Special cocktail.

So, whilst trolling the mystical lands of "DIY beauty on Pinterest," I came across an idea I had to try (I'm thinking this would be an interesting weekly feature for us to do...try do-it-yourself ideas from around the interwebs and let you know if they work? Tell us if you'd be interested!). 

The original idea can be found here, but I'll summarize. Basically, you mix your favorite moisturizer, the aforementioned Monistat-creepo-whatever-primer, and your foundation to get a smooth, customized, long-lasting "foundation" that supposedly gives an airbrushed appearance. 

Naturally, I needed to see for myself if this miracle cocktail worked. 

So my products of choice are the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (great for people with oily skin...expect a "cheaper dupes for Clinique skincare" post in the future!), my Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation, and that creeptacular crap I can't believe I keep putting on my face. 

I've just been mixing it up in one of those little Glad containers:

It has a lid and keeps it airtight so I can mix some up for a couple of days and not have it dry out on me. 

I do equal parts moisturizer and primer, and then two parts foundation. I found 1 part of each was too light of coverage for my preferences, but if you like really light coverage, then go for 1 equal part of each component. I mix it up with the end of a makeup brush (they're meant to touch makeup, y'know), and voila! 

Then I apply it. With my fingers. (I feel like that step was highly anticlimactic.)

Now, the most IMPORTANT step of this whole process is to BLEND, BLEND, BLEND. Blend the everloving daylights out of your face. I use a handled kabuki brush from Sonia Kashuk and just brush it in circular motions across my face, paying special attention to the areas around my nose, at my temples, and around my jawline, to make sure those areas are blended in well enough. 

(Side note: The Goss did a brilliant tutorial on how blending vanishes pores, which I will link HERE.)

After applying concealer, I set everything with a translucent, finely milled powder. I use this guy:

Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder.

It runs like $5 at CVS. I use a big fluffy brush to set everything and help finish it off. 

The result?

Left pic= with flash, right pic= without flash.

So, AS YOU CAN SEE, this is pretty darn impressive! The side of my face with the "special cocktail" has a more even skintone, concealed blemishes, and yet still manages to not look like caked on crazy makeup. It's thinned down enough that "the real you" can still show through, but it offers enough coverage to give you a more polished look. I have to confess: my experimental first batch ran out this morning and I was SO BUMMED that I didn't have the time to whip up some more before work! I made some more, so hopefully it'll get me through this weekend, but you need to try it if you have the ingredients! It works like a charm, has such a smooth consistency (thanks, Monistat weirdness), blends really well (thanks, moisturizer!), and still works as a decent foundation. Give it a shot, and let us know if it works as well for you as it did for me! 

-Mary