It was either MAC Studio Fix Fluid or MAC Face & Body, but I think it was Studio Fix Fluid! (Do you see a trend? Perhaps MAC was my gateway brand, eh?)
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The first one I personally purchased was the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation, but prior to that my sister got me the BareMinerals loose powder one (I wasn’t impressed), and a friend passed on a Maybelline BB-type thing (I also wasn’t impressed). That Bourjois one is still my absolute favorite (I got samples of a few before I bought it and did a bunch of research beforehand too), I think the first high end one I bought was the Estee Lauder Double Wear. I since have collected about a half-dozen foundations that I keep on rotation depending on the day…
I don’t remember what it was (something from the drugstore, maybe l’Oreal?), but it was too dark and too warm. 😀
I remember being able to get away with using my Mom’s foundation, bizarre considering that I’m an adoptee! But her “Cool Olive” by Idk anymore who made it, worked pretty well. But then I decided to buy one with my allowance…Covergirl, because most of the girls in my HS used it, not on shade was a real match, but I settled on a bottle of rosy-beige. Too long ago to remember its exact name, but it looked HORRIBLE on me!!! I went on quite the hunt over the years, but the darker medium shades of back then were usually, I honestly believe, made just for Oompa-Loompas!
About 1984, it was CoverGirl Clean Make-Up in the lightest shade, which still would have been too dark, and oxidized to boot.
Me too! Ahhh that Noxema smell…
Haha! Don’t forget the Christie Brinkley ads! 😀
Oh, that was about 30 years ago. It was definitely DS, probably Cover Girl, because it was suppose to be a “clean” foundation for teen skin. All of the DS foundations I tried were terrible, lots of orangy or pinky shades that didn’t match my yellow undertones, and darker colors for WOC didn’t even exist. When Prescriptives finally launched, I was so excited, I saved up money and bought a custom mix, except they didn’t do the color matching right (the store had bad lighting), so it was still too light, but better than DS.
you and me both. Prescriptives custom blend was a total EUREKA moment makeup wise for me. I am light with yellow and green undertones. I do not think mine was absolutely perfect each time they mixed it either, but certainly a huge step in the right direction. At that point, I had nothing to compare it to match wise because it just didn’t exist.
Prescriptives was also a eureka moment for me! I never even tried the custom blend, but their regular foundations matched me better than anything I had ever tried before.
(First foundations were probably Clinique. I won’t go anywhere near Clinique now.)
Exactly Leah. I think they were ahead of their time in terms of creating foundations with undertones suitable for real skin tones. Everything else was garishly pink (which looked so fake even on cool complexions) or muddy orange.
OMG, got my Prescriptives custom blend foundation (and the powder!) at Holt’s on Bloor and E V E R Y time i repurchased, the colour was different. I agree that i don’t think that it was ever the exact match but it was much better than the Clinique one i was using before that.
I still love the idea of a custom blended foundation.
And speaking of custom blending anyone heard or seen the new Adorn Make up Pen? I’m very curious….
LOL Helen. Thanks for the laugh. I had the same issue with the same counter. But even a wonky batch was still light years ahead of the competition. 😀
Prescriptives was my first high end foundation! First of many!
Besides the tinted moisturiser i used since like 13 ( acne…) that was from Macon (anyone still know this brand?) plus powder to set, my first foundation per se was one from Max Factor, no ideea what the name is…it sucked basicly…
Then one from Loreal, better but still not satisfied so i started looking more high end and my mother understood the need, bless her kind soul. ( i was very self concious about my face, i still am to some degree cause of my scars)
It was a fluid foundation by a brand then called Gemey, which later became Gemey-Maybelline (in France). I can’t recall the name of the foundation but I remember the shape of the tube!
It was Neutrogena because I was worried about breakouts and I could just go to the drugstore to purchase this
Revlon ColorStay, and Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation. I bought them both at the same time and loved them both. I use high end foundation now, but I do think those are still great foundations.
My mum gave me Estee Lauder’s Cyberwhite BB cream but my first ever purchase was Revlon’s Photoready formula. Still an excellent foundation!
Covergirl Clean Liquid and it was terrible lol.
I think it was Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse 😀
MAC Studio Fix Fluid. And I wore it every day.
The first one I remember purchasing and liking (Because being so pale nothing matched me in the Drugstore or MAC). Well, it was the Original Every Day Minerals Intensive Full Coverage Foundation in Olive Fair. It was also a HG foundation for me for years until the brand F’ed up their makeup line. Because they were bored and decided to reinvent the wheel.
