If the color is off by a lot, it’s an obvious no. If it’s a little light/dark, I might try to make it work anyway. I don’t like foundations that emphasize dryness or look patchy applied!
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I am lucky in that I usually have no problem finding a color match. My deal breaker is if it makes me greasy and breaks me out!
An off color is certainly problematic! Or a pinkish tone, likewise if it’s TOO yellow. Oxidization is a deal-breaker, also. But the biggest issue is if it sets my sensitive skin off by causing new eczema patches, redness, and/ or feeling not quite right while being worn, causing blemishes, anything that shouldn’t be occurring!
I want a good color match, but I also don’t want a same-shade base that robs my skin of vitality. I don’t like foundations that drag on my skin, feel thick, or reveal dry skin flakes. Ohh, and it needs to play nice with my favorite sunscreen. Finding a quality base is a real chore!!
It has to have a good color range and not oxidize when on the face. If there is any transfer, it should be minimal and it can’t catch on any dry patches I have around my nose.
If it looks dry its a nono. Lastingpower and coverage is also dealbreakers. I dont have time for sheer foundations that only last a couple of hours. And color, obviously
The shade has to be correct (or close), it has to provide medium to full coverage without breaking down during a reasonable wear time, and it has to be moisturizing.
To me the feel is very important. If the foundation feels tacky or slips through the day on my face and makes me feel its presence and never sets! Thats a deal breaker right there!
I’m quite fair with pink undertones and drugstore foundations tend to be too pink (WHYY??). It makes me look like a ghost! Or when a foundation is too yellow based I tend look sick… Also, I hate it when a foundation “cakes” to the face and sticks to all the dryness I sometimes didn’t even know I had! Ew. Haha.
Too Pink ? Hey I Need this foundation. I am also fair like a ghost and need a Pink undertone. Here in Germany I feel like the drugstore foundations Are all too yellow Besides the fact that they Are not Light enough.
I live in the Netherlands and usually they don’t sell the lightest colours in stores here. So I ordered the Loreal Infallible 24hr foundation in the colour “015 porcelain” online on lookfantastic.com (UK based website) because it was pretty light and pink! But too pinky for me. I need some pinks but not too much. You could also check out Rimmel. Here they sell the lightest colour (light porcelain) in the Match Perfection range here and it’s pretty light and pinkish as well! I know their other foundations (Wake Me Up etc.) are sold in that colour as well but not here in The Netherlands..
For reference I’m MAC NW13/15 and NARS Mont Blanc though the latter is a tad too dark for me but for a lack of better matches I just go along with it. Haha.
Good luck!
Thank you very much. Will try the loreal
I am Mac NW10.
Please, tell me which foundations are too pink! Seriously, I AM pink and I’ve only found one brand that makes a foundation that is a perfect color match. I’ve recently been looking for an alternative (because I’m starting to think my favorite foundation is going to be discontinued) and finding one with enough pink is quite a challenge.
Which one Do you use?
Dior BB cream in 001 is pretty light and pink but because it’s a BB cream it doesn’t offer much coverage. Also, I tried Lancome’s teint miracle in 005 Beige Ivoire (name of the foundation here in The Netherlands) and it was considerably pink too!
Also, I replied to an other user with some of the foundations I tried! The foundations I mentioned so far had too much pink in them for me, makes my face look too white..
Like I said I’m NW13/15 and NARS Mont Blanc. The latter being a tad too dark for me. Actually, I’m like in between NW10 and 15. I should mix actually but I can’t be bothered (I’m lazy haha).
Good luck with your search! Foundations can be a real pain 🙁
Hi, Kelsey! Thank you so much for the recommendations!
I’ve been using MUFE Liquid Lift foundation in colors #7 and #11. Due to the current low stock (on Sephora and on the MUFE site), compared to the shades available a year ago, I’m feeling a little nervous! Perhaps my worries are unwarranted but, when you finally find the perfect foundation for your skin type in a perfect match, the prospect of having it discontinued is nerve-racking! LOL
Even if it’s not being discontinued, I’d just feel better knowing there’s another option… just in case.
I swatched the Lancome foundations yesterday and they were still too yellow for me. 🙁 MAC doesn’t have a color match for me either (at least not available to the public). The most workable foundation I’ve found (as far as color is concerned) is KVD Lock-It in shade #46. However, both times I’ve worn it, it has creased and settled into find lines. I’m going to try it with a few different primers to see if I get better results.
I will look into the two lines you recommended to Kylie5 (L’Oreal and Rimmel) to see if I can find a match there in a formula that will work for me. I know drugstore brands have expanded and improved since I last used them 10+ years ago so I’m willing to investigate!
Thanks, again, for your response!
