The Philippine Online Chronicles

One makeup brand that has continuously enamored makeup artists, industry insiders, and beauty buffs alike is Make Up For Ever (MUFE). It was started in 1984 by Dany Sanz and Jacques Waneph in a discreet workshop-boutique in Paris. Make Up For Ever was created to address the diverse needs of both the stage and fashion worlds. Their goal was to create a collection that was as extensive as possible. Today, the brand offers more than 1,400 products including 125 eye shadows, 100 lipsticks and other pigments for body painting and special effects.

Which Make Up For Ever products are on some of our local makeup artists’ favorites list?

In our terribly humid and unpredictable weather, perhaps the most basic thing we all want for our makeup is to stay true and intact throughout the day. Make Up For Ever’s All Mat Primer seems to do just that. Charlene Lu-Tan, the owner of Skin Hour and a professional makeup artist, personally vouches for the efficacy of this brand’s All Mat Primer in battling excess sebum.

She attests, “I have tried and used Make Up For Ever All Mat Primer, and I love it very much because of its mattifying properties. Since it's very humid here in the Philippines and I personally have combination skin, I really need to use primers in order to prolong my makeup.”

She says the All Mat primer does not disappoint; it feels light and velvety on the skin and works well with powder, liquid or cream foundation. “I would go do errands and chores the whole day and I wouldn't need to put primer again, I just retouch my powder just a little (I use a blotting powder or finishing powder) and I'm off to an evening event,” she says.

Charlene says that is very useful especially on her bridal clients where retouching several times during the day has to be kept to a minimum. According to her, using the All Mat Primer keeps her clients’ makeup intact the whole day. “I always try out products on myself first before using them to my clients, and the All Matt Primer has proven its quality.”

Since the price is somewhat prohibitive, Charlene gladly shares some tips on how to maximize this wonderful product. “One of the tricks that I do is to squirt a little product at the back of my hand or in a mixing bowl for clients. I then use a foundation brush and sweep a pea-sized amount to the forehead, nose, and cheeks blending everything gently. With this technique, I find myself using a smaller amount than applying the product to my fingers and massaging it to the face.”

The Make Up For Ever All Mat may have worked well for Charlene, however for others who have extremely oily skin or are allergic to silicone ingredients, the results vary enormously. Some have experienced breakouts, their skin getting oilier than usual. It would best to conduct a patch test first before committing to a full-sized bottle.

The Make Up For Ever Eye Seal is also one of the versatile products that are widely used by makeup artists. Nikki Tiu of AskMeWhats also shares her enthusiasm for the brand saying that Make Up For Ever is very much a part of her makeup kit both for personal use and for clients. As we rummage through her stash, we discover several MUFE mainstays including the Eye Seal (P1,250.00) which is designed to waterproof all powdery makeup and pencils.

According to Nikki, it is perfect for sealing in eyeliner for brides on their wedding day. It comes in a small bottle that effectively makes eye liner waterproof and long-wearing. In a pinch, she also uses this to transform any eye shadow into colorful eyeliner. A tiny amount is all you need to create tear-proof and smudge-proof lines.

Comparing this to Urban Decay’s Primer Potion, some users still prefer the latter performance-wise. For some people, the Make Up For Ever Eye Seal still smears causing raccoon eyes within two hours after application, and it is not as waterproof as it claims.

If you don’t want to tote around several products during the day, then the MUFE’s Camouflage Cream Palette No. 5 (P1,600.00) is for you. This convenient compact contains 5 cream formulations that one can mix together for utmost convenience. This product is a bestseller and is almost always out of stock at the boutiques. This multi-purpose product can be used to camouflage dark undereye circles, uneven skin tones and blemishes, and even works double duty as a skin corrector.

Nikki attests that it provides complete coverage while feeling light on the skin. Based on her usage, it does not crease, it is creamy in consistency, easy to blend and does not cause allergies. Rather than juggling several concealers, she can easily mix and match the colors in order to come up with a perfect match to her clients’ skin tones.

Nikki used MUFE makeup on these two models for an outdoors shoot, specifically the Eye Seal, Camouflage Palette and Contour Powder, which stayed on the whole day even under the heat of the sun. Be careful not to apply too much of the Camouflage Palette as it would result to a cakey finish for some complexions.

Next on Nikki’s list is Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes (P900.00) which is a highly pigmented two-in-one eye shadow and liner pencil. It claims to be waterproof that adheres to the eyelids well and thus resists water even under the most extreme conditions. It comes in several vibrant shades to choose from, some with a slightly shimmery finish. Nikki says this works great for her upper lash line and tightling, but isn’t that reliable when it comes to her waterline and lashline. Still, it performs well compared to other brands.

Martha Sta. Barbara of The Beauty Junkee declares Make Up For Ever’s HD Foundation (P2,250.00) as her favorite product because it imparts a soft focus effect on the skin making her face look flawless. On her, this product gives long-wearing heavy coverage without making the face look too thick and cakey. It also helped absorb a little bit of shine and is suitable for everyday use.

But as with all makeup products, what is Holy Grail material for another may not be the same case for the rest. MakeupAlley users commented that this foundation imparts a very matte finish which may not be appreciated by some, and it also seemed to become splotchy over time.