Foundations 101

Foundation really is the most important part of your makeup routine and once you've got the formula just right, the correct colour match and the desired finish, you are good to go with a perfected base that will make most other products look ace. I've always loved trying out different foundations, seeing what works for me and what doesn't, finding which brands pull it out the bag for bases and after testing a tonne of different types, I've come to terms with the fact that matte foundations are not for me and I am all for a light-medium coverage with a dewy finish that lasts a decent amount of time. You may think that 9 different foundations is a lot, but each do their own thing with different finishes and formulas. Of course I have my daily go-to choice but there's also a foundation for the day when I need it to last me hours and the tinted moisturiser for a 'no makeup, makeup' day, not to mention the CC cream for something that feels super light weight but gives amazing coverage. There's a bit of everything here and hopefully a base for everyone, so let's get started and talk all things foundation... 

Starting with the most expensive and luxurious of them all which I save for special occasions when I need something more heavy duty and long lasting that gives me flawless looking skin... yes, you guessed it, of course it's the wonderful Giorgio Armarni Luminous Silk - the foundation that ViviannaDoesMakeup made me by and got me hooked on. You probably all knew this would be in here, but it's just a classic and one that can't be ignored in the foundation world. I use this in the shade 4 which is a near enough perfect match for me, I could probably get away with 3 in the winter however. If I have a full busy day ahead of me or a am going out in the evening, then I'll be wearing this because it applies just like skin and is basically flawless skin in a bottle. I work about 1-2 pumps of this into the skin with a buffing brush which provides me with a medium coverage which can be built up to full. The finish of this is incredibly natural looking with a more a dewy look than a glow. Another foundation which is towards the top of the high end scale in terms of price is the famous NARS Sheer Glow. This has been my daily go-to foundation throughout the year as it is just so natural looking and easy to apply. There is no faffing with having to spend ages working it into the skin, I simply dot about 3 splodges on my face and press it in with my beauty blender. The finish of this is absolutely beautiful, a definite glow with a medium coverage which doesn't at all feel thick on the skin, the consistency is very creamy and light to avoid any caking or clogging of pores. Despite being a glowing foundation, if you have dry patches or very dry skin then I would either avoid this one or ensure your skin is prepped with a tonne of moisture and hydration with a decent primer slapped on before the foundation as it can stick to dry patches. Nawt a good look. An alternative to a foundation, but something that still offers a decent coverage and a dewy finish is the Bourjois CC Cream. Feels like a tinted moisturiser but looks like a foundation? You got it. This CC cream is something every beauty lover or blogging maniac should own, it has an incredibly light formula which feels very thin and gives the impression it would be a light coverage but once you've buffed it all in, it makes your skin look totally flawless and offers something of a similar coverage to Sheer Glow. 

On the drugstore side of things again, we have one of my absolute favourite foundations and my definite favourite from the drugstore; Bourjois Healthy Mix. Another product I speak very highly of on my blog and recommend to anyone who's after something more budget friendly. I wear the shade 52 Vanille which turns out to be the ideal shade for my skin tone at the moment, meaning I don't have to worry about spending time blending it in for minutes, I can simply pump a bit on, run my stippling brush over my face and I am good to go. The finish is very similar to Sheer Glow - a medium coverage with a subtle glow that brings my skin back to life. Another great drugstore foundation is Rimmel Wake Me Up, again, another glow getter (you can probably start to see a pattern forming here) which gives a light - medium build-able coverage but as more of a shimmer to it when blended in and gives some serious radiance. The consistency is a little thicker than Healthy Mix so I have to spend a bit more time buffing it in, but it still is quick to apply and lasts me all day. Estee Lauder Double Wear Light is actually a foundation I find very similar to Rimmel's wake me up, in terms of the formula and finish. The consistency is again slightly thicker and not to lightweight feeling but once applied and blended in, the finish is absolutely stunning and offers something that can be worn as a thin layer for a bit of extra colour and to even everything out, or it can be built up for blemish control and a more made up look for the day/night. 

The most beautiful of them all and the one I will continue to buy for the rest of my life is the Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser, I go on AND on about this one and if anyone asks for a good summer base or a lightweight option, this is the only one I will recommend (or one of her other formulas). When I haven't been bronzed in the sun then I wear Bare Radiance which evens out my skin tone, adding the sheerest of sheer coverage but ultimately giving me the most incredible looking skin with the most beautiful glow of them all and when I've been in the sun I opt for Golden Radiance which warms up my skin and adds a lovely sun kissed look, making me look healthy and luminous. The foundation option for a light weight sheer coverage is the Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich. Becasue this is such a light weight formula, you can layer it up and up and can even achieve a medium coverage finish but the only problem is that due to just how moisturising and juicy looking this is, it isn't the best in terms of lasting power and will slip off your skin quicker than the rest so a powder is essential here and maybe the oily girls should avoid this one, but dry skinned girls or skin that is dehydrated will suck this one up and it'll be a new favourite. 

What are your foundation favourites?