It Cosmetics Confidence in a Compact
In spring, I went buck WILD on concealers and foundations. I had a major Sjogren's flare up and I found myself back to back at Sephora and Ulta looking for something to fix this redness on my face. My skin is usually really dewy and even, but damn it when this redness pops up, it looks like I was rubbing my face on the rug. My nose, mouth, and cheeks get red. Think about that pasty redhead in elementary school with the freckles at recess. 10 minutes outside and she's radioactive red on her nose and cheekbones. That's me... except- I don't sunburn and I'm not pasty. I'm super creamy toned. My skin is very olive when tan, and very yellow otherwise. I have very Asian skin. My grandmother is Russian born and raised, but her ancestry is Mongolian. Those of you wondering (I get asked a lot) that's where the skin and almond eyes comes from. (No, I don't identify as Asian. SJW warriors, breathe... it's going to be ok. I'm not going there.) But I get away with a lot because of this. I really don't burn, my skin doesn't age like most, and I am a lot worse to it than I should be. Thanks Grandma. (She had some bitchin' skin until the day she died- and last I saw my mom, even for being a chain smoker for 30 years, she still didn't have a wrinkle on her face.) But anyway, Sjogren's crept up on me in the last 5 years, and I get this butterfly shaped red area on my face now. It's BRIGHT red some days, and others, it's all but gone. Because of that, I don't use the same concealers every day. It depends on the coverage I need.
I usually do not wear all-over foundation. Bear that in mind. Confidence in a Compact is designed to be an all-over full coverage foundation. Here's where I start breaking rules. My main areas of concern are my under eye, nose, mouth area, and cheekbones. I HATE the feeling of foundation anywhere south of my cheekbones. It itches and feels heavy. I will never get used to it and I only will wear it if I'm expecting weird lighting or it's a terrible skin day. Confidence in a Compact is a thick cream that comes with a spongy fabric pouf. First- throw that thing away. It sucks, gets matted, and will become useless before you run out of the product. This doesn't LOOK like a lot of product, but it is. You will not run out quickly. A little goes a long, long way. It's claim to fame on this is that it has a serum and sunscreen inside already. It treats and improves your skin while you're wearing it. It must be "activated" and you do so by swirling your brush on top. That swirling motion turns an otherwise solid cream pot into a meltey liquid. Normally, this is my go-to for under eye concealing needs ONLY. I use a moist silicone pouf and dab it on under my eyes and anywhere else there is discoloration. WHILE it's still moist, I use a kabuki brush and banana (or translucent) setting powder and blend around my eye and face. I take a small powder brush and GENTLY DAB setting powder on the delicate under eye. I've found that concealer doesn't get caked up under my eyes, and the gentle tapping doesn't pull or smear the product away from where it was intended to be. The stippling application of product doesn't make a clear line where it was applied and the swirling of the kabuki with setting powder pulls the edges down and blends it into your face- giving a natural highlight under the eye instead of having to apply a highlighter over it afterward. I opt for a concealer that's about one shade lighter than my skin tone for this purpose, and I use setting powder that's either translucent or very close to my skin tone- but NEVER darker. Confidence in a Compact is super-corrective as an all over foundation, but to me it feels heavy and kind of greasy if used all over. In the time I've had it, I've only really worn it all over once, and it's notable how much it really does cover. This is my absolute go-to on super red days. I love that it has the Confidence in a Cream product included inside already- as I use CIAC religiously. But I think that the addition of that cream is what makes the product feel oily. I also think that people with intense dark spots might need to combine this with another product for total coverage. But basic discoloration issues should be more than fine with this- and it is absolutely thick enough to be used as a concealer. To demonstrate the coverage, I've applied it over the top of my bare left hand as well as over an area of my right wrist where I have a dark, black tattoo. The application method is as described above- I stippled with a moist (barely moist, not at all wet) silicone sponge. I DID NOT apply setting powder or any other product with this one.
As you can see, there's some serious coverage available with this product and it has the capability to really even out skin. The amount I used was the equivalent of dabbing my sponge three times into the pot and then stippling on. More or less will give you better or lighter coverage. A moist sponge will also thin out the coverage- and this product works well with wet tools. As far as wear, I get all day coverage easily. It's been pretty splash and sweat resistant for me- and yes, it's survived the test of the two-year old face grabber. This one is a must-have for me when the redness comes full force or when my dark circles are a little extra and can absolutely cover a tattoo. Get yours HERE via my affiliate link (please and thanks) for $37 (and so worth it!) and then let me know how much you love it! A little goes a LONG way with this stuff, so expect it to last a while. Keep it closed when not in use.