Foundations on Trial

I frequently get asked, “which foundation is your favorite?” The truth is, I do not exactly know. I have a few favorite foundations and a few I probably wouldn’t buy again. There are quite an abundance of choices that it can be completely overwhelming. So many brands. So many coverage types. So many shades. So many consistencies. I myself have been baffled over the options, which is what led me to write this post. Over the past few months I’ve completely switched up my routine of just one brand/same product and have been trying out loads of brands and products to see what else is out there. Just to get a sense of me: my skin is very normal, rarely has breakouts, a bit dehydrated though and shows a bit of redness in my cheeks, so what works for me, might not work for you.

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NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Fiji: This foundation is the most recent pick of mine and one of my most favorite. I’ve honestly never given NARS a fair shot, and I have absolutely no reason why! I have a few key products, but never dove into the foundation area with the brand and I am so glad I did. In fact, I am wearing this foundation as I type this blog post. This foundation is buildable. I’d put it in the medium coverage category. Fiji was a perfect match for my skin and it really gave a radiant natural finish that I wasn’t expecting. When the sales associate matched me, she asked if it was alright if she applied without a brush. I said sure, thinking it would be a complete fail and a pass for a sale – but she proved me wrong. This foundation went on flawlessly and really evened out my skin tone. It was incredible. On half of my face, I tested a new primer and the other half without. The half with the primer did sink in a bit better, but I was not disappointed with the half without. The only thing I find a tad frustrating is that you have to buy a pump separately, which now-a-days, I feel like should just be included.

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Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation in B40: What to say about Yves Saint Laurent? Chances are you’ve heard of this foundation before. Their range of Touche Eclat is hands down a great makeup purchase and if you meet anyone who says otherwise, I’d almost think they were lying. The packaging is to die for and the brand itself: luxury. Unfortunately with that comes the price tag. It makes this foundation one of the more expensive bottles that I own. The Teint Touche Eclat Foundation promises medium and long-lasting coverage. I find that the coverage really depends on how you apply it, so it’s easy to manipulate. It does need a bit of working back into place after a couple of hours though. I find around the center of my face foundation starts to disappear. I’m pretty sure with some setting powder, it could be longer lasting. I’ve almost emptied the entire bottle twice now and will be going back for more.

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DIOR Diorskin Star Fluid Foundation in 022 Cameo: This foundation is the reason why I even started wearing foundation. Like I’ve said many times, I never used to wear foundation but I find it really satisfying to have a natural base. I felt really wind-blown after moving to Ireland and my cheeks were always red. I absolutely hated that, so when I wandered into the beauty section of my local shop – I let a makeup artist paint my face. He started with a lovely primer and then matched me with this foundation. I have no idea how he did it with as dark as it was in there, but I absolutely loved the look of my skin afterwards. It lasted almost all day. This is my third bottle of Dior foundation (the original that he matched me with was Forever Fluid Foundation, matte finish, in the same color 022) but when I was traveling in Belgium I finished the last drop of my foundation and needed to purchase another. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the two on the shelf. The Star Fluid Foundation is genuinely weightless and goes on best with a beauty blender. It also contains SPF30, not that I’d really need much of that in Dublin anyways.

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HOURGLASS COSMETICS Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick in Alabaster: I know I’ve written a post on this foundation before, so I won’t elaborate too much. You can find more information about the Hourglass Foundation here. However – I will give you a little update on how its wearing and I still like it out of all my stick foundations. Now, I’ve tested this stick formula in Ireland and took it with me when I was in Florida. To be blunt, I think it works better on my skin in Florida with a warmer climate. I find that the stick has gotten a bit cold here, which feels like it’s less blendable. I’m not sure if that even makes sense? The shade is a bit too light for me now too, but I will be going to pick up another darker shade to mix with this lighter one to make a perfect match.

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IT COSMETICS Your Skin But Better CC Cream in Light: I’ve been seeing everyone raving over It Cosmetics, especially the color correcting cream. It’s not nearly as ‘fancy’ as the foundations I’ve written about above, but it is totally worth mentioning because it’s just that good. The formula is a bit thick, which makes it ideal for someone looking for serious coverage. It can be lighted up with a damp beauty blender, in case its too thick for your liking. The finish is, yep you guessed it, glowy. My skin looks natural and healthy while not leaving it looking greasy or caked on after I apply it. The packaging is easy and I don’t have to worry about it shattering in my bag, as its a plastic tube. There is a bit of a lemony scent, which isn’t something I love or hate. AKA: it doesn’t push me from stopping use of it. Overall, I find that it’s a perfect summer foundation.

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LAURA MERCIER Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Fawn: Sometimes I feel like I want a light layer and not to put too much effort in. On those particular ones, I slap on a bit of the tinted moisturizer and happy days. This coverage is the ‘no-makeup, makeup’ look. The oil-free bit is great for sensitive skin or acne prone skin. This base adds a luminosity to my complexion without looking oily or greasy. It has quite a bit of wear as well. I’ve seen loads of people apply with their fingers, but I’m still an ordinary brush or beauty blender type of gal. For on-the-go, this is great. In case you’re looking for a bit more coverage with Laura Mercier, I’ve added another below.

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LAURA MERCIER Silk Creme Oil-Free Photo Edition Foundation in Cream Ivory:  My opinion keeps changing about this foundation, so I thought I’d give it a mention. When it was first applied, I loved it. It lasted such a long time compared to others that I’ve tested. I was sold. The second time I applied, it was too watery and I hated it. I felt like it was an awful orange match and immediately took it off. After a third chance, I started to appreciate it more like I did when I first wore it. This formula is quite liquidy, so you’ve got to shake it well in order to see results. Or at least that’s what my head convinces me. I also found that you really have to do a bunch of blending in order to achieve the glowy, color perfect match. They do offer a range of colors, but I personally struggled to find an amazing match. Some of them were a bit too pink and some of them were a bit too yellow/orange. I landed on the Cream Ivory based off the mentioned tinted moisturizer above. I’ll give you an update about this later, just to see how it has been wearing. Right now, I’m not too convinced.

So before I go purchasing any more foundations, I am going to use the rest that I’ve got. Have you tried any foundations that you’re loving? Let me know!