Product Review: 4U2 Dream Girl Love Pink Liquid Foundation

You've seen this before.  The pink stall in Watson's that sells makeup that looks like it's meant for high school teeny boppers who have pink pencil cases and pink wallets and pink everything.  At first look this brand never appealed to me as it looked like something my 7 year old cousin would go crazy for (she's into pinks and barbie's and princesses).  See, I'm not blessed with very clear non-oily porcelain skin.  I'm more the almost clear very oily morena skin.  So I need good coverage, good staying power and good "mattifying" power.  However, one day after reading a blog review on this product something urged me to try it for myself (my makeup-loving angel perhaps?) and so I did.  Now I'm pretty sure somewhere that angel is laughing at me right now for being judgmental.  This goes to show you can never judge a makeup by it's cover.

The 4U2 Dream Girl Love Pink Liquid Foundation comes in only 2 shades (bummer) - a light shade (#01) and a little less light shade (#02).  I say this because girls who are NC30 and above can make no use of this.  But to all my darker skinned girls, keep reading cos there's something in here for us too.

The first time I applied this I used a blending sponge and I found that it dries very quickly on me (probably because I do my makeup standing up and my face is right smack beside the a/c).  I got shade #02 by the way and still it was very very light on me, about 2-3 shades lighter, that's why I described it as a little less light.  However, I noticed that this foundation made my skin look flawless.  It didn't settle in my laughlines (Yes, I have those at the age of 25 and I'm proud of them.  We're all gonna have lines anyway might as well have the ones that show I've led a happy life.), it covered my blemishes and melted evenly into my skin.  At this point I thought, "It's a good foundation but not my color so I guess I'll give it to mom."  And then it enjoyed the perks of being a wallflower on my vanity table.

too light, right?

Fast forward to 2 weeks later I bought myself a loose powder mineral foundation from Ellana Minerals which was the perfect shade for me.  This became my everyday foundation though the staying power is quite week at 3 hours and the coverage only a medium.  Then I had a thought...

One Sunday I dusted off the 4U2 DGLP Liquid Foundation and applied it with a stippling brush.  This product was very hard to stipple because, again, it dries quickly on me.  So what happened was I would stipple a little and then sweep, and then stipple a little again and then sweep until I get the even-ness I wanted.  Then... (this is for the NC30 and up girls) I brushed my mineral foundation over the liquid foundation after it had dried and found that this pairing worked beautifully.  The liquid foundation "ate up" my mineral foundation and everything was set.  There was also something different to how this pairing made my face look.  Normally, when I dust the mineral foundation on my face the shade was a perfect match but my face looked dark and a little unhealthy.  But when I used the mineral foundation with the liquid foundation from 4U2 there was a glow on my face coming from within and the finish looked very flawless and smooth.  The shade was still a match but there was something lighter about the color of it.  Now it doesn't stop there.  Sunday is the busiest day of the week for my family so I needed my makeup to last all day.  I did this makeup at 8:00 in the morning and at 10:00 pm it was still there.  I blotted occasionally but never retouched.  The color did not fade and I think the liquid and mineral foundation even did something to the oil and sweat on my face.  You see, when I sweat and oil up they usually come out as tiny globs on my nose (my own morning dew) but on that Sunday there were no globs just a very thin oily layer on my nose which I blotted with a blotting paper and even that didn't remove the foundationS.

hello zit!

goodbye zit!

And so the 4U2 Dream Girl Love Pink Liquid Foundation and the Ellana Minerals Pure Blend Loose Powder Mineral Foundation lived happily ever after (What is it with companies and the really long names?  It's kinda tiring to type, ya know?).  Seriously though, this has been my foundation routine every Sunday for when I need to amp up my beauty routine and people have told me I look blooming and that the makeup looks nice (you think that's a compliment?  I think it is).

Ever bought a foundation that's just not a perfect match?  Don't send it to the garbage bin just yet.  Try setting it with a darker/lighter powder foundation.  You might just find your perfect pair like I did.

The truth about Milk of Magnesia as a primer

You may have heard from a friend or read in a blog somewhere that Milk of Magnesia can serve as a cheap face primer for people with oily skin.  As far as my research goes, several bloggers in the Philippines have also tackled this matter talking about how the product has worked for them.  I, on the other hand, do not own a bottle of Milk of Magnesia.  What I will talk about today is whether using MOM for this purpose is safe and effective.

