Maybelline FIT Me Foundation: First Impressions

I've been curious about the Maybelline FIT Me foundation for awhile. It seems like everywhere I turn, there's an ad for it. New gel consistency? Let's skin breathe? Natural coverage that looks like real skin? Yes please! After a few months of resistance, I saw Maybelline products on sale BOGO (buy one, get one) 40% off, so I thought it would be a goof time to give it a go. After all the hype, how did it measure up?

First, I poured out about a nickle-size amount on the back of my hand for my whole entire face. The consistency of the foundation, despite claiming a new "gel" technology, did not appear to be any different than other foundations I've used in the past at first use. I buffed it onto my face in small circular motions using my trusty flat-top kabuki brush. After the first layer was finished (which is the amount I typically use for any liquid foundation) I was disappointed to see that my skin looked .... exactly the same. Even after a few minutes, the foundation did not set and still had a tacky, dewy feel to it. Ever the optimist, I decided to apply one more layer. FIT Me does not look cakey with two layers on but again, my skin looked exactly the same.

FIT Me Swatches: unblended on the left, blended on the right

My skin is pretty clear and I usually need minimal coverage (aside from my hideous Uncle Fester under eye circles!!) but this foundation only slightly evened out my skin tone. Even though it isn't marketed as such, the coverage equates to a light coverage tinted moisturizer. After trying other amazing products from Maybelline (Instant Age Rewind Concealer!!) I was extremely disappointed with the FIT Me foundation and felt that they could have done much better with this. What I do like about this product line is that they have a wide range of foundation colors, from very fair to darker than the average drugstore foundation/concealer. However, if the products are perform poorly, then I guess that doesn't matter much! I usually like to give products a few tries before I make my mind up about them, but considering all the other great drugstore foundations out there, I can't see myself wasting my time with FIT Me.
Due to the BOGO sale, I also picked up the FIT Me concealer, but after my experience with the foundation, I didn't have the heart to try it out on the same day. It is currently sitting on my vanity as I stare at it from afar with contempt.

Let's all give the concealer the stink eye!

Have you ever tried any of the products from the FIT Me line? What's your take on it?

Black Lingerie

I was on one of my many trips to Rite Aid (its embarrassing sometimes!) on the hunt for a quick pick-me up after a long day. While in the Revlon section I noticed a nail polish I don't remember having seen before- Black Lingerie. From the bottle it looked like a sheer yet deep, almost black plum. While I do own similar colors (i.e. OPI Lincoln Park After Dark/Midnight) the sheer finish of this one intrigued me so I picked it up.
I was excited to do a manicure because a few days before I painted my nails a color that looked absolutely AWFUL on me- OPI Did It On Em from the Nicki Minaj collection. What a gorgeous chartreuse in the bottle- on my nails... not so much. Here is Did It On Em:

My camera freaked out and couldn't properly capture the color of Did It On Em. In real life, it is much less bright and much more yellow-based; the color reminds me of Shrek. This picture is purely to show you how awful it looked on my hands lol.
Anyway, I chopped down my nails into my beloved nubbins and applied the first coat of Black Lingerie. I was surprised to find that instead of a vampy plum, it was a true black! As you can see in the bottle from the picture below, the formula is extremely watery and sheer-ish. I had to be careful with application because the formula was so watery, it was too easy to get tons of cuticle flooding. Other than that, it took three coats to reach full opacity.

After three days, I am pleased to say I only have minimal tip wear. Even though it didn't translate to the color I thought I was purchasing (dark plum) on the nail, I still really like this color and don't have a black in my collection with a finish like this. Besides, for $4.79 (and the Rite Aid 20% discount!!) you can't really go wrong.

What are your favorite dark polish colors? Have you ever bought a polish in a store and found that it looked completely different on your nails?