Finding the perfect foundation is like trying to find the perfect pair of jeans. There are so many options it’s overwhelming to know what to look for. You have to try a wide variety of different types to find the one that’s right for you. So what are my holy grails and next-best-picks for foundations? Click read more to see my extensive list.
Quick Recap: I have normal but sensitive medium-toned skin with yellow and olive tones. I prefer natural but visible coverage (prefer evened out skin versus a very sheer tint). I tend to go with formulas that are liquid (versus solid, cream, gels) because I find them easier to work with. I’m 29 and have had decent skin for most of my life with the exception of occasional stress breakouts that happen once every couple of months or when I try new products that are too harsh for my skin.
My Perfect Prep Combination before applying makeup:
1. Cleanse with Clinique’s Foaming Cleanser
2. Tone with La Mer’s Tonic (the pink one) or Paul & Joe
3. Apply Laura Mercier’s Renewal Serum (I’m afraid this has been discontinued)
4. Apply MAC’s Prep + Prime
Holy Grails:
1. Chanel Teint Innocence Liquid in Shell
2. Chanel Double Perfection Compact in Tender Bisque
3. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (shade to be determined)
4. Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation in Warm or Tan
Close to Holy Grail Material:
1. Giorgio Armani’s Lasting Silk 5.5+6.5 mixed (not to be confused with their Luminous Silk)
2. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (used Punjab but it’s too dark now)
3. Chanel Lift Lumiere in Shell+Beige mixed
4. Guerlain Lingerie de Peau
5. Diorskin Nude (still searching for the right shade, will most likely have to mix)
Swatches of foundations from November 2009 linked here.
Here’s a quick breakdown of all the foundations I’ve sampled by brand (yes, it’s a mother-load, I can’t remember all the shades I was matched to). Do note I did not purchase most of these, foundation is one item counters are most willing to sample if you ask nicely.
- Armani Face Fabric – lightweight mousse-like cream in a squeeze tube, had a soft matte-powdery finish, great concept however this did not blend well on my skin, looked ashy and emphasized any imperfections, color selection was extremely limited
- Armani Lasting Silk – liquid foundation with a nice pump, one of my holy grail finds, I mix 5.5 and 6.5 (read review here)
- Armani Luminous Silk – creamy liquid in a pump bottle, one of the original releases from Armani, matched to 5.5 and 6, looks amazing for a few hours but then slides off the face and made me look really oily
- Armani Matte Silk (now d/c) – matte finish foundations, flawless and natural coverage, evened out skin, the only problem was that daily use resulted in clogged pores
- Bobbi Brown Original Oil Free (pre SPF days) – loved the texture and natural coverage, but it left my skin super oily within hours
- Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick – full coverage foundation in a thick twist up stick form, I tried her original version, I’m not sure if this is something that has gone through a revamp, loved it for full natural coverage, easy application, I never repurchased simply because it got used up so fast it didn’t seem economical to keep repurchasing
- Bobbi Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting – thumbs down (read review here)
- Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer – sheer tinted moisturizer in a squeeze tube, I love the idea of natural tint, this one has an ingredient in their sunscreen that gives me a severe allergic reaction (deep red bumps all over the cheeks)
- Bobbi Brown Oil-Free Even Finish Compact Foundation – solid cream compact foundation that gave a nice full coverage with a sponge, it did require extra blending to smooth out on my skin (with fingers or brush) however I had the same allergic reaction with her other foundations
- Burberry Luminous Fluid Foundation – liquid foundation with a pump that has a great finish, I developed a bad reaction (read review here)
- Chanel Double Perfection Fluide (d/c liquid glass bottle) – a very fluid but richly pigmented foundation, WHY did Chanel discontinue this???? It was the most amazing long-lasting matte foundation ever, medium to full coverage with a matte finish, the new Mat Lumiere formula does not compare at all
- Chanel Double Perfection Creme Poudre (d/c black tube) – another discontinued favorite, the only true cream to powder finish foundation I’ve tried that stays matte all day and did not need any powder, absolute perfection in a black tube
- Chanel Double Perfection Powder Foundation – compact powder foundation, both formulas (original and new) have been holy grails for me, the original was rougher in texture, the newer version (released about 2-3 years ago now?) has a softer more finely milled finish and the product you get is smaller
- Chanel Lift Lumiere – liquid foundation with a pump that’s supposed to give lift to the skin, another holy grail, I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed it, but it’s a less dewey version of Teint Innocence with slightly more opaque coverage, I find the shades to be slightly lighter than the Teint Innocence, I custom mix Shell and Beige together for a perfect match, great long lasting finish, but you do need powder, can’t really say whether or not it gives me “lift” but I like the way it looks, feels and wears throughout the day
- Chanel Mat Lumiere – thumbs down (read review here)
- Chanel Pro Lumiere – I have so-so feelings on this, thicker and creamier in texture than most of the other Chanel foundations, but still very liquid, gave full coverage but found it too heavy in texture and scent (read review here)
- Chanel Teint Fluide Universel (d/c) – another Holy Grail long discontinued
- Chanel Teint Innocence Compact – solid compact cream foundation with full coverage, you need an exact match due to the full coverage finish
- Chanel Teint Innocence Liquid – another soon-to-be-discontinued holy grail (curses!)
