Tonight at Target I hauled a few new goodies, including a cute hoodie (can't beat $22), Pure & Natural hand soap, and some facial buff puffs.

Most excitingly though, I snatched up NP Set's Pasarella Powder Foundation (in Light)... which is simply amazing. I wasn't even looking for a new powder foundation when I found this little baby. I swatched the tester and applied it sparingly to a blemished area that was troubling me. Under the fluorescent Target makeup test area, which is new by the way, I expected to see a very unattractive face in the mirror. I was shocked to see this foundation had smoothed over my blemish without highlighting any flakiness, and without looking caked on. It even appeared about 80% concealed. It was a miracle!!!

NP Set Pasarella Powder Foundation comes in a cute white compact that has a separate area to hold the powder puff it comes with. I prefer applying my powder foundation with a Kabuki brush, but for a quick touch up, this puff isn't so bad. There are some cute star designs on the powder itself. The powder is layerable, so you can get medium to maximum coverage. This is awesome on all skin types because it does not highlight dry areas, and it seems to moderately soak up oil. Apparently, there is shea butter and pomegranate in here as well to moisturize and deliver antioxidants. Score!

Anyway, considering I bought this foundation quite recently, I know it isn't quite fair to review it without giving it a little time to see how my skin likes it. That being said, I like it so far. The $30 price tag is definite steep for the discriminating drugstore shopper... but if you are a drugstore/cosmetics counter drifter like myself, it could certainly be worth the price.

My only concern is that the NP Set line could be a flop entirely and then Target will be getting rid of it. But, if that happened, I could just stock up at a discounted price! So, no biggie.

Give it a shot :)

Check out NP Set by Napoleon Perdis at Target.com or at your local Target store!

Can't get enough of Make Up For Ever's HD line? Love Cargo Blu-Ray? Well, then I have some great news for you! Kryolan has just introduced it's very own High Definition Micro Foundation line!

That's right, Kyrolan has formulated new liquid, cream, and powder foundations to be flattering even in high-definition, such as photos or tv. I had the opportunity to try some samples, and I was pleased with the results. Check out the images below!


I am an avid mineral makeup wearer, so liquid foundation is not usually my cup of tea. Although Kryolan Mattifying Mirco Foundation was slightly fragranced, I did not experience any breakouts or problems on the areas I applied it. It felt very lightweight on, and seemed to provide excellent coverage. I did notice a slight settling in to fine lines when I tested this product on my hand, however it was very minimal. The color match looked like it would not blend in as seamlessly as it did. All in all, I was pleased with this liquid foundation.

The Kryolan Micro Foundation Cream I tried was a good medium to full coverage base. The cream foundation was also fragranced, and seemed to be oil based. I, of course, would not dream of trying this on my oily skin, but if you are looking for a nicely blendable moisturizing cream for full coverage, definitely check this out.

Lastly, but certainly not least, was the Kryolan Micro Silk Powder. This powder is meant to be used as a finishing touch to your makeup to allow it to set and remain beautiful throughout the day. This powder is awesome. It is super-finely milled so it does not look cakey or powdery at all once it is on. It has no fragrance and felt extremely light and airy on my skin. This product provides no coverage, but over your existing foundation it will make you look airbrushed and lovely. I highly recommend it!

For more information, check out Kryolan's website!

What do you think of Kryolan's new line? Do you think High Definition cosmetics are just a fad, or the next big thing? Let me know!

Estee Lauder Maximum Cover is a concealer/foundation that has been around quite a while. I have heard good things about this product so I decided to check it out at Lord and Taylor one day. I purchased it in "Creamy Vanilla" and was on my way. For the first day, I was thrilled with this product. It lived up to all of its claims and completely covered any flaws I was currently having. It was fragrance free, nontransferable, had an SPF of 15, and you only needed the tiniest amount -- it was just perfect.

However, the next day I noticed that with all that coverage, came extreme pore-clogging. Now, the tube says "non-acnegenic", not "non-comedogenic" so ok it won't cause acne, but it will clog up your pores and cause whiteheads and painful bumps that take weeks to go away... aka "acne". Awesome.

I took this product back ASAP. My boyfriend says I love to return things because I do it so often, but I mean come on... why keep something that doesn't work for you!? It only made sense to take it back. The saleslady proceeded to tell me that it did not suit my skin type at all and give me a 10-day sample of Estee Lauder Individualist (which was ok, but I am off liquid foundations again anyway).

