I’m back on this snowy Saturday. And I’m in my pajamas. I’m not getting out of them! 

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed makeup or makeup products but I’m back on this ridiculously snowy Saturday to give my, once again, opinionated opinion!  I’m also hoping that the flickering lights, caused by the intense wind outdoors, don’t go off along with the electricity. And to think we jump the clocks ahead this evening.

The scenic view from our living room window. I cannot believe we jump the clocks ahead tonight. The wind is howling more than I do!

Anyway, the folks at LEIA Beaute, send me their Ultraflesh® Blender to try out. It was sent to me about a month ago and I’ve been using it on a regular basis when I do use foundation.  I also use it to apply moisturizer.

I know. I know. It resembles something else and this is the smooth side, but this little blending tool is fantastic!

This blender, composed of closed-cell polymer is the most unusual little tool I’ve ever used. Unusual in a good way though. It looks a little on the……ummm…phallic side—and a bit small at that. But trust me, this little applicator is really fantastic.

Here’s the pebbled side. This is the side for blending foundation in the most wonderful way!

Makeup doesn’t absorb into the blender so you don’t need as much foundation/blush/contour, therefore getting more of your money’s worth from the makeup products you do use. I think the most difficult learning curve with this little jewel is that you really have to concentrate on the less-is-more thing.

Great for travel and home and is housed in a plastic covering so your dog can’t get at it!

It comes housed in its own case and is small enough to throw into your travel bag. The cost, at $59 might cause your eyes to widen, but when you think about it, how many sponge blenders do you go through?  Speaking for myself, our dog Chippy has eaten so many sponges over the years, that the price of this is worth it. Besides, I just keep it in its little house when not in use.

Onto the foundation.

My typical Covid, mask-wearing face. Lips and eyes. No foundation.  But you know…sometimes I like to wear more…

Between aging, the Covid era and wearing a mask at all times when not at home, I’ve just about stopped wearing foundation.  I don’t know about you, but I’m embracing the less-is-more approach these days. Neutral eye shadow. A hint of blush. Sometimes highlighter. Sometimes bronzer. Always brow crayon. Always lip color. Even primer isn’t worn that much anymore.

But there are those days I do want to even out my skin tone and want a more cohesive look. That’s when I grab the foundation.  Foundations I used a few years ago, just don’t work anymore. It’s a combination of my skin changing, deeper lines and wrinkles and some foundations just look too matte and chalky these days.

Seriously. Look at those lines and creases. NON FILTERED lines and creases. Proof that most foundations aren’t going to work anymore. And if you see an old-a** (remember, I’m not swearing during Lent) lady extolling how she looks 16 due to foundation, she is not only truthfully-challenged but she’s filtering up the wazoo!

Always on the search for something that could work with my aging skin (other than my beloved Almay Smartshade Skin tone Matching Makeup—not a true foundation), I came across ads on Instagram for Hide foundation. I was intrigued but not quite sold simply because the ads showcase younger women  (as usual—right?).   But after seeing ad after ad after ad, I decided to bite the bullet and headed over to Amazon to make the $29 purchase.

Shameless plug, the link above will bring you to the product on my Amazon storefront. Hey. A gal has to make a bit of commish for spending this time writing! 

Before I tell you if the purchase was worth it, I’ll tell you what I didn’t like about the foundation.

The shade range is average. Twenty shades of foundation just aren’t enough to cover all skin tones.  According to the chart, the shade I chose was Linen.  As I’m fair-skinned I thought this would be a good choice.  Turns out the shade was a little lighter than I could have used. However, I’m a believer in the fact that every person can use a two-to-three shade range for their skin. I would definitely go darker for summer weather when my skin has been exposed to the sun (with SPF, naturally).

The shade range is a bit–I dunno, lackluster? I honestly think the company could add a few more to the lineup! I’m Linen, top row middle photo.  Actually, I should be more of the last photo on the top row. 

I couldn’t find any information on the HIDE site as to whether there is SPF in the foundation so I would take that as the foundation is SPF Free. That’s really not a big deal for me as I apply SPF to my face when I’m outdoors.

Although I use SPF on its own, I definitely welcome makeup that contains it. 

Those are basically the two cons. The fact there’s no mention of SPF and the shade range.