- Chantecaille Future Skin – I tried this in Shea, this is a thicker cream in a tub with full coverage, I remember not loving this because the texture seemed a bit thick for my skin and it slid off after a few hours, I prefer thinner liquids, but so many have raved, I may have to try it again
- Chantecaille Real Skin – sheer solid gel-like cream in a compact form, too sheer to even see what was on the skin, I got this in a swap and used it all up, but never repurchased
- Dior Hydralife Pro Youth Skin Tint – tinted moisturizer in a pretty blue tube, limited shade selection prevented me from looking into this one in great detail, sampled two shades, both were completely off
- Diorskin Nude Foundation – liquid foundation with a pump, semi-rave (read review here)
- Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation – Holy Grail! (read review here)
- Guerlain Lingerie de Peau – fluid in a pump bottle, close to Holy Grail material (read review here)
- La Mer Fluid Tint SPF 18 – tinted moisturizer in a tube, I bought and used up the Medium shade, never repurchased, for the price it just didn’t wow me enough to justify repurchasing, gave sheer coverage just like you’d expect from a tinted moisturizer, has that classic La Mer ocean scent
- Laura Mercier Creme Smooth – thumbs down, although if you liked Chantecaille’s Future Skin you might want to check this out (read review here)
- Laura Mercier Foundation Stick (d/c) – amazing! gave wonderful coverage, goof-proof application, easy to apply on-the-go, why do brands discontinue great items?
- Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation – liquid foundation with a pump, thumbs down for me, did not blend well on my skin (tried all the Laura Mercier techniques with the primer, moisturizer, damp sponge too)
- Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer – great tinted moisturizer but best when mixed with a regular foundation, unless you find an exact match the luminous quality can look a bit too glowy on your skin
- Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer – I used to love this and repurchased numerous times, the coverage is very sheer, I prefer something with more visible coverage, sometimes this can be too natural
- Laura Mercier Mineral Powder Foundation – loose mineral powder, gives perfect glowy coverage but it’s a bit high maintenance and not good for oily skin, it’s difficult to get the right amount on, most times I either had too little or one brush stroke too much
- Laura Mercier Silk Creme – cream-to-powder type of formula in a squeeze tube, I found it close in concept to the Chanel Matte Foundation in the black tube, but you need an exact match or else the full coverage just leaves you looking too ashy or mis-matched, great coverage, matte finish, doesn’t need powder to set, long lasting
- MAC Face & Body, Studio Fix Compact, Hyper Real, Studio Tint … I’ve never been able to wear any MAC foundation and I tried every single one (up until 3 years ago) hoping to find one that wouldn’t give me cystic acne, I’ve given up, the damage their foundations and powders do to my skin is not worth the risk, I can use their highlighting powders and blushes though without any problems
- Make Up Forever Face & Body – thumbs down (read review here)
- NARS Oil Free Original (d/c) – loved this one
- NARS Sheer Glow – thumbs up (read review here)
- NARS Sheer Matte – thumbs up, the shades in the Matte line aren’t an exact match to the Glow lineup, I need to get rematched again in this formula
- NARS Gel Fraicheur (d/c tinted moisturizer tubes) – I remember loving the concept but the formula was not the greatest, best used when mixed with other foundations to give a soft tanned glow
- Paul & Joe Light Cream Foundation – creamy liquid foundation in a white bottle with a pump, this was hard for me to find a good match, I ended up with 40 which is too dark, but 31 is too pink and 30 is too pale, it is not photo-flash-friendly, the SPF combined with flash photography results in a white ghost-like face and tan neck, it is a great foundation for normal-to-dry skin, soft and creamy and moisturizing with natural medium coverage
