Cover FX

Cover FX

2 years ago at the makeup show in NYC I stumbled across a makeup line called Cover FX. I chatted with the sales rep for a bit and had her try some of the products on me. I found out that they not only sell it online but that Sephora carries it as well. They do not make eyeshadows and blushes. They do make a bronzer in a few different shades but it is primarily a foundation, concealer and powder line. I wasn't in love with all of the products but I could definitely see the potential and absolutely get behind their goals.

This makeup line originated as a medical makeup line used in hospitals for burn victims. So it is quite literally a medical grade makeup line. All of the products include minerals in the ingredients and some of the creamy products contain moisturizing properties such as vitamin E to soothe the skin as it color corrects. I've used the concealer on photoshoots and on myself, and have learned recently that this product line is used by makeup artists working in Television. I can see why they use it for TV because it is mostly a full coverage kind of makeup best for the very bright lights used when filming that medium.

In my experience, what I've learned from working on films being shot in HD is that you have to be careful on set when the lights being used are not the extremely bright TV lights. When working with cameras like the newer, very popular Red camera for example, a key point to remember as a makeup artist/hairstylist is that the lens will pick up every single strand of hair out of place or a dry patch of skin and magnify it. So the goal is to be able to manipulate the full covering effects of this kind of makeup and blend it in to submission not only for Film and TV but also for everyday wear. In other words, to apply it in a way so that it's there but not really there.

here's what i've experimented with from this line:

1. Concealer/ Cream Foundation: With this particular line, the cream foundation is also the concealer. It is extremely full coverage so the trick is finding the best way to achieve both concealing and balancing the skin using a few different tones of color. And as a matter of fact they have a starter kit that helps you step by step with this. But let me start from the beginning.

For years I've used one color of foundation all over the face on myself and on clients as most people do, but what happens is that it creates a flat face ( if you've seen news casters on TV recently you know what I mean by a flat face ). As time has gone by I realized what was missing and have been working to perfect the art of blending 3-4 colors to create the best flawless skin tone possible.

We tend to forget when we are trying to create flawless skin, that we have bone structure. So when we only apply one color we eliminate that bone structure and have to recreate it by highlighting and contouring which can look very made up as the end result. Having said all that, the starter kit, is the perfect introduction to blending 3 shades of foundation together to get the perfect skin tone.

The starter kit comes in Fair, Medium and Dark. It contains a palette of 3 foundation colors with a mineral translucent powder, the skin prep which is their primer for makeup, and a foundation brush. On the back of the box they give you step by step instructions with a picture of where and how to use the 3 colors. Ultimately you will find the best method for yourself as you practice blending but as a beginner their instructions are pretty accurate.

2. Skin Prep: Their skin prep is their primer. It is meant to be applied directly to the skin to prepare the skin for makeup. The consistency is much like a serum. A serum is a sort of liquid meant to hydrate the skin as the step before moisturizer. In this case they are using it as a way of making it easier to blend the makeup. Of course, that was not my experience. Let me elaborate......

I wasn't a fan of the skin prep. Not only did I try it to prep the skin using Cover FX's makeup but I also tried it underneath other foundations from various companies and found the same problem. I found that even though it felt good on the skin it really just sat on the surface almost creating a slippery base for the foundation which then made it hard to blend. I found that as the day wore on my skin went back to appearing dry and dehydrated because the skin prep wasn't doing the job they said it should. And on a photoshoot I found I needed to powder more than usual because the models skin was extra shiny from the prep.

So the other night, not wanting to give up on this stuff, considering it covers my blemishes very well, I tried my old faithful standby. I washed my face and then used Dr. Hauschka's Rose Day Cream to moisturize. I then applied my "fair" palette from the starter kit using my own modified version of the blending technique, powdered my face and took a look. As I've said before, the Rose Day Cream is amazing. It made all the difference. My skin was balanced, hydrated, glowing and the makeup didn't look heavy at all. It lasted all night without touchups and I was very happy! It just goes to show you that when you find something that works well with makeup you should stick with it. Using the Rose Day Cream as a base, I would definitely recommend the cream foundation for sure!

3. Translucent powder: It's a really nice powder. It sets the makeup well but doesn't look chalkey. It's a mineral powder so it's not too matte, it has just the slightest hint of a glow but not shimmery. I really like it.....:)

4. Mineral Foundation Powder: The mineral foundation powder that they carry is very beautiful as far as how it finishes the skin but it's extremely full coverage. Most of the mineral foundation powders I'm familiar with have the capability of being full coverage but you can build it that way, it's not like that from the first stroke of the brush. This one is. The packaging needs a little help. They don't make it easy to not get powder everywhere , making a mess, and the applicator is strange. I think it's supposed to be a sponge applicator that is shaped like a brush but when you use it it's like you're painting the powder in thick streaks across your face. I had to then take a regular blush brush and forcefully blend the powder away. It didn't work very well and I looked very made up. As I said the finish is beautiful, like a porcelain doll with a bit of sparkle. But the work isn't worth it. There are better mineral powder foundations out there, but give it a try......maybe it'll work for you.

5. Liquid Foundation: I'm not sure what they were doing with this product. It's pasty and thick but doesn't cover very well. It also doesn't blend very well. it just sort of stays in the spot where it was applied and doesn't move. I think it could have potential with a bit of time and experimentation but I found what I needed with the cream foundation mixed with the Dr. Hauschka Rose day Cream. This just seemed like an unnecessary step.

I'm glad I was able to make the cream foundation work for me because I understand the importance of a line like this. It's primarily for people with skin discoloration from serious burns to simple genetics. But genetics doesn't have to mean big dark spots or big white spots. It could be something minor like my red apple cheeks that every girl in my family has. They get super red at times and I get self-conscious. Everyone wants to feel beautiful but also it's hard to find a good foundation in the green/clean makeup world that covers well, can be the right color scheme, and still make you feel like yourself.

Cover FX will work if you use it correctly. :)