Life Update: 2021

Hi everyone!

It has been five years since I made a post on my WordPress. I’m currently in limbo now that I finished school at the end of July, and I have been applying for jobs in healthcare administration.

If you do not follow my Instagram, there have been many changes in my life since then. I intended to keep up with writing more posts, but my life changed drastically with shifting my course of study in college and my personal life.

There were only a few colleges that had the major of respiratory therapy near me. I decided to take the opportunity to transfer to a state university to get a bachelor’s degree, and I started Cal State in January 2020. The pandemic has been challenging for everyone and adapting to the new norm put a new set of obstacles to get the same quality of education and interaction with my peers with the same interest and degree major. With the support of family, friends, and peers, I finished my bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health in July 2021.

Though makeup and all things beauty will be an interest of mine forever, my main focus has shifted as I grew older and hopefully wiser after ten years of documenting that love of beauty. Now I hope to apply my knowledge of different aspects of public health and the disparities and inequities in healthcare access, homelessness population, people of color, lower socioeconomic background, mental health awareness, and many other facets into real-life solutions and within a career.

Aside from my college aspirations being crossed off my overdue to-do list, a personal triumph was that I finally came out to my parents after years of hiding what I considered my double life. Being amongst friends, close family, and having online presences was okay for me to be openly gay, but I closed myself off at home and never shared details of my personal or romantic life. Coming from a devout Catholic background, it instilled the fear that my family may not be there someday, so I convinced myself the longer I could keep it a secret, the longer I would not have to worry if my parents’ love for me would change. I started the blog in 2011 as an outlet for me to be creative, express who I was without fear of being judged, connect to other people that are like-minded in some way, and have something to show for myself.

I am blessed that I have virtually met friends through the various platforms on the internet, who have supported my journey as a makeup artist, my educational aspirations, and never questioned who I was then and who I was becoming. I will always be thankful for the love and support for the rest of my life.

As of now, I am unsure when the next time I may post something here. I still have a passion for beauty products, and I buy and use them, so I may dabble with posting blogs again for fun.

If I do not post again soon, I suppose this post is my last hurrah, my most profound gratitude and appreciation to everyone who has taken the time to click onto this page and read my post or send me comments and emails. Some of you even became clients after inquiries over the years. You have supported me through some of the best and lowest points in my early adulthood. Now I am in my 30’s and hoping to make a change in the healthcare world.

I am forever grateful.

XOXO,
Steven

Oval Makeup Brush Set Review

Hi everyone!

I was seeing all kinds of oval brushes on social media and at first I was looking into the higher end brands like MAC and Artis. But after seeing the prices of these higher end brands, I decided to look at the cheaper route on Amazon & eBay which ended up showing me a plethora of options.

I’m the kind of person that does not like to wait very long for things so I opt’d to buy a set of 10 oval brushes from Amazon for $22 with 2-day prime shipping. I will say that there are tons of sellers with the same product but different branding & colors so buy based off your opinion and the reviews. They do sell the brushes individually if you don’t need a whole set and I’ve purchased a few single brushes for $4-6 a piece.

Looking at the set after I received them, I kind of figured the smaller brushes wouldn’t be used very much for my everyday makeup but I gave them a shot anyways. I’m not expert in what the MAC Cosmetic line or the set of the Artis brushes are like so it will be unbiased; just simply brushes of an oval shape in similarity. The brushes are made from plastic and from what I’ve seen and read, the others are made of plastic too. I’m just going to number them off from left to right from 1-10.

Brush #1: The largest of all the face brushes; I’ll be honest and say it was a bit awkward to use at first. I knew I wouldn’t use it to blend any cream or liquid foundation out just because of the the size and I wanted to make sure I didn’t end up with streaks. I did however find it nice for blending out my contour after I’ve applied it and for my setting powder. It does pick up a lot of product so I would be cautious if you choose to use it for loose powder.

Brush #2: My favorite brush of them all. I think it’s the right size for different uses and I picked up additional brushes of this size to use in different applications. I used MAC Fix+ to spray onto the brush before buffing out my foundation and it was amazing. I’ve tried with both liquid and cream and I had no difficulty with either. The neck of the brush is thin and made from plastic so I was a bit worried that it could snap from use but it’s held together these past 10 weeks of moderate use.

Brush #3: Slightly smaller than #2 and I could use it in the same manner. The way I use Brush #3 is applying loose powder to ‘bake’ under my eyes on top of my concealer. I found it to be the perfect size and the dense bristles made picking up the loose powder effortlessly without making a huge mess.

Brush #4: This brush is slightly smaller than #3 and I use this brush to buff out the concealer from under my eyes. I typically do it with a damp Beauty Blender sponge but I found the same results using the brush. I have a lot of redness around my nose & sometimes I need more coverage in that area and I found this brush to be extremely helpful with getting into small areas and buffing the product in.

Brush #5: I didn’t really have a use for this brush personally. I’m sure you could use it in the same manners as any of the above brushes. I don’t do a very strong or bold contour in my daily routine but I can see someone using this to apply their contour and buffing it out. Or it can be used for spot concealing and to buff the product out.

Brush #6: I personally like #6 for placing my cream contour base at the hollows of my cheeks, on my nose bridge, at my jawline & on my forehead and using another brush to blend it out. Other than that, I didn’t find a use for it. It was a tad too thick for me to apply brow product or liner.

Brush #7/8: I grouped these two brushes together because I’d use them in the same application. I’m sure with enough practice, you could achieve eyeliner but I wasn’t patient enough to be honest haha. I did however like it for my eyebrows. This might not give you the ‘Instagram eyebrow’ but you will be able to get fairly natural looking brows depending on the product you use. I applied a matte eyeshadow & a tinted wax and it looked natural with the ability to build it up if desired.

Brush #9/10: These brushes were a little useless to me. I didn’t find them necessary or easy to use; just lack functionality for me. I wouldn’t see the benefit in using them for eye makeup and it’s a little too small for other uses.

Overall I’m pleased with the brushes for the price but I definitely wouldn’t need the whole set. If I could make my own kit, I’d probably choose Brush #2, 4, 5, & 7 because I found them the most useful. Did they live up to the hype? Not every brush blew me away but I’m still satisfied with my purchase since I got a whole set for under $25 shipped. Cleaning the brushes may be a little more work since the bristles are dense and collect product. When applying my foundation & concealer, I applied it directly to my face and used the brush to distribute & buff out the product.

I hope you all found that helpful and if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let me know. Thanks so much!

XOXO,
Steven

2016 Update

Hi everyone! It’s been awhile since I’ve been on my blog and I logged back on to try & get back into writing post. Some of my post have pictures that aren’t showing up because I used a link directly from Instagram; not sure what the problem is but I will be working on fixing those soon.

I am still doing makeup freelance but my main focus is finishing school to become a Respiratory Therapist. Now that life has taken a different turn, I have some free time to start blogging about products I’ve been using and my thoughts about them, it’s definitely something I’ve missed doing and been itching to get back into.

I’ll have a few blog post for you all within the next few days and I hope you guys enjoy them 🙂

XOXO,
Steven

My ‘Kpop’ Inspired Makeup Look

Hi there everyone! My sister & I decided to order some wigs off Amazon to test out how well the quality would be for under $20 and we were pleasantly surprised. In the picture shown, I decided to use the pink ombre wig as an inspiration to do something more fun. I think of kpop associating with cute colored hair and gorgeous makeup so I went along with this look. I’ll post the products I used below & I’ll do a detailed tutorial in the near future, possibly to improve the look even more with newer products I’ve purchased.

Products Used;
Tarte Clean Slate Primer
MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC30
Make Up For Ever HD Powder (Loose)
Graftobian ‘Warm’ HD Creme Palette (Highlight/Conceal)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit
Becca Shimmering Highlight Powder in Moonshine
Inglot Eyeshadow in 363 (Brows)
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Lorac Pro Palette
Sugarpill Pressed Eyeshadow in Tako
Stila Liquid Eyeliner Pen in Black
Lancome Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Ebony
MAC Lipstick in Blankety
Buxom Lip Cream in White Russian

I will also consider doing more drugstore friendly tutorials coming up, I’ve been purchasing some really amazing products from Target and CVS lately. Like always if you have any questions, concerns, comment or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

XOXO,
Steven

Matte Smokey Eye Using Tarte’s New Amazonian Clay Tartelette Palette

Hi there everyone! I have missed connecting with you all on a more personal level other than Instagram so I thought I would make a few post while I had some time. About a month ago I purchase the Tarte Amazonian Clay Tartelette Palette from Macys and I was absolutely drawn to the variety of matte shades they had to offer which should be a staple in any one’s makeup. It’s quite universal in its ability to give someone a soft natural everyday look to a very bold dramatic look as I’m going to show walk step-by-step down below.

1: Using any eye primer of your choice, apply it to your lids to ensure there will be no creasing and help with the vibrancy of the eyeshadows. I opt’d to use good faithful original formula of the Urban Decay Primer Potion.

2: With a domed fluffy brush, add the shade ‘Best Friend’ from the palette into the crease. Don’t be afraid to apply it generously, we are going with a more dramatic look & it will blended it out later.

3: With a dense small eyeshadow brush, apply the shade ‘Super Moon’ at the browbone. If this color is too light, or not your preference, you can always substitute it with your favorite matte highlight.

4: With a domed fluffy brush, apply ‘Natural Beauty’ as a transition color between your browbone & crease color to blend the two out.

5: With a smaller tapered brush, apply the darker shade ‘Fashionista’ at the outer corners and lightly apply into the crease. Gradually build up the color, it’s easier to add more than take away too much.

6: With the domed fluffy brush you used to apply ‘Natural Beauty’, blend out ‘Fashionista’ so there won’t be any harsh lines

7: With the same small dense eyeshadow brush used for ‘Super Moon’, apply the same eyeshadow onto the inner corner and lid to brighten up the dark, sultry eyemakeup. You can always switch to another eyeshadow for a shimmery shade for more drama.

8: To complete the eye look, go in with your favorite liquid/gel liner for the top making a cat eye and smudge a kohl pencil at the bottom lash line. False eyelashes are always optional, I used Katy Perry’s ‘Oh My’ Lashes on this look.

Its very simple to go from day to night with this look, just switch out ‘Fashionista’ for the lighter shade in the palette for a simply work appropriate look or those looking to just enhance their natural beauty.

Like always if you have any questions, concerns, comment or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

XOXO,
Steven

Must Have Items In My Makeup Kit

Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you my thoughts on makeup artist kits. I used to carry so much because I over think of what a client’s needs or wants but I’ve cut my kit down to a 1/3 of what it was a few years ago.

Foundation/Concealers take up a lot of spaces simply because you need different shades and undertones. I personally love Graftobian HD Creme Palettes, they are compact with a variety of shades, the creamy texture blends amazingly into the skin and it can be used sheer to full coverage. And the plus side, you will always have the perfect color match for your clients and no SPF means extremely flash photography friendly!

For powders I simply stay with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Naturals and a translucent powder of some sort. I would caution that some translucent powders are made from just silica powder and can leave that horrible problem with flash photography but a little goes a long way. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Naturals are perfect because its not flat like a matte, not too glowly like a dewy finish but a nice natural satin finish to the skin.

For myself, I like to depot my eyeshadows into empty magnetic palettes because I don’t use every color in certain palettes. I do keep some like LORAC Pro and UD Naked in their packaging but otherwise I simply buy the pans if possible or depot them. The Z Palette would be an ideal choice since they’re easily accessible with the large window on the top to see what’s inside and magnetic bottom is great for moving different items in and out depending on your event.

Eyeliners are something I go thru a lot so finding cheap alternatives is great. I actually like the Rimmel ScandalEyes Kohl Pencils because their creamy and waterproof exactly like the UD and MUFE pencils. For gel liner I love the Inglot AMC Mattes because they’re inexpensive for amazing rich pigment, smooth, and extremely waterproof/smudgeproof. I haven’t found luck with a cheaper alternative for a waterproof liquid liner but I love NYC Liquid Eyeliner for occasions waterproof isn’t necessary; for waterproof I always go with my trusty Stila Liquid Eyeliner Pen.

Mascara will always be on the lower end for me. I use a disposable wand on my clients and different brush wands will create different lengths & volume. Maybelline is the queen of drugstore mascaras and you can’t go wrong with $5-6 a tube.

I splurge on eyebrow products simply because the drugstore doesn’t have enough shades to accommodate to everyone. Anastasia Beverly Hills products are simply heavenly, a shade for every hair color and they are just devine. Brow Wiz, Dipbrow Pomade and Brow Powders are fabulous. I would invest in the Brow Pro Palette from Anastasia BH Website, each pan will be significantly less than buying them each at Sephora or Ulta.