I’m bitter about the brand because of reasons I won’t get into here, but now I cringe every time a Vlogger recommends the brand and I want to scream “You don’t know how good Every Day Minerals was and how crap their product are now!” and believe me, I was checking out samples of their new formulas… waste of money and time years later.
This one I remember! It was Covergirl Continuous Wear foundation.
Probably a Lumene powder foundation or Rimmel’s Stay Matte liquid.
Mine was the Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation which is a beautiful formula but proved to be too drying for me.. I had actually been wearing makeup for about 10 years before I bought my first foundation! From the ages of 14-24 all I wore was eye makeup, lipstick, and blush. Now, 3 years later, I can’t survive without my favorite hydrating formulas!
I didn’t start wearing foundation until I was out of high school. I was blessed with really good skin genes lol….I didn’t even wear foundation for my senior pictures and they told me the pictures were un-retouched. BUT…around 20 years old I bought my first bottle of Cover Girl makeup. I used very little of it. I’ve always used a light hand with foundation. I pump one drop onto my finger and dot it all over my face and blend it with a wet sponge. I now use Lancôme Renergie foundation….sheer coverage and it plumps the skin. I love it.
Almay Clear Complexion makeup because it was cheap and for acne-prone skin. I was probably around 12 or 13 when I started wearing it!
some reallllllly shittty l’oreal liquid foundation that i had no idea how to use in like eighth grade. hahaha
I think it was Bare Minerals.
In the 80’s ultra matte foundations were de rigeur and my first was one by Lancome. I can see the bottle, but can’t remember the name. The shade I chose (Ivory) which was too light for my skin (Siouxsie and Robert Smith from the Cure: I hold you entirely responsible for the awful photographic evidence held by my friends) and not in the least bit flattering, but I thought I looked very cool.
Neutrogena Tinted Moisturizer was first but if that doesn’t count, then it was L’oreal True Match, the original formula. I can still remember because it was only 5-6 years ago…
I think it was a dual powder formula by Lancome.
It was a clinique tinted moisturizer!
Mac Studio Fix Powder foundation
Fashion Fair Cream Compact Foundation – one of the only lines to cater to women of color in the 70 or 80s.
Revlon Colorstay.
“Custom blended” from the derm’s office…and I may as well have caked house paint on my face, that’s how heavy it was! (Hilariously, for my next visit, the doc gently mentioned to me that I was perhaps wearing make up that was too heavy and dark. “Well, I got it here- one of your aestheticians mixed it up.” “Oh, uh, well…maybe she can fix the color for you…” *quickly changes subject*
I went home and trashed that sucker, needless to say.
L’oreal True Match foundation
Can’t remember exactly, but it was a Cover Girl one with that Noxema smell that was a couple shades too light and pink, espectially in the summer. The year, probably 1984.00
LOL I think I had the same one, was horrible!!
I only tried a tinted moisturiser a couple if times in my teens, it was too dark for me and put me off buying foundation until I was at uni in the mid 90s. Then I bought Lasting Performance by Max Factor and it wasn’t too bad, I only used it to cover up spots, as was the fashion then and not have a full face on. It’s still available today.
L’Oreal True Match in R3, about four five years ago. Not the best for oily, neutral fair skin…..
Clinique Even Better! I don’t like it as much now because it’s way too full-coverage for my skin now. The shade I bought was also way too light haha
I think MAC was everyone’s gateway brand lol. Once I got the hang of things, that was the first “big girl” brand I gravitated to. My first foundation was from Revlon though. It was the Colorstay foundation which I really liked. May have to go back and revisit that one some day
MAC Studio Fix C3 pressed foundation and MAC Studio Fix foundation in NC 25. I think that was all they had back then (19 years ago) – just powder or liquid option of one formula. Broke me out horribly but I kept using it because I needed the coverage because of the breaking out (vicious cycle). I’m glad they have a Mineral makeup option now, even if it does not have full coverage or the longevity that Studio Fix has.
It was definitely Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect foundation, about three stades too dark for me! I wish I’d had a colour match because it was actually a lovely foundation. However, now they seem to have discontinued it anyway. ?
The first foundation I ever bought myself was Estée Lauder Double Wear. I still use it when I know I have a long working or traveling day. It has never let me down, the formula hasn’t changed and it looks good for hours if it suits your skin type. I use several now, but always have it in my rotation.
