Today I wanted to review something that I don't generally hear a lot of buzz about, the IIID Foundation by Maskcara. If you're a follower of Cara over at Maskcara, you may also know this as the "HAC Pack". The one I'm reviewing today is the Second Generation HAC Pack; the first one was released around December 2013. I owned the first version, and obviously the second, as well! Cara's first release consisted of a compact with one cream highlight and one cream contour shade, three blush colors (Shortcake, Princess Peach, and Jem), and one illuminator in Pearl. Her new release involves an empty, magnetic compact that you can customize with up to four different refills of your choice, and she created her own brush to coordinate. There are two cream contour foundation shades to choose from : Walnut and Stone, three blushes: Dahlia, Pink Grapefruit, and Ruby, one illuminator in Pearl, and one contour crème in Shadow. I no longer have the original IIID compact, but I do have the blush in Shortcake and the Pearl illuminator from the first release. Here is a look at how the blushes and illuminator were originally packaged:
You can see that they look similar to lipgloss containers, complete with doe foot applicators. The new version looks like this:
As you can see, and as I mentioned above, everything comes in a refill pan now, and everything is a cream. I didn't purchase the Maskcara brush since it looks very similar to the It Cosmetics brush I already owned shown in my picture. The It brush is actually the same one she recommended to use with the first release. I use the It brush to place the product on my face and then my trusty Beauty Blender to blend it all in. Here is a comparison of the original HAC Pack (left) in "Light" and the new version in "Walnut" and "Linen" (right).
The old version was not as creamy nor as pigmented as the new version, which is very noticeable with the contour shade. A lot of people had issues with running out of the original contour color twice as fast as the highlight color. I hit pan on my contour shade a lot quicker than the highlight shade with the first release. With this new release, both shades are wonderfully pigmented, and I've actually made more of a dent in my highlight shade! The highlight color in the old version was slightly lighter in color, which actually worked better for my coloring. But have no fear, my pale skinned friends! Cara has assured me that a lighter color is coming our way! I personally cannot wait! As long as I don't apply too much of the Linen shade, it works just fine for me though. Too much, and it actually darkens my complexion, which then doesn't match my neck. Not a pretty look...The revamped IIID Foundation is creamier and sinks in to the skin a lot better. For reference, I have dry skin and you need to be extremely moisturized before applying this product, as it does cling to dry patches. I apply my moisturizer and then the Too Faced Hangover RX primer or the It Cosmetics Feel the Moment primer, and then the IIID Foundation. Using the Smashbox Primer Water doesn't hurt, either. ;)
(Pink Grapfruit, Linen, Walnut, and Shadow)
Pink Grapefruit is the lighter, peachier blush out of the three (similar to Princess Peach), while Dahlia is a bright pink (similar to Shortcake) and Ruby is the deepest of the three (similar to Jem). Shadow is a very gray, ashy toned contour color, perfect for "detail contouring". It is very pigmented as you can see, and almost looks like I have mud on my arm. Lol. This does blend out beautifully, even on my ghostly skin, and creates a naturally looking shadow or contour on the face. The consistency of it (mine, at least) feels different than the other products in the pan. The other three are solid creams, while Shadow feels like there is a layer of water or oil on top until I rub my finger over it a few times. It feels thinner, more watery in consistency. It does not interfere with the performance of the product though. Since these are cream products, I highly recommend setting them with a powder when you're done applying them to lock everything into place. I would consider coverage to be light-medium, but you could apply it lightly over your regular foundation if you wanted to. On good skin days, I can wear just this and it works beautifully. On other days, I need to use concealer for dark circles and pesky blemishes that show up. I do think this is a wonderful product, and a great idea in comparison to a traditional foundation that leaves your face one dimensional.
You can purchase a customized palette (the magnetized palette and four refills of your choice) for $42, or you can purchase everything separately which would run you $15 for the compact alone, and $9 for each refill. The IIID Foundation Brush is $32. Maskcara also has very inexpensive shipping, and free shipping over $50. This link will take you directly to her store, http://www.maskcaracosmetics.com/, and there is also a "Color Finder" on the website to help you chose what's best for you! Personally, I tagged Maskcara on Instagram, used the "spotmyshade" tag, and Cara chose for me! What are your thoughts on this product? Have you tried it? Do you want to try it? If you have, what did you like or dislike? Let me know! Thanks for reading!
All items mentioned were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.
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