• Cupcakes and Monsters $50
• Empty Magnetic Palette (4 Shade) $8
• Empty Magnetic Palette (8 Shade) $12
• Neutral Necessity $50
• The Hussle $30

About the Brand:     

Description/ Initial thoughts:

     While I may not have received this product as PR, I would like to note that I was given a 50% coupon by the company for suggesting that a Youtuber known as Shalom Blac try their makeup for an upcoming video she's filming. The coupon was completely unexpected, but I'm pleasantly surprised by how the company choose to show their gratitude for my promotion of their brand.      
Compared to the compact that the foundation comes in I will say that the box was bulky, however the product was well packaged; the foundation was covered in a thin layer of foam and black tissue paper, the rest of the box was occupied by thick bubble wrap. The package came with a copy of my recite and a postcard advertising their foundations and powders. 
     Maybe it's just me, but I really love the simple white box with copper lettering that the foundation comes in, it contrasts the black compact of the foundation quite nicely. In my opinion the compact is a bit large for my liking and perhaps not the most travel friendly, but in the compacts defense, it does have a well that contains a small square sized sponge. Observing the foundation in the pan, it does have beads of liquid on the top layer, my guess is that the foundation "sweated" during it's travel to the US, nothing I'm concerned with, just wanted to make note of it. I really appreciate that they've included a mirror into their compact, I like having mirrors in my compacts for making touch ups in public or just checking to see how my makeup is sitting throughout the day. I did swatch the foundation on the palm of my hand to not only get a better idea of the color, but the consistency of the foundation. From swatching the foundation I can confirm that the product is indeed medium to full coverage and quite creamy. I took a picture of the foundation on my wrist and I was excited to find no flashback. I was pleasantly surprised by how light weight it felt on my wrist, I feel as though the foundation became creamier when it came in contact with the warmth of my fingers. I absolutely love this quality in foundations because regardless of whether or not you're using your fingers for application, it's much easier to work foundation into a client's skin when their body heat is helping to melt the product. 

First Impressions (Review): 

     Before I begin writing my review of the foundation, I would like to explain why this review will be different from my normal wear test procedure. Having a light to medium complexion, I didn't believe their lightest shade of foundation would fit my skin tone, but I really wanted to try their foundations. Rather than buying a foundation to match my skin, I decided to buy their deepest foundation shade. Being that the brand specializes in makeup for deeper skin I was curious to see how deep their line ran with it's initial launch. I went ahead and ordered their Le Teint Tarou (Flawless Luminous Compact Makeup) in the shade Khartoum. The first impressions (review) is based on the experience of my friend Tracia and my thoughts on how the foundation looked on her by the end of our graduation photo shoot, the whole process lasted roughly 4 hours.
     Now that I've clarified why this review will be different from the rest, let's get into the first impressions (review). I must say that I'm quite impressed with the shade I purchased. The foundation does have red undertones, but it's not obnoxiously red like some of the other red undertoned foundations I've come across, this is what a red undertone foundation for deeper skin should look like!
     I used a Beauty Blender to apply the foundation and it didn't give me any trouble in terms of application, it looked incredibly smooth on Tracia's skin. The foundation was 1 shade darker than my friend, but I used my Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Skin: Conceal in (R4) to help brighten the foundation, and I used my A.P.D.G. Nude Pigment in (CC33) for contour. The foundation blended well with both of the other foundations, there was no breaking up of color or uneven blending.
To set the foundation I used my Cover FX Perfect Setting Powder in Deep. The powder does have a soft luminous finish to it, but it helped set the foundation in a way that kept the skin looking healthy.  When it came time to take Tracia's graduation photos 2 hours later, her skin was a bit shiny, but again, the Cover FX powder I used has a luminous finish to it, which likely exaggerated the shine of her skin. Using a little more of my Cover FX powder, I mattified the T  zone which layered quite well, there was no cakeyness from the extra powder I used. After the photos were taken, I looked at her skin again (this was at the 4 hour mark) there was slight creasing in the inner corners of her mouth, but it wasn't very noticeable. Staying true to the claim of being satiny, I appreciate that even when powdering the foundation it still remained quite skin like and not heavy. While satiny foundation may not be the best choice for people with oily skin, it does make for a nice natural finish, I will say. I asked Tracia how the foundation felt on her and she told me that it felt like she had nothing on her face. She was quite impressed with the finish of the foundation as well as the evenness it provided. The foundation doesn't claim to have smoothing properties, but it appears to be one of those cream foundations that fills in pores when applied a little heavier handed.

 

Final Thoughts:

     As someone who's always on the search for new indie brands to support, I was delighted to come across Maréna Beauté. This brand peaked my interest because aside from being an indie company, they're cruelty free, vegan, and they succeed at specializing in makeup for deeper skin. We've been conditioned for so long to find subpar cosmetics inclusive of deeper skin that I believe many individuals don't realize how much higher the bar can be set. I've come across many brands, who on the surface seem to cater to all skin tones, but the minute you compare their products to a brand like Maréna Beauté it becomes apparent that these brands can still do better. It's 2018 and many brands still can't seem to nail red undertones, let alone neutral or cool undertones for deeper skin, many brands who offer cosmetics with "deep skin" options still run to orange or red to look natural or aren't dark enough to fit deeper skin tones, let alone to contour with, and don't even get me started with the problematic "universal" palettes! Needless to say I'm rooting for this brand, I'm just so impressed to find another brand who actually makes cosmetics suitable for deeper skin because right now, this is what we need more of. Do not sleep on this brand!

References:

Brundell, Linnea. “Diarry Maréna Gör Smink För Personer Med Mörka Hudtoner.”Arbetarbladet.se, 17 May 2016, www.arbetarbladet.se/diarry-marena-gor-smink-for-personer-med-morka-hudtoner.

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