To me foundation is the most important component of a makeup look. It can make or break a look and it’s not that every look needs foundation, it’s just that if you do choose to wear it you should get it right! You can wear the most beautifully blended, expertly applied eye makeup in the world – but if you’re foundation looks crap your whole look is ruined. I’ve been experimenting for years on both myself and my clients to find my holy grails, and although the search is never over I’m pretty happy with the ones I currently carry in my kit and reach for every day.
In this video I go through my current favorite foundations and why I love them, but if you prefer reading I have a short summary of each one below for your convenience – enjoy!
MAC Face & Body (surprise surprise)
Are you getting bored of me yet? If you’ve been following me for a while this will come as no surprise. I’ve been using this magic product for years and have already declared my undying love for it in a previous review. For those of you not familiar with it you would probably be surprised at how thin and watery it is. It starts as a sheer finish and can be built to a medium coverage by buffing it for a few minutes. It has the most gorgeous natural ‘real skin’ look that photographs amazingly. It’s a touch on the dewy side so not really great on oily skin – if you’re normal to dry though this is going to be your new best friend.
This medium to full coverage foundation is extremely long lasting and so is great if you suffer from oiliness. Not a great option if your into natural looking makeup – it’s pretty heavy and if your not careful can look a little cakey. I’ve found the best way to apply is with a damp beauty blender, as you get a bit more play time to blend it in. Although you can get it in both a combination/oily skin and a normal/dry skin formula I reckon if you’re dry you should steer clear. Even on my obscenely oily skin this stuff can show up dryness around my nose so I shudder to think how it would sit on classically dry skin.
A full coverage (about 80% opacity) foundation with a thin easy to blend texture. It appears to be a thick cream when you first dispense it, but melts down as soon as you start to blend and work it. I love to use this as a concealer rather than foundation, or even sheer it out with moisturiser to use all over the face. I carry four colours in my kit and I bring them for every job – I’m pretty confident I could cover anything with them. They set waterproof and although I’ve never tried this, they can apparently be used to cover tattoos. Perhaps not an everyday foundation but a good ‘in case of emergency break glass’ kind of concealer.
This is like a heavier, longer lasting version of Face & Body. It’s a thick sticky texture with decent coverage (about 50% opacity) that sets waterproof. I use this on most of my brides because I’m confident it will last all day. The film formers in it create a second skin effect, giving the illusion of a much smoother complexion. It seems to sit over pores and fine lines without sinking into them, so it’s great if you suffer from textural issues. It does have a tendency to develop shine throughout the day so its a good idea to keep a transparent powder handy to mattify without adding more coverage.
A much maligned foundation in the blogging world this is the foundation equivelant of Marmite (or Vegemite around these parts). It’s a silicone heavy base with quite full coverage that layers well and blends easily into the skin. Although I don’t use it that often on myself anymore (constant wearing breaks me out) I never go to a job without it in my kit. For photography, you can’t go wrong with Fix Fluid – those silicones do magical things for your skin when the camera comes out. It blurs and softens the appearance of texture on the skin makes it look smooth and flawless. It doesn’t last all day on my very oily skin (most don’t) but is great on a normal skin. My one major gripe (and all MAC foundations) is the shade range. So few people are that yellow or that orange. The search for perfection continues…
Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation
This is the newest addition to my favorites and I have a feeling it’s going to stay there for a while! The best way I can describe this is like a cross between Revlon Colorstay and MAC Fix Fluid. It sets and lasts well like Colorstay, but is quite silicon-y and easy to blend, like Fix Fluid – it’s kind of the best of both worlds. If I had to choose between them (you’d have to put a gun to my head for that) I think I would go with Outlast because it’s easier to work with than Colorstay and the colour selection is better for me than Fix Fluid. Having said that it doesn’t last quite as long on my skin as Colorstay does, and it’s not quite as much coverage as Fix fluid so although it has some of the best qualities of both, I still wouldn’t go without the others in my kit.
I would love to hear what your top foundation picks are – especially if your of a drier persuasion! I am distinctly biased towards products for oily skin so it would be great to restore some balance!
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Products
MAC Face & Body Foundation
Revlon Colorstay
Estee Lauder Maximum Cover
MAC Pro Longwear Foundation
MAC Studio Fix Fluid
Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1
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Sharon x
This is not a sponsored post, all views and opinions are my own.
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