Much like Kermit the Frog said, it's really not easy being
green. For the more than the past month, I've been testing a bevvy of
green products on my face all in the name of color correction and
science.
It also seemed like perfect timing to launch these posts right around St. Patrick's Day on Thursday.
I'm
going to do something scary today: show you my uncorrected skin. I've
mentioned in many of my posts that I suffer from a mild case of rosacea.
I've actually used it as a blush in the past with a thin foundation.
I'm going to be honest: I have a lot of anxiety about this. I accept my
skin, but given how cruel the internet has been to me and this site
before, it is taking all of my courage to do this.
I
remember early color correctors- large green concealer bullets. (I
actually tested one of those just to be fair). I always loved the idea
but hated the execution.
I'm
thrilled that a bunch of companies have released lines of color
correcting products new for Spring 2016 that join an already-robust
offering of products. Please keep in mind that I'll be showing you
Green products right now- meant for
redness reducing for intense spots.
Each of these brands are releasing products for brightening, dark spot
reduction, sallowness reduction along with the redness reduction.
These
posts have obviously been in the works and in testing for a very long
time. I tested each one of these products for a minimum of three days,
and with different foundation formulas during the trial period. One of
the reasons why I wanted to create these posts, and ultimately a mega post is to compare
different formulas side by side; although these are the green versions
other correctors from the same collection are likely to share the same
characteristics.
In order to cut down on post length, I'm going to do these one at a time- or in batches. First up, Cover FX's Correct Click Color Corrector.
Cover FX Correct Click ($18, 0.19oz)
Price Index: $94.74/oz
My first thought upon opening this box was "is that it?" This is a
very tiny little twist up stick-style color correcting stick. Here is it next to my deluxe mini Benefit Shy Beam Highlighter.
That said, it doesn't take a lot due to the consistency. It's a lighter green, and applies in a thin, even line:
This
is very much a solid stick- think of it like a stick concealer on the
dry end of the spectrum. I had to actually apply straight to my face so
that my body heat could heat up the bullet enough to leave product where
needed. With a stick/cream, you should be able to pick up product from the bullet with your brush and stiple it on. I couldn't do that with this one.
The Wear Test: I
wasn't crazy about the stick format- I can easily see this tugging
and breaking while awkwardly gliding over the skin. One would think that
a solid concealer (vs a highly fluid form) would provide significantly
fuller and long-lasting coverage, but that wasn't my experience here. It
ended up being very light and patchy. It blended but left distinct
lines as you can see in the photo. It lasted a paltry 8 hours or so;
when I wasn't wearing a longwear, full coverage foundation I could see
my cheeks getting redder as the day went on.
This
is my first experience with this brand, and I'm left wanting more. I
had high hopes for the reinvented stick corrector, but I'm left empty
handed.
Bottom Line: This is a pricey
option based on the mini size of the item. This provides light coverage
and blends pretty well with a light hand and good brush. I'd recommend
this mainly for someone with light redness instead of a heavy-duty need. In all fairness, my skin was pretty darned angry when I was trying this one out so it was probably a rougher than average trial.
And on the other end of the spectrum, we have
Becca Backlight Targeted Colour Corrector ($30, 0.16oz), which can be picked up at Sephora.
In terms of portability, I adore this little cutie.
Price Index: $187.50/oz
This
pot-based corrector was actually a bit tricky to track down, as it's
sold only at Sephora (where it's been quite popular) and on Becca's
website. This shade has been sold out on Sephora.com for awhile, and I
tracked down the last one within 25 miles of me. Needless to say, this
set me up for high expectations.
This cute little concealer pot comes in four colors, with the color name listed on the bottom:
Very cute and portable. There was one quirk- when I first opened it up, I saw this on the surface:
I'm
not sure if that texture is intentional or not, but I didn't notice any
texture issues once I started using it. I was a bit concerned when I
ordered it, since it looked really dark. Turns out, I didn't have to
worry about that.
I
think I'm old school; there's something so nice and precise to be able
to control the application with a concealer brush. That swatch took 2
passes to build up. I'm a believer that less is more, so I was already
feeling good about this one. It's also very creamy- it reminds me of a
great cream eyeshadow.
The Wear Test: I
probably put this one through its paces more than any other corrector.
Two of the three days I partook in Happy Hour- something which usually
brings about red cheeks. Add in that I was on Hour #13 for the day upon
arrival at Happy Hour, and it was set up for failure. Well, I'm thrilled
to report that it didn't fail me! Even worse, on Day #3, I wore pink
makeup. Becca's Corrector was up to the task.
In
terms of application, I painted little lines on my face, then used my
Sephora Collection Airbrush Concealer Brush to blend it out. It blended
well and didn't leave a green or white cast to my face. It was up to the
task for 12+ hours each day. The form allowed me total precision-
something that I crave with my makeup. I went with a light hand
partially to test the effect of this product- plus it's easier to
photograph that way.
Bottom Line: This is
an excellent corrector that blends out well. I subjected it to some of
the worst conditions throughout the entire test period and it performed
admirably. The only issues I have with it are accessibility (it was hard
to find) and the price point. $30 for a pot of corrector is starting to
feel pricey, but that might just be me. Ultimately, however, this was
one of two products that irritated my skin so I'm left at the drawing
board.
1