The original purpose of Milk of Magnesia

MOM was originally intended to neutralize the pH in our stomach.  If you find yourself having stomach ache, excess burping, burning sensation in your mid-region, heartburn and a sour taste in your mouth then that means you have excess acids in your stomach.  Taking MOM will relieve these symptoms because it counters or neutralizes the acidic pH in your stomach.  However, it will not address the main problem as to why you have gastric discomfort, it will only take away the pain.

MOM is also a laxative (helps you poop).  When the Magnesium ions dissociate from the complex they are not fully absorbed by the intestinal tract and so it absorbs water from the surrounding tissues.  The increased water in the intestinal tract will help to soften the stool and make it more "passable."

One other ingredient that can be found in Milk of Magnesia is Sodium Hypochlorite, otherwise known as bleach.  These are in very low concentrations and mainly serve to disinfect the product making sure there will be no bacterial growth (unless of course the product is expired).

The attributes of Milk of Magnesia that make it applicable for skin care

A medical journal was published in which the authors performed tests with different forms of magnesium on their ability to separate wax esters and steryl esters (basically oil) and they found that magnesium hydroxide (the form found in MOM) performed best.  They furthered their study and tested it on wax esters and steryl esters (again oil)  from the skin surface lipids of humans, rats and monkeys and they found the oils were separated completely.

Also the other ingredient, le bleach, is a strong oxidizer and can cause chemical dissolution of surface lipids resulting in less oil on the skin.

The good (above) and the bad (below)

Because it was originally intended to neutralize the pH of our gastric environment, Milk of Magnesia is quite basic with an overall pH of 10.5.  Furthermore, the bleach found in MOM produces Sodium Hydroxide when it reacts with water.  And Sodium Hydroxide has a pH of 14 making it even more basic.

The estimated natural skin pH is below 5 making it acidic.  When this pH is followed, the normal flora (resident bacteria) on our skin stays attached to the skin.  Now don't go "eewww" and "yucky" on me.  We actually need these resident bacteria on our skin.  They're not freeloaders on your face, they actually serve a purpose.  First off, the normal flora on our skin are good bacteria much like the lactobacillus shirota strain in your yakult.  They don't cause pimples or harm your skin, that's why they're called NORMAL flora.  Also, they serve as guardians and protectors of our skin.  When the normal flora on your skin is present it fights off other forms of bacteria that can be potentially harmful.  It competes for space on your face.  Now when the pH levels of our skin rise (above 5) we actually disperse the normal flora on our skin lighting up the "vacancy" sign and making it a playground for other harmful bacteria.  In using MOM, which is a very basic product, we actually increase our pH level making our skin more basic and warding off our friendly, protector bacteria.  (You still with me?)

So Now What?

The whole point of this post was not to discourage you from using MOM as a primer for oily skin.  You may if you really want to.  I just want you, le reader, to be fully informed about the things you apply on your face. There are reasons why products not intended for the face are now being considered for skin care and I want you to properly understand why instead of just taking your best friends word for it.  I suggest, however, that should you try this use it very sparingly and on alternating days so as not to completely disrupt your skin's pH level.

"So if I can't use MOM everyday, what would you suggest?"  Glad you asked.  A ton of products are being made with the specific purpose of priming the face before makeup application.  It's all about collecting and selecting which one works best for you.  I know that sounds expensive but this is your face we're talking about.  No expense should be spared on putting your best foot forward.  Once you find your HG primer, you will begin to save because your spending will be limited to just that.  To start off your collect and select process, here are a few I would like to recommend.

(Note:  I do not own any of these primers.  This list is a product of research and accumulation of a lot of reviews on primers for oily skin)

1. Ellana Minerals Make It Last Liquid Primer

I've actually swatched this primer and found that it glides on very smoothly and dries fairly quickly.  With regards to it's oil controlling power, mixed reviews have been made but those that actually recommend it say they got really great outcomes.

2. NYX HD Studio Photogenic Primer

  

According to several reviews, this primer is great at oil control.  Most users got at least 8 hours of no retouch on this product.  However it may be hard to blend and because of the white color it can produce a white cast if too much is applied.

3. Krave Mineral Oil Eliminator & Skin Hydrator

If the 2 claims of this product, which is oil elimination and skin hydration, become true for you then this would be the perfect primer.  The two properties would work hand in hand because if you will remember (i discussed this on a previous post) oil is produced as a defense mechanism when our skin thinks it's become too dry.  So when the Krave Mineral powder hydrates the skin it removes the excess production of the oil and because it has oil elimination properties it can also get rid of the surface oils.  I will be ordering this soon so stay tuned for the reviews.  Order here.

If these 3 don't work for you, there are a ton of other products out there waiting to be tested.  God bless your search for the right one.  :)