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Beauty Board: Foundation

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 19, 2008

If ads for popular beauty products leave you skeptical, relax. Our 4you Beauty Board's veteran testers are ready to try the latest and greatest when it comes to all things beauty. We'll share what worked and what bombed with the hope of making your life a little easier. This week we put foundations to the test. Is their PR buildup for real, or will we tear them down?

Check out our online database of reviews at TBO.com, Keyword: Health.

NYC Naturals Smooth Mineral Pressed and Loose Foundation Powder

Available at Wal-Mart, Ulta, CVS Pharmacy, Albertsons and other retail outlets; $6.99 for 0.20 ounces

"Evens and brightens skin tone for a naturally healthy complexion, with light-reflecting mica to minimize the look of fine lines. Gentle to skin - no talc, oil or fragrance, and irritant free."

Rating: B

Michelle says: Here's what I like about this line. With gas, food, insurance and utility costs going skyward with no end in sight, something has to give. But I can't give up my makeup, not at this age. It's clearly time to think economy, without giving up on quality. NYC gives you that alternative - the price is right, yet it's not so cheap that you'll end up looking like a circus clown. I used the natural medium shade and it did not come off as pancakey. Plus, you get the ever-important SPF 12 protection (although it wouldn't hurt to ramp that up to 30, given what we know about sun damage). Here's the serious drawback that lowered the grade: It comes with a "fluffy kabuki" brush for smooth application - but it's not part of the compact. With a loose brush and no mirror, how can you cart this in your makeup case? So my NYC stays at home in my bathroom, lonely and forgotten. I'd pay an extra buck for better packaging.

Michelle Bearden, 53, covers faith and values for the Tribune.

Skinfusion Micro Technology Bio Active Mineral Intuitive Soft Focus Fluid Foundation + SPF 10; medium/dark

$56 for 1 ounce; available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, HSN, www.fusionbeauty.com and other online retailers.

"Seriously smart Bio Active formulas intuitively target skin's special needs to reveal balanced, bright, ageless, healthy looking radiance."

Rating: B

Cloe says: As a black woman, I've never had any luck with foundations that claim to adjust to your particular skin tone, because they don't contain the high levels of pigment dark skin requires. Skinfusion doesn't claim to be a traditional foundation; instead, it contains a plethora of good-for-your-skin ingredients like peptides, antioxidants and lipids to help make skin healthier and look more radiant rather than mask imperfections. But therein lies the problem. If you don't have great skin to begin with, this foundation won't provide real coverage (which is the reason I wear foundation in the first place). And the medium/dark - one of two shades - made me look a bit chalky. With that in mind, I asked a friend of mine, who is white and has really good skin, to give it a shot. She said it made her skin look bright, fresh and smooth. So I've decided not to give this foundation a poor grade because it wasn't designed with black women in mind; it just seems better suited to Caucasian women with nice skin.

Cloe Cabrera, 41, is the fashion and beauty reporter for the Tribune.

Redpoint Transformative Dual Foundation

Available at www.redpointbeauty.com; $42 for 0.28-ounce compact

"This sheer foundation, with two custom blendable shades, truly melds with your skin and de-ages the appearance of your skin every time you use it."

Rating: A

Kim says: What's a gal to do when she falls for a $42 foundation? It definitely wasn't love at first sight: I'm a longtime liquid foundation user, and never even had flirted with the idea of trying a cream. But this foundation went on so smoothly and felt so light, and the coverage was so great - I fell hard. When others noticed a difference, I was hooked. My old foundation is such a disappointment now. It's a treat to get two blendable shades in one compact - although next time I'll go for the medium shades rather than the light. So there you have it: There will be a next time. I wonder how many pennies are in my piggy bank?

Kim Franke-Folstad, 49, is senior features editor at the Tribune and editor of 4you.

L'Oreal Bare Naturale Gentle Mineral Makeup

Available at Walgreens, Wal-Mart, www.drugstore.com; $14.99 for 3.5 ounces

"It's flawless transformation in a single sweep."

Rating: B

All my old foundations seem to pale in comparison since I've started using mineral makeup. It definitely evened out my skin tone and covered all my skin imperfections. (Trust me, that's quite a job.) This powder also lasted longer than any other loose powder I've tried. It acts more like a compact powder in its ability to offer longer lasting coverage. While it provides good coverage, if it's not applied properly it can leave an opaque finish and appear a bit chalky. That kind of defeats the purpose of mineral makeup, which is to give you really natural-looking skin with minimal makeup. The packaging is not that great; the contents tended to spill easily and made application very messy. The brush that comes with it was very scratchy and sheds a lot. L'Oreal Bare Naturale is about half the price of the popular bareMinerals brand, and you use about the same amount, so you're not paying that extra cost just for the more popular brand. It's a pretty decent product, and the pleasing price tag makes up for the few shortcomings it has.

Shantae Brewster, 36, is the Readers Desk supervisor for the Tribune.

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