Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Revitalift Miracle Blur 
fancyfrancie 3/20/2013 5:11:00 PM
Really cool product. The texture is thick, like a paste, but then it disappears onto skin, leaving a velvety-smooth matte finish. No stinging or irritation whatsoever (I always get a mild sting from Neutrogena's more intense sunscreens). The "blur" effect is subtle, but you'll be happy as long as you're not expecting an actual miracle.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Paula's Choice - Best Face Forward Foundation SPF 25
fancyfrancie 8/17/2012 7:40:00 PM
Attention! Paula recently reformulated this product, and the shades have REALLY improved! "Best Bisque" is now an option for very fair skin, in my opinion. I found the former version to be way too beige- it looked like a fake tan. But the new color is beautiful. I wear it with confidence, and I am very pale. It gives light, natural coverage, and its matte finish stays in check for hours. As a super pale person, it is hard to find makeup that matches your skin without looking ghastly or wan. This stuff is worth trying out! Plus- awesome sunscreen included.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Aveeno - Natural Protection Mineral Block Lotion SPF 30
fancyfrancie 6/19/2012 1:49:00 PM
Not the greatest. I was intrigued by the promise of a non-greasy mineral sunscreen designed for oily skin. And it's true that this product isn't greasy at all. It's very matte and dry. Unfortunately it's also chalky, difficult to blend, and not well-suited for use on the face. It looks patchy and unflattering, and takes far too long to set. After a few hours it looks more natural, but who wants to wait that long for their sunscreen to set? I give it 3 lippies for use on the body, but only 2 for use on the face. A better mineral option for oily facial skin is EltaMD's UV Clear SPF 46.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Avon - Extralasting Pressed Powder SPF15 translucent
fancyfrancie 5/14/2012 4:56:00 PM
I have tried many many pressed powders with sunscreen. Most are disappointing. This one, however, is a great find. It has nice pale coverage without looking patchy or ghosty. It's similar in texture to Clinique Almost Powder SPF 15, but this stuff is cheaper, the color is better (fair, not peachy), and it applies more evenly, with zero clumping/oxidizing. I really recommend this powder. It's a bargain and performs brilliantly, with melt-into-your-skin coverage that keeps your face matte without appearing chalky or unnatural.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Cetaphil - Cetaphil Derma Control Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30
fancyfrancie 4/29/2012 7:05:00 PM
Interesting, but not great. I am very particular about my SPF formulas, and this one fit the bill initially: fragrance-free, 3% avobenzone, stabilized by octocrylene, not super expensive. 4 out of 4. The texture is OK. Not greasy, but I've had better (better = Neutrogena Healthy Defense liquid SPF 50, Paula's Choice Skin Balancing SPF 15). It does leave a little shine. This I can deal with (just dust on some powder). What I CAN'T deal with is how this balls up and flakes if you put any liquid makeup on (foundation, BB cream, etc.). It's just annoying. You end up having to wipe the flakes off so agressively that you're probably destroying much of the sunscreen barrier, rendering this product pointless. Too bad, because the price and packaging are both awesome, and I was excited to find a decent-seeming drugstore sunscreen that didn't smell like yucky perfume (I'm looking at you, Olay Ageless SPF 20!). Overall, kind of disappointing.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -MISSHA - M Perfect Cover BB Cream
fancyfrancie 4/9/2012 10:42:00 PM
HOT DAMN! This is beautiful. The shade No. 13 is so pale and wonderful I can hardly contain my excitement. It is seriously the most gorgeous pale shade I have ever experienced (and I've tried them all). Bright, not pasty or patchy at all, easy to blend, neither yellow nor pink, just as fair as can be and super flattering. Pale girls rejoice! REJOICE!
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -EltaMD - UV Clear SPF 46
fancyfrancie 4/4/2012 2:37:00 PM
INITIAL REVIEW: Awesome. I have combination/oily skin. I've been searching far and wide for a mineral sunscreen with the following five qualities: 1) fragrance-free 2) contains "extras" (niacinimine, vitamin E, etc) 3) non-greasy (VERY IMPORTANT) 4) silky, easy to blend, no patchiness 5) no breakouts So far I can say that this product meets qualifications 1-4! I will get back to you in two weeks or so with the verdict on #5 (if a new product is clogging my skin, I usually find out within 10 consecutive days of use). This stuff is a dream to apply. It's so silky-smooth, it just glides evenly over your skin, which means you don't have to stand in front of the mirror blending for five full minutes to get your face to look normal. It does leave the slightest white cast, but it's actually very flattering and brightening, not ghastly or unnatural-looking at all. This is definitely worth trying, and Paula Begoun gives it a happy face. I'll come back and let you know how the product stands up to acne. Fingers crossed! EDIT: A few months later, I'm still very impressed. I wear this about every other day (the other days I use Paula's Choice Skin Balancing SPF 15) and my skin tone and texture has noticeably improved. I really recommend this.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Almay - Nearly Naked LIQUID foundation
fancyfrancie 3/1/2012 2:21:00 PM