Color is off, it oxidizes, it looks cakey, it sits in pores/lines, it makes me oily/shiny, doesn’t wear well, looks like crap by the end of the day,…
Plenty of possible reasons to hate a new foundation, haha.
If (even with primer and setting spray) it makes me look oily, rubs off onto clothing, feels too uncomfortable throughout the day, or disappears off of my face altogether.
The main one for me is colour. I’m very picky, not that I can afford to be when most companies don’t do a shade light enough for me, but there you go. It has to be light enough and preferably neutral. That’s hard to find since I either end up pink, orange or yellow!
Secondly it needs to last on my oily skin. If the foundation starts to break up on my forehead before lunchtime then it’s no good to me because I don’t have the opportunity to touch-up before then. Primer and setting sprays can only do so much!
Those are the main two. A nice matte or skin-like finish would be a bonus. ?
The finish. Too dewy is not my style.
I have problems with foundations running orange. That’s a deal breaker.
I’m OTT picky when it comes to skin match. If I find a shade which is decent enough, there always seems to be something about the formula which doesn’t impress (coverage, texture) and vice-versa. I have plenty of foundations that work on some level, but not all.
Have the Same Problem. Foundation always is right in colour OR in texture/formula
If I can feel it on, its’ a no go. I usually stick to powders for that reason. UDK Naked Skin and the now discontinued Too Faced Amazing Face are my go to liquids. I don’t like feeling as though my skin is being smothered.
I really hate when the foundation pools around my nose and mouth – I have oily skin and this is a not-uncommon problem. I stick to really lightweight products for this reason, I feel like a lot of stuff never sinks into my skin.
I’ve accepted the fact I will not find a perfect color match, in a formula I love, without so mixing involved… The few times I have, it either gets reformulated, DC’d, or the shade range changes. I’ve had this happen several times with both DS & HE. At this point, I settle for a *decent* color match. If I can find a true, beige undertone, within a few shades, I don’t mind working around it. I have a few good lighteners, and bronzers, strategically placed, can help if it’s too light. I’m not quite fair, yet fairer than light, and neutral in the truest sense (beige, not orange/peach).
As for actual formula, I prefer dewy, light-medium coverage, but I often compromise for color.
I also make an effort to avoid certain ingredients, mineral oil being one I won’t compromise on (although if it’s in an inexpensive whitener, I may overlook it for a special occasion, and am only wearing for a few hours).
Colors that look ashy or too pink. Texture that looks dry on and emphasizes skin texture. Coverage too sheer to conceal my redness. These are the big no-nos for me!
I usually go for the lightest shade available, so colour match isn’t really a deal-breaker for me. Besides that, I’ll skip foundations that cause breakouts, look patchy or make my skin feel itchy.
For me I dont want to feel it on my face, it can’t oxidize and I can’t get that weird shiny mask like look. Unfortunately I just described all Guerlain foundations on me 🙁
I prefer light or medium coverage to avoid cakiness. I like a natural satin finish but since I have a matte complexion also some light dewiness or glow is good. Also the foundation has to last most of the day with only 1x or 2x touch ups. And it shouldn’t break me out!
I’ll start off by saying that I check the ingredients first, which weeds out a lot of options (I’m not going to slather my face in parabens, for instance). A heavy fragrance is also a huge no for me. Beyond that I look for a foundation that has a fair shade with pink undertones. If it oxides on me then it’s a no go. Also, if it’s too dry and applies patchy then I won’t use it.
I don’t like super sheer foundations. It can’t accentuate lines or pores. Lastly, the color can’t be way off.
Being shiny After a Short Time although I have used a powder.
Being too yellow
Drying too fast so that is is not easy to apply Flawless
I like my foundations to match as closely as possible but also add a slight brightness to my complexion. It can’t be streaky or accentuate any dry patches and also it shouldn’t settle into pores. I like it to look like my skin but better. I guess that’s a lot maybe I should just look for new skin it might be easier.
Foundations are almost as irritating as concealers to me.
1) Heavy fragrance.
2) Not being light enough. My biggest problem by far.
3) Not for neutral undertones (most run way too pink or way too yellow).
4) Oxidizing, even when used with primer.
5) Feeling and.or looking too cakey, greasy, heavy, or mask-like.
When most of the shades have a lot of orange pigments.
I would say the deal breakers of foundation buying is most definitely coverage, but it has to be also moisturizing and not look very matte. For this woman over 40, it can’t hide and start to crease in the fine lines by the afternoon. I love the feel and look of dewy and glowing as opposed to dry and crackly. It has to be able to handle being on for long hours also, and it has to be heat and humidity proof. Smell and price..would be the last. I don’t care for a foundation with a smell to it. Price, it has to be truly affordable! Hence the dupe list! I also don’t go near any BB, CC or any other two lettered coverage foundations. I like medium to full coverage that is buildable.:)
A good color match is key. The texture is also key. Too thick and I am afraid of looking like I am wearing a mask, too thin and I feel why bother. Also does is agree with my skin, not oxidize, and not need a gazillion touch-ups over the course of the day.
