Cue the singing of angels!
I have found yet another reasonably priced foundation
in a shade I love. It's not hard to find a good foundation. I've checked many brands at the drugstores that feel good on the skin, have a great look (if it matches the wearer's shade), and doesn't break the bank.
My problem is my darker-than-"deep" shade. I love how all the darkest shades near where I live stop somewhere between Mocha and Cafe Au lait. It's as if someone decided that most black women are actual sisters of Beyonce, Mariah, or Alicia Keyes. I might find something real close to a Jennifer Hudson shade every now and then, but those usually go wrong just enough to leave me looking ashy or chalky. That's just what happened with this Revlon 2-in-1 foundation and concealer I recently tried in "Cappucino"...
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| NOT the reviewed product!!! |
That certainly
looks like if would work for me. If anything, from the photo, it looks like it might be
perfect.
It's not.
First of all, it's only that dark in the photo. Second of all, even though the actual product was dark enough to fool me when I saw it at the store, it's not that dark when applied. It's more of a Cappucino with a dose of cream. When I applied it, it worked so well that I could have gotten away with wearing it if no one looked past my jawline, In other words, I looked like a black kabuki-painted chick. If there is such a thing, I mean. (No offense intended to any cultures.)
~sigh~
I was disappointed until I found this:
This is the Ebony Brown shade of
Black Opal's True Color Pore Perfecting Liquid Foundation.
Since I first spotted it online, I was a bit worried about the shade match to my skin. Thankfully, some sweet lady had lots of photos in different types of lighting. That made it easier for me to take a chance and try this one.
I'm going to pause now to share some photos in different lighting. Sort of a pay-it-forward thing since I didn't get the name or site of the lady who helped me out.
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The TOP (darker) photos are the truest to color.
The BOTTOM photos make the liquid look lighter than it actually is |
Most of you should have an idea of what shade my complexion is by now. One thing I learned long ago from a beauty consultant was to always test new shades to the neck or jawline. I don't know how good this photo is, but I can tell you that this foundation in Ebony Brown is just about a super match to my skin tone.
There is ZERO makeup below my jaw. I actually did one side of my face and left the other side bare this morning, but the match is too close for my camera to show you the difference. Looking in the mirror, it looked as if I had "blurred" or put BB cream on the side with the makeup. There's just a smoothing and evening-out effect that I love. Doesn't do much for the 5 decades worth of wrinkles around my eyes, but I still love the effects.
Good thing that I didn't see this part of the box before I bought this makeup or I would have passed. From the picture below, this would seem way too light for me:
Here's the crazy thing: when I compare the bottle of this Ebony Brown to the (now returned/refunded) Revlon Cappucino cream foundation, they look like exact matches. But, oh, nay nay.
There is one interesting thing that I noticed when I was checking the label. There's this part about the product being "alcohol-free"...
...that sounded good until I looked at the ingredients:
Am I missing something - or is something that has "Cetyl Alcohol" in it considered free of, well, alcohol?
Apparently, yes, I am missing something. I guess it's not only important to read a label but to also know the games played with them.
Because I assume the alcohol is meant to keep down the shine, I'm a tiny bit disappointed that I do get shine with this product. I have discovered that it best to blot this really well to remedy that. Also, even when I did blot after applying, after a few hours in the car (on a warm day), I had to tissue my face again. If you don't blot (or re-blot), this makeup transfers to everything that you touch. (Side note: my optometrist was probably hating me when she had to clean all her testing machines after my exam today.) My NARS and
BH foundations are much better non-shine/non-transfer
products, but the coverage is lighter than with this foundation. (I will have to review the NARS one day soon.)
Aside from the (not really) alcohol-free and the other issues, I do love this foundation. I'm going to be checking with Black Opal to see if they send out samples. I'd love to check the Black Walnut shade in the product.
One day, I will have to do a post comparing all the different brands and shades I've still got laying around. For now -
Peace
--Free
P.S.: I do want to give credit to Revlon for having a shade as dark as Cappucino. At least they are offering some shade variety. By the way, if you
can wear their
2-in-1 product I mentioned, it's some great stuff and I'd tell you to give it a try. Can't wait to find a cream-to-powder that works for my skin shade.
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