When it comes to foundation, I really struggle to find one that is even close to pale enough for my skin. I'm pretty sure I spend most of my time trawling through reviews online and obsessing over what may be the best one for me. High end (or what I consider to be high end) brands seem to have the biggest shade selection. However when there is no where that stocks it in my area for me to test I feel like I am buying blind based on another online swatch. So I decided to give a review on the ones I find have tested and the ones I use.
Ok so it's probably best to start with a picture of my bare face. As you can see I have freckles, red patches and a rather less than perfect nose (not that it makes a difference to foundation). I also have combination skin, oily T-zone and normal to dryish cheek and nostril area. Oh and my biggest bugbear is that my dark circles seem to take a whole lot of product to cover up due to having a pasty complexion.
In each picture below I have foundation on the right half of my face.
I went to the urban decay counter in debenhams to try this out. It was applied to my face using their kabuki brush. I'd heard mixed reviews but was reassured by the staff at UD that this was oil free and perfect for my skin type. The colour matched perfectly too which was what I was after. I was given a tester pot to take home and try which has lasted me 2 weeks.
Pros
- Perfect match to my skin
- Felt weightless on
- Buildable coverage
- Once set with powder, looked perfect for about 10 hours
- Stuck to any bit of dry skin and accentuated it
- Floral smell
I went to the clinique counter in debenhams and asked for a sample and colour match. This is an oil free foundation that is supposed to moisturise the dry bits and dry the oily bits of your skin. It is also meant to look more natural. I loved this foundation as soon as it was on. I looked naturally flawless, which is what I like. However the problem started as soon as I left the counter, it looked a shade too dark for me in natural light and then about 20 minutes later it oxidised on my skin, leaving me looking an orange streaky mess.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Easy to use and blend
- Balanced my skin perfectly
Cons
- Oxidised making me look orange
- Not a close enough match to my skin tone
I have used this foundation for years and love the fact that it evens out my complexion beautifully. However recently I noticed that I am much paler than I was a few years back (avoiding the sun, I burn like a crisp) so the shade hasn't suited me as well as it used to. It looks good on the face but doesn't quite match up to my neck in natural light.
Pros
- Evens out all redness and patchy skin tone I have
- Blends really well, buildable coverage
- A little goes a very long way
- Looks Natural
- Lasting power is about 8 hours when set with powder
- Not light enough for really pale skin
- Can make your t-zone look a little oily if not set with powder
This is my go to foundation for when I need serious coverage and staying power on a night out. It's one of the lightest shades of foundation I have been able to find on the high street. It's only about £13 for a bottle and it covers everything.
Pros
- It has medium to full coverage
- I rarely ever need to use concealer with this foundation.
- Good range of shades
- Lasts for over 12 hours even through sweating
Cons
- Smells like paint
- sets really quickly so not something you can easily blend out
- Can take a few washes to get off your face
I have the graftobian glamour creme super palette in my kit for clients. It is really pigmented and looks fantastic in photos. It glides onto the skin and looks flawless. It can be pricey if you don't know which shade to get but you can buy samplers online. They have an amazing range of shades for neutral, cool and warm toned skin. this is a cream foundation.
Pros
- Super creamy and blendable
- A tiny bit goes a long way
- Large range of shades
- Can mix shades together to make the perfect colour for you
- Looks flawless in photos
- Can be sheered down with a damp sponge to look more natural
- Buildable coverage
- Great staying power once set with powder, 10 hours
- Can be a little unsuitable to really oily skin
- No-where to get colour matched locally
- Have to buy your sample online
These are just some of a handful of foundations that I have reviewed. There are many more out there with a great range of shades for everyone. Out of all of them though I think I would chose the graftobian for day to day and when I know I'm going to be in photos, purely because of the way I can build it or sheer it down depending on how my skin is. I would choose the revlon for a night out time and time again because it covers everything and has serious saying power. For all the liquid foundations I used my real techniques buffing brush and for the graftobian I used my real techniques expert face brush. No primers were used under any of the foundations, just washed and moisturised skin.
If you are in doubt just go to one of the makeup counters in your local department store and ask to be colour matched and for a sample. I do it a lot because when I am spending about £30 on a foundation I want to make sure it meets all my needs, which requires day to day wear. Not a 5 minute trial.
Happy reading
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