Melt proof Makeup

Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I love makeup. I'm not going to justify it. I just love it. I have a ton. Again, I'm not going to justify it. It's not the norm in the homeschool world, and I have gotten some subtle, um, mockery might be the right word (you don't know how badly I wanted to say shade!) for it. I don't care. That doesn't stop people from asking me questions about products, colors, etc. Which brings me to the following: is it possible, in a city like Houston, to wear actual face makeup that won't slide off your face in days with heat indices of 105+? Yes. Completely. I can put on foundation in the morning and still have it looking nearly perfect over 12 hours later after running errands and being outside for limited periods of time. Can I work out in it? Ha! Like I work out. That's a situation I am desperately trying to change, but I will tell you it can stand up to a brisk walk in Houston humidity!

My go-to for years has been Estee Lauder Double-Wear (shade 2C3 - Fresco). I still love it and I'll never leave it. In Houston, we are lucky enough to have CCO's - Cosmetic Company Outlets. There are three in the Cypress Outlet Malls and one in Katy Mills. At the MAC/Estee Lauder/Clinique one in Cypress, you can always find Double Wear 20% off - the question is whether you can find your shade. It is not old stock. If you've never been matched, definitely get matched first at an EL counter and get your free 10 day supply before buying it somewhere else, whether it's Ulta or a CCO.

Lately, however, I have been LOVING Urban Decay's All-Nighter Liquid Foundation. This one is almost a no-go for me because my skin is pretty dry. This puppy will suck up every bit of moisture on your skin. It is a dream when paired with one of UD's new primers - I love the Optical Illusion Complexion Primer. These two together (set with Skindinavia setting spray) last absolutely all day long, even in the super humidity. I don't touch up anything during the day. Ever. My foundation shade is 1.5. It's a pretty perfect match for me. This range is quite good with alternating between the pink and yellow undertones. I've tried it with a brush and a sponge, and I quite prefer a sponge because it sets so fast. I think you need that extra little bit of moisture. (Quickly on the subject of sponges, I quite prefer the L'Oreal sponge to a Beauty Blender, which I used for years. I'm ashamed to say that I succumbed to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale BB exclusive set because I was a sucker for that lavender sponge, but I definitely prefer L'Oreal.)

I set the foundation only very lightly with IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder and a very fluffy powder brush. That's different than how I set the EL Double Wear. For that, I typically set with MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation, which definitely adds even more coverage (I'm shade C4 if you need a comparison). The All-Nighter just doesn't need *anything* to make it super full coverage. It probably doesn't need to be set at all, but living in Houston just means setting your foundation in my world. I wouldn't consider anything else.

Finally, I assume it's understood, but the Ulta links aren't affiliate links. I put them in because if you're not shopping Ulta, you should be! Sign up for an account and start accruing points. A month or so ago, I placed an order for $154.00 and paid $4.00 for it. The rest was paid for in points. And that represented the redemption of only a small fraction of my points. Before you redeem any points, Google the Ulta points system so you can make the most of redemption. If you don't currently have a hair stylist, consider auditioning one at Ulta, because services accrue points, too, and they add up quickly! If you live anywhere near me (and you know if you do), give April at the Copperfield Ulta a try. She is awesome. She handles Therese's curly hair and my old hair equally adeptly. She actually matched my hair color to what it was when I was a kid. Three pregnancies leached the red out of my hair almost completely. April brought it back brilliantly. If I have to have the freckles, the rosacea, and the sunburns, I'm going to have the red hair!

Hopefully this post was somewhat helpful. If you're having trouble justifying the price of the UD foundation, maybe this will help. Wayne Goss, makeup artist and YouTuber extraordinaire, found out that most foundations have between 160-180 pumps in them. If you use 1-2 pumps each time you do your makeup, that's about 113 uses. That's about .35 per use. For the end result, that's not bad at all. For me, knowing that my makeup isn't going to break down in the heat is well worth the price of admission!