One of the many FABULOUS perks of being Miss Teen International 2010 is my very own set of Clay Spann cosmetics! That's right- the man who makes us look gorgeous in pictures has a makeup line that promises to make us look just as beautiful every day! So does it live up to that promise? I am pleased to say that it does!
Clay and Terri put together a full kit of makeup in shades for me to create both day and evening looks. I'll start with the Picture Perfect Foundation, which I received in "Lumiere Olive". First of all, let me say that I have combination skin that is prone to occasional acne, occurring in one or two big old, deep, not-going-anywhere, impossible-to-cover pimples, usually in my chin area. That being said, whether or not a cosmetic causes me to break out is always my biggest "make it or break it" factor for makeup, so I always read the ingredients to prepare myself for what is to come. The ingredients on the foundation include mineral oil- "uh oh!" I usually opt for oil-free makeup to avoid breakouts, however, having worn Clay's foundation twice before for photo shoots, I gave it the benefit of the doubt and tried it with an open mind.
The foundation itself is a crème foundation packaged in a sturdy (have I mentioned I'm clumsy?) glass-like plastic pot with an elegant black-rimmed lid which sports the Clay Spann "Face" logo. It applied very smoothly and evenly with a dewy, but not at all oily, finish. I tried applying it with a makeup sponge, a foundation brush, and my fingers and found that all three methods were effective and produced equally even results. However, I did find that it went on thicker with the makeup sponge for a more opaque coverage, while I had more control to "build" the coverage to be as sheer or opaque as I wanted when I applied with a foundation brush or my fingers. The color seamlessly balanced out my pink, blue, and yellow tones for a flawless look that I was very pleased with, while at the same time, not looking "cakey" or overly made-up.
After a period of use, I find that the foundation not only does not break me out, but my skin is almost clearer. The foundation gets an A for packaging, color, texture, finish, buildable coverage, blend-ability, and- most importantly- for not giving me breakouts!
On to the Under Cover Concealer! It is packaged in a clear tube with a wand attached to the black twist-off top, like a lip gloss tube. I got two shades- ivory and golden beige. The ivory shade is very, very light and I find myself really only using it on and around my eyes. That being said, it acts as a fabulous eye-shadow primer/base- evening out the eyelids' color tone and ensuring that shadow applies true to color and does not move around throughout the day.
For dark under-eye circles, I mix the ivory and golden-beige shades for a bright, but still natural look. I use the golden beige to cover any imperfections around the rest of my face- any pimples or redness that I may be experiencing. The colors are realistic in that they actually match my skin tone and blend in- the whole point of a concealer- unlike many other concealers on the market which tend to have weird pink or orange undertones.
I LOVE the consistency of Clay's concealers. Highly pigmented and nice and thick to provide full coverage, however still easy to spread and blend. I find that a little bit goes a long way so I use the wand to dab dots of the concealer on my problem areas, then use a concealer brush and/or my fingers to blend and spread it. They don't dry my skin out, but, like the foundation, they also don't cause me to break out and I have actually noticed clearer skin since using them. The Clay Spann Face Under Cover Concealers are a definite winner- I give them an A+++! If you only try one product in this cosmetic line, make it the concealer, you'll be hooked.
The last step in a flawless complexion is always powder. Clay's Translucent Loose Powder, which I have in No. 4 True Beige, comes in a clear plastic pot, similar to the foundation but larger. That's right, larger. This thing is huge! It contains one ounce of product, which is a lot for a nearly weightless powder. The powder is loose and is dispensed through the sifter in the top of the pot. I took an especially close look at the sifter because loose powders can become a pain in the neck if their sifters are susceptible to clogging, however the sifter has good-sized square-shaped holes, which are much less likely to clog than the little pin-pricks of holes that many loose powder sifters have. After using the powder for about a month, the sifter is still completely clear of blockage and clogs, making the powder still as easy to use as the day I received it. To apply it, simply dip a powder brush, complexion brush, or kabuki brush in the powder, then tap the excess powder into the cap and lightly brush onto your face.
I like this product because it is a truly translucent powder- thank goodness!- and doesn't turn my face white for that lovely "ghostly" glow that many other finishing powders that claim to be translucent often do. However, due to the stress that one-too-many mishaps with loose bronzers, foundations, blushes, and shadows staining uniforms in high school caused me, I'm not a huge fan of the loose powder/sifter packaging- though the translucent powder does not stain clothing, furniture, or carpets when spilled (I'm clumsy, remember?). This powder is great for at-home use and does provide a beautiful, flawless finish without depositing additional color or "weight" to your makeup , however it is not the kind of powder you can toss in your purse for mid-day touchups. I give the Translucent Loose Powder an A simply because, though I love it, I'm sure I would make a mess if I tried to take it along with me to class or appearances for touchups.
Clay Spann Face Tanning Powder in Matte Bronze is packaged in a black patent plastic compact with a mirror on the inside lid- good for on-the-go touchups, yay! Under the pressed-powder bronzer is a compartment with a small, flat brush in it (included) for application. I don't necessarily recommend using the included brush- except for in a pinch or for a quick, targeted T-zone only glow-because, though the bristles are very soft, they are packed firm and tight into the brush so it will pick up and deposit a lot of color, maybe too much, if you're not super careful.
