A Little Foundation Secret for Summer!

Since it's been so hot out.. Actually - let me rephrase that. Since it's been so UNBEARABLY SWELTERING outside for the past .. oh .. month a half - I haven't been wearing too much of anything on my face in terms of foundation. Typically, I'm very loyal to the illuminare liquid mineral foundations. They cover great and match my skin tone really nicely. But let's be honest - wearing full coverage, liquid foundation when it's pushing 95 degrees outside with extremely high humidty levels is no walk in the park. You need something lightweight.

So what I've been using has been a combonation of a few items, but the main idea here in the coverage technique I've been using. I've been combining Rain's Dual Mineral Foundation with Clean and Clear's Morning Glow moisturizer and it's absolutely PERFECT for not only hydrating my face, but providing that light coverage without the thick, gloopy feeling of liquid foundation.

Rain's foundation run's $32 and the moisturizer retails for about $5 at most drug stores. Basically, you just need to put a little bit of the lotion on the back of your hand, dip your sponge into it, swipe it into your foundation (this foundation works both wet and dry, so it's a good one for this job), and then apply it to your face. You don't need to go all crazy here, though. I usually apply mine where I'm prone to redness, like my nose, chin, and forehead. The matte quality of the powder will help reduce shiny-ness and the lightweight coverage provides just enough to give your skin an even tone without looking or feeling cake-y. The great thing about the morning glow is that it has a very very subtle pearlescent quality to it that gives your skin a natural looking, healthy glow. It's really a great combonation for summer. The sun can definitely dry out your skin, so this little trick will not only keep your skin hydrated and healthy - it'll allow you get the look you want without feeling like your face is melting off the second you step outside.

Aside from that, I usually hit my under eye circles with some Erase Paste ($26 by benefit) and touch up any pesky blemishes with benefit's industrial strength concealer "Boi-ing" ($18). You can even go eyemakeupless and still achieve an even skin tone by simply applying some eyelid primer to your naked lids. Eyelids can tend to look red and discolored (especially if you suffer from allergies) - so choose a skin toned primer like Senna's Totally Transforming Eye Primer ($22). You can go for some bronzer for definition but if you're doing this little trick right, your skin should still show it's naturally tanned glow!

I hope you all are staying cool in this hot hot heat!

Flawless Skin with Illuminare Cosmetics

Every girl wants flawless skin. I don't care who you are. If you ask a girl what she wants most in life, she might say some shit like "oh I totally want world peace and for all puppies to have good homes". That would be nice bitch, but let's be serious..

You want sexy skin.

I had the opportunity to try out one of the most kick-ass products to ever exist on the planet, and that's no understatement. Illuminare Cosmetics is seriously high up on my "I don't think I'll ever find anything better than this" list. If you're unfamiliar, you need to click on that link & check out the site (after reading this, of course). Basically, Illuminare makes mineral makeup - but the unique thing about it is that its in liquid form. We're talking full coverage, flawless face, healthy glow, etc... This stuff is liquid gold in my opinion. All of my colors were in the "portofino porcelain" shade - so if you're similar to my skintone, that's going to be the best for you. The biggest bonus about these is that you need the teeniest tiniest amount to do your entire face, so you're going to get TONS of use out of each tube:

The extra coverage foundation/concealer runs $27 and is an amazing semi-matte formula that contains SPF21 & is oil free. The coverage is amazing and the formula is pretty lightweight for a matte foundation. I applied it all over my face and then concentrated it in spots that needed extra coverage (dark circles, blemishes, etc...) and I was amazed at how even my skintone was. It has natural oil absorbing qualities, so if you struggle with oily skin - this is going to be your savior. One tiny dot on each cheek, forehead, and nose and my entire face was flawless. It's unlike any drugstore or even MAC foundation you'll ever try and the matte quality makes it absolutely ideal for summertime.

The fantastic finish foundation (also $27.00) is a bit different from the extra coverage formula. It's a bit lighter (reminds me of the consistency of a light moisturizer) and does not feel thick like most foundations do. It creates a "dewy" look - so you'll have a bit more of a glow with this one. Perfect for the winter when your skin might be a little dryer! The coverage is still awesome and if you follow up with the extra coverage concealer in your tricky spots, you're good to go. If you don't like the feel of having foundation on, this literally feels like you're wearing nothing - it's really amazing. You get SPF20 with this & it's also oil free.

Once you choose a foundation color, choosing a blush shade is a no-brainer since they're meant to be paired with the foundations to mimic your skin tone's "natural blushing". Perfect Color Blush is basically fool proof , ladies. You're not going to end up with something too dark or too light - it's the most natural looking blush I have EVER tried. It's $18.00 for the tube and just like the foundations, it has sun protection, is oil free, and you need a teeny tiny dab to do both cheeks.

This is my favorite part!! The fast application pad runs $10.00 and is an absolute must have! It's made of washable material and applies this makeup FLAWLESSLY! And it's freaking leopard print, what more do you want???????

Thank you SO MUCH to Teresa & Ruthie for this amazing opportunity! Check out Illuminare and if you have specific product questions - you can always e-mail me (kelspot@gmail.com) for a direct response! Thank you dolls for reading and if you want a visual aid - check out the youtube review of these products on our youtube channel.. & don't forget to subscribe while you're there: