Finding the PERFECT foundation!

Every girl knows the struggle involved with finding the perfect pair of jeans and the same applies to the search for the perfect foundation! There are so many options on offer, yet every girl’s skin is unique. My search for the perfect coverage lasted ten years and I still was not satisfied - so I set on a mission!

Step 1: Researching all options online based on what I thought would suit my skin type (normal to combination with hormonal acne), reading countless reviews and articles to create the ultimate shortlist of about 15.

Step 2: I dedicated an entire day to traipsing around department stores and beauty counters, with my shortlist, requesting each one be applied to my face and comparing them to one another. This helped me narrow down the list more and left me with a list of about six pretty great foundations.

Step 3: At this point, I requested a take home tester for those shortlisted so that I could test them at home with my usual primer and day to day make up. Many ladies were supportive of my research and totally understood the struggle, although some were slightly unimpressed with the time they had dedicated to me for me to just leave with a tester. Oh well!

Step 4: Each day for the next week I did my usual skincare routine, followed by my usual primer and concealer and topped with a foundation tester. I would complete my usual make up so that I could compare like with like and I wrote a diary entry for each day recording; longevity, colour, shine, coverage etc.

Below are my brief notes on each foundation

Day 1 – Laura Mercier Silk Crème foundation

• ·      Hot summers day: 28 degrees
• ·      Great to apply, has a lovely texture
• ·      By about 1pm I was shiny and by 4pm it was extremely shiny
• ·      It oxidized throughout the day and was the wrong shade by the time I got home
• ·      Conclusion: Not suitable for daywear during the summer, however it had great coverage and I would definitely buy this for an evening or winters day foundation. I have since purchased this for evening wear and winter days and I do really enjoy using it because it has fabulous coverage, but it is definitely not for summer because it is quite thick and creamy!

Day 2 – Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation

• ·      Hot summers day: 27 degrees
• ·      Very full coverage, I look a bit 2 dimensional
• ·      Quite pink in tone, did not suit my cool skin tone
• ·      Creased during the day around my ‘smile lines’ and forehead (and I am 23 years old!!!)
• ·      Conclusion: Really not impressed with this. Too fake looking and not the right colour tone for my skin.

Day 3 – Chanel Perfection Lumiere

• ·      Hot summers day: 30 degrees
• ·      Medium coverage but very shiny
• ·      ‘pathetic attempt’ my slightly harsh words read…
• ·      Conclusion: This clearly was not for me, however I have heard many great opinions on this foundation and I would like to try it again in winter. I think this would suit people with dry skin perfectly!

Day 4 – Hourglass Veil Fluid Foundation

• ·      Hot summers day: 29 degrees and humid
• ·      Very full coverage, lovely to apply
• ·      Oxidized and changed shade throughout the day
• ·      I was quite self conscious wearing it and could definitely feel it on my skin
• ·      By 6pm I was patchy
• ·      Conclusion: This foundation was a bit ‘blah’ and did not wear nicely. I would however love to try the immaculate liquid to powder foundation by Hourglass!

Day 5 – Shu Uemera Face Architect – HOLY GRAIL!!!

• ·      This day changed my life!!!
• ·      Perfect full coverage yet glowy
• ·      Great colour for my skintone
• ·      At 5pm it had come off slightly but didn’t leave me patchy or shiny, there was simply slightly less product on my face – perfect wear!!!
• ·      Conclusion: I purchased this foundation the very next day and have since gone through 3 tubes!!! I absolutely love it for the summer, as it feels very light yet has full coverage and is very buildable. In winter, I prefer a creamier foundation but will definitely keep this for summer days and more natural occasions where I still want full coverage. LOVE IT!!!

Thank you for reading my very first blog post!!! I really recommend this technique to finding your perfect foundation – it is truly worth the time and effort it takes!!! I hope this helped and please remember that each skin is unique and what may look crap on me, may look lovely on you!!! 

Love, Catrin xo