The foundation that you put on your face is similar in role to that of a foundation that you lay under a house – it is the base of everything that is about to go on top, it allows everything to sit well and it is a necessary step to take in order to achieve a flawless outcome. Like the foundation of a house, the foundation you use as part of your makeup routine needs to sit properly, provide the amount of coverage needed to conceal the base and not wear or break down easily. Who knew that building and makeup were so similar? 😉
There are so many types of foundations available, from light to heavy coverage, dewy to matte and pale to dark. It totally depends on the person what type of foundation they use, I personally prefer medium to heavy coverage and something that isn’t too dewy and that has good staying powder. These three foundations are my favourite that I’ve tried from high-end makeup brands and I would really recommend each of them. They are quite different, however, so I thought writing a piece on each would help out anyone who is looking to try a new foundation and doesn’t want to take the risk in spending a fair amount of money on something they may not like. We all know how it feels to buy something that costs a lot, and for it to be used once and then left at the bottom of your makeup bag – but thanks to blogs we can read extensive reviews and know more about the product before we buy. I hope you enjoy reading, makeup reviews are some of my favourite posts to read.
I’ve been using MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid for nearly a year now, and I love it today as much as I did the first day I started using it. As I’m quite pale I use the shade NW20. This shade is slightly too dark for my skin tone but matches well with fake tan, which is what I intended when buying it. I would rather buy a foundation sometimes that is a bit too dark for me than a bit too pale, as I’d rather be slightly more tanned than even paler than I already am. As you can see from the photo, the foundation comes out darker than it looks in the bottle. The one pump I put on my hand as a swatch is the same amount as I would use for my whole face, so the coverage is buildable and you can work your way from medium to heavy coverage. This foundation is matte, which is great for nights out as it doesn’t come across shiny in pictures. I wouldn’t use this foundation during the day, although it has SPF15, as I find the heavy coverage a bit too much for day-to-day wear. This foundation conceals blemishes and redness in one application and blends seamlessly into the skin. I would recommend buying a darker shade if you want to wear it on nights out and you’re pale skinned and wear fake tan, but a great thing about this foundation is that it begins in NW10, a shade perfect for us pale-skinned people. I might just have to pick one up because I love this one so much, it is long lasting and doesn’t budge after wearing it for hours, it doesn’t stick to dry patches either. The formula is quite a thin liquid, but it isn’t so thin that it’s runny. I love applying this foundation with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. If you’re looking for a medium to heavy coverage, long lasting foundation – this is for you.
Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme Foundation has received a lot of hype in the beauty world, and after reading plenty of reviews online I decided that I had to pick it up, and am I glad I did! I had never bought anything from Laura Mercier before, but this product really matched the high standard I expected. I was matched to the shade Rose Ivory, which suits my skin tone perfectly. It is paler than MAC Studio Fix, but it doesn’t wash me out. It also blends well with fake tan, and doesn’t make my face and body look two different colours – it’s the perfect in-between shade. The consistency of this foundation is rich and creamy, I only use it on special occasions for that reason. It is thick, but blends and sheers out really well and can be applied again and again until you’ve reached your desired look. It leaves a luminous, but not dewy, finish, brightening and illuminating your skin. The foundation literally feels like silk on your skin, it smooths out bumps and perfects the skin’s surface. It provides full coverage, concealing any redness and imperfections, but doesn’t leave your skin looking cakey. Laura Mercier really hit the makeup jackpot with this foundation, it ticks all of the boxes for me.
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation is talked about by nearly beauty and makeup fanatic on the internet – and for a good reason. As you can probably tell from reading my reviews of MAC’s Studio Fix and Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme Foundation, I was in desperate need for a day-time foundation for a while. I used BB creams and tinted moisturisers, but some days just call for a light foundation. I wouldn’t agree that this foundation is sheer, it gives a medium coverage. The shade I use is Mont Blanc, it matches my pale skin perfectly on no-tan days and doesn’t make my skin paler. I use a stippling brush to work this into my skin and it blends in really well. The coverage isn’t as high as that of Studio Fix and the Silk Creme Foundation on application, so any red patches or blemishes need an extra bit of concealer, but not much. Once again, this foundation is buildable and can go from medium to high coverage for nights out or if you feel like you need more. For me, this foundation is perfect for day-to-day wear, it lasts through the whole day, isn’t too heavy and isn’t drying on the skin. It doesn’t completely mattify your skin, it leaves a bit of a glow, as you’d imagine from the name. It doesn’t make your skin shiny or oily, though. If you’re looking for a matte finish, a bit of powder on top will do the trick. I am so glad that I picked this foundation up, it’s a firm favourite.
If you’re looking for a new high-end foundation I would definitely recommend any of these three, they are a bit pricey but are totally worth it. A little goes a long way with each of them, Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme foundation lasted me a whole year!
What are your favourite foundations? If you’ve any drugstore foundation recommendations I would love to hear them!
*You are stronger than you seem, braver than you believe and smarter than you think*