How can you pick the best foundation for your skin type?
The center of every beauty look is the foundation and it’s essential to pick one that suits your skin. There are hundreds of choices out there and each one is different in formula, texture, finish, cost and packaging. So how do you pick the right one that suits your skin AND equally importantly, your budget? ?
You can’t expect a foundation to be completely perfect, since some look amazing on certain skin types but horrible on the others. However, keep these points in mind and your next foundation search should hopefully be easier! ? As always, before picking ANY foundation – go to www.cosdna.com and find out if they contain irritants, or not. Even though some foundations contain irritants, they do not necessarily have to irritate YOUR skin. I, personally, have very dry and acne prone skin. So if you have my skin type – you are going to LOVE these!
I’ve tried samples of these foundations and have stalked ENOUGH beauty bloggers to know what works and what doesn’t ??
A great tip is to go to Sephora (or wherever you’re purchasing your foundation from) and to ask for a sample. This way you can get color matched and find out how it looks, before making the purchase. But first, how do you know what’s your skin type? ?
ACNE-PRONE SKIN
To minimize the appearance of acne and/or discoloration, the best choices are medium-full coverage matte foundations and/or moisturizing liquid foundations. ? Remember to clean your brush or the sponge after every application and to apply the product with a stippling motion, so as to not press the product into the acne causing more infection.
My 2 picks –
▸ Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup – AED 247
This foundation is my HOLY GRAIL, especially when I have acne or acne scars. ? It is costly so I do not use it unless I need the coverage. It also looks great on camera!! However, it does accentuate pores, so I recommend setting it with a powder. My favorite powder right now is the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless finish, that retails for $58. It gives such a beautiful finish and I, personally, think that everyone should have this in their make-up collection. ?
▸ Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation – AED 245
I am yet to hear a single bad review about this foundation. ? It’s the absolute best!!! It’s a cult favorite and celebrity MUAs swear by it. This foundation is not full coverage, but it is build-able. To add more coverage, I put on one layer and then add an extra layer where I need it. It blends out nicely and does not look cakey. ? I love that it’s not matte nor is it too dewy to the point where it looks greasy, even though I still recommend setting it with powder. It is long lasting; I have worn it for at least 12 hours and it didn’t separate or look bad. Also, it looks amazing on all skin types! The only downside is the price. ??
OILY SKIN
The best foundations for oily skin are the matte ones. Choose a medium to full coverage foundation and apply the product with a sponge or a brush. NEVER use your fingers, because the oil can transfer from your hands to your face. ? Foundations with a matte finish can exaggerate peeling skin or wrinkles, if the finish is too dry. The best way to prevent this is to apply a light layer of moisturizer or serum underneath, although that can reduce the matte aspect of the finish. ?
My 2 picks –
▸ L’oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation – AED 104.16 (On Souq.com)
This foundation has a beautiful finish and stays matte throughout the day. However, I wish the darker shades had more undertones than just red. I apply it without a primer, and it still does not enhance my pores. It is also super affordable! ?
▸ Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation SPF 15 – AED 185
I love this product! I have a very uneven skin tone and this foundation balances it out wonderfully. It is described as medium to full coverage. It can also be used in a small amount like a tinted moisturizer just to even out the skin tone. ? Not only does it sit lightweight on the face, but if you use a finishing powder to set it, it will stay flawlessly on your face. It blends well with other makeup products and has SPF 15, which is great for summer time! ?
NORMAL SKIN
If you’re one of those people blessed with normal skin, the level of coverage depends on your preference. The foundations mentioned above could be used. However, the following also works wonders! ?
My 5 picks –
▸ Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation – AED 213
If you want that J-Lo glow, this is it! It has a luminous, dewy yet medium coverage. It is super hydrating, so it’s advisable to set it with a powder. ?
▸ Givenchy Teint Couture Fluid – AED 220
This formula is similar to the Armani Luminous silk foundation, but has a sheer to natural finish and is glow-y. It is harder to build up to a full coverage and certain concealers don’t blend well with it. ?
▸ Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Foundation – AED 195
This is certainly one of the most talked about foundations and is a full coverage favorite. NikkieTutorials said it was super long-wear and that she could wear it for 12 hours even without setting it with a powder! ?
▸ Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation – AED 170
It has full coverage and a satin finish, with an airbrushed look that looks just like skin. It does get patchy in dry areas though. But it lasts through SERIOUS sweat and is even slightly waterproof. ?
▸ Makeup Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation – AED 215
This is my absolute favorite when my skin has its normal days. This is the best foundation if you want high coverage. It has a semi-matte finish with a slight glow and makes your skin look amazing in photos. ? To get the best finish, apply it to the center of your face and blend outwards.
SO which foundations look amazing in a selfie?
I alternate between the Armani Luminous Silk and Estee Lauder double wear depending on the coverage I want and the look that I’m going for. The Estee Lauder covers my blemishes and looks more full coverage, whereas the Armani side does have my acne scars peeking through at times. ? Needless to say, my current and absolute favorite is the Estee Lauder Double Wear ? I suffer from dark circles and slight pigmentation and the foundation covers all of it! It provides extremely full coverage and makes my skin looks amazing in photos! ?
Naomi’s POV: During shoots I prefer wearing the Huda Beauty #FauxFilter as it gives a powder finish (aka conceals my super oily skin), however, the biggest disadvantage of this foundation is, I breakout like crazy the next few days even if my after-care is spot on! Don’t forget to read the other article uploaded a few months ago on which ingredients in your foundation causes breakouts.
Written and Researched by Priyanka Naga
