Clé de Peau Beauté Cream Foundation SPF 26

Clé de Peau's Cream Foundation SPF 26 ($120) has attracted your attention. I know that from your comments and questions, and I promised to tell you about it. Like me, some of you are Clé de Peau fans. There was a "former" Clé de Peau Silky Cream Foundation. It came in a pot. You may know it. This one has replaced it.

The new foundation is said to adhere evenly to the nanostructure of the skin, offering lasting coverage, a flawless finish, and "unparalleled radiance." Maybe, maybe not. I have used generous samples of the new Cream Foundation (from Neiman Marcus), and I don't love it. That's not to say that you won't. It's just not the right foundation for me - from a color and feel perspective. That's why I dawdled before featuring it.

Let's start with color. My skin is somewhere between an I-10 (ivory) and and O-10 (ochre or yellow). Neither shade is absolutely perfect for me. The ivory is a smidgen too light, and the O-10 is a smidgen too yellow/dark. There is also a B-10 (kind of pink); it's not right for me either. I don't think I have to tell you that I won't be purchasing two $120 foundations to mix the shades. Even I'm not that extravagant.

The Cream Foundation is also a little bit drying on my very dry skin. Some might call it firming and like it. I don't. I don't like a taut feel. The finish is a bit matte on me too - even when I have on plenty of moisturizer underneath. I prefer a more glowing look.

My issues do not mean that you won't love it. I love Clé de Peau makeup, so I attribute my impressions to my peculiarities. I love the SPF 26, but fear it may have something to do with how chalky I look in this foundation. If you have a normal skin type, you may love it. It does leave a nice, smooth finish that is long-lasting and flattering. My recommendation? Don't purchase it online. Go to a counter, try it on, get a sample if you can, and wear it. You may find it's perfect for you.

Photo courtesy of Clé de Peau Beauté

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Sneak Peek: Bobbi Brown EXTRA Repair Foundation SPF 25

I was dying to get my hands on Bobbi Brown's new EXTRA Repair Foundation SPF 25 ($55), and I did! Not only that, I love it. I wore it to work today, and I'm thrilled. I'm a Bobbi Brown EXTRA groupie anyhow, but you never know how you'll like a foundation until you try it.

This new foundation in a pot is a creamy, buildable foundation that leaves the skin smooth, even-toned, and lifted. Designed for dry skin, it contains EXTRA treatment benefits to nourish and hydrate the skin. An application adds instant moisture.

EXTRA Repair Foundation SPF 25 has these properties.

• Helps rebuild the skin's protective moisture barrier
• Contains peptides to help stimulate natural collagen production, which in turn helps firm and visibly lift the skin
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Leaves the skin looking and feeling revitalized, dewy, and healthy
• Offers broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection from the sun's damaging rays (SPF 25)

I am a Warm Ivory in other Bobbi Brown foundations, and Warm Ivory in this foundation works perfectly for me. You can see it in its pot in the photo at right. The consistency is a creamy solid. It's not too light, and it's not too heavy. I applied it this morning with my fingertips (can you see my paw marks?), but I think it would be ideal to use a foundation brush. It spread and blended on my skin with ease, even with my fingers.

It evened my skin tone and minimized my sun spots on the first application. I built the coverage over my sun spots to blur them. That worked nicely. When I was finished applying the foundation, I was very happy with the results. My skin was even-toned, the right color, and dewy without looking oily. Even more exciting, I didn't need to touch it up during the day! It stayed put and provided coverage on my nose and chin all day. That's pretty remarkable.

When I applied it, I smelled the distinctive scent of the EXTRA products, which include rosemary and other botanicals. The scent disappeared in a heartbeat. By the time I was in my car on the way to work, I could no longer smell the foundation. It does have retinyl palmitate in it, which makes me a little anxious. The retinyl palmitate is pretty far down on the ingredient list, so I am hoping my skin doesn't have a reaction over time. I want to keep using this foundation!

I'll give you a progress report at some point after I've had more time with it. You'll be able to find it at your Bobbi Brown counter soon.

Update April 2: This product is now available in stores. I saw it at Neiman Marcus.

Photos by BTiB

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Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup

I had an opportunity to test Chanel's new Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 ($45). Chanel advertises that the tiniest drop of this hybrid fluid creates a fresh, natural complexion. Skin looks refined and feels refreshed, creating an exquisite makeup experience. The fluid formula has a soft, water-light texture. It comes in 10 shades, so Chanel believes that there's one that matches perfectly to your skin’s undertones, whether pink or beige.

After seeing the shades on Chanel's Web site, I know that there is no shade that my chocolate-skinned friends will be wearing. Why are they always left out? My skin has both yellow and pink undertones, depending on the location on my face (red in the middle). I am definitely a B10 (Beige - Pastel). After applying the foundation, I look very beige - nicely, beige - and my skin tone is even. Since some of the little shade squares on Chanel's Web site look odd (is anyone's skin the color of Beige Rosé - Sienne?), I think this is a foundation best chosen at a Chanel counter. I can't imagine selecting a shade without testing it.

Ever since Bobbi Brown popularized yellow-based foundation shades, I've stuck close to shades that have a touch of yellow to counteract any redness in my face (which comes and goes). Although B10 isn't pink-based, it's not yellow-based either. It's beige through and through. I am pleased that it matches my neck at the jawline perfectly.

The foundation is too "watery" to be a cream, but too creamy to be a liquid. I think I'll stick with Chanel's use of the term "hybrid" to describe its texture. It provides medium coverage, evening my skin tone, but it doesn't cover sun spots. It softens them, but doesn't cover them. I find it a little hard to blend so that it doesn't sit on top of my skin, exposing my pores. In a close-up examination, it looks like I'm wearing foundation, even after serious blending. That's not really a criticism - just an observation. Maybe that's the sunscreen in it - I'm not sure.

Vitalumière Aqua is not moisturizing. If you have dry skin, make sure to apply a heavy dose of moisturizer before you use it. Again, not a problem; that may even be a plus for most women, including those who experience the mid-day melt-off. This foundation is extremely long-wearing. On my skin, it even survived a nap with one side of my face on the pillow. When I examined my face after the nap, my foundation still looked good. One thing I really appreciate is that it stays on my nose, usually the first part of my face to lose foundation - and the part that needs it the most.

Vitalumière Aqua, like most Chanel products, does have a fragrance. I'm not sure what it is. It's not strong, like the scent of Chanel skin care; it's just there.

I'm not sure whether I will purchase Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup. I have some stellar foundations, including my favorites from Giorgio Armani, Bobbi Brown, and Clé de Peau. I'm also anticipating some other new ones (Bobbi Brown is launching an Extra foundation) that may put Chanel's on the back-burner of my buy list. That said, I think this foundation is going to be very popular. Few women share my skin's peculiarities.

Don't purchase Vitalumière Aqua online. Go to a Chanel counter to select your shade. I got my generous, custom-made samples at Neiman Marcus.

Photo courtesy of Chanel

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