Unfortunately, to quote Miss Truvy, time marches on and eventually you realize it's marching across your face. Even though I do daily upkeep on my face with skin care and night treatments and wear sunscreen during the day and make sure I'm wearing a hat at the pool and beach, the reality is that I didn't always do that and sun damage is irreversible. All you can do is minimize the appearance by improving your skin's moisture content, increasing elasticity and diminishing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and blemishes. I see a dermatologist once a year who drains any clogged oil pores that I have that won't drain on their own, I put cold skin masks on after a day in the sun to help reduce redness, and I use a slew of treatments during the week (not all at once) that each have their own purpose in my daily upkeep. I try not to fall asleep with makeup on, and I do my best to stay out of the sun.
When I first became a distributor for SeneGence, I still had a lot of non-SeneGence makeup (and still do). I have been using our MakeSense foundation about half and half but have really been trying to use up my old foundation which is it CC+ full coverage serum. It is great but over the last month I have noticed that it's starting to have a not-so-fresh smell, and it's not blending into my nose as well as it used to. Yup, time to chuck it and start over. All makeup has an expiration date and my beloved CC+ has hit the date on the milk carton.
SeneGence offers three full-face makeup products, although technically one could be considered just part of our skin care line. Really, ALL of our foundation is considered skin care since it contains SenePlex, our anti-aging complex which works to increase collagen content in your skin, diminish wrinkles and lines and contains blockers that are similar to sunscreen with an SPF of 15. Please note that there is no sunscreen in our foundation, but the protection that it offers is similar to foundation.
Three choices:
1) Color-Correcting Tinted Moisturizer (CCTM) is available in Light and Medium. This is exactly what it sounds like; it is a moisturizer that you can use on your skin that has some makeup in it so you ARE getting some coverage and evening out, but it is not a full-on makeup and is more moisturizing than MakeSense or AAA (see below). I have used this a lot in the summers when I want some coverage but it's really hot out and especially in the winters when I'm going to be outside and the wind is blowing. It helps a lot with protecting my skin against windburn. You can also use it under your foundation as a moisturizer and primer. There is a Dark color in the works but right now all that is available is Light and Medium. My recommendation is that if you want this but feel like Medium is too light is either to use this under your foundation or mix it with your foundation if MakeSense is too light or doesn't have enough moisture. Retail price: $45.
3) Advanced Anti-Aging is the top of the line foundation which is our regular MakeSense but heightened with more SenePlex and also has oil added to it. However, the oil that is added to it is not a great amount. My skin has the consistency of an oil slick and AAA is my choice of foundations because the oil thickens the foundation and provides a more full-coverage foundation and more moisturization plus additional protection from the sun. Most women experience a surge of dryness in their skin as they get older (it's part of life) and we need extra moisturizer to help our face maintain its smoothness and elasticity. Every color manufactured by SeneGence comes in the AAA formula from Porcelain to Truffle. Retail price: $60.
One is not better than the other. Each formula has their place and everyone's skin and makeup preferences is different. Once you have thought about what you are looking for in a makeup, make your decision. For me, I like a medium to full coverage that will even out my complexion and give me a smooth even canvas to start with when I put my makeup on. Skin care during the day while I wear it and sun protection is a HUGE perk. So for me, AAA is my choice.
Next decision: What color is best for you?
Fortunately, MakeSense and AAA MakeSense are not full coverage so they can be used by women who have varying skin tones. I can generally wear about six of our shades with no problem; it is just a matter of narrowing down the shade that is the most flattering to my skin tone. If you aren't a foundation wearer, I normally would suggest to start with color that is close to your skin tone and try it on your hand to see if the effect is what you are looking for. Again, that goes back to what you are looking for in a makeup. Are you looking for something the same color as your skin? Lighter? Darker? There are no wrong answers. The other starting point is to start with a foundation that you are currently using and are comfortable with and go from there.
You can see that I started by putting CC+ Light on a white plate and striping the foundations that I am comfortable using next to it. Then I did the same thing with my hand. They look quite different on a white porcelain plate and my tan hand, but then again, that's the point. 
I narrowed the colors down to Suede and Almond, both AAA. Both are my testers which is why Almond is partially used; I have tested this color on many people and have used it a few times myself. The first time I used it, I wasn't a fan, but I blame application on my part. I used a foundation sponge because that is all I had with me and I usually use a brush. This picture was also taken in stark fluorescent lighting and I was wearing Berry which made my face look, well, PALE. Then I applied both on my face half and half. I actually started on the Suede side with the regular MakeSense and then realized it wasn't full coverage enough so I applied AAA over it.
Then I applied Suede over the Almond so I had a full Suede face.
And then washed my face and started over with Almond.
My observations:
1) Although the Suede is very, very close to the skin tone of my face, it's darker than my neck color which is resulting in a line on my jaw. When I wear makeup, it's obvious that I am wearing it since I prefer colorful eye colors and bright lip shades, but when it comes to my base foundation, I don't want it to look like I am wearing anything. Foundation should accentuate your natural color, not stand out stark on your face like clown-makeup would.
2) The Suede almost gives my skin an artificial tan. It's not unattractive, but I like to wear blush and bronzers, which would not be necessary with this color.
3) The Almond gives my skin a peaches and cream look and evens out the shadows and blemishes in a consistent way. It also blended into my nose well and covered the redness around my nose that is perpetually there plus covered my glasses marks on the sides of my nose.
4) Overall, I just liked my face better with Almond than Suede. It's going to be a better blank canvas for my makeup application.
So there you go! That's how I do it! If you are able to go through this process, that's what I would recommend, but if you are in a store or at a location where this full process is not feasible, bring your existing foundation with you and stripe it on your hand next to the ones that are close. Once you find the one that you think is the best match, rub a little on your jaw next to your neckline to see how close it is from the tester bottle at the store. You might also try dotting a bit on your forehead and nose to see if it's close. Since foundation testers are not used around eyes or lips, you're probably safe just dotting a little bit from the tester, although I'd clean the bottle outside before squeezing some out first. And make sure to wash your hands afterwards or use a foundation sponge so you don't get any on your hands.
I will admit that I don't have a lot of experience with a vast number of foundations. When I was in high school, I dabbled with Cover Girl. Then I wore Bare Minerals mineral foundation for about ten years, switched to Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation and then Born This Way Foundation, and I have used the it CC+ serum for the last year alternating with various shades and formulas of the SeneGence foundation line from the CCTM to the AAA. Overall, I really like our foundation. It blends smoothly, feels light on the skin, has a velvety texture (which is what I loved about the Cocoa Powder Foundation from Too Faced), and blends well with bronzers and blushes. When I have used it for events where I am going to be outside, it doesn't melt off my face like others I have tried. I do use a brush to apply it since that is the most even way for me to get it on my face. I have tried sponges but I don't have a light enough hand to do that, and I don't care for using my fingers to do it for the same reason. What appeals to me about MakeSense and the AAA formula is the anti-aging qualities, the blocker that is similar to sunscreen and the fact that it is good for your skin. I'd love to help you with a good foundation match if you are ready to switch to SeneGence. All I need is a good close-up, the foundation that you are currently using if you are using it, your skin type and a little information on what you do and don't like about what you are currently using, what you want in a foundation, etcetera. If it's not the right shade or you're not satisfied with the product, I will be happy to honor a refund or an exchange for a year after purchase.
Have a great day and thanks for reading along!