- Paul & Joe Creamy Powder Foundation Compact – bought this in 40 which is deceivingly dark in the compact but a perfect match, have repurchased twice, love this for the nice thick creamy texture but applies smooth and matte, full coverage
- Prescriptives Luxe – the good old Px brand, best known for their foundations, I was sad to see the line go, Luxe was the first luminous glowy foundation on the mid-high-end market, loved this one although it was probably too much coverage for what I needed when I was in my late high-school days
- Prescriptives Photochrome – good in concept, came in a cream compact form, was supposed to auto-adjust to match your exact skintone, was a failure for me, simply too heavy and did not sit well with my skin
- Prescriptives Traceless – the PERFECT tinted moisturizer, have never found one as good
- Prescriptives Unmakeup – the PEFECT no-makeup makeup, I used the Px Gold, nothing has come close to this one either
- Prescriptives Virtual Skin – probably one of the first foundations I ever purchased in high school, a classic but I remember it being hard to find the exact match sometimes
- Stila – I used to love this brand, I cannot for the life of me remember which formulas I used to use since this brand has gone through so many changes (changes I am not loving), I did love their Illuminating Powder Foundation for a flawless glow, I remember when Jeanine Lobell was the director, I loved all the foundations because they had that wonderful olive undertone that worked so well for my skin
- Trish McEvoy Even Skin Foundation – I have fallen in and out of this line, I loved her original Even Skin foundation but got a bit irritated with her constant revamps, I repurchased this one 3 times but stopped after discovering Chanel
There are a number of brands I have not tried such as Cle de Peau, Lancome, Shiseido, YSL, BE, Urban Decay, Tarte etc. I haven’t explored La Mer very much either. I avoid brands that are known to have highly fragranced products. Some brands are just overpriced in my mind. Packaging is also key. I like sleek simple classic looking packaging.
So now that I’ve shared my list, what are your favorites? Experiences you want to share? I used to rely heavily on the Product Reviews section on Makeupalley. I still find the reviews helpful to scan when something new comes out, but sometimes you will find such a diverse range of reviews and reactions it can be hard to sort through. Now that various beauty brands have picked up on Makeupalley as a valuable resource, I have noticed some seemingly overly positive comments which I believe are not from consumers like myself, bur rather from actual brand reps. While I do expect brand reps to represent their brands in a positive light, I think it’s a bit iffy for brands to participate in their own product reviews on a website that is known to be a community of consumers. Just my two cents.
If you’d like to share your thoughts, please include the following to help us all:
1. Your skin-type
2. Skin undertone (ie fair, light, medium, olive, pinkish etc.)
3. Age range (if you’re comfortable with that)
Wow, that's an incredible rundown! Thank you for posting!
I used to be normal-oily combination but now I'm normal-dry with oily t-zone. I'm medium tone with olive undertones as well and Luminous Silk in 7 is a perfect match. And, I'm 46, which explains the changing complexion.
I've said that Luminous Silk can slide off after a few hours, but now that I think of it, I'm not sure I've tried any foundation that stays perfect all day. I've used NARS Sheer Matte but I'm going to switch to NARS Sheer Glow and I'm matched to Barcelona in both.
I want to try Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau. And because of your post, I'm curious about Paul & Joe's creamy foundation compact!
