Quick snap of things I’ve been trying out or can’t wait to. Some of these were purchased by me, some were gifted, * means gifted but obvi doesn’t impact my feelings about the actual product because duh integrity.  Illamasqua Foundation ($44) - I purchased this months ago during the sale but I haven’t used it yet and I’m still feeling weird about using Illamasqua products since their terrible handling of their Christmas promotions (just google it, I know we’ll be asked, and I’m not going to talk about it anymore). Illamasqua has amazing, high quality products especially their lipsticks and foundation for super pale people who want intense coverage.  Arrojo Styling Whip* ($18) - I get my hair cut at ARROJO (pics of my hair here) and love both their dry shampoo and their Styling Whip. I never used styling products on my hair when it was long but I think it’s so important now because my hair is super malleable and if I don’t control it at such a short length it can look weird. This is super light and easy to use — a little bit through damp hair to shape it the way you want, and you can air dry. Most mousses and gels etc I’ve tried have been too tacky or gooey but this isn’t. Mario Badescu Caviar Night Cream ($20) - I buy all my MB products during the Hautelook sales but they didn’t have the toner I liked so I picked this and the lotion instead. This is quite thick! I think the Ren one I like to use but ran out of is more like a super creamy lotion, but this is definitely more whipped. I’m still testing it out, I’ll let you know how I like it in a little bit.  Balenciaga L’Essence ($135) - I’ve totally talked to death about this. Yeah yeah perfect perfume I love it etc.  Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer ($39) - Rebought this because I’ve already hit pan on my first one after only a few months! It’s been steadfast in favorites posts since I purchased it. China Glaze Polish & L’Oreal’s Paparazzi Pleaser ($5.99)* - Haven’t used these yet since I’m currently obsessed with Color Club Glitters.  Shoprite Oil Free Makeup Remover ($7.99) - I remove all my makeup using DHC Cleansing Oil now usually but if I have a lot of eye makeup on, I use some variation of the Nuetrogena remover. Target, Shoprite, etc… pretty much all the same formula. I like it best out of all the ones I’ve tried which have often been too oily or weirdly harsh. Illamasqua Poised Illuminator ($20) - I am fond of using illuminators and contour and no blush, so I bought this one also during the sale because I was curious. Still haven’t touched it though. Illamasqua Indulge ($22) - Illamasqua’s lip products have never failed me and make up a good chunk of my collection. Pigmented, super glossy or super matte depending on the producted, but never crappy. Mario Badescu Alpha Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion ($15) - I like using this post cleansing and it really makes a difference for my dry skin — helps it glow, looks brighter etc. High-res

Quick snap of things I’ve been trying out or can’t wait to. Some of these were purchased by me, some were gifted, * means gifted but obvi doesn’t impact my feelings about the actual product because duh integrity. 

  1. Illamasqua Foundation ($44) - I purchased this months ago during the sale but I haven’t used it yet and I’m still feeling weird about using Illamasqua products since their terrible handling of their Christmas promotions (just google it, I know we’ll be asked, and I’m not going to talk about it anymore). Illamasqua has amazing, high quality products especially their lipsticks and foundation for super pale people who want intense coverage. 
  2. Arrojo Styling Whip* ($18) - I get my hair cut at ARROJO (pics of my hair here) and love both their dry shampoo and their Styling Whip. I never used styling products on my hair when it was long but I think it’s so important now because my hair is super malleable and if I don’t control it at such a short length it can look weird. This is super light and easy to use — a little bit through damp hair to shape it the way you want, and you can air dry. Most mousses and gels etc I’ve tried have been too tacky or gooey but this isn’t.
  3. Mario Badescu Caviar Night Cream ($20) - I buy all my MB products during the Hautelook sales but they didn’t have the toner I liked so I picked this and the lotion instead. This is quite thick! I think the Ren one I like to use but ran out of is more like a super creamy lotion, but this is definitely more whipped. I’m still testing it out, I’ll let you know how I like it in a little bit. 
  4. Balenciaga L’Essence ($135) - I’ve totally talked to death about this. Yeah yeah perfect perfume I love it etc. 
  5. Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer ($39) - Rebought this because I’ve already hit pan on my first one after only a few months! It’s been steadfast in favorites posts since I purchased it.
  6. China Glaze Polish & L’Oreal’s Paparazzi Pleaser ($5.99)* - Haven’t used these yet since I’m currently obsessed with Color Club Glitters. 
  7. Shoprite Oil Free Makeup Remover ($7.99) - I remove all my makeup using DHC Cleansing Oil now usually but if I have a lot of eye makeup on, I use some variation of the Nuetrogena remover. Target, Shoprite, etc… pretty much all the same formula. I like it best out of all the ones I’ve tried which have often been too oily or weirdly harsh.
  8. Illamasqua Poised Illuminator ($20) - I am fond of using illuminators and contour and no blush, so I bought this one also during the sale because I was curious. Still haven’t touched it though.
  9. Illamasqua Indulge ($22) - Illamasqua’s lip products have never failed me and make up a good chunk of my collection. Pigmented, super glossy or super matte depending on the producted, but never crappy.
  10. Mario Badescu Alpha Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion ($15) - I like using this post cleansing and it really makes a difference for my dry skin — helps it glow, looks brighter etc.