This is an interesting foundation. It is very skin-like and natural, and incredibly easy to blend. I would recommend this to any teenager or makeup beginner who wants to start testing out foundation. This will even out your skin tone and give you a slightly airbrushed look, yet the makeup itself is virtually undetectable. I swear, people WILL NOT KNOW that you have makeup on! So that's awesome. The drawback, naturally, is that you'll need a separate concealer for blemishes and dark under-eye circles, as this stuff is too light and sheer to be an all-in-one product. It has a soft glow (you'll definitely want to set with powder), and excellent sun protection from titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. If you're interested in natural coverage, you should definitely try this out. It's as light as Almay's Smart Shade makeup, but with better shades (I find those run too beigey-orange). It's hard to find soft, cool-toned ivories that aren't just straight-up ugly PINK. This has a really natural cool tone, and is a welcome respite from all the orange and beige "ivory" shades out there (I'm looking at you, Cover Girl!). Bottom line: this is a unique product, give it a try! EDIT: I thought I liked this stuff, but then I realized I was never wearing it. The reason? It's just too dewy. It feels gross on your face, and no amount of power makes it feel "set." So on that basis, I don't really recommend it anymore. I think there are better options (Paula's Choice Best Face Forward Foundation, Missha BB cream).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Laura Mercier - Mineral Powder SPF 15
fancyfrancie 1/31/2012 6:42:00 PM
First off, I am not a mineral-makeup devotee. For the most part I think mineral makeup tends to look patchy, uneven, chalky, and unnatural. That said, I keep coming back to this stuff. For a mineral powder with sunscreen, it's very light and easy to apply, and the neutral shades are lovely (Soft Porcelain is like striking gold for anyone with very fair skin). Overall, I think it's more elegant than most other mineral powders (such as Bare Minerals- not a fan). However, it has some of the same drawbacks as other mineral makeup: 1) If you apply to much, you're screwed and pretty much have to start over. Unlike liquid makeup, I find powder makeup much more difficult to blend away. 2) If you are in a dry environment, it can get patchy and clumped-looking as the day wears on. I haven't tested it in the summer, but I'll come back to this review once I have. True, this powder can be a dream! But overall I think the performance of mineral powder (even this powder, which I consider mineral makeup at its best) just isn't consistent enough to woo me away from liquid makeup. EDIT: I've stopped using this, because I think Avon's ExtraLasting Powder SPF 15 is a better product, as well as a better value. The LM powder is just too iffy... the Avon powder performs much more reliably.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Magic Lumi - Light Infusing Primer
fancyfrancie 1/22/2012 1:09:00 PM
Yuck. This made me look like the Tin Man (weirdly silver and shimmery), and the only thing it illuminated were my pores. This stuff made them look gigantoid! I'm surprised by the positive reviews so far... maybe it works for some people, but I say BUYER BEWARE. I don't think L'Oreal designed this to be a lasting classic product, but just a gimmicky way to get women to shell out $13 for the latest new thing. I'll be surprised if this isn't discontinued within a year.
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Moisturizers -Cerave - Facial Moisturizing Lotion - PM
fancyfrancie 1/5/2012 1:57:00 PM
This an awesome, cheap lotion for Wintertime when your skin dries out a bit. What you get: a lot of niacinamide, light hydration that sinks into your skin with no gross stickiness, zero fragrance, zero irritation, zero breakouts (at least I got zero breakouts- and I'm pretty sensitive). This stuff goes a long way to brighten up a dull winter complexion. Not to mention it's SUCH A GOOD DEAL. Compared to similar products from Olay (which contain basically the same formula: niacinamide and a bunch of emollients) you get twice as much product for practically half the price (work those weekly sales at CVS, people!). And as ShalimarMoon mentioned, CeraVe is one of the more ethical choices at the drugstore. So go get some!
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Maybelline - Fit Me
fancyfrancie 10/16/2011 12:11:00 PM
This stuff is a steal! Go get some! Porcelain 110 is a great shade for very fair skin. It applies flawlessly- sheer and matte. I use the ecotools baby kabuki brush.
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Sunscreen -Banana Boat - Ultra Defense Faces SPF 30 Oil Free with AvoTriplex
fancyfrancie 8/27/2011 5:02:00 PM
OUCH! This stuff stings. Not sure why- it has a lower percentage of active ingredients than other chemical sunscreens I use regularly without problems (Paula's Choice SPF 45+, Neutrogena liquid with Helioplex), but for some reason this burns my face. Something about it is not right for my skin. I noticed other reviewers complaining about stinging as well, so it's not just me.
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Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Pure & Free Liquid Daily Sunblock, SPF 50
fancyfrancie 8/24/2011 12:25:00 PM
This is an interesting product. It's hard to find chemical-free sunblocks designed for oily skin. This is mattifying and light as water. But it's not perfect-- it will leave a white cast that can get patchy and odd-looking as the day wears on. Plus, the higher % of pore-clogging physical blockers will be problematic for acne-prone skin if used every day (2-3 times a week works for me). However, as imlizlemon says, this is a great alternative to high-price SPF primers such as those from MAC ($30) and Hourglass ($52!), especially since Neutrogena is always running sales. They left out the fragrance, but I wish there were some added antioxidants. EDIT: Try applying this with a round foundation sponge instead of fingers. The sponge will even out white patches, and makes application MUCH quicker. After experimenting with this application mode, I am raising my review from 3 lippies to 4.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Coppertone - Coppertone Water Babies Pure and Simple, Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
fancyfrancie 7/10/2011 2:03:00 PM
A MUST for long days at the lake. You will return home as pale as you left. Because of the large % of zinc, you can be pretty sloppy about application and still net lasting protection. I bought this as a cheaper alternative to Shiseido's SPF 50, which also contains 14% zinc oxide. However, the Shiseido stuff is way pricier, way yuckier (very greasy residue), and has a strong, unpleasant fragrance. So Coppertone wins this round.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No