UPDATE **REVIEW** Juvia's Place I Am Magic Foundation (Part One)

Here is the promised update: There won't be a part two of this post. No need. The Mali and Chad shades were hit and miss. Mali is a hit and Chad is a miss. Here is another swatch photo from a post I just finished (in place of continuing with the Juvia mess). Chad and Mali are 2nd and 3rd down.

Thank goodness, Mali works so well. It's not quite as "deep" or red as Khartoum but it works. With this COVID sitch, there is no more trading/exchanging of makeup online so... My friend who got the Chad and Mali agrees with me that I can use Mali well as a foundation and Chad as a contouring color. Main thing is, I will not be shopping ever again at Juvia's until I KNOW the exact color I want. They have a horrible reputation as far as I see online and their Trust Pilot reviews focus on the awful shipping issues. Their BBB profile has around 18 reviews to date and has a less than a 2-star rating. The shipping and tracking were great for me - I got those mismatched shades quick as a flash. I have no idea how they stay in business unless it's via their Ulta sales.

For more swatches,go check the Big Black Swatch & Shade post.

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I am conflicted. On the one hand, this Juvia's Place I Am Magic Foundation is the best ever foundation I have used. On the other hand, there is something about the 2 shades I've tried. Let's talk my the shades and view of the pros and cons of the foundation and the brand overall.

THE FOUNDATION

This is the foundation, packaged and unpackaged:

The top is a flip design and some people don't like it, but I don't mind.

I got one foundation in the shade of Togo (210) and the other in the shade of Kano (150). I was trying to get a match for the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Khartoum because let's face it, Nars is priced way out of my range.

This is what Ulta's shade guide looks like vs the chart from the Juvia's site:

This is what my arm swatches look like:

Togo and Kano are SO much alike

I totally missed the mark, didn't I? This is why I hate trying to check shades from looking at photos. A shade swatch on my arm will not look the same as one on the arm of someone even slightly lighter or darker than I am. Also, you saw those shade charts from online; they just don't capture the shades that well.

~sigh~

Note About Skintones

Both shade charts come with notes about the undertones for each shade - such as for cool, neutral, or olive, etc.

Well, how many people know their true undertones? For years, I thought I had red undertones because I look good in red clothes. Wrong. For one thing, I learned that other people think I look best in blue clothing. It's recommended that you check the color of your veins to see if they look more blue or purple or green. Apparently, mine veins are chameleon-like because they sometimes look blue, sometimes, purple and, every now and then, red.

I find it's better to check skin tone by which color metal jewelry looks best. Silver and white gold look better on me than any other kind. This is the way this site helps explain it:

Once you've determined whether you have warm or cool undertones, it's easy to find a metal color that will flatter your skin tone. People with cool skin tones look good in light or white metals such as white gold, platinum and silver. People with warm skin tones look good in yellow and rose gold, copper and brass jewelry. If you have a neutral skin tone, you'll look good in both white metals and yellow metals.

So, I am still in pursuit of the best shade for me. In the next 2 or 3 weeks, I will be updating this post with swatches of 2 other shades - Chad and Mali - because my friend has ordered those for me since I wasn't able to match better with Togo and Kano.

JUVIA'S PLACE SITE

It's a shame that such a great product is represented by such a lacking brand. I guess I should say the brand and the brand's website. Here is what struck me from dealing with Juvia's Place:

• CON: They really don't stand behind their product. There are no returns or recourse for damaged items. Basically, you buy it and, if it's the wrong shade or has gotten damaged in transit, too bad.
• CON: They don't respond to customer concerns. I emailed immediately after placing the first order to ask about a shade switch. Actually, I told them about the foundation I was currently using as asked if they could recommend one of two other shades. No response from them at all. The only communication is a notice that an order is received and that an order is shipped.
• PRO: On the plus side, the price is lowest at the brand's site - currently $12 vs the $20 and up I am finding elsewhere (Ulta, for one).
• PRO: The Juvia's shade finding tools try to be helpful. The problem is that a lot of users have no idea what their "undertone" is or they might think it's different than what's shown. 

So, I am so NOT a fan of the brand's site, but I would love to hit on the right shade of their foundation. It could be a beautiful thing.

By the way, I will be able to use the Togo and Kano shades but only as highlighters. I can use both as foundations but I have to add another shade on top to balance it out. I guess it's a good thing that these were on sale. Thanks to the Honey app, I got an additional savings discount. My friend will be ordering for the first time so she will get a deeper discount that I can't reuse.

Bottom line: I would pay double for the makeup if the brand were more customer-friendly. It's a first-class product put out by a low-class brand.

Peace

--Free