The Closet Coach

L'Oreal Magic Smooth Souffle foundation

Here’s proof that coupons in magazines really work. The latest issue of Allure included a coupon and a sample of L’Oreal’s new Studio Secrets Magic Smoothing Souffle foundation.

So of course I had to head out to the drugstores to find it. Apparently $1 is the only excuse I need to try a new makeup product! (Well, $1 off plus a positive experience with the previous Studio Secrets product I’d tried. Maybe I’m not that weak :))

After trying it this week, here’s my review.

The pros

• Texture. Smooth Souffle is aptly named. It looks like a heavier cream, but it’s lighter than air to the touch and once it’s on the skin, it transforms into a velvety, powdery texture.
• Coverage. It’s not too heavy, and not too thin. Best of all, it smooths and evens out skin tone. What more could you ask for in a foundation?

The cons

• Application. Putting it on can be a bit tricky. Be careful not to use too much; on my first attempt, I wound up with an overly heavy area on one cheek. Because the texture had transformed on application, it was difficult to blend.
• Price. I was glad to have a coupon; Magic Smooth Souffle’s MSRP is $17. For a drugstore foundation, this is at the higher end of the scale. Compare that to around $8 for Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse foundation, for example. And the price makes it only $5 less than department store brand Clinique’s Superbalanced Makeup.

The final verdict

It’s a bit of a splurge for a drugstore foundation, but its quality is comparable to more expensive department store and cosmetic store brands. It’s definitely worth a try.

Update (3.1.11): After working with the product for nearly a month, I’ve learned to minimize one of the cons, application. The trick is to touch one or two fingertips into the foundation pot, then dab small dots onto your face, spaced evenly across each cheek. This keeps you from placing too much all in one place. Then quickly blend and you have a nice, even, powdery finish.

Let’s dish

• Have you tried L’Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Smooth Souffle foundation yet? If so, what did you think?
• What’s your favorite liquid or cream foundation?
• Can you say L’Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Smooth Souffle 10 times fast?

Revlon ColorStay: My first long-wear lipstick crush

I’ll confess I have a little addiction. It’s to long-wear lipstick. I’ve always found the regular kind too hard to maintain: you put it on, blot it, put it on again, take a drink of coffee, and … oops … there it goes.

But then Revlon introduced ColorStay in 1994 and voila! Lipstick that really lasts. I’ve been wearing long-wear ever since.

So this week, I want to hear from you.

What are your favorite long-wear lipstick brands? Let me know by voting in this quick and easy poll. (Let’s stick to drugstore brands for now since they’re much more widely available, not to mention affordable.)

And if you have a minute, leave a comment below to sing the praises of your pick.

Better yet, share the shades you can’t live without so we can all go shopping tomorrow!

L'Oreal Perfecting Magic Base

It’s not often that a product with “magic” in its name can live up to the title. But after 2 weeks of wearing L’Oreal’s new Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base (that’s a mouthful!), I can promise that this one certainly comes close.

When I first read about it, I was eager to try it–especially once I received a coupon with a magazine sample. Surprisingly, it was a little hard to track down, and I went to three different drugstore locations before I finally found some.

How does it work? When you open the jar, you might be unsure at first. Perfecting Base is a thick, silicone-based cream with a texture that’s smooth and yet slightly rubbery. I was afraid it would be too heavy or obvious.

But despite the thickness, it applies easily and goes on quickly. The “magic” and “perfecting” part of the product comes from what it does: when applied to the face, it fills in fine lines and smooths out the skin. At the same time, it has a matte texture which removes any surface shininess.

And yet it’s virtually undetectable to the eye. You don’t look like you have a lot of product slathered on your face. As a result, you can either wear it alone, or under your regular foundation or powder. I’ve taken to wearing it in place of my Mac StudioFix some days; on others, I apply it to my laugh lines first, then powder on top.