What an exhaustive list! This amount of information and valuable opinion (based on your experience) will put your blog into one of those "check with" (in this case, Sabrina) categories.
My skin type is normal, with oily t-zone, and very few breakouts except under stress or weird weather changes. I'm NW20-25, so my skin tone is cool but as I've matured, it has gotten more neutral.
I mention my age, 55 (56 in April) because it is a factor in my choice of foundations. I am lucky to have good skin, few wrinkles (crinkles around my eyes when I smile), few problems with dryness, and so I do not need many of the ingredients in foundations for "mature skin." My search for a foundation that does not cause me to become oily or break out has been complicated by the fact that my skin is not typical of my "age," and that more than a few silicones wreak havoc on my skin.
I wanted to love Chanel Lift Lumiere; it morphed my good skin into amazing skin. But within a week, my face was beyond "dewey." It was oily.
So, Sabrina, it is possible that some of the problems which you have encountered have been caused by your youthful skin not tolerating ingredients which your skin does not need and reacts to adversely.
I use NARS Sheer Glow as an alternative to BB Skin; I use BB Moisturizing Cream Compact during the dry dry days of summer in my region in Calif. It has taken me years, with far fewer products, to arrive at what works for me. I am thankful that there are, nowadays, the number and types of foundations available for purchase/trial. When I was your age, makeup was just beginning to become the world that it is today.
Sorry to run on long. Your "list" is one of those masterpieces of analysis and frustration that can offer help to many gals out there.
What an amazing repository of information!! thanks so much for this!
oh, the search for HG foundation..it never ends! haha this was a great post with tons of helpful information! as for me, here's my rundown.
1. oily (summer)/ combination-oily (winter) w/ severe dry spots if not moisturized enough- still in search for a great moisturizer that won't break me out! / acne-prone / sensitive
2. medium-dark coloring (NC40-42) and in between an olive and beige undertone typically
3. age: 21
i thought i found my HG foundation with MUFE hd foundation (#128/153) because:
1) it had great coverage for my acne scars
2) made my skin look FLAWLESS (aka no cakey mask)
3) felt like nothing
4) didn't make me break out
BUT…once deep winter hit and i got dry spots, the foundation didn't look so great anymore =/ so this is more like a fall/spring foundation for me. it'll probably make an oil slick in the summer.
until i find another liquid with all the perks that doesn't make my dry spots look worse (or a moisturizer that prevents the spots), back to the HG foundation search!
I feel your discontinued pain. We seem to be discontinued buddies, our favorite Chanel formulas routinely get axed. But in my case, the ax has been getting more and more permanent as replacement formulas in many lines are dropping darker colors all together. (I'm Black and Samoan among other things so my color and undertone are hard to match.) My perfect foundation would be a Korean or Japanese formula in my color. ( Never gonna happen.)
I have been searching all last year for a new foundation and powder. I've never been able to be matched at the Mac counter and the formulas have never appealed to me. I have been finding some luck in unlikely places:
1) Vincent Long Water Canvas @ SPACE NK within Bloomingdales. It is a compact cream foundation but wears like a lightweight, medium coverage liquid. They have an extensive color range with good undertone to color match.
2) By Terry Liquid. I can't remember the formula name, also @ SPACE NK within Bloomingdales. The colors are limited but I believe you will find a Shell and Beige match. It's costly but nice.
3. Ellas Faas Foundation "pen" soon to be in a bottle. Once again Space NK
These indie brands seem to get the skin of the perpetual color mixers.
I've been wearing YSL Radiance Brush foundation and it is great most of the time. When my oily skin takes over, ( I'm normal to oily,) I need something else.
On top of that I love the customer service at Space NK. Both Bloomies locations near me have wonderful people who don't mind taking time and providing samples large enough to really see a difference.
Good luck and thank you for your exhaustive review.
I have acne prone skin and used to prefer cream based foundation. I have olive undertones and use NC 35 in MAC. Currently I'm using Vichy dermablend foundation – bought in the UK after hearing about it on Lisa Eldridge's youtube channel. I have the stick and the liquid foundation – they are the same shade but the liquid is darker. This is a shame as the liquid has long lasting gorgeous coverage. The stick matches my skin tone perfectly but is not as good. I've used Shiseido water based foundation in the past – perfect colour matching but I don't think the coverage was heavy enough. I want to try Dior and Revlon next.
