Jess Gaertner

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Safer Foundation Products + Beautycounter Skin Twin Review

Some of the most asked questions I get when it comes to transitioning someone’s products to safer typically centers around foundation:

  • What foundation should I choose?

  • What color would work best for me?

  • WHY should I switch to safer foundation?

I know foundation and makeup is one of THE hardest things to switch over, mostly because as a woman, when I find something I like and that makes me feel good, I DON’T WANT TO CHANGE!

This was me, 3 years ago! First and foremost, I was NOT a makeup person to begin with, I rarely ever wore any kind of foundation, and when I did, it was from a popular mineral based company because truly I was scared that putting anything with the word “liquid” in it, would make me look like I was wearing a ton of makeup, and just make me look like NOT ME.

When I started the transition to safer makeup products (because yes, there IS a concern for mineral based powders - especially when the company isn’t transparent about sourcing and total ingredients), I was nervous and frankly overwhelmed by the options. Add in the fact that with Beautycounter, you have to order online without testing for color first, and I was so nervous!

The more I learned, and experimented, the more I found that I shouldn’t be nervous, and for a couple of reasons:

  1. Beautycounter has an incredible 60 day return policy. If the color doesn’t work for you, no problem! We can send it back in and get the right one.

  2. Working one on one with a consultant gives you access to samples, and assistance on color matching that you can’t really find anywhere else! One of the many reasons why shopping through your consultant makes for a great decision!

WHY CHOOSE SAFER FOUNDATION PRODUCTS?

Makeup, and especially foundation, is to me an important switch to make, and the biggest reason is because of the fact that your foundation actually sits on your face pretty much all day. Which means there’s much more time for those products and ingredients to be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Conventional foundations often contain emollients and emulsifiers known as polyethylene glycols (PEGs) that may be contaminated with known carcinogens. Not to mention if you’re looking at foundation products with SPF in them, you’re also  potentially absorbing harmful chemical sunscreens, or nano particles along with things like PEGs.

In our foundation products, we achieve safer status by using non-nano zinc oxide as our mineral sunscreen agent (an effective mineral that has not been found to be harmful to the ocean ecosystem).

We also avoid chemical sunscreens linked to hormone disruption, and avoid nano particles which are extremely small, understudied particles.

In our foundations, we use a safer combination of plant-derived skin conditioners and emulsifiers, rather than PEGs, to create a flawless look.

Each batch of color cosmetics are also tested for heavy metals to ensure it meets our strict safety measures.

Heavy metals are not widely tested for in the cosmetic industry as of right now, but they pose serious health concerns. They’re typically UNINTENDED contaminants that unknowingly attach themselves to the REAL intended materials being sourced.

Many “natural” cosmetic companies will claim their products as safe, but fail to test the heavy metal levels in their products, therefore they may unwittingly be selling a potentially unsafe product to the marketplace.

We are highly selective also when it comes to what pigments we will use.

Even though the U.S. currently allows 65 colorants to be used in cosmetics, we prohibit a vast majority of them due to safety, and stick with the 18 that we believe are safer.

WHAT FOUNDATION PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE?

At Beautycounter we have two essential “foundation” products, one is called Dew Skin (which is a sheer coverage tinted moisturizer with SPF 20) and our BRAND NEW upgraded medium coverage foundation which is now called Skin Twin Featherweight Foundation!

If you’ve used Beautycounter foundation before, then you are familiar with our first foundation iteration, which was called Tint Skin. Tint Skin was my absolute favorite medium coverage foundation, and I was solidly obsessed with it.

As of May 19th, 2020 our Tint Skin line will be replaced with our upgraded foundation product, which will now be called Skin Twin Featherweight Foundation.

Skin Twin is truly a longer lasting, more buildable foundation, that really combines the coverage and color of a makeup product with the skin changing ingredients of a skincare product.

Let’s look at unique attibutes of each product:

Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20

  • Lightweight moisturizer

  • less pigment than tint skin

  • sheer coverage

  • evens skin tone

  • has SPF in it to protect from sun damage via UVA/UVB rays

  • uses Vitamin C to reduce the appearance of age spots and enhance skin brightness

  • luminous sheen, no white residue

  • 1-8 shades, wear daily alone, or layered under your foundation

  • has a lower level of hyaluronic acid compared to Skin Twin

  • Shop Dew Skin Here

Brand new Skin Twin Featherweight Foundation

Before we list some of the attributes about this new foundation, I have to really dive into what makes it so unique.

It takes all of the really great things we know and love about our previous formula in Tint Skin and it gives it an incredible professional and high performance upgrade in every way.

COMBINES MAKEUP AND SKINCARE

Skin Twin literally take the best of a makeup product and combines it with the powerful punch of a skincare product and does something we’ve really never seen before - your foundation has the power to not just hide any skin imperfections, but to CHANGE THEM.