(I should note that I’ve only tried it on my own Caucasian skin. It seems transparent to me, but I can’t say whether this holds true for darker skin tones.)

And at $13 full price, it’s less than some drugstore foundations, and you may even find it for less online. I recommend giving it a try.

Places to purchase online: Drugstore.com, Amazon.com, Target.com.

Your Turn

• Have you tried L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base?
• What did you think?

[Disclosure: I purchased this product myself and was not given a sample by L'Oreal.]

Johnson's Baby Oil: Makeup remover, moisturizer and $5 beauty product

While it is certainly possible to spend exorbitant sums of money on beauty products (Creme de la Mer, anyone?), it’s also not required.

In fact, there are three hard-working beauty products under $5 each that have been found in women’s bathroom cabinets since your grandmother was a girl.

The best part? They’re effective, too. And with such a tiny price tag, it costs very little to give them a test run.

3 Best Beauty Products Under $5

1. Cold cream. Over 100 years old, the classic Pond’s cold cream formula can be used as an eye and face makeup remover, and even works as a heavy-duty moisturizer. Want to save even more? Look for a generic version under your local drugstore’s label. $4.49 for 3.5 oz.
2. Witch hazel. Often found in the first aid aisle because it can be used for soothing bites and scrapes, all-natural witch hazel is also a mild astringent that makes an effective facial toner. Less harsh than alcohol-containing toners and astringents, and without the laundry list of chemical ingredients, it’s also much less expensive, especially if you purchase a generic brand. Most drugstores have a version, as does Target’s Up & Up brand. $4.49 for 16 oz.
3. Baby oil. Another product that is not always found in the beauty aisle, baby oil is also natural, mild and effective as a body moisturizer. Use it for yourself just as you would for a baby–apply to just-washed skin to lock in moisture. It also works as a mild eye makeup remover. (And those are just the beauty uses; apparently it can remove paint and sticker glue, too.) $3.74 for 20 oz.

So save yourself some cash–and go a little green while you’re at it. All three can be had for less than $20, and aren’t nearly as full of artificial or chemical ingredients (if at all) as their pricier cousins.

Your Turn

• What are your favorite inexpensive beauty products?
• Do you use any of these 3? Which ones do you like best?
• And how do you use baby oil? :)

NARS The Multiple Stick is a great beauty shortcut

When I first had my daughter, I was like all new moms — short on sleep and time for grooming.

But it didn’t take many weeks of padding around in sweatpants and unkempt hair before I yearned to be presentable again. I decided that having a newborn did not require me to look as if I’d perpetually just rolled out of bed, even on the days when I had.

Unlike celebrity moms, however, I didn’t have a stylist or a bevy of nannies to help me balance caring for a baby with caring for myself.

The secret? Taking advantage of beauty shortcuts whenever possible. And with today’s double-duty products, it’s easier than ever.

• Style without washing. There were plenty of days when I didn’t have enough time to pop in the shower and wash and style my hair; some days the shower itself got missed. So when I needed to perk up my locks, I reached for KMS’s Turnstyle Do-Over Cleansing Spray. It’s like shampoo in a spray bottle. Mist your hair all over, dry and style–and done!
• Ditch the brushes. Whenever possible, I looked for products that could be applied with my fingers. It just removed one more step from the process. Speed was the key!
• Do double duty. Applying with your fingers also means finding products that are cream or liquid based. Many of these creamy color pots can also serve as multiple beauty products; when you choose the right colors, a cream blush can also be an eyeshadow and even a lipstick. Classic examples are NARS’ The Multiples sticks or Stila’s Convertible Color. Many of the drugstore makeup brands also make very similar types of products.

I found that when I took a few minutes for myself during my baby’s morning nap, and touched up my hair and put on a little color, I felt better all day.

And of course, these tips for quick beauty apply just as easily to any mom who’s in a hurry and on the go.

Tell me

• What are your favorite beauty shortcuts?