The foundation has to have pink undertones and be a really pale porcelain colour.
Medium coverage and definitely not a matte finish- a natural finish
Parabens are a deal breaker.
My foundation dealbreakers: the color is off; it oxidizes; it makes me look like a grease ball; or it looks like I’m wearing a pound of makeup. I want to look polished, but natural.
Most liquid foundations are too yellow on me. I finally found a powder that doesn’t cake, crease in fine lines or give splotchy spots. I’ll wear it in the heat of the summer but when fall is back I’ll mix two shades (one mousse and one liquid) to get my good color.
As an older woman I do NOT want glitter. Moisture but not glitter.
I have yellow undertones; and i find a lot of foundations having almost all their shades with a pink undertone… Which is a big no for me. Usually go in for high end brands which have plenty of shades, compared to drugstore ones, which have just 3 or 4 shades and then I have to compromise on the shade. I love sheer , liquidy foundations… So obviously i dont go in for medium to full coverage ones. Again; the ones which come without a pump really puts me off ( even the dropper ones puts me off). Would love foundations not to come in a glass bottle… But then, i guess, u really cant have everything u want. I dont wear foundations during the day; so naturally stay away from ones which have spf in it… Instead go in for ones which photograph beautifully. I have normal to dry skin, so obviously, i dont want a foundation which will apply in patches or emphasize the dry areas. During summers, when my skin is more normal to combination, i simply use a primer to keep the oil at bay. And finally, i love a soft dewy look compared to a totally flat, matte foundation.
Most foundations are far too yellow for my very pink skin, making formulas I love either impossible or extremely difficult to work with — which is why I won’t repurchase Guerlain’s Lingerie de Peau even though I LOVE the formula. Also, if it settles into pores and fine lines, even with a good primer, or accentuates dry areas, it’s automatically going back. I will tolerate shine (for which I can use a powder or blotting paper) over looking like a dried-up creek bed. 😉
I have an allergic reaction to some foundations (MAC Mineralize; bareMinerals) so that is a definite deal-breaker.
My ideal foundation has to be light to medium coverage with a luminous finish and staying power. I hate having to touch up throughout the day or having to powder. I also need a fair, pink undertone. For me that’s the CdP luminous foundation to a T.
I have 3 main goals, the most important – it can not brake me out (sadly most skin things I try do) Urgh, I have worked really hard to get my acne under control and don’t want to ruin it. 2nd, I am PALE (basically translucent) and straight up neutral I want a foundation that matches me – pretty darn difficult! 3rd, I have old dark acne pigment marks and I absolutely want my foundation to cover this…Hm maybe a 4th too, it’s a real let down if this mirical foundation doesn’t last all day!
Too glowy and dewy with little to no coverage.
Color matching is hard for me as it is so if something oxidizes on top of that it’s a deal breaker. If it massively dries me out or pools in pores badly it’s out too.
No pump.
If it oxidizes fast – I hate that! Most liquid foundations just don’t work on me, they tend to emphasize texture and blemishes on my face so much more than my HG powder foundations.
If it only comes in a handful of shades then I look for a new foundation. I’m very pale but it’s also disheartening when you see that the darkest shade is an olive tan shade called something like ‘Sand’ or ‘Warm Beige’. Like, beige is the only skin colour that exists? I look for longevity and whether it collects in my smile or under eye lines (I’m only 22! *cries*). If the entire foundation disappears after a few hours and looks like I’m not wearing anything at all then that’s a definite no-no.
Shade, longevity, matte
It’s gotta make my skin look better. At least medium coverage, not looking too dry or too greasy. Maybelline Better Skin lives up to its name. So does Armani Luminous Silk. The Armani costs 4x the price of the Maybelline, but I prefer it for work because I don’t rub tan marks onto paperwork because it doesn’t come off every time I touch my face.
I had the misfortune over the winter to try a product I’d heard was amazing. Some Nars glow foundation. Well the color was fine, but the rash I developed in under 12 hrs was not fine. After some research I discovered that product contains some questionable (formaldehyde derivative) ingredients. I’d expect more from a luxury brand!!! So, if it contains too many “features” it’s probably a no go for me. I’m on CoverFX now and I’m sticking to it!
Has to be a good shade match of course, and can’t be too dry or too oily. I don’t like foundations that feel heavy either. It needs to go on smoothly without streaking, and have a decent wear time. I also dislike if it has anything other than a really, really mild scent at most.