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Hit List: Longest-Wearing Foundation
What’s the Longest-Wearing Foundation?
What brand/products win this category? How long does it wear?
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MAC Matchmaster! for me, if it is able to look nice even after sweating in the humidity, then it is as good as gold and that is what makes it the longest wearing foundation…in my opinion 🙂
I second this!!Amazing stuff.
Me three! =D
I’ve put it in serious tests!
(1) Sea World San Antonio, TX for 9 hours
(2) Sea World Orlando, FL for 8+ hours
It definitely lasted way more than those hours if you count travel in. Matchmaster survived Texas and Florida heat and sun, so I was a happy camper!
Estée Lauder double wear, I’ve worn it 15 consecutive hours and it was still going strong!
with my oily frying pan of a face the only foundation that holds up is colorstay…absolutely nothing will stay put. sad isnt it
OK – lots of comments on this one. I wore this in their original formula in the 90’s. It did not budge back then but felt like I had a mask on that I could not take – will be trying it again. AT my late age here now of upper 50’s I am hitting an oily face thing again – have never had parched dry skin but had to stop wearing any day moisturizer about 2 yrs ago and it’s more oily today. I don’t like to wear foundation but a few days a week yet I need something now to even out my skin and control oil. Odd – thought I would get all dry and certainly not oily again as I was when I was a teen and early 20’s.
@Beachgal
I’m just theorizing but it could be because you’re going through menopause. As your estrogen levels plummet, they can no longer mask the effects of the comparatively higher levels of androgens in your body. Androgens tend to increase sebum production, which is why guys tend to have oilier skin profiles than women.
Check with your doctor to see if you can get your hormone levels measured. 🙂
I have a number of long-wearing foundations, but these two stand out in my mind as 10 plus hours: Guerlain Parure Gold, Illamasqua Skin Base and Dolce and Gabbana Pefect Finish Creamy Foundation.
This makes 3 🙂
Yes, I added a third after completing the first sentence.. I type as I think to grammatically disastrous results sometimes 🙂 But thanks for pointing it out! LoL ;P
Definitely agree on all three. And they’re three of my favorites, too. The D&G is so beautiful. The color I have has been too light for me through the summer, but I’m looking forward to bringing it back out soon!
LOVE the D&G too!!! It’s perfect for winter 🙂
Definitely agree with Guerlain Parure Gold. It lasts 24 hours and beyond on me. I’ve tested this with my 25 to 30 hour shifts at work in a VERY drying environment, with no touch ups! I do think I don’t look so hot after hour 24, but that’s mainly because, with no touch-ups, the blush goes, and at that points you just look flat. The 24 hours with no sleep don’t help either, heh.
I was amazed the first time I wore it too.. I have had no where near a 24hour experience with it, but it looked EXACTLY the same after 12 hours. Impressive!!
Revlon Colorstay!
Revlon Colorstay (original liquid stuff). This stuff wears like IRON!
I love my Revlon Colorstay but I think Estee Lauder Double Wear (and Double Wear Light!) is the longest wearing foundation I have ever tried. I live in the Caribbean where the daily highs are between 36 and 39 degrees Celsius, not to mention my oil slick face…and this thing wears and wears like a champ! I especially love how it never transfers to my clothes when I sweat either. Love love LOVE!!!
El Double Wear.
I don’t particularly like it, but it does last forever and ever.
Hi Christine!! Such an awesome blog!! I am a new follower. Keep em coming! 🙂
Thank you!
My current fave is Dior Forever. It wears very well and does a pretty decent job at controlling oil. Second to that would be MAC Prolongwear. I would love it but I find it to be a little flat, almost drying upon application.
Revlon Colorstay. I wear Carmel for Combination/Oily skin. I am glad the scent has changed with the reformulation. I also like their colorstay eyeliners and nail polishes.
Estée Lauder double wear!
