I can imagine that all of you at some point in your makeup wearing life so far, have owned at least one foundation that’s not right for you, I know I have…a makeup fail, regret purchase and quite likely an pretty expensive one! So annoying right? Too dark, too light, tone or texture slightly off as well as various things out to get you when trying to choose your perfect colour match. The lighting in stores can be terrible in terms of getting it right, as can the fact that some foundations can oxidize (darken) on the skin with wear and depending on how it reacts with your skin. Things beyond your control too can add to the frustration…putting your faith in someone else and them incorrectly matching you (reasons like bad lighting, unfamiliarity with products, insufficient knowledge/ experience etc) and also even needing to buy your foundation online, maybe there isn’t a store/ counter near you or you wanted to pick one up from a harder to get hold of brand and are fully relying on online information and swatches.
Anyway, you’ll be happy to know there’s now a solution to all your foundation colour matching woes/ previously unworn and unloved foundations stashed away in the back of a drawer somewhere, in the shape of the new Pro Foundation Mixers by NYX.
A few brands, mostly high end, have brought out similar colour/ texture adjusting products over the last few years, such as the Cover FX Custom Drops and for the most part, great products, but often at an equivalent or higher price point to the foundation that you’re trying to adjust! Not ideal for the individual wanting to adjust an incorrect foundation shade, but also a really costly and bulky option for a professional kit, considering how many options (for each and every different skin tone) you’d need to carry in order to get the most use out of the product. The NYX Pro Foundation Mixers are an affordable alternative that really do work!
NYX have launched six of the Pro Foundation Mixers, four colour correcting (White, Deep, Warmth and Olive) and two for illuminating/ giving a dewy finish to a more matte foundation (Opalescent and Luminous). After swatching all six, I decided to just opt for the four colour correcting shades. The two illuminating shades are beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but I have so many other illuminating products and favourites in my kit and ones that have a lot more pigment than the NYX Pro Foundation Mixers, both high end and drugstore, with even some of NYX’s other liquid illuminators are great/ super pigmented and included in that too. They are very sheer compared to other options out there.
The NYX Pro Foundation Mixers (available from boots.com – Affiliate link) are priced at £7.50/ €8/9 for 30 ml (currently not available online in Ireland 🙁 – but you can get it in store), which is the same size bottle as the average foundation and a good third of the price of most of the high end custom drops. They’re really pigmented, a little goes a long way and my favourite thing about these has to be that although they do alter the colour (which is obviously what they’re supposed to do!), they don’t change the actual coverage of the foundation/ base product you mix them with. That was one of my main concerns, especially if you otherwise love a foundation, finish, texture, coverage and it’s just the colour that’s letting you down. There’s something to suit everyone’s needs too! I’ll break down the shades for you:
+ White – lightens/ highlights (and is the one I have already re-purchased for my own personal makeup bag as a lot of my favorite foundations can pull slightly dark on my usually fair skin).
+ Deep – darkens/ adds depth.
+ Warmth – adds warmer, pink tones.
+ Olive – adds a cooler, deeper golden tone.
PRO TIPS – Use either the White or Deep, depending on skin tone and if you need to go lighter or darker, but then also add a touch of Warmth (for more sallow/ dull skin) or Olive (for redness) for colour correcting and for a more even and healthy tone to your skin. They can also be used for contour/ highlighting and bronzing and a little can be applied over foundation (before any powder products) with a damp beauty sponge (I like this one…Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (affiliate link) or BeautyBlender Classic Makeup Sponge (affiliate link)) for a natural finish.
The NYX Pro Foundation Mixers are great and a welcome addition to both my professional makeup kit and personal makeup bag! As well as giving life to the otherwise unusable foundations of the world, they work really well for those of you who love a bit of faux tanning too, especially the Olive tone. You might want to check out the two illuminating ones, but in my opinion, there are better, more highly pigmented products available already, chances are, you might even own one (or ten, ha ha) already, but the colour correcting Pro Foundation Mixers…for me, a no brainer! A kit must have! I feel like NYX are really paving the way in the drugstore at the moment and introducing more ‘Pro’ targeted products is a great move for the brand!
Lyd x
PLEASE NOTE:
I’m now based in Cork, Ireland. Although I do still take select bookings for North Wales/ Cheshire and Dublin (get in touch for more info) and am available to travel country wide…I’m mainly taking makeup bookings for Cork City and surrounding areas.
As a bridal makeup specialist, I do get booked up well in advance so if you’re looking for wedding makeup in Cork contact me asap to check availability, secure your date and avoid disappointment! I’m freelance and travel to your home/ venue of choice.
Also available for makeup for any occasion/ event, lessons and master class makeup…find more information and a full list of services here.
Contact us for enquiries/ bookings and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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