It has such a powerful dose of hyaluronic acid in it that not only will you see immediate change (more plump, moisturized, glowing skin) but you can also expect to keep seeing improvements with regular use!

SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT TOO!

Not only is the formula getting an upgrade, but so is the packaging.

If you’ve been following along for a while now, you know we have been making major moves in the sustainability department when it comes to packaging and shipping our products.

One of our biggest and most impactful changes is switching from plastic to glass packaging of our products when possible.

The Skin Twin will now be in a beautiful frosted glass bottle that will avoid an estimated 235k plastic tubes from entering landfills and waterways in just one year.

Now let’s talk about some of the upgrades you can expect in our new Skin Twin foundation!

  • 27 shades

  • Improved wear (clinically proven to last all day)

  • 9x more hyaluronic acid

  • Glass packaging

  • EWG verified

Why is more hyaluronic acid a good thing?

Known as a moisture magnet, hyaluronic acid delivers supercharged hydration for visibly plump, glowing skin immediately, and with continued use.

I LOVE hyaluronic acid in skincare so much, I did a huge review and deep dive into this skincare ingredient in one of my latest blog posts all about hyaluronic acid.

If you want to know more about this powerful little ingredient, please check it out!

How do I match my color?

Finding your shade is going to be way easier…we’ve taken the 27 shades, and created 6 shade categories.

The first step is just finding out what shade category you fit in best.

Then all you need to do is narrow down your primary shade from one of the three in that category.

We are also launching a new easy shade finder tool that will make this so much easier!

Shade Matching Variables

What I’ve found is that there are THREE main shades that my skin will match with depending on the season.

I am a former Tint Skin user in LINEN and my direct match is MED310, which works great for me right now. I did notice when I was swatch testing that MED340 would be a great match for me in the summer as my skin darkens a bit.

Shade Matching Tools

Here are some helpful shade matching tools that Beautycounter has created for you to use to find the right match! Remember, if it doesn’t work for you, we have a RAD 60 day return policy, just reach out to your consultant to assist you and we’ll get the right color for you!

If you do get your hands on some samples (reach out to your consultant to assist!)

Here’s how you’ll want to test them for the right shade. Take the 2-3 shades closest to your skin tone, apply a small amount along your jawline, just below the ear (side to by side). Let them sit and air dry as this will be a true indicator of the shade. The shade that disappears is your Twin!

Application of Skin Twin Featherweight Foundation

Skin Twin is designed to be buildable, and there are two basic ways to apply for variations in coverage.

  • For light coverage, shake well, then add 1-2 pumps to the palm of your hand and buff into skin using the Retractable Foundation Brush.

  • For medium coverage, shake well, then add 2-3 pumps to the palm of your hand, then use your fingertips to pat and blend into skin. Continue to apply until desired coverage is achieved. 

What “foundation” product is right for me?

This will be something only you can figure out for yourself! I will tell you, I end up using both the Dew Skin and now the Skin Twin depending on what look I’m going for, and sometimes I layer them both for extra coverage or when I know I want sun protection under a makeup look!

Here are my totally personal recommendations on when/how to use each of these products:

  • Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 - I use our Dew skin pretty much every single day. I work from home, don’t HAVE to wear a full face of makeup on the daily unless I want to, and spend a lot of my time outside. So I will almost always reach for Dew Skin unless I want more coverage. Don’t snag the Dew Skin and expect it to be a foundation - it’s not, but it will provide a sheer, dewy look that keeps your skin moisturized and protected, and provides an evening out of skin tone.

  • Skin Twin Foundation - I will reach for our Skin Twin any time I want to wear makeup. If I’m going out on a date, want to feel put together, or just feel like being creative this is what I’ll reach for. I’d say during the week, considering I don’t HAVE to wear makeup, I’m about a 50/50 split on solo Dew Skin/solo Skin Twin wearing. Skin Twin provides medium coverage for blemishes and hyper pigmentation, so be aware, you will still look like yourself! If you’re wanting a more heavy foundation look, you might find you will need something more.

  • Dew Skin/Skin Twin Combo - For MORE coverage, and an added layer of sun protection under your Skin Twin, I would layer these two products (and do quite frequently!). I am always always always looking to protect my skin from sun damage, and these two layer so beautifully - it’s a no brainer!

My First Impression of Skin Twin:

  • Definitely longer lasting coverage

  • my skin felt less oily throughout the day

  • the coverage felt improved from our original formula

  • in all my pictures/videos I felt like I didn’t need any sort of filters AT ALL. The Skin Twin felt like a natural “pretty filter”

  • hydration level: MEGA. The magic of improving hyaluronic acid content means it felt incredibly moisturizing without an increase in oiliness!

For more in depth description of the Skin Twin, and it’s properties you can check out the video below to see how I shade matched for myself, and applied it! If you have any questions or wish to sample any products EVER, please shoot me a message at jess@jessgaertner.com. Always happy to help!

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