Now for the actual product:

Here it is. Linen. It’s liquid but not super-thin. It actually has a decent texture. 

Applying by dotting the foundation on my face then blending with the LEIA blender, I was pleased.  You don’t need more than one pump. The texture is somewhere between a medium-weight liquid and a cream. But it isn’t thick. It’s actually got a nice texture.

This was actually my reaction when I first dotted the Hide foundation on my face. The color looked yellow and I honestly didn’t think it would work.

It endedup working very well!

It blends very well.  And actually, looks good.

Fresh-faced with only moisturizer (notice how dry my lips are even after moisturizer) and concealer on my eye lids to keep the shadow in place!

Blending the foundation in with my tiny “tool”..

As an aside, I prefer the way the LEIA blender works as opposed to this sponge blender. 

Does it “hide”?  Well…I have to be honest here. I have this “patch” of huge pores where forehead meets that space smack in the middle of my eyebrows. It’s annoying because no matter what makeup I use, those pores are on constant display.  This foundation actually did the best job of covering these pores. I’m very impressed and very happy.

I must say that this foundation does a stellar job in “hiding” those extra-large pores!

Is it a “miracle” foundation? Nope! It does NOT hide wrinkles and I wish we women over 50 and 60 and older would realize that no foundation will hide your wrinkles.  In fact, this foundation, just like every other foundation, fell into the creases and collected.

Try zooming in on this photo because you can see where the makeup falls into the creases. With all due respect, EVERY foundation does that with aging skin..actually with very aging skin!

My remedy for “lifting” foundation from the creases is to take a Water Wipe (or any other water-based baby wipe) and “pat” it over my face after applying foundation. It helps.

These Water Wipes are wonderful, not only do they “lift” excess foundation from wrinkles, but they clean the coated canvas on LV  and Coach bags, and, might I add, in the bathroom they are like a bidet-in-a-pouch!

This foundation did even out my skin tone but it isn’t (thankfully) full-coverage.

This photo is from the other day, I’ve been wearing the HIDE foundation exclusively for the past week because I knew I would review for you. You can see the freckles (or at this point in my life “age” spots–but I’ll refer to them as freckles anyway) on my forehead but still–the foundation does a good job with coverage.

I will add that my husband, who notices everything, made mention when I wore the foundation for the first time that my makeup looked perfect. He said my skin looked really nice so that’s a good thing.

From yesterday. Again, my husband complimented me on the makeup. Poor guy is so used to me without it that I think even if I wear lipstick he thinks I look better! Just kidding–he really liked the way I looked!

Here’s how I look today after applying the HIDE foundation.

With and without my glasses. Take a good look. The foundation doesn’t hide wrinkles. Only a great surgeon can do that. But overall,  I’m honestly pleased with the results of using this Hide foundation.

Other products I used are Jones Road Miracle Balm (review to come later) in Bronze, Jones Road Just a Sec eyeshadows in Pewter and in Golden Peach (review to come later), Trestique Brow Crayon (my go-to) Trestique eyeliner crayon, L’Oréal Bambi Eyes Mascara, Bobbi Brown Blush in Pale Pink, which really is not pale—it’s incredibly pigmented, Trestique lip pencil in Fig.

It takes a village–of beauty products! But you know what? It’s worth it and we deserve to look our best!

Oh. The packaging—I’m actually a fan of the rectangular shaped tube it comes in. Hard plastic but the defined edges make it perfect for storage. It’s a pump and I prefer that so the packaging is all good. In addition, the foundation is cruelty-free. That’s a plus!

I like this no-nonsense packaging. The sharp rectangular shape lends itself so well to drawer-storage.  Very nice.

I’m also a fan of the pump. It distributes just the right amount of product!

Do I recommend it? Despite the questionable shade range and the SPF thing, yeah. I recommend it. The price is good, it’s decent for what the price of non-drugstore foundations cost these days. Besides, the price of drug-store foundations keeps rising so for a few dollars more, it’s worth it.  It did the job in hiding my oversized pores. I think it’s good!

I also recommend the LEIA Ultraflesh blender. It’s pricey but worth it. You’ll have it forever!

Turkey neck and all, I’m definitely wearing less makeup these days but when I DO wear it, I’ll wear a bit of it!