Becca Cosmetics Presents the "Holy Grail:" The Perfect Foundation

The first time I saw Becca cosmetics was in InStyle Magazine's February 2010 issue. There was a photo showing looks for spring, and a lip color and cheek color by Becca were featured on the page. I checked Macy's and the Sephora website, but couldn't find the brand. I saw them again in the June 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living, and decided to do a more intense search. I found their website here and was amazed at the range of foundation, powder and concealer shades. Not five or six, but fifteen shades of the moisturizer/foundation. Impressive, but a little expensive (on my budget, anyway) at $42. So I set the idea aside, even though I was sure the lightest shade, Porcelain, would be perfect for me.

In late fall of 2010, I had the opportunity to purchase some Becca make-up at less than half of the retail price. I purchased the foundation, called Luminous Skin Colour, and was very pleased with it. It's much lighter than most liquid foundations, feeling more like a tinted moisturizer, but provides excellent coverage, and I was right about that lightest shade. Among other things, the Luminous Skin Colour contains SPF 25 protection, and anti-oxidants that include vitamins A, B, D, and E, along with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic ingredients. It comes in a pump bottle that's easy to use, and when applied with a foundation brush, one or two small pumps will provide coverage for the entire face. I'm impressed.

I learned that the reason this is such a great foundation is that Becca founder, Rebecca Morrice Williams, a former make-up artist in Australia, wasn't satisfied with the foundations available and set out to create what would be a perfect foundation that became a 3-Step Make-Up program that will give any skin color a flawless look, concealing flaws and correcting problems like redness or under-eye darkness. I don't have all three steps, just the Luminous Skin Colour, which is both a moisturizer and a foundation. Becca's flagship store is in Chelsea, London, so anyone on that side of the Atlantic can have a decadent experience of a private make-over with chocolate and champagne. The rest of us will have to choose from the website for now.

I also purchased a Créme Eye Colour (retails for $28) in a shade called Ametrine, a deep plum/mauve color that goes on light and shimmery. The Créme Eye Colours can be worn alone, providing a soft natural look, and blessedly not creeping into any fine lines or the crease of the eyelid. You can also apply one of the powder shadows over the top of it, or set it with a light loose face powder. This is a great color for me, but you have 7 more shades to choose from.

I'm impressed with the line, and hope to be able to buy more products in the future - if I have another opportunity to buy them for less than retail! I have no doubt that they're worth the price, but I have Chanel taste on a Maybelline budget, so I'll have to save up and wait for a sale!

(Sources: InStyle Magazine Feb. 2010, Martha Stewart Living June 2010, http://www.beccacosmetics.com/index.php?shipping_global_zone=5 , http://www.beccacosmetics.com/i18//information.html )