I like Inglot and MAC blushes because they are in pan form and they comes in all different colors and finishes to compliment any skintone. BH Cosmetics sells good blush palettes if you’re starting or need variety to your current kit. Contour powders depends on how you like it, I use a variety of different things depending on my client wants. I personally use darker shades of MAC Studio Fix Powder, MAC Blush in Harmony & Blunt and Benefit Hoola Bronzer. I haven’t found a great highlighter just yet in the drugstore but I always use Hourglass Ambient Light Powders and MAC MSFs.

And to put all your products in would be the traincase. For smaller gigs, I can fit them in a Caboodle Traincase I got from Target for $30, you can even opt’d to get two to fit all your things. I went onto Amazon and since I have Prime, there is many different choices with free shipping. It is extremely cheaper than specialty stores that sell them marked up.

Just my little two cents about what I personally like to have in my kit. If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas for a next post, feel free to contact me.

XOXO,
Steven

Summer Sunkissed Dewy/Glowing Skin

Hi everyone! This is my go to look for a healthy sunkissed/dewy skin for summer.

Products Used;

• Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher
• MAC Face & Body Foundation in C4
• Kevyn Aucoin Skin Enhancer in SX10
• Graftobian HD Creme Warm Palette
• MAC MSFN in Medium Plus
• Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Natural
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer
• NARS Blush in Amour
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light
• Anastasia BH Dipbrow Pomade in Dark Brown
• LORAC Pro Palette
• Smashbox Layer Lash Mascara Primer
• Lancome Definicils Mascara
• Urban Decay All Nighter Spray

Step By Step:

1. 1. I start off with applying my primer onto freshly cleansed & moisturized skin. I am using Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher.
2. 2. With a mixing palette, I combine in a 1:2 ratio of Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer and MAC Face & Body Foundation. The Kevyn Aucoin SSE adds more coverage to the sheer dewy MAC F&B. I apply with a flat foundation brush and buffing out with a damp Beauty Blender.
3. 3. With a large powder brush, I set my foundation with a mineralize skinfinish from MAC for a satin finish. If I wanted a more matte look, I would go with another powder such as MAC Studio Fix or MUFE Duo Mat.
4. Selecting a light and dark shade from my Graftobian HD Creme Palette, I apply my highlight & contour shades to the appropriate areas and buff to the desired finish.
5. To add glow and set my highlight, I take Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder with a small domed brush and applying on my forehead, bridge of my nose, above my cheekbones and chin.
6. I use Benefit Hoola Bronzer first for a defining line in my contour using the NARS Ita Brush and buff out with Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Natural for a sunkissed shade to the skin.
7. For a flush of color, I apply NARS Blush in Amour.
8. Follow with other sets such as eyebrows, mascara, eyeshadow, etc.
9. Last step would be to take a setting spray to get rid of any residue on the skin, leaving behind a great luminous healthy glow.

I hope that was helpful to anyone that was interested. If you have any questions or products/looks you’d like to see, feel free to ask!

XOXO,
Steven

Personal Update and Review on the Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

Hi everyone! I know it’s been awhile since my last post but I wanted to give a mini update and then on to the review! I’ve been swamped with so much new responsibilities with my job, finishing up my last year of school and doing makeup gigs on the side. I miss blogging and I hope to do more post and tweak some of the reviews I have saved. For more quick updates you can follow me on Instagram at the same username @steveobui.

Now onto the review of the new Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation! I saw Judy from itsjudytime on YouTube review the foundation and since I have the same skintype & similar skintone, I thought why not see if it really keeps me matte!

I picked up the same shade which was 203 True Beige. I will say the color selection is lacking with only 5 available and I really hope that Rimmel will decide in the future to expand their shades to deeper tones and more yellow based undertones or at least neutral based undertones to fit a boarder spectrum of consumers. I am a NC35/37 in MAC shades for reference and I found this foundation to have a pink undertone which wasn’t a perfect match but I worked with it and it didn’t look too bad after highlighting, blush, & bronzer/contouring.

The texture of the foundation reminded me of the Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation and I love that it felt incredibly light & soft  with a medium and buildable to full coverage. I found it best applied with my fingers and I would go back with a Beauty Blender to smooth everything out. I tried with the Beauty Blender alone and a few different brushes and I felt I was using more product for the same finish.

