What's your favorite foundation? (brown, lotion, drugstore, red)

[FromEverywhere]

Originally Posted by Ming Ming

I love colorstay, I used that a few years ago. It does stay on without rubbing off, but after a month my skin started to get really dry so I had to stop using it.

I''ve used that one this winter and really liked it, but I've gotten a lot tanner and so I don't know what shade I should get next. It's always so hard for me to get a good shade from the first few tries at a drugstore.

Originally Posted by tilli

I have acne-prone, extremely pale skin with mild rosacea. I'm combination with oily and dry areas and some ice pick type scars on my nose, cheeks, and chin, and I am really sensitive. I've been experimenting with a lot of different foundations trying to find one that will work for me. So far my favorite is Lancome Teint Miracle. I love the finish - it is satin finish, halfway between dewy and matte, so it looks very natural. The coverage can be light or moderate if you build it up a bit. It makes me glowy, but not glittery or sparkly. I like the packaging, it comes in a pump and one pump is enough for a thin layer over my entire face and a little extra for my problem areas. It is not perfect - the lightest shade (Ivoire 1N - can't get this shade at Sephora, you must visit a Lancome counter) is just a hair too dark for me once it is dried, but if I am careful when I blend it, it works. It tends to break up a little on my nose and cheeks by midday, but it is nowhere near as bad as most brands I tried. I get the best results if I use a foundation brush - I use the Sephora Pro #56 and it was worth every penny, but I have been able to get pretty good results applying with my fingers. I use MAC blot powder to set it, which I actually like better than any other powder I have ever used, but I wish it wasn't quite so efficient at mattifying.

You've just described my skin. Like it's oily and dry at the same time! I'll ask for a sample of the lancome one and see if it works for me

Originally Posted by Sweet*Tea

Chanel also has a good one called Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra light that is perfect for the summer.

I've read great things about that one, so will have to get a sample of that too

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

So is Bare Minerals on the outs? The Clarins rep was trying to imply the line is not as good/"pure" as it was?

Anyone using Clarins?

But honestly.... how do you guys afford trying foundation?!?! How can you spend 30 bucks a pop, try it for a few days, realize it is the wrong shade/wrong type/powder is bad/matte is bad/blah blah....

And honestly.... I hate going to make-up counters and I know they are more expensive, but I really need someone to help me try things and give me some feedback. Of course, I should know by now I can never trust what a salesperson tells me anyway.

Like all other foundations, I have a love/hate relationship with Bare Minerals...depends on how my skin is feeling. A make-up artist recently told me that the same way we dress differently depending on the weather, we should dress (foundation) our skin differently depending on how it's feeling that day.

I can skimp on mascara, blush and lipgloss, but I don't skimp on foundation since that's the base of a good made up face. If the foundation I like happens to come from a drugstore then that's a bonus, but if not, then as long as it works for me, I'm willing to pay $30+ for it. I personally can afford it because I have a good income, and at 23 and not married with no kids, I can spend all of my money on myself. However I know others afford it because they budget for it and cut out something else they don't need instead. For me flawless skin is a priority, so even if I didn't have my income, I would make do without something else so that I can purchase a foundation that works for me. Also I usually ask for a sample first to make sure I like it before I purchase a bottle. Sometimes after purchasing a full-size bottle, I end up not liking it and just take it back to the store. They all usually have some kind of return policy.

[PureHapa]

Bare Minerals is not on the way out - Shiseido paid a billion bucks for it. They have a big counter space at Macy's now. The trick to Bare Minerals is the skin prep. If you wear a moisturizer that's too thick, the powder foundation will stick to it and look weird. You need a moisturizer that leaves a smooth finish for the powder to glide over. You need to keep the brushes clean, and of course find the right shade for your skin. I mix two shades and add a bit of shimmery "Mineral Veil" into the mix.

And one container lasts a long time.

All the department store makeup counters have foundations to sample, so you don't have to buy one before trying it. Some counters will make samples for you - they'll put the color you want in a small container for you, just ask.

[Alinka]

i swear by max factor panstick because they have some choices that are quite yellow or neutral. I also find it easy to use. I also liked the Revlon active stay for its nice golden shades but cannot find it anywhere anylonger.

[FromEverywhere]

many of you mentioned Max Factor. I remember seeing it in drugstores when I was younger, but I don't see them anymore, are they discontinued in the States?

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by FromEverywhere

many of you mentioned Max Factor. I remember seeing it in drugstores when I was younger, but I don't see them anymore, are they discontinued in the States?

Yep -- it couldn't beat back it's old fashioned persona.... and so now it's just in Europe -- some things are still available at Drugstore.com...

[MsAnnThrope]

Originally Posted by sfcambridge

I hate foundation, but I need to start using one... ugh. I'm 43, and working with many peers younger then me with better skin.

My dermatologist recommended Bare Minerals for my acne prone, sensitive, pale, ruddy skin (I sound like a prior poster...).

So I went over to Nordstrom and Bare Minerals was relegated to the boonies (I think someone ?rolled their eyes when I asked where it was) with no active person at the counter. A pre-teen looking salesperson came over and put it on me and did a terrible job (I had watched a YouTube video on application techniques). As I was walking out, a more mature make-up person at a different counter actually stopped me and told me "that doesn't look good... that is the wrong foundation and wrong color for you..." Ugh. I knew she was right that it didn't look good, but I was hoping it was just the poor application. Part of me just wanted to sneak out, but then I thought I should go back and at least switch to a lighter shade.

But instead, on my way back to Bare Minerals, I got bamboozeled into a free "facial" and I bought Clarins Ever Matte foundation. Of course, a foundation looks better after you have been cleaned/hydrated/moisturized etc... Was I a sucker? Of course...

