This is a little late in the writing, but a couple of weeks ago I was invited to a special beauty blogger event for CoverFX, a Canadian cosmetics company.

After snacking on some delicious appetizers and mini cupcakes, the creators of the brand took us through a bit of the company history and a demonstration of the product line.

In case you didn’t know, CoverFX was founded at Sunnybrook Hospital here in Ontario 25 years ago to help people with skin conditions (vitiligo, port wine stains, birthmarks, scars, rosacea, etc.). It was a line of clinical-grade foundations and powders that could cover almost anything and could be used anywhere on the body with great lasting coverage.

For someone like me with rosacea and acne to cover up, this product was actually recommended to me many years ago by my doctor. It goes on thick and covers up the redness and blemishes while nourishing the skin. It is sweat-proof, water resistant, and many of the formulas contain SPF as well.

At the event we were shown their newest product innovation, The Big Cover Up 3-step starter kit.

After we figured out which colour category we fell into (I’m C for cool pink!) we got to fiddle around with the testers and try it all out for ourselves.

I was honoured to have Lee Graff, co-creator of the brand do my face! She did it so quick and easily and I looked really dewy and fresh after!

The kit is actually really easy to use. I am really impressed that all the tools you need come in it; a lot of makeup “kits” usually require something extra like the brush or primer to do a great application. I was surprised to find that almost everything I needed came in the single kit, and for a decent price, too!

$79 gets you:

• Skinprep FX Nourishing Foundation Primer and Anti-Aging Serum
• Cover FX Total Coverage Cream Foundation (3 shades)
• Setting FX Translucent Setting Powder
• Foundation Brush with pointed tip
• How-to Instructional DVD featuring Lee Graff

A couple of days after the event, I used my gratis kit and did my face before work. Now I’m not going to lie… Lee Graff did an infinitely better job than I did! But she’s a pro that has been doing camouflage for years so I would expect nothing less!

I followed the instructions on the package and applied the three shades of foundation to my face going from light to medium to dark. I was a little scared of the dark shade at first because it’s SO DARK. But once you blend it in at the edges of your face, it really helps your features pop!

Overall I was pleased with the application and staying power of CoverFX. I used the primer and foundation brush provided to apply the base, then used the setting powder (alas! You will need your own powder brush for this!) and my own bronzer to finish the look. It stayed on well throughout the day (unfortunately I touch my face a lot out of habit so I would know!) and covered up the redness from rosacea on my cheeks.

One thing I will comment on is that it did feel a little bit heavy, and somewhat dewy or moist on my face all day. I don’t know if this is because the formula is different from what I am used to (I use mineral powders normally) or if I didn’t use enough setting powder. It might just be a personal thing but I wasn’t too keen on it.

I think I’m going to practice a bit more with my kit and see if I can get the contouring and highlighting that Lee showed me down pat. I’m considering using this for my photoshoot this weekend because I know it will cover everything and stay on between all my wardrobe changes!

Now I’m not a pro beauty blogger or makeup artist, but I looooovve makeup and would definitely recommend this product out of the many I have tried! It was easy to use and provided great coverage and you don’t have to work magic to get a great look. Perfect for the gal who just needs something a little nicer, or if you have a birthmark, scar, etc. to cover up. You can check out their site for more information on the other CoverFX products available.