I’m sure most of you familiar with MAKE UP FOR EVER – makers of long lasting cosmetics in amazing colours, exciting new products (have you heard of Fluo Night? One of the coolest new products I’ve seen in a while) and bad-ass lashes. I’ve tried and loved lots of their products over the years, so you can imagine how excited I was when I got the chance to try out one of their newest additions – the HD Complexion Starter Kit ($79 at Sephora). It comes with 4 must-have complexion perfection products and tools – HD Microperfecting Primer, HD Invisible Cover Foundation, HD Microfinish Powder and an HD Kabuki Brush to finish it all off.
First of all, I’ve been hearing amazing things about the HD Microfinish Powder – it was definitely on my to-try list. Having all of these products put together in one do it all kit is fantastic. The promise is that the combination of these will leave you with a flawless, high definition complexion. Also really neat – your shade is matched up to your skin tone so that you end up with the most perfect foundation shade for your skin tone. You can either use their online shade finder, which is pretty neat, or you can head into any Sephora store to be colour-matched (I used the online shade finder, but if you want the absolute best match chosen I’m going to suggest going in to the store – it can be a little tricky using the online version as colours may appear differently on different monitors, and it’s always easier to let a pro help you out!).
Anyways, let’s get down to business:
HD Microfinish Primer – I can officially say that I now love this oil free primer. It comes in a milky white form – quite “liquid-y”, more so than any primers I’ve ever used before. I find they usually come in more of a gel form, so this was interesting the first time I tried it, and I wasn’t sure how it was going to work. A little goes a long way, and I was really happy with the results. My skin felt smooth and soft – it really helped to give me a nice even base which was perfect to apply my makeup to. I’ve taken to using it for every day makeup prep.
HD Invisible Cover Foundation – As stated on the Sephora website, “This long-wearing foundation creates a soft-focus effect, which is designed to meet the coverage concerns of those in the spotlight. It leaves your complexion with such a flawless finish, it can withstand bright or harsh lighting.” First of all, let me just say how awesome it is that you can use the shade finder/Sephora crew to help you find the perfect shade to match your skin tone perfectly. I know it can be kinda hard to find your exact foundation match sometimes, so this is a huge plus. Anyways, I used the online shade founder and discovered that my shade was #118 – Flesh, which matched seamlessly with my skin tone. Now let me also mention that this foundation is oil-free, which is another huge plus. My skin has a tendency to get a little shiny after a little while, so oil free foundations are a must for me. I’m really glad this foundation is oil-free and helps to keep the shine at bay for a longer period of time. Onto coverage – as stated on the Sephora page, this foundation provides medium to heavy coverage. I did see this upon application, as it covered up my skin flawlessly. Maybe a little heavier than I usually wear every day, but for the times when you’re looking for a perfect complexion and have imperfections to cover up, this is perfect. It left me with a nice, even looking complexion, which is expecially nice in these winter months when my skin is looking pretty dull!
HD Microfinish Powder – I have heard so much about this lately and was super excited to try it out. It comes in one translucent shade which is great because it can be used by anyone, any time of the year. It’s job is to set foundation and soften imperfections. It does work – I really liked the glowy, soft look it laves my skin with after applying, and the nice part is that it does what it says it’s going to do – it’s almost like it fills in where any imperfections are so your skin looks smooth after. I’ve also tried this out on my mom, and I find that it does a nice job of minimizing the look of fine lines. The nice part is that you can use it over any foundation, or on it’s own. The only small issue I had with it is my face starts to get a little shiny after about 5 hours, but applying a little pressed powder will take care of that. One tip you might want to remember – don’t overdo it with the powder. Use a little bit and swirl it over your face – use too much and you might start to look a little bit like a mime.
HD Kabuki Brush – This brush is awesome – soft and full, it’s perfect for applying the HD Microfinish Powder to complete your look.
I really enjoy this kit – maybe not something that I’ll use for every day wear, the coverage that it provides is a little heavier than what I want for work, but definitely useful for going out, evening wear and those days when you just want to add a little oomph and look absolutely flawless. I highly suggest stopping by your nearest Sephora to at least check it out and give it a try.