This is such an amazing resource! Thank you for your extensive review! Next time I look for a new foundation, I'll definitely come back to this post.
I am really new to foundation and I don't yet know what I really need/want from foundation yet. I have combination-oily skin in the summer and combination-dry skin in the winter. I was matched to be a NW25 for the winter in MAC foundation. (haven't matched my summer shade yet)
I tried a LOT of BB creams but almost all of them were too pale for me except Missha Watery. For a while, I settled for an imperfect colour match b/c I loved how light BB creams were and how my skin glowed even after washing the makeup off. (whereas foundation made my skin look more dull after washing it off)
But after getting the MAC Select SPF 15 foundation in the RIGHT shade, I really can't go back to BB creams no matter how much I liked the skincare properties. The MAC foundation I got isn't too heavy at all and gives medium coverage. Maybe I'll find a BB cream in my shade someday!
I've also tried Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra, which is their oil-free foundation. It looked very natural and was also light enough for everyday wear. I can't remember my shade anymore since I bought it years ago.
Anyway, thanks again! And congrats on finding a new HG foundation! 🙂
Hi Jezebella, I know your post wa quite a while back, however, Missha has released 2 new shades for their BB cream – Perfect Cover line. The perfect cover line now has 4 different shades, and it comes with spf 42+ which is AMAZING in my opinion. 🙂 !
you have tried loads of foundations! thank you for the rundown, i appreciate it. 🙂
i recommend trying canmake 5-effects foundation (its a drugstore brand) if you have normal skin. it has medium coverage, gives off a glowy effect. i have it in 03 which is perfect for me.
i also like Lunasol water cream foundation, esp during cooler weather and my skin feels dry.
and Shu Uemura Nobara cream stick for full coverage, it really covers imperfections and stays put even in humid weather. 🙂
hope this helps! 🙂 Happy Valentine's day!
im 26yo, my skin tone is NC30 (yellow undertones), normal-combination. 🙂
Sabrina,
My two current favorites are Hourglass Veil–medium natural coverage (pricey but worth it IMO)and Elizabeth Arden Intervene. I am light/neutral leaning warm, normal to slightly dry adn 50 *cough* something. I've tried many on your list and have been through many months of testing and these two are the brands that get the most use in my rotation. Elizabeth Arden has several very nice fdtns ranging from tinted moisturizers to full coverage who might check them out at the counter.
Thank you SOOOOO much for all the hard work! This is a wonderful post!
~CUG
Thank you for sharing your foundation journey. I've had a similar one!
I'm 40 with sensitive, normal to dry skin. My skin doesn't need a ton of coverage on most days. My coloring is light to fair neutral (NW/NC 15-20 range). My current holy grail foundations are:
– Trish McEvoy Treatment Foundation in Cream. This color is spot on for me. It's been the best match out of any other foundation I've tried. The formula also works well on my skin; however, on some days it may provide more coverage than I prefer.
– Chanel Teint Innocence in Albatre. I love its light coverage and slightly dewy feel on my skin. It has been the only current Chanel foundation that matches my coloring. All the other lines are too dark or yellow. I'm hoping to find a good color match with the new line.
One suggestion for you is to look at the active sunscreens and see if you can notice a pattern with those ingredients and your sensitivities. I've had to stay clear from anything with Oxybenzone or Avobenzone. Both break me out like crazy and cause severe redness similar to a sunburn. These are both commonly used in foundations.
Again, thanks for sharing such a thorough journey with us!
Amazing list! I'm 45+ but still have the oily skin of teenager, only now with some lines (sigh). My HG was Lancome Maquicontrole and I wonder if your readers had any good ideas to fill that void. I've tried Clinique Stay Matte and just don't care for it as much as the Lancome.
My prep is SkinMedica sunscreen (I use RetinA) and I'm a MAC NC 20-25, light with pink undertones.
help appreciated! (PS – the pups are cute!) thanks!
