Cover FX - the MEGA post

Hello, Fireflies!

If you read my post about Phyrra's Cover FX Find Your Shade event, you may already know that I'm a new fan of Cover FX! At the event, I was given their SPF 30 protection primer, and their setting powder in medium.  I was also sent their CC cream in P-light/medium.  I purchased the BB Gel in P-light medium, and the liquid foundation brush on my own.  I can't wait to show you all of these awesome things!

Primer seems to be a polarizing subject in the makeup world.  I'm a fan of primer.  I live in Florida, I have oily skin, and I want my makeup to stay on as long as possible!  This primer has the added benefit of sunscreen, as well.

It's a light-feeling, clear gel formula - invisible when applied, and dries fairly quickly.  I only wish it were also matte, but they do have a different primer for that!  They also carry an anti-aging primer.  I love that their formulas are not only makeup workhorses, but they are also skincare.  Vitamins, sunscreen, and keeps my foundation on? Yes, please!

This is the setting powder in medium.  I've been playing around with the application of it.  I recently saw a video tutorial from Wayne Goss suggesting that applying powder over primer, but UNDER the foundation would be helpful in reducing the amount of foundation needed for coverage. 

I have noticed that wearing it under my foundation helps to warm up the color, which I like. It's very finely milled, and feels great on the skin, but it's a smidge darker than my skintone, so if I use it on top of my foundation, I apply it more like a bronzer.

At $40+, this is the most expensive brush I've ever purchased.  I did some research online, read reviews, and finally decided that it was worth it.  It's a very densely packed, extremely smooth brush with a small head.  Some reviewers didn't like that, but I find that it's big enough to spread the product around, and also get underneath my eyes and next to my nose really well.

I saw another application tip that suggested spraying the foundation brush with a charged water product before applying foundation, to keep the brush from absorbing too much product.  I must say, I enjoy doing that.  I've been using Reviva Labs Rosewater spray.  

 Oh, BB and CC, how do I choose between you? These are both in shade P-light/medium (P means they are for a pink undertone.  They also have neutral and warm undertone colors.)  The BB Gel looks darker at first, but in the third picture, they are almost completely blended out and they're the same color, so don't let that fool you.

The BB Gel is lighter in texture, dries faster, and has acne-fighting properties.  The CC cream is thicker and more emollient, and has better coverage.

Now, for a demo and a little wear test. 

 Clean, moisturized face.

Not much change when I put on the primer, as it's clear, and not matte.  The powder warms me up a little, but doesn't offer much coverage on its own.

Here, I've put BB Gel on half my face (on the side where I'm holding the bottle.)

The CC Cream pretty much took care of that blemish on my chin! I suffer from zits, but that was my first cystic-type pimple.  It was deep and painful, and of course I picked at it.  There's no concealer on my face at all - in this or in any pictures in this post.

I wish my bathroom lighting were better.  I'm working on that.   I'm really not yellow, but I didn't want to mess with the color and make it look like I was trying to hide how the makeup looks.  Even in Real Life, my husband (who took all these pictures) couldn't tell that I had on two different foundations.

Almost 6 hours later.  I could have worn the makeup longer, but it was getting late.  The only thing that had worn off was my lipstick...

...so I put some on! (ELF Velvet Rope, btw.)  Nothing else was changed.  Same makeup I had on almost 6 hours earlier.  No breakthrough, no needing to apply powder.  Chin blemish still looking covered (still no concealer).

This is a little up close and personal! Hopefully, you can see how natural this makeup looks - even after almost 6 hours, there's no caking, no breakdown of the foundation, no oiliness.

The CC Cream is great for more coverage, correcting color issues, and would probably feel even better to those with drier complexions.  For my oily, yet aging skin, the BB Gel is my everyday go-to foundation now.  I love that it is lightweight, dries quickly and more matte, and has ingredients to help fight my blemishes. 

Which Cover FX formula would you want to try?