right now I'm on Accutane, so my skin is dry and normally it's very oily and acne-prone. I'm still acne prone and I have a lot of current pimples and old acne scarring to cover up. I also have very fair skin, so the redness is especially difficult to cover.

I'd almost given up on loose mineral foundations because it took me forever to apply them and it was messy. However, apparently, we just have to find the "right" foundation that does what it claims to do and it takes so much less time, despite being in loose form.

Bottom line: This foundation covers better than any other foundation I've ever tried. After moisturizing my face, I dab a tiny bit of a sheer cream concealer on active pimples and scarring to give the minerals something to cling to better. Then I take a concealer brush dab on a small amount of minerals and in one coat, the redness is almost completely concealed. I add another coat to make myself feel better, lol. And then I take a long handled flat top Kabuki brush and use ONE coat for the rest of my face and that's seriously all you need. I have a lot of ruddiness all over, too, so only having to apply one coat every where else is mesmerizing to me! I feel like I'm barely wearing any makeup because I literally am barely wearing any makeup.

For reference, I'm NC 15 and the shade Gentle Ivory works really well with my skin tone. I have slightly more yellow than the ivory provides, but that's probably just because it's summer and I have a little more color than usual. The Gentle Fawn works well, too. I'm going to try the Subtle Gold to see if it's light enough for me.

And for those who say that this foundation is more pricey than others, it may seem so at first, but the coverage payoff will make it last so much longer. And, everyone loves EDM, but you only get 5.5 grams of product for 12 dollars. Lauress is 10 grams for 20, so it's really not more expensive when you break it down.

Oh and the finish is not completely matte, which is a slight downfall for me, especially when my skin isn't dry anymore, but it's not overly glowy. It looks incredibly natural. For those that don't like the glow, you can use this as a concealer on your trouble spots and use the Elemental or Minimalist foundation for other areas. I've tried the Elemental and it covers well enough for all over the face and actually covers better than most standard MMU foundations by itself, but I prefer the Ethereal for a quicker application.

****EDIT**** I took off one star because when I received my full sized product, the sifter jar is just a standard jar without the resealable sifters, which is incredibly disappointing to me. For 20 bucks, it should really have a resealable sifter! I thought that has become a standard feature in loose MMU nowadays, but I suppose not for all companies. I still love this product, but it's going to be really annoying to travel with it because it's almost impossible to keep it upright during transit and the powder will get through the holes and be uncontrollable when I actually go to use it. EDM and Lucy Minerals spoiled me with their resealable sifter jars. It really does make all the difference in the convenience of using a loose mineral product. I suppose I could buy a separate 30 gram jar that has a resealable sifter and try to transfer the product into it, but that seems risky. And, for the price, I really shouldn't have to.

Lauress makes some great products, though. Blushes are beyond beautiful and the lip glosses are perfection! Just start using resealable sifter jars and I'll be an incredibly happy woman!

****UPDATE**** I'm very sad to report that I'm reducing my rating to 2 lippies because this product is causing tiny white breakouts that are forming into deep, painful cysts. I wanted to love this product so much because it covers so well, so I actually tried to ignore the itchy sensation that I got when I applied it all over my face. I've been using this as a concealer (I have a lot to conceal, so it would cover my jaw and cheek area) and I've been using EDM's intensive foundation on top of it. The rest of my face is fine, but the areas I'm applying the concealer are reacting badly. White tiny bumps are definitely a sign of clogged pores and itchiness is a true sign of an allergic reaction. When I cleaned all my makeup brushes and used the EDM by itself, my skin felt much better, but I really miss the coverage. So, for you ladies who can use it, it's worth a try.

I'm also not happy that this company does not accept returns (the whole hygienic excuse makes absolutely no sense). A company can take returns and not re-use the packaging. And, when I emailed the company over a month ago to ask about what size jars the Trio Kit comes in, I never received a response, which reflects their poor customer service (a big pet peeve of mine).

