These are the three foundations I have. L to R: NARS Barcelona, NARS Fiji, and Too Faced Warm Vanilla. I bought Barcelona when I was a bit darker toned, and it now tends to go peachy on me. Fiji is a very close match, but the Too Faced Warm Vanilla is even better.
Swatches, L to R: The dark swatch is Barcelona. Right above my little moles (hee hee) is Fiji, and right next to my knuckles is Warm Vanilla. While Fiji blends in fairly well, Warm Vanilla is the ONLY one that melts right in so you really can't see it.
One thing I like about both these formulations is the coverage. It's variable, similar to the mineral foundations I love. All I have to do is add layers. I can change the tool I use to apply also to get better or more natural coverage. I do find that I only prefer sponges for touch ups (even a flocked sponge) rather than a full application. I usually use a flat top brush, like my synthetic jumbo flat top or my ELF face brush. They both work excellently for this. For lighter coverage I'll use a wider, less dense brush like my Ecotools Bronzer Brush.
The formulas of both are very silky and creamy; however, the Too Faced feels just a touch more on the soft side on my skin.
Where one stands out as a true HG is in oil control. I thought the NARS was as close as I could get to a HG for powder foundations prior to trying the Too Faced. With my NARS I get oily breakthrough at around lunch but it's not terrible by any means. However, Too Faced Amazing Face has an ingredient in it that they call Regu-Seb that controls and reduces oil production. I can say without a doubt at least for me that this is true!!! I got NO oily breakthrough until around 3:30 PM....which is the majority of the day! And that breakthrough was far less than even the NARS gives me. That in and of itself makes this product a HG for me! It softened and balanced out the imperfections in skin tone and I feel that it makes my skin look close to flawless! I was told that by a stylist as well.
As far as price points, both are on the higher end. NARS powder foundations are $45 for 0.4 oz, and Too Faced is $32 for 0.32 oz. So while the Too Faced is a bit smaller in size (0.08 oz) it's also $13 cheaper!
Will I buy the NARS Powder Foundation again? Possibly. I do like it a lot, and it works well as a pressed powder over their Sheer Matte Foundation too.
Will I buy Too Faced Amazing Face again? YOU BETCHA!!!! It's a true HG for me! Everything I look for in a foundation is in this....amazing oil control, blurring of imperfections, pores and fine lines, good coverage and durability, and color tone. I do like the NARS a lot, but the Too Faced just edged it out for sure!
Have you tried either of these foundations? What did you think?
