Ah foundation. From the very moment I realized my skin was not magazine perfect in middle school(before I knew about the evils of Photoshop...) I've been looking for the perfect foundation. My search began way back then in the aisles of Walgreens. I still remember choosing from the likes of CoverGirl, Wet and Wild and Maybelline, horrified that I'd choose the wrong color, which I often did. I'd end up cake faced or too oily or too white or too pink.
In my early 20s I discovered Benefit's You Rebel tinted moisturizer. I loyally used it up until they discontinued it in favor of Big Easy which I'm sure I'll be using for years too come. I also love their Oxygen WOW foundation and their Some Kind of Gorgeous compact even though it's chronically sold out.
The amount of money I'll spend on cosmetics has double and tripled over the years. I've gone from Walgreens to Ulta to the cosmetic counters of Macy's and Nordstrom and of course my beloved Sephora. And somewhere in between that time I've felt myself start to repeat "well you get what you pay for..." But brands like E.L.F., Wet and Wild, and NYX have emerged and are widely known to have some amazing dupes for some of my favorite high end brands. I can't get enough of my E.L.F. brushes or my NYX Butter Gloss or my favorite limited edition Wet and Wild lippies. So I decided it was time to break my fear of drugstore foundations too. I've tried many more than 5, but here are my most recent ones.
Physicians Formula Youthful Wear $14.99 Ulta
This foundation claims to have spotless coverage, 12 hour wear, improve dark spots, and says you'll look up to 10 years younger instantly. It also has a brush included in the packaging which your supposed to be able to use to blend the foundation to perfection. As soon as I pulled out the brush, I knew it wasn't going to be used. I'm very committed to my Beauty Blender, but the brush was rough and cheap feeling. The packaging itself is cute and I know a few higher end brands are doing the whole dropper bottle foundation thing. So I get that. But as soon as I pulled out the little dropper I just wasn't a fan. A pump would be a vast improvement on this little guy since the formula is pretty runny. The coverage itself was great. It was very full coverage right from the start. But even the darkest color was too light on my skin. I was tempted to still try to make it work with a little bit of creative bronzer. Until I noticed that the super strong smell it gives off would not go away. Not in 30 minutes, not in an hour, not after doing some chores around the house. It gave me a headache. So if you have a weak sense of smell, this may be worth a try for you!
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer $11.99 Ulta
This is actually supposed to be "an alternative to foundation," and boasts retinol and SPF 20. It's available in 6 colors, and each shade is supposed to be a bit flexible in the blending department. I will say that this is definitely more of a tinted moisturizer. The coverage is super light, which could be great if you were just using this as an everyday complexion enhancer. It also gets points from me because of the ultra light weight packaging that still somehow manages to have a great quality pump. I have a feeling this wouldn't weigh down my purse too much if I decided to take it on the go for touch ups. But it just didn't last. With primer and setting spray and all. Unfortunately I think this formula isn't quite perfect yet.
CoverGirl TruBlend Liquid Makeup $9.99 Ulta
TruBlend claims to be able to match 99% of all skin tones and I believe it! This was the quickest I've found my color ever. It matched my skin tone perfectly. It went on great and I was basically in love. Nice simple packaging with a sturdy pump. However, an hour after applying I went to get my eyebrows threaded, and my eyebrow guru was not impressed. She remarked on how oily my skin seemed that day. She's such a charmer. But she was correct, my face had become a slip and slide without any of the fun. I did give it a try a few more times, tried it with my favorite Urban Decay primers and a matte setting spray. It just seems to melt right off. So although I won't be buying this particular foundation again, I would be up to try other items from the TruBlend line because finding my color was painless.
Loreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup $12.99 Ulta
Get ready to glow because this is only for those who are all about that natural look. This is the exact opposite of any matte foundation you will ever try. Lumi gives a fuller coverage than a tinted moisturizer but somehow manages not to look cakey. It's like my skin but better. I love the handy pump and the super easy blend-ability. The color selection is also fantastic. My only issues were that it just doesn't seem to be a long lasting formula. Also it did settle into a couple small lines, which is not the look you want when you want a natural looking foundation. I still love it, but I do apply lightly, if at all near my laugh lines.
E.L.F. Flawless Finish Foundation $6 Target
I had to save the best for last. This was actually recommended to me by my friend Miranda. I've loved E.L.F. for a while, so I was surprised I hadn't tried this little lovely yet. Flawless finish is available in 6 colors. Somehow I managed to choose correctly and I got Buff. The packaging is heavy, looks expensive, and (hooray!) a pump. Gorgeous full coverage from the start, perfect blended with my trusty Beauty Blender. Not too oily, and very lasting when I used my primer and makeup setting spray. I can honestly say that this little guy may be going into my regular rotation.
What I really learned from this whole thing is that times have changed when it comes to cosmetics. Most of my friends that I talked to don't wear foundation at all anymore. A lot of them, like myself, have ditched it for tinted moisturizers or BB and CC creams. We want a more natural look but we want a little bit of coverage. We want our go to cosmetics to be packed with antioxidants, SPF, retinol, vitamins, ect. We're expecting more, and we should. As women, mom's and wives, we're expected to do it all. So why shouldn't our cosmetics?
No comments:
Post a Comment