Monday, January 16, 2012

Review: Make Up For Ever HD Complexion Starter Kit

For my first review, I thought I would start with the Make Up For Ever HD Complexion Starter Kit which I bought during my recent Sephora Haul.


My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Let me start off by saying although this kit was pretty expensive, it comes with a lot!  The kit includes the HD Microperfecting Primer (0.5 oz), one bottle of HD Invisible Cover Foundation (1.01 oz), the HD Microfinish Powder (0.17 oz), and the HD Kabuki Brush.  I thought I would give you a break down review of each product in the order in which I use them.

The first product I apply is the HD Microperfecting Primer in #0 Neutral.  At first, I was a little disappointed by how small it was.  However, I quickly realized that a little goes a long way.  The primer has a very light and pleasant scent which I only smell during the application.  It makes my face feel soft and I can definitely feel it creating the perfect base for applying my foundation.  Be sure to let the primer dry before applying your foundation.


Next comes the HD Invisible Cover Foundation.  One thing that is great about this kit is that it lets you choose your own shade of foundation.  At the Sephora store, you just pick your bottle of foundation and place it in the box.  When purchasing online, you choose the kit with your shade in it.  My foundation is #117 in Marble (for light skin with yellow undertones), but I will definitely have to move up a few shades during the summer (although I am very pale in the winter, I tan very easily in the summer).  I noticed a difference between the HD Invisible Cover Foundation and my previous foundation.  This foundation gives great coverage, something that I am always looking for.  I wouldn't say that I have horrible skin, but I wouldn't say that I have great skin either.  I guess I am somewhere in between.  Surprisingly, I found that the foundation feels much lighter and natural on my face than others with extra coverage.  I usually feel that I have to either sacrifice coverage or feel with foundations, but this one has it all!  The HD Invisible Cover Foundation comes in a ton of different shades, so I was able to find one that matched my skin perfectly, rather than having to choose one that was a little too light or a little too dark.  I also have combination skin.  I found that this foundation works well with combo skin because it has enough moisture to not be drying, but it doesn't add extra oil either.  To apply to my skin, I use my Sephora Professional #45 mineral powder brush.  I dab the foundation onto my skin, and then blend it in with the brush in a circular motion.


The last two products, the HD Microfinish Powder and the HD Kabuki Brush, I use together.  The Kabuki is super soft and it feels amazing on my face.  The base is about 1 inch wide, and the brush stands a little under 3 inches tall.  The brush is very thick and despite it's small size, it gives full coverage.


The HD Microfinish Powder pleasantly surprised me.  In fact, it amazed me!  I honestly didn't think it would make that big of a difference, but wow. Wow, wowwow.  This little pot of powder makes all the difference.  It is ultra fine powder and is made from 100% silica.  It is uber soft and feels like I'm rubbing pixie dust on my face.  Or crushed pearls.  Or you know, something else magical.  Not only does it feel magical, but it really creates the perfect finish to my makeup.  It really makes my skin flawless looking.  The powder slightly mattifies your skin, it's translucent, and it works with any skin tone.  This is also an Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner, so you know it has to be good!


All in all, this is one amazing kit.  My skin feels great, and it looks great too.  It is long lasting, so I don't have to worry about it melting off of my face or having to reapply throughout the day.  I am tempted to carry my powder and kabuki in my purse with me, just because they feel so amazing.  Although this set is a little pricey, it is a great deal.  The kit costs $79, but it is a $109 value.  When I first bought this kit, I thought that it probably wouldn't be too much better than my usual foundation (which I could pick up at any drugstore or my local Walmart), but I was dead wrong.  I know now that I will never be able to go back to my old makeup.

At Sephora, you can test these products before you buy them, so I would definitely recommend trying trying out the foundation before purchasing it so that you are able to match your shade.

Now it's your turn.  What do you think of this kit?  Would you like to try it?  Have you tried any of the products before?  Which products do you use and love?

On a final note, I am not affiliated with Sephora or Make Up For Ever in any way.  This review is purely my opinion and was not affected by anyone else and was completely honest.  I am not trying to persuade you to purchase the Make Up For Ever HD Complexion Starter Kit or any of the products listed.  I try to research my beauty products thoroughly before I purchase them so that I know what to expect before I buy it.  I want to write my own reviews so that I can help others who like to research their purchases too.  I hope that you found this review entertaining and informative.

2 comments:

  1. Glad your kit ended up being better than you expected! Awesome review!

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    1. Thank you! It was one of those kits that I was a little nervous about purchasing, but it ended up being totally worth it. Glad you enjoyed the review! :)

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