I bought the Le Maquillage Professionel Foundation Plette at IMATS – it is a professional product (as opposed to a consumer product) so it has taken a while for me to get to grips with it has been so worth it. I picked up my palette from the PAM stand who have a store in West London and an online shop. (www.preciousaboutmakeup.com). A range of palettes are available and I chose the palette created for black skins by Mandy Gold.
Mandy Gold is a make up artist from the TV and film industry who has over thirty years experience who also teaches and has created make up courses at GreasePaint. She is an MUA Master so if she created a palette that she can use on deeper skintones, it is good enough for me. She was the make up artist on Grange Hill as well has doing the make up for films like Snow White and the Huntsman, Made in Dagenham and 47 Ronin which is released next year.
Le Maquillage Professionel (Maq Pro) is a French make up range which was created for Film and TV over thirty years ago. The brand prides itself on providing for the needs of make up artists and specialists with a wide range of colours, finishes and pigments. The range of colours of not only foundations, but concealers, lipsticks, lipglosses, pigments and anything else you might need is impressive.
So, on my neverending search for the perfect foundation, I decided to try Maq Pro. I am not a make up artist by any means but I am a regular woman whose face is more then one shade (as many women have) and who loves a flawless finish so I decided to give it a go.
This is a fard, a natural wax based foundation. I have not been able to find out the ingredients but will provide an update when I have them. The palette consists of six colours, V6, CH2, M7, 117, 59 and 182. (I have been looking for a reference for these shades but I cant find it.) Four brown shades, a burgundy and an orange. At first glance, none of the colours in this palette are the colours on my face, but with a bit of perseverance, I have managed to create my shades on several occasions. Not only that I can do colour correcting, highlighting and contouring, I can create my perfect nude lip shade, and perfect brown eyeshadow base. The orange has been a godsend for correcting the dark marks left by spots on my skin. The lightest shade in combination with other colours is a great highlighter and the burgundy provides depth
The texture is like no other. I have used stick foundations, and the texture is different from them. Stick foundations are butter immediately applied to the skin. With Maq Pro, you have to work it into the skin to get the buttery texture, before applying to the face, mix your selection of colours. You can use a palette knife, or your fingers to mix the colours but I find that the back of the hand works better.
Less is more with this product – the fards are very very pigmented. When you first use it you will waste some as you get to grips with the texture and the combination of colours that you need, but once you do, it is so worth it. If you like flawless complexion but hate the fact that it makes you look so one dimensional you will love this product. It looks like skin after application. Flawless skin, but your face still has dimension. You don’t look like you are wearing make up. Yes really.
A beauty blender type sponge is hands down the best way to apply this product. You can apply it with your fingers but somehow a stippling motion with the sponge perfects the finish. You will need a setting powder, and it will transfer, no more then other foundations but the finish really is worth it.
To see the finish on the skin, head to my Instagram page @patentpurplelife.com