I did moisturize well since most matte foundations will cling onto dry patches and I used a silicone based primer underneath first. I have very oily skin which leads to my foundation oxidizing within a few hours but I had no trouble with this foundation and I’m sure it’s probably because it’s geared towards those with oily skin that want to maintain a matte finish.

I used the foundation three times, each time was about 8 hours of wear and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. Comparing to the old Stay Matte, Rimmel did a great improvement. I did get oily in my t-zone but that’s normal for me without touching up with a blotting sheet or powder. My bronzer/contour were still visible and my blush was still vibrant. I would recommend buying the foundation where they will allow returns for used products to see which shade would best suit your shade and undertone. For me this foundation is going back because I’m simple (aka lazy haha) and I would rather have a perfect match than to go through the trouble to make it usable.

I hope that was helpful to anyone interested in the foundation. If you have any questions or request, simply just comment below or e-mail me. Thanks so much for reading.

XOXO,
Steven

FOTD: 10/13/2013

Hi everyone! This picture was pretty popular amongst my family, friends and followers on Instagram so I decided to write a step by step tutorial on how to achieve this look. It is considerably lengthy but you can definitely skip steps that aren’t to your liking or routine. This is a very full coverage and glam look but you can tone it down for an everyday look.

Products Used:

• Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
• MAC Face & Body Foundation in C4
• Graftobian HD Creme Foundation in Buttermilk
• Make Up For Ever Duo Mat in 205
• MAC Fluidline in Dipdown
• Inglot Eyeshadow in 363 (Brows)
• Maybelline Age Rewind Erase Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in Medium
• Skinfood Banana Concealer in 23
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Lorac Pro To Go Palette: Cafe, Mink, Black, Chai
• Sugarpill Eyeshadow in Tako
• Tarte Eyeshadow in Parasol (From Aqualilies Palette)
• Stila Liquid Eyeliner Pen in Black
• Marc Jacobs Highliner in Blacquer
• Bobbi Brown Lip Liner in Brownie Pink
• Loreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude
• MAC Blush in Harmony
• Illamasqua Blush in Lover
• NARS Blush in Albatross
• Lancome Cils Booster XL
• Benefit They’re Real Mascara
• Model 21 # 31 Eyelashes

Step By Step:

1. I start with a freshly cleansed and moisturized face. Since I have very oily skin, I use Milk of Magnesia as an oil controlling agent.
2. After allowing the Milk of Magnesia to dry, I applied my face primer and I chose Smashbox Photo Finish Primer in Light. I start my foundation after doing my brows and eyes to allow the primer to set.
3. I take the MAC 266 Brush and with a small amount of MAC Fluidline in Dipdown, I trace the ideal brow shape and slowly fill in the brows. I use a lighter hand when filling the front for a more gradient look.
4. With a spoolie brush or clean mascara wand, I comb through the eyebrow hairs to evenly distribute the product. You can use a brow powder or matte eyeshadow on top, it’s just about personal preference. I used Inglot Matte Eyeshadow in 363 on top.
5. If you need a brow gel to hold the longer hairs in place, I recommend using a product like Anastasia Brow Gel or a clear mascara. You can use a tinted brow gel if you like.
6. With a flat brush and concealer, I clean up the shape of my eyebrows. I used my Skinfood Banana Concealer in 23 and my Sigma E15 Flat Definer Brush
7. I apply an eyeshadow primer onto the lids to keep them from creasing throughout the day. I use the Urban Decay Primer Potion in the original formula.
8. Most of the eyeshadows from this look are from the Lorac Pro To Go Palette with the exception of two. Chai on the lid with a small shader brush, Cafe in the crease/blending color with tapered blending brush, Mink in the crease with a blending brush, Black on the outer corner with tapered blending brush, Sugarpill Eyeshadow in Tako on the lid with a small shader brush, and Tarte Eyeshadow in Parasol at the inner corner with a pencil brush. Brushes I used were Sonia Kashuk Pointed Blending Brush, MAC 219 Pencil Brush, MAC 217 Blending Brush, ELF Essentials Eyeshadow Brush.
9. With a liquid eyeliner, draw your desired eyeliner thickness and shape. I went with a thicker winged eyeliner for this look using the Stila Liquid Eyeliner Pen in Black. With Marc Jacobs Highliner in Blacquer, I used it to define my bottom lash line.
10. I like to use a mascara primer to separate my lashes and help with lengthening. I use Lancome Cils Booster XL before applying Benefit They’re Real Mascara. You can apply false lashes if you like, I used Model 21 Lashes in #32 with Revlon Dark Lash Adhesive.
11. I apply my foundation with a flat foundation brush like the MAC 190 Brush onto my face and with a patting motion, applying with my Beauty Blender. I mix my MAC Face & Body Foundation and Graftobian HD Creme Foundation together for a luminous full coverage foundation.
12. To set my foundation, you can use a variety of things such as a pressed powder, loose powder, translucent powder and etc. I chose to use my Make Up For Ever Duo Mat Powder in 205 with a large powder brush, I used Coastal Scents Classic Natural Large Powder Brush.
13. To highlight my under eyes and on my nose, I use the Maybelline Age Instant Rewind Concealer in Medium and pat with my fingers. With a small powder brush, I apply my highlighting powder. I used NARS Blush in Albatross with Bobbi Brown Sheer Powder Brush on the bridge of my nose, under my eyes, and tops of my cheekbones.
14. To contour I use a matte brown blush or bronzer with a tapered brush. I use MAC Blush in Harmony with Inglot 4SS Brush along my hair line, cheekbones and jawline. The easiest way to find where to do your cheek contouring would be the line from the corner of your lip to the top of your ear.
15. To add some color back into my face, I would suggest using a matte blush since there’s a lot of glow from the highlighter. I prefer peach tones on my face so I use Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Lover with MAC 168 Brush.
16. To get rid of any excess powder and to set my makeup, I use two sprays: MAC Fix+ Spray first and then Skindinavia No More Shine Spray. You can skip this step if you want. I have oily skin so a setting spray like Skindinavia is a must.
17. For the lips, I make sure they have been exfoliated and moisturized. I use Bobbi Brown Lipliner in Brownie Pink to line my lips and used Loreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude.

