Every month I like to highlight one of our Panelists and the research and reviews she's been working on. This week I'm pleased to introduce our newest member, Clara, and share her extensive foundation report. Enjoy!

Clara is a 48 year old marketing professional from Chicago. Clara is African-American with a golden brown skintone (the color of candy caramel) which is oily and prone to acne. Her hair is dark brown with great "natural golden" highlights which she wears in a closely cropped afro curly style. She is always on the prowl for haircare items which work well with curly/kinky hair textures. Clara has been a makeup maven since she discovered as a little girl that she could make the white Barbie black by coloring her with mom's foundation. In her free time, Clara enjoys spectator sports (especially baseball) both in person and on TV. Have a question for Clara? Email her here.

Take it away, Clara!

I've loved makeup since I was a little girl and began experimenting on dolls and myself with my mother's makeup. Over the years one of my biggest frustrations with the cosmetic industry has been foundation shades for women of color - specifically those like me who have oily/sensitive/acne-prone skin. There are many color options on the market today, but formulations suitable for my skin type still pose a challenge. Warm weather is particularly challenging and every year I trek through the stores to find the perfect foundation. Here are a few that impressed me enough to try in 2002.

Aveda Base Plus Balance ($18)
Most of you are probably familiar with Aveda and their natural botanical approach to haircare, skincare, and cosmetics. I have reasonable luck with their haircare and was encouraged to try this liquid foundation at my Aveda hair salon. Base Plus Balance is available in 10 shades ranging from a fair Vanilla (01) to a dark brown Mocha (10). Women of color can applaud that six of the ten colors seem suitable for darker skintones. I chose Praline (08), but could have worn Amber (07) just as well. Aveda claims the product adjusts to your skin's natural pH while evening and balancing your skintone without irritation. It can be applied for a natural looking sheer-to-medium finish. I opted to go sheer, dabbing it on with a sponge and still the creamy texture of the foundation felt rather heavy to me. My face felt sticky as though I had slept in the makeup after about an hour. As previously mentioned my skin is sensitive and the rose fragrance along with the ingredients including burdock root for oil-control and botanical moisturizers for conditioning proved to be an irritant and I experienced a breakout. We should bear in mind that some people may have a skin reaction from products labeled natural same as others do from those which are chemically-based.

There is no SPF, but my theory is if your moisturizer has sun protection in it or you don't mind using a separate sunscreen then your foundation really doesn't need it because you can't layer SPF. It's not like SPF 15+SPF 15=30. I would not recommend this foundation for oily skins, but for normal and slightly dry complexions known to be able to handle most ingredients and fragrance this is probably a fine foundation worthy of a try. It's not expensive either by high end cosmetic standards. You can find it at Aveda stores, salons, and spas.

Clinique Clarifying Makeup Clear Skin Formula ($17.50)
Clinique was my first serious foray into skincare 30 years ago. However, I found the line became stagnant in the 90s and I moved on to other things. I haven't tried a Clinique foundation in over a decade, but after seeing new products on their website I became curious and returned to try a few of the new items. One of the products I purchased was Clarifying Makeup. Interesting concept here because Clinique claims this one helps skin stay blemish free as it controls oil and minimizes pores. I thought this is what their old standard Pore Minimizing Makeup was supposed to do, so why develop this product? Well, I'm glad they did. This foundation is very good. It comes in a tube and has a light, delicate creamy texture. The finish is soft matte which is nice for older skins which may have a problem with foundation creeping into fine lines and after a certain age lines can be an issue even on oily skin. It was a breeze to apply either with fingers, sponge, or foundation brush and because of the creaminess could be applied with a heavy hand for those who need more coverage. I always go for the lightest coverage with my foundation. I like that I can barely feel this makeup on my face and there is minimum shine even after many hours of wear. Pore Minimizer never did that for me and also the shades are awful for women of color.

Clarifying Makeup comes in ten wearable shades, however, since Neutral Spice is the darkest and that's the color I needed, Clinique has neglected its customers who are darker than a peanut. As with most Clinique products I experienced no adverse skin reaction. The foundation does not contain sunscreen. I would highly recommend this foundation to oily skins looking for adjustable lightweight coverage. Gloss.com, better department stores, and Clinique.com.

