Drugstore Pick: Foundation
If any makeup item is dear to my heart….its liquid foundation. While it would take a colossal turn-of-events to make me believe that a full-coverage Dept. store foundation isn’t the best….I know there HAVE to be some drugstore options out there for a girl like me with the bar set very high.
When looking for the right one, I’m going for:
Coverage: I want it to hide the blemishes and imperfections without a lot of work and layers.
Long-wear: In NO world, do I want to babysit my face and my makeup all day with a million mirror-checks or touch-ups. Sorry, it just isn’t something I have time to watch all day. Once it’s on, it needs to STAY there.
Matte-ish finish. I’m ok with a litttttttttle bit of sheen or natural finish, but too shiny can often look super oily. And I’m not about that. With seeking out a matte-finish, means having to really up the anti on Moisturizer ahead of time…and I do just that!
Liquid: I’ll set/finish my foundation with a LITTLE powder if necessary but…powder foundations can often, (not always but OFTEN,) make you look more dry, a little older, and provide less coverage. I’m totally not anti-“only powder”…I just feel like it’s not the best option most of the time.
Now that you know where I stand and what I look for…let’s get to the goods. I picked up two: I REEEEALLY liked them both for totally different reasons. In fact, it was hard stacking-them against each other for the sake of comparison. Either option works great, depending on what your needs are.
2. Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Stick Foundation: Retails $7-10. I picked this up first and foremost, because it’s listed as a Shine-Free foundation that dries in a matte finish. (Matte is like my love-language.) Plus, its a gel-stick, which is awesome for girls on-the-go. As I figured, it is SO easy to use. Draw lines all over your face, grab a foundation brush and blend it out. (If you use your fingers, you’re likely to get a little more oily/shiny later in the day. No thanks.) If you are oily by nature, the anti-shine core of this foundation stick will work overtime to keep you matte and fresh looking all day. My ONLY complaint and its minor at that: Without a setting powder, this foundation transfers a little bit. I itched my nose 6 hours after applying it and while my face still looked perfect, I did end up with foundation on my finger. A great setting powder, (**my powder reviews are coming tomorrow**!!) will help with its movement but it may be wise to say you could expect a littttle transferring. Verdict: Really liked it. And added bonus...if you're feeling super open to using a stick for contouring, picking up a color that's 3ish shades darker than you can easily be used to contour!!
1. Loreal True Match super-blendable makeup: Retails $9-11. In 2014, this foundation won Allure Magazine’s Reader’s Choice, meaning Readers voted it their fave foundation. Its oil-free, fragrance-free and free of junk that clogs pores. It has an SPF of 17 and contains Vitamins A, C and grapefruit extract to keep your skin healthy, protected and pretty. There’s no way around it. On paper, it wows!! In person, I liked it. It isn’t a super heavy look or finish, so its great for everyone! (I worked mine a little extra and applied a little more to get it as heavy as I like it.) It comes in 33 shades, so getting your perfect match is relatively easy with a little of trial and error. (With any foundation, keep your receipt if you buy it at a Drugstore in case you have to swap the shade once you apply it!!)
My ONLY complaint: It doesn’t dry immediately once it’s on your skin. I had a moment of panic the first time I tried it because my face looked and felt SO wet after I had blended it in with my foundation brush. I took a five-minute break, fanned my face and didn’t touch any other product to my skin until it had set and dried a little. While that’s potentially not a deal-breaker for most, it may be an issue for someone on-the-go with minimal time to sit and wait a few minutes for their makeup to dry. Because of my love of matte skin, I used a powder through my t-zone and cheeks to finish this foundation off. I didn’t notice a ton of transferring with it when I used a powder over it, which I love/need. Verdict: I liked it. It’s full of good stuff, matches your skin-tone great and lasts all day.
Ultimately, foundation comes down to preference and priority. Figure out what’s important to you and run with it!! Hope one or both of these will work for you too.
Try it, love it, tag me @makeupwithme_!!
Xx