The bronzer itself is matte which I like because, being 18 and not 12, I don't feel the need for my entire face to sparkle every day. It helps soak up and control oil so it could be tossed in your purse for touchups in place of the Translucent Loose Powder, just be careful to be light handed because it is a bronzer and no-one likes that fakey-too-tan look. That being said, it doesn't have pink or orange undertones so it won't make you look sun burnt or Oompa-Loompa-esque. I give the Clay Spann Tanning Powder an A+ for packaging, pigmentation, color, matte finish, and portability.
One of my favorite elements of Clay's makeup line is the palette. Talk about portability! It's thinner than my cell phone and about 3x4 inches (I'm estimating while looking at it) closed. On the inside, a huge mirror that I can view my whole face in at once occupies the lid, while two blushes and four eye shadows occupy generously sized, magnetic circular openings and a small tray holds a double-sided foam shadow applicator and a small blush brush (both included). As with the bronzer- and honestly just about all cosmetics that include applicators from any line- I don't recommend depending on the applicator and brush that come with the palette for flawless application, however, I keep them in the palette because they work fine for touchups or for situations (like a trip) where you may not have all of your makeup tools.
The four shadow slots are at least the size of a quarter, while the two blush slots are even larger (I'm guessing almost 2x the diameter of the shadows). Both sets of openings have magnets in the bottom to hold interchangeable blushes, bronzers, powders, and shadows all in place and they would accommodate most standard size pressed powder pots (the kind in metal pots without lids only such as MAC, Laura Mercier, etc- not the kind that come in little compacts or containers with a lid/top). I recommend filling the palette with shadows and powders from Clay's line for two reasons: 1. they will definitely fit into the compact's slots (no wasted money!) 2. they are very, very high quality products for prices that are directly comparable to other popular brands. I give the palette itself an A+++ because it has quickly become something that I cannot live without. I love its portability, convenience, practicality, and sleek look and I get compliments on it all the time!
The blushes and shadows themselves are fantastic! They are highly pigmented and adhere to the skin well so it doesn't take forever to build up the color that you want (like many drug store shadows do) and your makeup looks the same as it did when you first applied it hours later. This is important for me because I'm an active queen, I love to do events where I have to walk, run, dance, play, and otherwise interact with others and I need makeup that can stand up to all of that activity without wearing off- Clay's blushes and shadows do just that!
For my palette, Clay and Terri picked out colors to compliment my own coloring and personality, however the line includes a vast array of shades suitable for any complexion. I personally got a coral-pink blush and a mauve-pink blush, both of which I love! I use the darker mauve-pink blush on and under my cheekbones at an angle from just below my temples toward my mouth and I use the brighter coral-pink blush from the apples of my cheeks up to my temples to highlight the tops of my cheekbones. I blend both shades together with a bit of translucent powder or bronzer for a natural, healthy look.
I have 3 matte shadows and a shimmer shadow in my palette in cream, mauve, brown, and burgundy shades. The burgundy, which actually shows up on skin as a beautiful, deep, dark mauve, is the shimmer shade and, though I usually am not a fan of "shimmer" makeup, the shadows are so finely grated that the shimmer is extremely subtle and almost undetectable except for the fact that it catches light to make eyes appear wider. The four shades are all beautiful together and on their own and are very blend-able. The cream shade is THE perfect highlight shade- natural looking, not too white, and catches just enough light without being sparkly or shimmery. The mauve and brown shadows both have buildable color and are extremely versatile and wearable for every day as well as special occasions. The burgundy is a beautiful crease color for creating natural-looking smokey eyes without looking like you have a black eye. It is dark and extremely pigmented so I find that being light-handed and slowly building the color gives me the best result. Point blank, I love my palette and all of its contents. The shadows and blushes both get A++'s because they are versatile, blend-able, highly pigmented, and natural-looking.
I also received two individual eye shadow pots with lids and an eye shimmer. The shadows are Midnight and Mystic, a matte black and a shimmery black, respectively. They are both extremely pigmented and excellent for lining your eyes with a liner brush or for smudging and blending an eye-pencil line. As you may have picked up by now, I'm not in love with most shimmer makeup, however, Mystic, the shimmery black shadow, is gorgeous on the upper lash line and really helps open up my eyes.
As for the eye shimmer, my shade is Pink Opal, you may have read its name and said "its called eye shimmer so she definitely won't like it"- WRONG! I know I keep saying I don't like shimmer but Clay's line is starting to make me rethink my stance. I fell in love with this eye shimmer at both of my photo shoots with Clay- I had a whole conversation with Terri about how beautiful it was so I think she may have remembered that and made sure it made its way to me- thank you Terri! The name eye-shimmer is deceiving because it is so multifunctional and versatile! It can be used as a highlight on cheekbones, brow bones, in the inner corners of eyes to "open them up", and even on lips. Actually, when I was first introduced to it, it was on my lips. A little dab of it on top of lipstick or lip gloss creates a subtle, multidimensional iridescence that gives the lips a full-but-not-too-full, healthy look and really makes your smile stand out.
I give the individual shadows in Midnight and Mystic, as well as the Pink Opal eye shimmer, all A+'s because they are not only versatile, but they add that final finishing touch to makeup that really makes you stand out, without making you look "silly".
All in all, I love Clay Spann's "Face" makeup line. Its versatility allows me to look as natural or as glamorous as I need to for any occasion. To order some for yourself, go to http://www.clayspann.com/ or call 334-794-3423- I promise it is a purchase that you will not regret!
Juliana McKee
