My Foundation Collection 2018
- Amy Nguyen
- May 24, 2018
- 5 min read
Out of all the steps when applying make-up, my favorite is applying the base, specifically foundation. I have been looking for my holy grail for so long--something lightweight yet full-coverage and long-lasting. Because I love talking about foundations so much, I have decided to compile a list of foundations I currently own and place mini-reviews them.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate ($55): Out of all the foundations I own, I think this one may be my number #1. I have bought other foundations when I had this, but I have always returned to this. I have been using this foundation for two years now! The packaging is so elegant and beautiful. The foundation is very full coverage. It was amazing that one dot could cover a quarter of my face so well. The formula is very thick; it does not budge when I place a dot on my hand. Blending this foundation is so easy. The lasting-power is great. My days are usually from 11 AM - 9 PM, and this has lasted me all day without touch-ups. I don't even wear powder with this! Some cons to this product--the shade range is wack. There are perhaps 3 deep shades? If not blended carefully, the foundation can look cakey. If applied with too much product, the foundation can also look cakey. The finish is matte--almost too matte for my preference. The finish can cause the foundation to be mask-like. However, my natural oils solve that issue after an hour or two. The foundation is too heavy-feeling for the summer. 9/10
NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation ($49): I recently bought this a week or two ago when my shade in my Marc Jacobs ran out, and I didn't feel like wearing something as heavy as the Marc Jacobs foundation in the summer. So far, this foundation has been great. It is almost tied as my favorite with the Marc Jacobs foundation. The formula is definitely more runny. The coverage is a medium-buildable. The finish is not radiant; it is on the satin-side. The lasting-power is not as great as the previous one. However, as long as I am in cool conditions, it still lasts me from 11 AM - 9 PM. It is just transferable, so laying on a pillow or touching your face will definitely erase the make-up. The foundation gets very oily towards the end and/or when it gets very hot. I'll just have to use powder and a finishing spray when I know I am going to be in rough conditions. The foundation also emphasizes the texture around and on my nose more. It makes me really sad, but a lot of foundations do that (one exception is the Marc Jacobs foundation). However, I can work with it, so that the foundation still looks decent around that area. Finally, finding my shade for this foundation was pretty hard. I'm around an NC20 and very yellow-toned. Gobi Light 3 was too light but yellow-toned. The next yellow-toned shade was Fiji Light 5, which was way too dark. I settled for Salzburg 3.5, which was warm-toned with its golden hues. From what I read online, warm skin-tones can either lean towards a yellow, a peachy, or golden hue. 8/10
MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation ($36): I think this foundation is underrated in the beauty community. I don't hear a lot of people talk about it. Though, maybe that's because its old. The finish is dewy, and the coverage is full. The lasting-power is decent. I remember that this lasted me a full day while going to school. So, that guarantees at least 8 hours. The texture is a gel, which is a little weird. Something that turned me off from this foundation is its application. When I apply this with a brush, the application feels sticky. The foundation doesn't let me glide my brush across my face seamlessly. Overall, it feels a little gross when I apply it. Moreover, the foundation feels heavy and has an awful flashback. However, as an everyday foundation, I think this a great option. I feel like I don't see a full-coverage foundation with a dewy finish often. 7.5/10
MUFE Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick ($43): I bought this foundation because I wanted something convenient and easy to apply my face with in the morning. The coverage is medium and definitely more full coverage than the liquid version. The finish is dewy. The foundation is very easy to apply. I use this foundation when I have woken up too late, and I need something to even my skin. Unfortunately, I never keep it on enough to test its true lasting power. Though, I don't imagine the lasting power is that long. Because of how dewy or oily the foundation makes my skin look, the shininess highlights the bumps and acne texture on my face. The foundation is unflattering to my skin texture. Moreover, the foundation feels gross on my skin. It feels too heavy. As a result, I only use this foundation when I'm desperate and need to even out my skin quickly. 4/10
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup ($42): This was my go-to in high school. Unfortunately, something happened to my skin along the way, and the skin started having flakey, dry areas. For reference, I have combination skin. The foundation requires major skin prep and exfoliation. It clings on to every flake and dry area possible. It onto areas of my skin that I didn't know were dry! However, the foundation doesn't budge. I once went swimming and came out. And then, my cousin asked me if I reapplied my make-up afterwards! This can be a bad thing if you miss a spot blending in the morning. Blending the foundation after it has settled is a hassle. The coverage is medium-buildable. The finish is matte. Overall, the foundation is good, but it is too much work for results that I don't need. I don't need my foundation to be that long-lasting. 7.5/10
The Ordinary Coverage Foundation ($6.90): To be honest, I just bought this foundation for the purpose of mixing my foundation. I haven't tried a full face of this, so I can't properly review it. I bought two shades: one to make my foundation lighter and one to make my foundation darker. The shade range is easy to maneuver with its undertone given in the shade name. However, when I received the foundations and swatched them, I realized that the lighter shade is actually darker than my current skin tone. That seemed a little problematic, since the color was the lightest yellow-toned foundation shade.
(L to R) Marc Jacobs Beauty Re(marc)able in 27 Bisque Neutral, Marc Jacobs Beauty Re(marc)able in 33 Beige, NARS Radiant Longwear in 3.5 Salzburg, MAC Studio Sculpt in NC25, MUFE Ultra HD Cover Stick in 117=Y225, Estee Lauder Double Wear in 2W1, The Ordinary in 1.2Y, The Ordinary in 2.1Y
Once again, for reference, I am currently around an NC20. The closest matches are the Marc Jacobs in 27 Bisque Natural, the NARS foundation in 3.5 Salzburg, and the Studio Sculpt in NC25. The HD Cover Stick is a little too light. The Ordinary in 1.2Y is too dark. The Ordinary 2.1Y, the Marc Jacobs in 33 Beige, and the Double Wear in 2W1 are way too dark.
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