I believe it was Cover Girl – probably the only one available way back when : )
Another tough one! Whatever it is probably doesn’t exist anymore. It was an Estee Lauder loose powder foundation. They made it in the 90s and it was way too pink for me. I think I switched to a liquid – probably Estee Lauder since that is what my mother used. The exact foundation doesn’t exist anymore either. Sadly, the match wasn’t great and I couldn’t figure out how to apply it without the line of foundation. In my early twenties, I rarely wore foundation, just a touch of Neutrogena concealer. After that, I used some Neutrogena foundation from the drug store, but only for special occasions. When I started working full time, I started wearing foundation regularly. I went to the mall and ended up wearing a Bobbi Brown cake foundation meant for oily skin that did not last at all. Also, the shade match was off. It was too dark. After repurchasing a few times, I gave up in disgust and found YouTube and the internet. First, I started with Revlon Colorstay and then I found Estee Lauder Double Wear. I finally found colors that match with the Estee Lauder line but I found the actual foundation too heavy. I then experimented with a LOT of different foundations until finding my HG foundations. I have gone “steady” with MUFE HD (old formula – I still have 1 bottle left) and Mat Velvet Plus (depends on my mood, I love both) for over a year.
I’m fairly certain that I bought some CoverGirl foundation in junior high, and it was an orange mess. The first foundation brand I actually remember buying was Clinique – Superbalanced maybe?
Noxzema and never used it….
Hmmmm…. ‘Twas probably circa ’89…definitely drugstore…probably Cover Girl or Maybelline. Probably not the right shade. 😉
Covergirl’s CLEAN LIQUID FOUNDATION MAKEUP. It was great when I was younger but now I hate it. It looks muddy and disgusting on me now.
I cant quite remember the brand, perhaps L’oreal?? But it was a mineral powder foundation that made my skin look dryer with little coverage though actually the colour match was pretty close, pretty sure it was just too pink toned. Still looking for that perfect foundation but my choices have definitely improved, always the high-end stuff now :3
Aveda powder foundation, I wore it for years 🙂
Oh wow, it was the Cover Girl Clean foundation for acne LOL, in the shade Creamy natural (too dark! ) I was like 11 and I swear I can still remember the way it smelled! 🙂
Probably a Revlon foundation that totally unsuited my skin colour and I remember purchasing a Max Factor one that was better. I used my mum’s as a trial too – we both had the same very fair complexion.
This brings back old memories, but my fiirst foundation was Loreal’s Mattique, which I absolutely loved back in the day.
First foundation was Revlon Colorstay; it was way too thick and too full-coverage for me at the time so it totally turned me off of foundations for the longest time. I only just started wearing foundation regularly since discovering some favorites a couple years ago (i.e. in my late 20s!)–I didn’t even wear foundation on my wedding day.
Cover girl clean makeup!
I think my very first one was by either Neutrogena or Cover Girl. I remember the shade looking kind of wrong on me (too light) and I also vividly remember hating the finish of the stuff so much (kind of powdery on dry-down, which still isn’t my thing). I also didn’t like the coverage. I was so unhappy with the experience that, for years and years later, I wouldn’t touch liquid foundations; I was strictly mineral powders and BB creams/ tinted moisturizers for ages after that. Now, I wear all kinds of foundation formulas, of course, but I’m *still* a stickler about finish. LOL Funny how these early experiences can shape preferences a little more than we realize sometimes.
I purchased YSL Fushion Ink and it is very very goooood! This foundation suits on me very well. Look matte, natural,and long wearing. I absolutely repurchase but in anothe shade because i got too pink undertone.
Well, I’m talking late 60s, early 70s for me! I can’t recall which was my first but it was one of these: Bonne Belle, Estee Lauder, Germaine Montiel or Love Cosmetics. Drug store foundation colors were so awful back in the olden days!
Covergirl Clean in whatever the lightest shade was!
First was an Elizabeth Arden my mum bought me in the late 60s. Very pink, but I was then. Only used it for formal dances. Does anyone have to do that Schtick anymore? Hope not. She got me my first HE l/s at the same time. They were both satisfactory, and I used them up. That pattern (using up) sure didn’t continue! First personal purchase of liquid was Prescriptives, the darkest of the light pink toned. Then I ventured into Jane Iredale powder, which I still prefer to BM. Now I add ColorDrops to whatever Paula TM.