Thank you for the extensive, detailed post! I have Guerlain on my list of things to try, now. I've been conducting my own search, though I definitely haven't been as thorough.
I have typically clear, normal skin with an oily T-zone (drier in the winter), and I'm fair with yellow undertones. I use foundation just to brighten and even out my skintone.
I've been using Tarte's Smooth Operator lately, which feels really nice and has a illuminating, smoothing effect, though it is very light coverage. I also have a bottle of YSL Teint Radiance in 04, which evens out my skin beautifully and gives it a glow, but is a little too heavy for the winter…it settles into my drier skin. It was nice in the late fall, though.
Thanks again for the posts, Sabrina! I now have a nice starting point for further experimentation. 🙂
Thank you soooo much for these helpful cluster of foundation reviews!
I find my skin to be extrimely similar to how you descripe yours, and you seem to look similar things from a foundation.
I too, have had problems using MAC faundations and MSFN, my skin hates their skin products. It's a shame because I have found matching shades and liked the coverage, but just cant keep harming my skin with their products. I am actually thinking now that their powder and cream blush might be harmful for me as well…
I am very interested in trying the Chanel Aqua. I found MUFE's Face&body to be quite nice on me when used on very light hand on only problem ares. I want the effect to be natural as possible and my own skin to shine through.. I hate mat on me, takes all life out.
1. Sensitive, dry
2.Fair/medium with yellow undertones
3. 22
I have normal-dry very fair skin (NC10-15) and use Chantecaille Future Skin in Porcelain. I use very little as a little goes a loooong way. It belends so well that I can use it only where needed and a jar lasts a good while. Future Skin is one of the very few foundations I've found that my uber-sensitive skin can tolerate. I'd be very interested to hear how you like it if you give it another try at some point. Thanks again for your wonderful blog! 🙂
Hello!
I think you should try Sisley's Phyto Teint Eclat.
I am 32 years old, and my skin is combination, fair (MAC 15 or 20) with neutral undertones (yellowish if I'm sick, pinky if the weather is cold…) that is very, very sensitive (allergic to Chanel's Le Blanc and Too Faced Shadow Insurance!) and behaves mostly well.
What I like: light to medium coverage that can be built, perfect tone match, no bad reactions and makes my skin look very good (people think I don't use foundation!). A little goes a whole way and I only need a pump to cover my face. Stands the test of time and with a touch of MAC's Fix+ looks perfect for 12h+.
What I don't like: very expensive.
Quimerula.
1. Skin type- Normal/sometimes dry
2. Skin undertone- yellow
3. Age range- 26
I'm a MAC NC 25, sometimes 30 in the summer. I mostly rotate between using MUFE HD foundation, Korres Tinted Moisturizer and Jouer Tinted Moisturizer. I use Eve Pearl HD Foundation for touchups throughout the day or when I need extra coverage. I just bought a Maybelline Mousse foundation because I wanted to find a cheaper staple. And I'm also using a Rock & Republic face powder that I really like too. 🙂
Chantecaille Future Skin is a thick gel, but a little is only what you really need. I have the best results with using a small amount and sheering it out with my fingers, or using my Sonia Kashuk synthetic flathead brush. I do have to use it with a primer so it can last me more than 9 hours.
I know YSL teint resist lasts a long time on your skin, but I've had difficulty finding a match since the undertones are off on me.
Shu Nobara is a great matte finish foundation that can either be light-full coverage. The slight downside to it is that it doesn't last as long as I would like it to be, plus it's only sold online now.
i hope some of this helps.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE LOL!! Did you know that the Vitaluminere AQUA is now sold at counters?? Got mine today in Beige Sable… it has a lot of Titanium Dioxide 🙁
What a great rundown! I really want to try Prescriptives Traceless now. They still sell it online, so I'm going to order it and use it on those days where I don't need full-coverage foundation.
I have oily combo skin, but it really depends on what I do to it.
I'm fair with pink undertones.
I'm 23!
