Papps...

HappyAardvark

what makeup were you looking to buy at Macy's? :P

HappyAardvark

I'm not the biggest fan of powder foundations because I think most of the time they look very cakey and don't have a nice finish on the face.  I will say, however, that smashbox's Camera Ready foundation is the nicest cream to powder foundation that I've seen out there, it definitely has a really full coverage and really nice finish.

I love bare escentuals foundation, and it is actually really decent coverage and I think has the most natural-looking finish of all the mineral foundations out there, but I know some people aren't fans. If you have never tried it though, I *highly* recommend going to a boutique and having one of their artists demo it on you.  If you like it, have her talk you through how to put it on - application is super easy but you have to know how to do it properly. It was actually Leslie Blodgett herself who schooled me in how to put it on correctly and after that, I was hooked for life.

I also tried for the first time the other week tarte's new Amazonian clay foundation - LOVED IT. It has an amazingly beautiful finish and the clay helps absorb oil on your skin. And it is 100% green - no artificial chemicals/preservatives, anything. You definitely need to apply it with a brush to get the best finish but I think they sell a kit on qvc that's a really great deal (not sure if the actual product itself is exclusive to qvc or not too). 

LOL did you know I used to be a cosmetics buyer before I moved to jewelry? :P 

pearblossom

I second Aardvark's Bare Escentuals review. That stuff changed my life.

pearblossom

PappsMcgee:

PS- Since you ladies are fans of Bare Essentials... do they have a full coverage line? I used them before and they didn't do what I was looking for

I have no idea. I'm pretty freckley so full coverage tends to look fake on me. But I do swear by their powder concealer.

HappyAardvark

Not sure if you're still checking this thread :P but BE is actually pretty full coverage if you apply it correctly.  The trick is to apply several layers of a little bit of product to build it to the coverage you're looking for.  That keeps it from looking strange on your face, which is the mistake I think a lot of women make when applying it, who say they don't like how it makes their face look or the finish on their skin.  And the concealer (bisque) is the hot sh!t.