And, lastly, Gentle Ivory is not my HG color---by far. It doesn't have nearly enough yellow in it and i only have slight yellow undertones. The Gold shades don't come in a color lighter than Subtle, which is too dark for me. How can it not come in lighter variations? You just add more white color adjuster to it! ::Sigh:: The search continues. It seems EDM's discontuing their intensive base, as well, so now I'm really back at square one.

I think boron nitride is the culprit...

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MiaAnneli on 12/1/2010 11:54:00 AM more reviews by MiaAnneli

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Other   Eyes: Blue    

This is my favorite, I love it! I had been looking for a mineral foundation that doesn't dry my skin out and covers well my acne-scarred skin. I had have bad experiences with mineral makeup when I first tried Bare Escentuals mineral foundation with bad results, it didn't blend well, it dried my skin out terribly and it made my skin itch really bad. I was afraid that mineral makeup just didn't suit to my skin type.

But im happy I decided to try one more mineral foundaton before giving up with them. This one really covers perfectly but still looks natural. It also doesn't dry out my skin at all, and it stays on my skin beautifully through the hole day. I have been using it over a year and I really higly recommend it for everyone.

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SamanthaKral on 6/11/2010 11:42:00 AM more reviews by SamanthaKral

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

I really Like this foundation. I got samples of Meow, Earthen Glow, EDM, Alima, Signature minerals, J Lynne and I already had BE and I really liked earthen glow and I placed an order but never got the product so paypal gave me a refund and I was back to square one again. I want full coverage mmu! Is that too hard to ask? Earthen Glows was very creamy , so was alima but alima wasn't enough coverage.. so that takes me to LaurEss, I place sample orders of the Ethereal (reminds me ethernet cable! lol) so I got samples in Radiant Ivory, Subtle Ivory, and Gentle Neutral.. and Gentle neutral was perfect for my NC15 beige/neutral skin. The application is good .. I only need two layers for maximum coverage!

The finish of the product on my combo skin is pretty matte. It lasts all day and all in all I am very happy with this product. I usually like to wear mmu over TM so I haven't tried it yet but I will let you know how it is.

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janeyss on 5/2/2009 3:23:00 AM more reviews by janeyss

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

Use this in conjuction with the Elemental formula. I'm very happy that this doesn't cause any problem to me. I think my search for the best foundation is over now and I will stick to Lauress foundations as they don't irritate my super sensitive skin and I always get the compliments from my bf and colleagues when I use these!!

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CSR on 2/10/2009 1:01:00 PM more reviews by CSR

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

2-28-09 Edit: I started using EDM and my face cleared right up. After finally finding the right color in EDM (golden fair - I am usually typed cool pale/fair and would have never guessed a golden) the Lauress doesn't seem to look as good as before. It is a great company and a good product, just not for me.

2-17-09 Edit: After using this product for about 2 weeks, I notices small bumps on my face. I am not sure if this is the cause. Am taking a break (back to EDM) to see if my skin clears up. Will try product again later and update on the results.

I have finally found my HG foundation. Liquid foundation has always made my face look cakey and didn't last long (not even double wear lasted more than 4 hours). Most mineral foundations did not have the coverage I liked, or they were too dry. The Ethereal formula is perfect for me. It provides a creamy, long lasting coverage. My face does not feel (or look) dry and tight. Once in the morning and another quick brushing around lunch last me the whole day. No other foundation has ever done this. The customer service is excellent - I found an excellent match with subtle tan when I called them looking for sample suggestions. I can not say enough about this company. The Elemental formula was also nice if you are looking for a little less coverage. Price wise may start out more expensive than others, but I find that I am using a lot less to get the look I want which will ulitmately save me money.

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aces67 on 2/3/2009 2:33:00 PM more reviews by aces67

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I just tried this a few weeks ago and I absolutely love it! I just ordered more yesterday. I have acne and my face is very, very red on my chin, cheeks and nose. This is the first foundation I've found that covers it all up. My face has never, ever looked so good and even toned ever.

I'm so excited to find this!

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