I used to use Chanel's Teint Innocence but I found that the coverage was a bit too heavy and left me oily after 4 hours of wear. And the smell was a little strange! Sort of like maple syrup.
My Holy Grail foundation is Make Up Forever HD. I know there's huge hype about it, but I am SO impressed. First of all, the color I use (117) is an exact match for my skin, which is something that hasn't happened since I had my foundation custom matched for me! I'm always concerned about the staying power of my makeup and this literally lasts all day. It doesn't make me oily and the finish is super natural yet covers what I need to cover. I can't rave enough about this foundation!
If you can get a sample at Sephora, please try it! The shade options are vast, so I don't think you'll have the same problem you've had with other lines.
I love love love your foundation posts~ My skintype is normal, prone to dryness in air conditioning, shade NC20.
My current HG foundation is Shu Uemura Skin Architect Cream Foundation (764) but it seems it's discontinued in USA already.
I've just ordered Lancome's Ageless Mineral Foundation Powder online & can't wait to try it, as I'm a cool yellow tone and most yellow shades are too yellow for me, but I'm not a pink either.
My foundation concerns are mostly staying power but remain luminous/dewy and coverage since I have a lot of uneven tones & redness. The trouble is foundations test fine on weekends etc, but once I wear it to work it's another story…
Thank you for your in depth on foundation. I am black and my skin is incredibly hard to match. At the moment i am using Mac face and body in c7 or anything by Bobbie Brown in golden. Basically I need to look like i am wearing no makeup so just as a change i may look into chantecaille real skin although finding my color match could prove to be a nightmare.
I wonder if you have any thoughts on Edward Bess's foundation. I like you am a huge fan. I am a new yorker living mainly in Paris so have not tested it yet.
Thank you for tons of enjoyment!
I really enjoyed this synopsis of foundations/powders/tinted moisturizers.
One quick question regarding the new Chanel foundation:
It says to use your fingers. I know you like a sponge as do I, so I was wondering, does applying it with a damp sponge give one a little more "wiggle room" with regards to the setting time?
Hi,
I noticed that the Saks website has teint innocence in shell when I checked today. You may want to have a look.
Hi Sabrina,
Thank you for your wonderful, exhaustive review. This has really helped me discover a new love, the Chanel Teint Innocence which quickly became my HG foundation. I am so disappointed that they are discontinuing this foundation, as I have finally found a formula I love, and the shade 20 Clair-Cameo is a perfect match for me. Other lines are simply too dark/orange or ashy for me. I bought two back-ups of the Chanel and might go back for more. The SA at the Chanel counter was also wondering why they would discontinue such a popular product.
Your review on Vitalumiere Aqua makes me want to try it, but I really still prefer Teint Innocence, and I'm a sucker for the cute glass bottle. 😀
I forgot to add — I'm 30 years old, with combination, light Asian skin with yellow undertones. The Teint Innocence does not make me oilier, and I love the dewy coverage. Doesn't dry my skin out at the end of the day. I really wish they would keep this formula!
Hi I think I have a very similar skin tone to u, I'm matched at mac as medium nc35-40 but it still doesn't seem to have enough yellow and a bit too orangey in certain light. I use shiseido refining liquid foundation spf15-16(love,love,love) as I have sensitive combination skin and this works for that. My breakouts ceased anc my pores are half the size they wete when using other liquid and pressed foundations. Summer I am ochre60 (O60) winter I am (040) and it's perfect may h for yellow tones. It retails at about us$59 for 30ml, or nz/aus $75. Hope this helps:)
Forgot to add… (shiseido girl 060) I'm 25 and have had major skin problems in past and have pores that tend to enlarge when using oils based/liquid foundations and compact powders.
I am looking for a foundation match to la mer caramel. They are discontinuing their foundations. Any experience//info on this color match?
Very informative, really amazing. I feel that you can really help me.. I just turned 40, I don't exactly know the abbrev. of my skin tone. I used to wear Estee Laudre double wear light stay in place in no.2.. I feel it's the closes to my skin tone… but my main problem is wide pores and I hv combination skin going to oily skin… what is your advise for a foundation Thanks Aleli