Hello lovely PD followers! Here’s a mini review of Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup in Caramel 260 $9.99 | link. I purchased this foundation recently because I finished another foundation in my collection (Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Foundation). …and the YouTube hype train is focusing on this foundation so of course, have to see if it’s actually good. 

The color range of this foundation is alright, but nothing to be amazed about since if you’re very pale or darker than me you’re probably not going to find a match. Caramel is the second darkest shade, and compared to other Caramel Revlon foundations that i own, it runs a tad lighter. More on that later…

The consistency of this foundation is very liquidy, and since this doesn’t have a pump (why do all foundations not come with pumps this would be better with a pump), it’s very easy to accidentally get too much product. It also does not break me out which is wonderful for my ridiculously sensitive skin.

Application of the foundation is pretty easy, I either use a stippling brush, an expert face brush (Real Techniques ilu), or my fingers. It looks light on my skin when I first buff it into my skin, but it oxidizes and melts into my skin for a pretty good match. It really does feel like I’m wearing nothing, especially when I applied it sheerly. Lightest feeling foundation I own. It dries down to a semi-matte finish on my skin.

The coverage is light but can be built up to medium - it doesn’t bubble up or gather in my pores either which is a welcome sign because all of my drugstore foundations I own do that. It covers all of my light acne scarring and lightly covers the darker scars; however, you will need concealer if you have darker hyperpigmentation or darker acne scarring for a flawless finish. This is by no means a full coverage foundation.

The wear of the foundation is surprisingly good on my combination skin. I have an oily T-Zone and normal everywhere else, and it lasts without a powder for around 5 hours before it starts to fade. With a powder, it lasts around 8 hours, which is the most time I’m usually wearing foundation anyway. I do have to blot my face after four hours.

Overall recommendation: Would I recommend? Yes, if you’re looking for a lighter coverage foundation and if you find a color match. Is it the best thing ever? No not really and since it’s permanent just wait for a sale, coupons or go to Target/Walmart. I like it (a pump would make this a stronger yes tbh) and I get compliments when I wear it. It’s a good product.

Favorite Foundations - For both dry & oily skin types!

Hello lovely PD readers! A recent ask about good foundations and powders for keeping oil at bay during the day made us realize that we haven’t updated our base makeup recommendations for quite a while. So here’s our favorite base makeup recommendations list!

Chi-Chi

Skin profile

I have oily/combination skin with an oily T-zone and dry everywhere else. Also, my face is prone to breaking out at the drop of a hat and is ridiculously sensitive to life in general. I prefer medium to full coverage foundations since I have a lot of old acne scarring.

My favorites (in no particular order)

  1. Dior Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup ($48): This has been one of my holy grail foundations off and on for the past year and half for a couple reasons. It controls my oil reasonably well, it doesn’t melt off my face in my oily spots, it moisturizes my dry spots and it looks flawless hours later. It provides medium to full coverage (with the ability to be sheered out to light coverage) and has a decent color range. The only thing is that when they expanded the range of foundations, they discontinued the color I used. T_____T
  2. Fashion Fair Perfect Finish Creme Makeup ($24): A new addition to my foundation, my experience with this foundation makes me think “why did I wait so long to try cream foundations.” This I would consider to be my current HG foundation simply because it makes me look flawless for however long I decide to have my makeup on that day. It provides medium to heavy coverage and comes in a great range of colors for darker skin tones.
  3. Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation ($38.50): This is the foundation I gravitate to when my skin isn’t reacting to anything and I just want to cover my scarring. I find that when my skin is being sensitive, this foundation just makes it worse. I love the coverage and it feels really light on the skin. Medium coverage with a minimal amount of product. 