So is Bare Minerals on the outs? The Clarins rep was trying to imply the line is not as good/"pure" as it was?

Anyone using Clarins?

But honestly.... how do you guys afford trying foundation?!?! How can you spend 30 bucks a pop, try it for a few days, realize it is the wrong shade/wrong type/powder is bad/matte is bad/blah blah....

And honestly.... I hate going to make-up counters and I know they are more expensive, but I really need someone to help me try things and give me some feedback. Of course, I should know by now I can never trust what a salesperson tells me anyway.

Price is really important to me too, as is quality...fortunately one doesn't always equal the other.

Max Factor pancake is one I was also going to mention. We can still get it here in Aus and no doubt you can get it online. It's cheap but good.

I know Elizabeth Arden is good, plus I found it online at a great price. I have fair skin so I just get the fairest of whatever brand, and most suit me...it's usually called "ivory".

I've always been a bit dodgy about bare minerals, I tried a mineral once and it was awful on my skin, now I read on here you've got to "prepare" your skin? Forget it...I like something I can just swipe on and forget, which is for me, a pancake style...plus this sort of formula seems to set best on my skin and last the longest.

It is against my religion to pay more than $30 for a foundation....makeup is hellishly expensive in Aus so now I can get a good quality one without breaking the bank, by buying online.

[TiredOfSFL]

It took me a while to warm up to the idea of mineral foundation because I thought it was too much trouble having to get all those brushes and I found the different kinds of powders confusing. At one time I'd ordered some free samples online from a then new company but since I didn't go out much after trying them once or twice they just sat in a drawer for a long time. However, a couple of years later I developed dark spots on my face and wearing foundation became a necessity. At first I looked for Max Factor Pancake, which I'd used many years before when I had a bout of acne but I only found one place who had it and just a few colors, so I tried a couple of drug store brands (didn't have much $$ to spare) which were very disappointing. Then my daughter, who'd been using mineral foundations for several years and always looked fabulous wearing them, convinced me to give them a try again.

So I went online and joined a mineral makeup forum to read reviews and opinions. At first bought a few unused samples from other members, then finally decided on ordering the sample kit from Silk Naturals, a mix-it-yourself matte foundation system designed especially to help dryer skin types, it's sold in small bags of white base and the tint base separately which makes it very economical, and the sample kit which has 4 different tint bases is very inexpensive, but one can also buy any tint base for $0.99. There are 3 different coverage types to choose from (light, medium & heavy, plus a glow base for those who don't like the completely matte look), they also have vegan base foundation (without the powdered silk). I started out with the heavy and later mixed it with some glow, and recently ordered the medium because after using a bleaching cream my spots faded away so I need less coverage. I like that by mixing the white base with the tint base the mix can be adjusted according to my skin tone variations throughout the year, besides, because so little is used mineral cosmetics last longer, they also have a longer shelf life and some of the powders are "multi-taskers" so after the initial investment it's very economical (unless one becomes addicted to trying different blushes and eye shadows!).

To deal with the seasonal changes on my combination skin, during the summer I use Silk Natural's oil-control powdered primer over my oily areas before brushing on the foundation, and in the winter I first apply a natural skin cream to which I add a few drops of skin oil and finish up with a home-made fixing spray made with chamomile tea (the original calls for gree tea but I didn't have any), glycerin, Vit. C & E and I've never had any problems, with dryness. Mineral foundations are very long wearing and at most all I need is a touch up with a finishing powder or even a tiny bit of baby powder over my oily areas. I must add that I'm in my 50s and I always get compliments when wearing mineral makeup so I know it was the right choice and I would never go back to any of the other stuff.

[AnonChick]

Bare Minerals except in the winter, when I switch to MAC Studio Fix (fluid).

How do *I* afford to try all these expensive foundations? Simple. I sample them. If you get your foundations at a department store counter or at places like Ulta/Sephora, you ask for a sample. If they don't have any already pre-packaged, they'll make one for you. It'd be around 4-7 days worth of sampling, and it's free. Bare Minerals used to give out 10-day samples of their foundation back when they first hit Neiman Marcus, but I don't know if they're still doing that.

At the pharmacy, if you're trying regular store brands, well most pharmacies have return policies. CVS lets you return anything they sell for a refund if you bring the receipt, before I think 2 weeks or 30 days. Including makeup.

[sfcambridge]

Thanks everyone for so many good ideas/experiences.

I need to sample more. I didn't know that this was the norm since I never shop for department store make-up. Thought I was already behind the times for going to the department store since buying online is so economical.

Sounds like I need to figure out how best to "prep" my skin before using foundation. The lotion my dermatologist recommended (cetaphil spf 15) is thick, leaves me wet and shiny and red and maybe I can't go straight from this to foundation anyway.

It also never occurred to me that you would use different foundations during different times of year. Thanks for this good advice.

May I ask, how many of you with difficult/combination/acne-prone/sensitive skin types use a primer under their foundation? I feel like my skin is just drowning under layers of lotion with sunscreen, acne products, foundation already and sometimes bringing out my flaws/wrinkles rather then hiding them.... Is using "the right" lotion first, the secret, to allow the foundation to go on better.... or do you use primer?

[PureHapa]

If you have acne and other skin issues, I wouldn't use many products. Cleanse with a good cleanser containing salicylic acid and/or bentonite clay, moisturize with a light lotion - Aveeno has excellent, inexpensive products in the drugstores.

I you have skin problems, I would stay away from liquid foundations and most conventional powders, as they probably contain too many pore-clogging ingredients. One reason Bare Minerals and its copiers have become so popular is that it contains few, clean ingredients that are non-acnegenic, non-comedogenic, etc. Beware some copied products have many ingredients.

At night use a treatment lotion that contains retinol, like ROC, also available in drugstores.