When I first laid eyes on the Cover FX display at my local Sephora my jaw dropped. Other than MAC and MUFE I had never seen such a wide selection of shades. There is a whopping 32 shades available in the cream formula and 25 in the liquid! Impressive right?

Since Cover FX was developed to cover skin imperfections like port wine stains and vitiligo, I was excited to see what it could for my hyperpigmentation.

Ummm... Please excuse the lack of lucidity in the pics... They were taken at an ungodly hour and I truly needed to beat for even attempting to take them. Oh... And pay no mind to the swoll peeper. This is what happens when you bust your face on the sink trying to keep the resident toddler from busting his own head as he attempts to dance in the shower. No before pics either... I'll give you hyperpigmentated skin or swoll a$$ eye but not both!




So what do you think? Good stuff right?

Though this is a cream foundation it's not exactly creamy. Properly moisturized skin and primer are a must in order for it to spread and blend properly. Otherwise you will end up using too much and you'll end up rocking the loathed "foundation mask". It took a little work to apply with my 187 since it isn't creamy. I did more swirling than stippling. Cover FX blended easily over my HG Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer. I really wanted to try the SkinPrep FX primer but it was missing from the The Big Cover Up kit I purchased. What's up with that Sephora? You have to set it with a powder. Cover FX has a tacky feel to it. It has "Dermafix" technology that allows it to stick to the skin and itself resulting in water resistant, all day coverage. Setting with a powder gets rid of the tacky feel.

Cover FX creme in B35 - $42

190. I still prefer my Essence of Beauty foundation brush over both of them. Same with the 12o concealer brush... Nothing to write home about. The kit comes with Setting The Big Cover Up kit has everything you need to make Cover FX work. It has a full sized SkinPrep FX, Setting FX powder, a how- to DVD and foundation and concealer brushes. Now that I think about... I think The Big Cover Up Kit is something you can pass by if you already have a decent primer, finishing powder and brush. The 130 foundation brush is very similar to MAC'sFX in Light. (Dark is available separately.) Another meh... It was no different than any of the other powders that I currently have in rotation.

Overall

Pros
One step coverage- no concealer needed
A little goes a long way
SPF 30
Easy to travel with
Light weight
Water resistant

Cons
Can be difficult to blend
Can go on mask-like if too much is used
Feels sticky without setting powder
$42... But it will last quite a while


Cover FX creme foundation is the closest thing to my beloved Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer. Yes! I admit it. Lol! Both offer full, light weight coverage without the need for a separate concealer. SSE is just a tad more pigmented than Cover FX. As a matter of fact I would probably recommend Cover FX before SSE because of this. SSE is so pigmented that it is very easy to put too much on. Cover FX gives more wiggle room. Not a lot more, but enough to make it more user friendly for the masses.

So what say you folks? Is Cover FX your HG? Your newest lemming? Tried it and hated it? Let me know.

B.B.

This time I will be reviewing Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup.

Revlon says it's a

"Weightless foundation that goes on white and self-adjusts to match your exact skin tone. In 5 shades with a flawless finish."

I picked it up from Walmart for $10.97. It came with a bonus Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer so the price was right. I have seen it cost up to $13 at different drugstores though. Gotta love Wally World! It comes in a 1oz squeeze tube so the germaphobe in me was pleased. It is SPF 15 with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as active ingredients. This is worth noting because depending on what active ingredients are in your primer or sunscreen (and we do wear sunscreen, right?), they may effect the photostability... But that's a whole notha subject.


Anyways... This foundation is a tinted moisturizer. No more no less. It does match your skin tone perfectly. It offers little to nothing in the way of coverage. If you have are actually trying to hide flaws such as hyperpigmentation or dark circles then this is a no go. If you already have really nice skin and just want a little something than this may be for you. It's a great way to save a little time by combining tinted moisturizer and sunscreen into one, easy to apply step. It has a nice natural matte finish. Matte yet radiant at the same time.

The nekkid trufe

It has these interesting little black specs. Let's just say I wasn't expecting them either.

The still pretty damn nekkid trufe

Bottom line: I'll give it a 4 out 5. I can't bring myself to hate on this simply because it's a tinted moisturizer. While my skin may not be ready for coverage this light, I know that many of yours are. I think this a great, wallet friendly alternative to some other tinted moisturizers on the market. My only beef is with Revlon. If its gonna act like a tinted moisturizer then just call it a tinted moisturizer. You ain't got to lie Craig. You ain't got to lie.

B.B.

Drum roll please...