Yeah there are no drugstore products on here. I was tempted to list the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation but while I do like it, it takes a lot of work for my skin to look good with it. It doesn’t give me that flawfree yet skin feeling. Next on my list to try is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. I have been staring at it for a while, so when I go to the Dior makeup counter and find that none of the colors match me anymore (</3), I’ll try the Luminous Silk.

Arabelle

Skin Profile

I have it a lot easier than Chi-Chi when it comes to finding foundation because 1. I am super white and beauty brands bend over backwards for pale people, 2. My skin doesn’t really have breakouts anymore because of my acne medication (before you ask, just check the acne tag for what we’ve tried) so I only have to deal with covering up old scars, really. I have skin that is dry in the winter and oily in the summer. I don’t really wear foundation so my recommendations aren’t very helpful — but when I do, I prefer medium coverage for an utterly flawless finish. I also have pink undertones. 

My Favorites (in order)

  1. Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream ($34) - Aren’t you bored of me recommending this by now? I know I’m bored of repeating it, but it’s honestly all I bother with when I bother with putting on more than concealer and powder. For the best results especially for dry, sensitive skin, apply it when your skin is still damp from cleansing or toning, it’ll make your skin so happy. I would say this is medium coverage. Best for cool toned pale people.
  2. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation ($46) - I have only a few foundations, and I seldom use them because I simply don’t need the full coverage of them anymore. This is a nice buildable light-medium coverage foundation that works well on dry skin and when applied with a Beauty Blender or damp sponge, it provides the loveliest, natural looking finish. Breathable and light. It has a pretty decent range of shades from really pale to medium-dark.

I also don’t have drugstore foundation selections, because I already found my HG face makeup and you don’t mess with perfection. I have plenty of BB creams to play with so I can always stray if I feel bored, but I don’t love them enough to mention them. I think I’ll likely buy another sheer to medium coverage foundation — perhaps NARS Sheer Glow? — to test out for a bit but I’m not going to bother right now. 

When I had really bad breakouts, I lived for this technique for applying foundation.

any recommendations for foundations or powders to keep oily skin at bay during the day?

Asked by
muchmoregrand

Good skincare? No in all seriousness, I have tried everything under the sun makeup-wise to control my oily-combination skin, and I have found the best way to control the oil is through skincare. In my experience, when I found the correct skincare products that I could put under my makeup, the oil was kept at bay. Great looking makeup starts with a great base.

Don’t over powder - cakey makeup doesn’t look too good. I usually apply my foundation, wait a couple of minutes, blot away the excess oil, wait another couple of minutes, and then apply light powder. I found that waiting until my foundation settled into my skin really helped.

As for specific product recommendations, I’ve mentioned my favorite foundations here. For powders…eh. /eh/ Whenever I think I’ve found a HG, something happens and then I return on my search for the one (or couple). The one I keep in my makeup bag at all times is L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder. Been using it since high school and I still love it.

And oil-blotting sheets. Obvious, yes, but oil-blotting > powder. Or a makeup primer.

Goss dishes on the best full coverage foundations ever. He’s really killin it with helpful short videos lately (and by lately I really mean always).

A quick question: How do you pick your foundation and concealer tone? Is it one tone darker or lighter than your skin? Thanks <3

Asked by
shafirashafifi

foundation should be neither darker or lighter, it should EXACTLY match. e x a c t l y!!!! when you put it on it should perfectly blend onto your skin. its not supposed to be a mask! its hard to find a perfect match sometimes but you should. always test before you buy, and in natural lighting.

for concealer, it friends on what you are using it for. illuminating concealer should be lighter. for marks it should be the same shade as your skin. for color correcting it should be the opposite color of whatever you are correcting.

Lisa Eldridge talks about her favorite foundations and concealers for super pale skin (lighter than MAC NC/NW 15). 

the Pixiwoo sisters guide to choosing MAC foundation.