Maybelline Ever Fresh Makeup ($8)
Like a sheep led to water I followed the full-page ad blitz of Maybelline in summer issues of fashion magazines to a local drugstore to try this makeup. Ever Fresh is the very first product I have purchased from Maybelline in my life. Yes, I'm the one person who has never used Great Lash. The hype of all day wear, oil-free, noncomedogenic, and 11 shades, plus SPF 14 had me excited. The colors are sensible and natural-looking, though limited for dark skins. I chose Caramel and it was an excellent match. Other than the color what I had was just an okay foundation. I wasn't expecting all day wear, but more than a couple of hours would have been nice. As with every foundation I use for the first few times, I don't apply any staying power tricks of the trade. I allow the product to work on its own with my chemistry. This foundation would have worn better on me if I had used a mattifying gel and repeated powder applications at the first break of oiliness.

I didn't have any skin reactions to the foundation, so I could wear it again and in the future I would use the mattifying gel and blot more frequently throughout the day. Considering the price and availability of Maybelline I would say it's a good deal for anyone on a strict makeup budget or those who prefer to pay below $15 for their foundation. You can find it at supermarkets, drugstores, ULTA.com.

Revlon Skinlights Diffusing Tint ($12)
Who wouldn't want a face like Halle Berry? I thought it was a wonderful marketing decision by Revlon to snare Ms. Berry as one of their spokesmodels a few years ago. I couldn't resist checking out Skinlights after seeing the ads. There are only six shades in the line, but they have a great color for me called Caramel. Caramel is the darkest shade available so I can't figure out what in the world Revlon was thinking with such a limited color range for everyone. Too bad more people can't experience this foundation due to lack of colors. As for being an alternative to traditional foundations as proclaimed by the ads, I disagree. The only unique thing about it is the pump dispenser. The product is a rather thick liquid which can look heavy unless you are careful to blend very well. Once applied the foundation stayed on and my face did not become excessively oily or feel uncomfortable. SPF is 15. There was nothing good enough about this makeup to warrant a repeat purchase in my opinion. I got mine at CVS. You can find it at supermarkets, drugstores, ULTA.com.

Philosophy Complete Me High Pigment Mineral Powder ($30)
This one isn't really a new choice for me. I just like to compare it to any new foundations I try. The hook for this foundation is that it is your color, powder, concealer, and sunblock (SPF 15) in one product. Although it is a loose powder you can apply it using a brush or sponge. I prefer a brush because the coverage is more sheer applied that way. I have to agree with the promotional claims that this powder is a good choice for those with sensitive, prone to breakout skin as I have never had a problem with my skin while wearing it even on the hot humid days. There are 9 shades total grouped as Warm, Neutral, and Tan (each group has three colors). Warm 3, Neutral 3 and Tan 1, 2, and 3 are best choices for dark skintones. These are real skin colors and blending to a natural finish is very simple. I am a perfect Tan 1. The staying power is pretty good, too. I have to retouch to go from day into night, but I can get away without having to do a fresh makeup for long days. The finish is so exceptional I generally use a very neutral, almost colorless or no blush with it. The price may keep some away from this foundation, but you only need a small amount to make-up your face and should last for months which makes it a better value than many foundations which cost less and for sure those in the same or higher price range. You can find it Drugstore.com, Nordstrom, Philosophy.com and a limited number of better department stores.

Vincent Longo Water Canvas ($45)
There is designer clothing and as more makeup artist produce cosmetic lines under their names I call their offerings designer makeup. Vincent Longo is one of those lines. This foundation looks like a cream, but it is 75% microwater. It has a very unusual texture and feel. The texture is smooth and feels cool to the touch when applying. It has moisturizers, is noncomedogenic, and oil-free. No SPF. This is not a foundation for anyone who wants more than sheer coverage as you can't really build the color. For those like me who prefer sheer coverage foundations Water Canvas is ideal with its weightless feel. It's long wearing on me, the color stays true and I have no problems with my skin as a result of wear. Longo has given us 15 beautiful shades. Definite choices for women of color ranging from light tans to deep browns are: Natural Tan, Soft Amber, Golden Tan, Cafe Soleil, Caramel, Honey Pecan, Sienna, and Mahogany. Caramel is a beautiful match to my skintone. There's a pattern with me and colors called caramel. This is a marvelous foundation and worth the price, but budget conscious consumers may want to search for cheaper alternatives as it is one that will require at least a 2 to 3 times a year purchase. You can find it at Sephora.com and Nordstrom.

Thanks, Clara, for this wonderful peek into your adventures in foundation. I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!