It’s a lot of work but the finished look is well worth it. Of course you can skip a few things, or substitute products to your liking. I hope this was helpful for anyone that’s looking for a full coverage foundation look, a glam look or even ideas of what they can do to tone up or down a look from day to night. Like always if you have any questions, or you would like me to review a product, please feel free to ask.

XOXO,
Steven

Review: Sephora Color IQ

Hi everyone! This review is a little bit different, it’s not on a specific product but something new at Sephora which claims to find your exact color code to ensure you will always have the perfect match when it comes to foundation.

Sephora gives you the ability to find your color code on your own as long as you have a correct shade you like in a foundation they sell. I like how my Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in 127 looks so I got the Color IQ # 3Y07 based on that. I look at other foundations and saw that the color selection was pretty good considering I was matched to some prior in those shades. There are options on the side which you can select your skintype, what kind of foundation you are looking for, and even going up or down a shade. I looked at 3Y05, 3Y06 & 3Y08 and saw several of my other shades of foundation I own. So far, it’s not completely 100% accurate but definitely a good range where it really reflects my skintone and undertone well.

I went into the store today and I was given the opportunity to get color matched with their Color IQ system which involves having your skin photographed and their technology will produce that code. Even though the process seems very cool, I did get a different color code than I got based on my foundation. Now I was told I am a 1R09 which is totally on a different scale. I told myself I would give it a shot since using their Color IQ system would be accurate than my own judgment of color matching.

I bought the Dior Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup in 040 Honey which matched my 1R09 Color IQ. Immediately after applying this foundation, it was clearly way too dark. I went back to change it for a different foundation and sat at the bar for an associate to come help me. Another girl there told me she was having a problem with her foundation except it being too light. The associate tried to tell me that maybe getting the Color IQ again was going to let her know what range I am in rather than 100% color matched.

My overall opinion? It’s good if you have the foundation shade ready to do it online yourself than have them use the Color IQ in store, just because it’s not going to be 100% accurate or even correct… it would depend on how the picture is taken, the lighting and what their program sees. And if you do get a Color IQ, I would use it just as a reference that you’re around that color and you can play around with different shades lighter or darker. I personally would rather have someone do it the way I was taught, look for something similar in shade and undertone, swatch it and take it from there.

I hope this is helpful to anyone that was interested in Color IQ. It takes no time at all so feel free to just try it out and see what your results are. And even compare it to what you find your Color IQ to be after inputting your foundation information. If you have any questions, or you want me to try something out, let me know!

XOXO,
Steven