I think it was L’oreal and I remember I got a lot of compliments from people because my skin looks flawless wearing it. It was L’oreal True Match in shade G3. I spent two bottles of it and then I turned into Korean BB cream (Skin Food Red Bean BB Cream) and I’m already in my 3rd tube. Maybe I should try to buy that L’oreal True Match again to see if it is still as good.
I can’t remember my first drugstore foundation. I think it was a maybeline one and it was for prom. My first high end foundation was the Mac mineralized foundation in nw20. I went through 3 bottles of it!
One of the Clinique ones back in the 80’s.
It was something called cornsilk I loved it. It was like when I was 13 years old!
I remember Cornsilk. I used their powder.
It was a liquid foundation by Mary Kay that I ordered with a slew of other MK items about 10 years ago. It felt a little heavy on my face and probably provided more coverage than I really needed…and I used to apply it with a wedge sponge! I have certainly evolved in the beauty department!
The first one I purchased was by Maybelline (I don’t remember the name). The color was AWFUL & I couldn’t return it, so I tossed it & bought Revlon ColorStay (the original formula).
It was a liquid foundation called “A Little Cover” by the brand Love’s. The same company that still makes “Love’s Baby Soft” cologne that I’m pretty sure you can still buy at the drugstore. I don’t think they make makeup any more.
My first foundation was Bare Minerals original foundation because it was my mom’s holy grail 😀 the first liquid foundation was the NYX Invincible foundation in a shade that did not match my skin at all. Months of mixing in moisturizer and yellow-toned concealer to make it less weird!
I have absolutely no idea. I don’t even remember what I wore in high school, but I know I used the same one for years! I do remember the Coty Air Spun powder, so I must not be suffering from complete amnesia! =)
Smashbox’s BB Cream, even though it’s not *technically* a foundation. But, that’s how I used it then, and that’s how I still use it! The first real foundation came a bit later– Benefit’s Oxygen Wow. Gosh, I guess I’ve shied away from heavy coverage, since day 1!
My mum bought me an Elizabeth Arden compact cream-to-powder foundation when I was 16 before my semi-formal event and it was beautiful. I bought it for a few years after that, despite the price tag. I suppose the first one I ever really bought though would have been the Cover Girl foundation stick. I also loved that! It was super cheap and easy to use.
My first foundation was the Mac tinted moisturizer with a skin finish on top. Wore that combo every day of my junior and senior year of college.
Wow these questions are so difficult at my age. I remembered using a high end whipped foundation in the early 70’s, maybe Estee Lauder, or Elizabeth Arden, or another similar brand. It covered everything but I don’t recall the name. It was so long ago.
The first ever foundation I ever purchased was the Maybelline’s Clear Smooth All in One Foundation. Drugstore make up that you get what you paid for. But it was good for everyday use considering | bought it back in College.
Maybelline dream mousse foundation lol
After that the Mac studio fix fluid
It was Maybelline Wonder Finish which I got as part of a first basic makeup kit for prom. Since buying a facefull of makeup was about the same price as getting makeup professionally done for the occaision, I figured it was a better investment to get a few items.
I had no clue how to use it and I didn’t know how to take proper care of my skin so it didn’t look too great on. lol
Fashion Fair
mine was Natural Mat from Maybelline 😀
It was Cover Girl and I was 8. I quickly realized I needed something lighter toned and went to L’Oreal Mattique in Ivory was a great match for me and I kind of wish they still made it.
Merle Norman
MAC Matchmaster. I didn’t wear foundation until I was in my late 30’s and I wanted a good one. I liked it but I purchased a very dark shade for my skintone so I couldn’t use it a lot. Even in summer it was a little bit dark for me.
I didn’t purchase my first foundation until the summer after college! It was Almay Pure Blends in the squeeze tube.
It was a zillion years ago— Estée Lauder Fresh Air Makeup Base in Newport Beige. I loved it. Guess what? They still sell it and it looks exactly the same!
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ in Nº30.
I have repurchased a bottle in Nº20 (a bit light, but still usable). Now that my skin is combination dry (oily with dry flakes), Mat Velvet+ is too drying to use all-over, but WONDERFUL WHEN MIXED WITH LIGHTWEIGHT FOUNDATION or BB cream (1:1 ratio, slightly more of the lightweight product). My base stays on so much longer (less product breakdown/patchiness/obvious pores) while still being easy to apply. Amazing how my first foundation remains a staple in my product rotation. ?