I feel bad saying negative things about this product because for the short time that my skin could handle it, my face looked pretty damn good. So, if you have a tattoo, birthmark, scar, or other non-acne-related flaw you would like to cover up... PLEASE buy this product. But only if your skin is not sensitive or breakout prone. If you have even the slightest inkling of breakouts in your past, this baby is a no-no.

I am now just back to using my CoverBlend concealer with mineral foundation. Works for me!

What is your favorite full-coverage foundation?

Got any opinions on Estee Lauder's assortment?

Leave a comment and let me know!

"Sometimes my liquid foundation becomes lighter or darker than my face. What's the deal?"

Shop With a Vengeance Response:

Hi Apple! I believe this phenomenon you speak of is called "oxidation". There are many theories on why it occurs, and to be honest I'm not 100% sure as to the reason. In researching, I have found that it can happen because of changes that occur within the foundation after it touches and mingles with the air, oils, or the acidity of your skin.

There are many theories on what happens when your foundation changes color, one of which claims that the oils on your skin will intensify pigments in the foundation. So, if you are noticing that the foundation changes color well into the day, perhaps this is occuring.

Another theory claims that liquid foundation, when exposed to air, begins to break down. If you think about it, if you look at an old bottle of foundation that has been opened and closed a lot, it tends to appear broken up and discolored. So, that kind of makes sense.

The acidity theory I'm not really too sure on, but apparently if your skin has a more acidic pH than most other skins, you could find your foundation oxidizing a bit more often.

Back when I used liquid foundations, I found that L'Oreal's True Match Liquid Foundation would turn orange on me within a few hours, whereas Revlon's Colorstay would never change color. Some foundation formulas now will claim to have anti-oxidizing agents, so that this color change can be prevented. All in all, if your foundation is consistantly doing this to you, I'd suggest getting a new foundation!

I hope that helped somewhat!

I was recently given the opportunity to try out some products from the Mineral Concepts Mineral Makeup line!


I was running out of usual foundation so it was quite convenient that I was able to test out some mineral foundations from this company. Along with other sample goodies, the 'Sampler Kit' I was provided with included two shades of Mineral Foundation, one Velvet Finishing Powder and one Mineral Blush. I really liked the coverage (medium to full) and found that the shades "Sand" and "Almond" were very close to my own skin color, but not exact, of course. Luckily, with the Kit I was able to combine two of the shades to create the optimal color for my complexion. It seems like depending on how much sun my skin gets, most of their shades would work out well for me!

The two foundation shades I blended were "Porcelain" and "Tan" and the result turned out fabulously. I figure in the summer when I have more of a tan, the accurately-named "Tan" shade will likely be my go-to color. This product feels awesome on! I applied with my trusty Kabuki brush and was pleased with the instant results. The product felt creamy and soft, and blended almost as if I was applying a lightweight cream foundation or liquid. I did, however, have to be careful not to apply too much because the coverage can get a bit heavy if you cake it on! That being said, you really do not need an extra concealer with this product. Just apply a little extra Mineral Foundation over any trouble spots or redness with a concealer brush, and voila! Flawless.


Also included was a deliciously smoothing, featherweight Velvet Finishing Powder (I chose "Matte") that set my makeup, and controlled shine. I did use a primer beforehand as well that probably helped a bit as well. I only had to reapply the Finishing Powder once throughout the day and my makeup stayed superbly. Don't be frightened by the bright white shade of this powder, I promise you it blends out to a translucent veil! You can even see on the swatch image above how it makes your skin look airbrushed!

All in all, the Mineral Concepts Mineral Makeup face line is excellent for most skin types. I have combination skin and am acne-prone, and the oil-control was pretty decent with these products. I will have to continue using to see if it improves the condition of my face (experiencing a slight almost-that-time-of-the-month breakout currently), but so far, so good. These products are irritant free, so I'm not worried. Dry skin will love the creamy, smooth application! For the very oily, more Velvet Finishing Powder can be used as a pre-base primer. You can order your generous samples right on the site!

More Mineral Concepts coming soon! :)

What do you think? Any mineral makeup lovers out there? Have you tried Mineral Concepts?