Its time for the first official review for


Dang... My cornballness even amazes me at times. Lol. Anyways....

High Definition or HD is the new hotness on the makeup scene. HD makeup was created in response to high-definition photography, which is rapidly becoming the the industry standard. HD photography can be rather unforgiving so the makeup must still cover flaws but still look as natural as possible.

To be honest with you... I have absolutely no clue what makes HD makeup different from all of the other stuff but I'm a sucker for new makeup hotness. Here is what MUFE says about it's own new hotness, HD Invisible Cover Foundation:

"...It harmonizes the complexion and does not accentuate wrinkles, leaving natural-looking skin, and meets the needs of all women who want a beautiful complexion in daylight. Its extremely fine texture is supple and easy to apply... Enriched with moisturizing agents, HD Foundation leaves skin soft and radiant. It is available in a wide range of shades for all skin tones. "

Now that I take a look at them... MUFE doesn't really make any outlandish promises about this foundation. It doesn't promise younger, tighter or even flawless skin. I guess all you can expect is natural looking even tone. That's pretty much what it delivers.

MUFE HD is a medium coverage foundation. It's fairly buildable but if you have hyperpigmentation or dark under eye circles a separate concealer is a must. I'm not going to lie... I'm lazy when it comes to foundation and concealer so I am always on the lookout for a work horse foundation. One pump was all that I needed to do my entire face using the MAC 187. It was a breeze to blend and doesn't feel heavy at all. A regular foundation brush (like the 190) would have probably worked as well but I am foundation brush-tarderated. Every time I use my 190 my foundation goes all streaky. I used Dr.Brandt Microdermabrasion last night so I didn't have any flaking skin or dull patches to contend with.

MUFE HD gives a very dewy finish and does nothing in the way of oil control. If you are a MAC Studio Finish Fluid or a Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse fan than MUFE HD will not be yor friend. If you are oily then expect to be hella oily in a few hours.The ingredient Relipidium (whatever that is) is supposed to increase the moisture in the skin 46% over 4 hours. I used my regular moisturizer (Cera Ve, it's the business!) with it so this definitely contributed to the dewiness. A rice powder or some sort of blot powder is something that you need to have when you're fooling around with this foundation. I can see this being a great choice for dry or mature skin.

These pics were taken using a 40 watt GE Reveal light bulb.
MUFE HD in 178 and I concealed about 4 spots using kevyn Aucoin's SSE in these pics.

As per usual MUFE fashion, HD is available in wide array of shades, 25 to be exact! Plenty of brown girl friendly shades. At $40 a pop, it's not the most wallet friendly foundation out there but no one ever accused MUFE of cheap.

Finished results with MAC Blot Powder. Ya'll see me wiggin out! Gettin my protective styling on!

So what's the verdict?

3.5 out a possible 5 points.

Meh... It's nice but nothing to break a heel trying to get to. I don't see any difference between this and several other foundations. Maybe I can get Mr. Brown to buy me a hi-def digi cam and that's when the magic will happen. Until then, I will keep it moving. For $40 I was expecting to be wowed a little more.

Has anyone tried this? Planning on it? Let me know.

B.B.

The Foundation Files- The Rules

The Foundation Files is a new series that I present a formal review of the foundations that have crossed my path. To level the playing field, all foundations will be applied over the same moisturizer (Cera Ve) and primer (Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch). The night before I take pictures for the review I will exfoliate or use a mask, depending upon what my skin needs at that time. jhfdI will state in the review what was used becasue I have a few of each in rotation at any given moment. So sit tight and let the reviews begin!

B.B.

Something is Brewing at Betty's!

We all have our personal beauty quests. Some of us want lust worthy lashes while others are determined to banish dark circles. My my beauty walkabout is the search for flawless skin. Umm.. I ain't there yet. So on my way I have tried countless foundations to at least help me fake what nature seems hell bent on not giving me... Beautimous, radiant skin that totally negates the need for foundation. I figured if I'm going to take the time to try these foundations I could at least tell ya'll about them. It's only right. So I bring to you.... *Drum roll please*....

The Foundation Files

Dang...I really need to step up my HTML game. Typing it out makes it seem so anticlimactic compared to how it sounded in my head. LOL! Just go back and read it using your mind's announcer voice while beating a timpani... go ahead I'll wait...

Decent right?!?!

The Foundation Files is the first official series here at BBB so I may be a little too excited but ya'll know I'm a goobsmack. Stay tuned for the first official post in the series. I even came up with a rating system! Ha!

B.B.