Great question, can’t wait to read the responses! In general, foundations don’t last very well on my skin, so I’m always interested in trying long-wearing formulas. MUFE Mat Velvet + lasts fairly well on me, but surprisingly not in areas that get oily. It’s waterproof (or maybe it’s called “water-resistant” – I can’t remember…) and takes extra effort to totally remove – usually by the end of the day there’s more left on my skin than with a lot of other foundations. Revlon Colorstay has similar weartime, but I think it looks more foundation-like than Mat Velvet +.
I’ve tried so many, ELDW used to be my HG along with Colorstay. However, I recently got a sample of Kat Von D Lock It Foundation and my head exploded! I love it! Best I’ve EVER used. Been wearing it for two weeks and still have 1/2 the sample left! I apply over primer with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. FWIW I have medium skin w yellow/neutral undertones-think NC30-35 and medium 54 is a perfect match.
Omg.. when I got the the part where you said “I’ve been wearing it for two weeks” I almost spit my tea out
Then I kept reading and felt stupid
“I’ve been wearing it for two weeks and it hasn’t budged!” looool
I went to Sephora today specifically to get a sample of this. There was no shade that fit me (NC44 MAC). 🙁
I’m liking the wear of the new Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation. It lasts all day and feels weightless.
Shiseido Radiant Lifting Foundation! The best long-wearing Foundation for dry skin.
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 hour lasts forever (I don’t know about 24 hours, but it lasts at least through my work day). I actually like their previous formulation a bit better because I find this one to be a little drying, but it comes in a ton of colors and would probably be awesome for someone with oily skin. I wore it all summer, and I’ll repurchase it in a lighter color for days when I really need my makeup to last and don’t want to worry about touch ups.
I have to agree with this. It does last for a very long time…I do have oily skin so it doesn’t dry me out…in fact, it actually does help my oiliness alone either. It doesn’t slip away because of my oiliness which is nice…if I don’t use a powder or a mattifyer then my skin just looks shiny in the t-zone…and it lessens the no-tranfer claim BUT even at those times, it never noticeably disappears like most others would in the same situation. I think the longest I have worn it was about 15 hours (which is a LOT).
Again, agreed
of the over 50 I’ve tried to this this point
For drugstore: The Revlon colorstay whipped creme foundation
For High End: Tarte Amazonian clay 12-hour full coverage foundation SPF 15 and Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation
For Phototready/Theatrical lines: Kett Fixx Crème Makeup. I mean it’s waterproof foundation. It’s hard to to have it last 48 hours. lol
mac pro longwear! it’s incredibily long lasting, the finish might be too matte for some, but i love the way it still looks perfect (possibly even more nice, because it becomes a little less matte but not oily at all) after more than 10 hours!
2nd to MAC Pro Longwear-I wear it on my 16hr work days and it looks ok by the end (not perfect). I also like Revlon colorstay liquid foundation.
revlon colorstay foundation
Lancome Teint Idole 24HR stays on all day on my very oily skin. It doesn’t change color or fade throughout the day. It’s also the only long wear foundation that doesn’t give me acne.
That’s another reason that I love it…it does not oxidize on my skin (a problem experienced with every MAC foundation I have tried except for Face & Body) nor does it cause breakouts or irritation.
Agreed, Teint Idole is an awesome foundation. EL Double Wear is also amazing.
Agreed on both
Yes that is my fav too!
Teint Idole also works great for me! I love its just-right,natural coverage and it does last long – after 16 hours it still looks good.
I finally tried OCC’s Conceal, and I LOVE it! I know it’s not technically a foundation, but it’s so amazing that I just have to sing its praises from the rooftops. My skin is extremely fussy– oily, with a tiny dry patch on my forehead, huge pores, and looking for any excuse to break out. Every single foundation and concealer I have tried has slid off my face within two to three hours and left me zits in its place. This, however, stays all day and nicely covers the redness in my skin, without making my face irritated or broken-out. It feels totally comfortable, too. I cannot recommend it enough!
OCC Skin – applied with a stipple brush or an airbrush. I’ve seen this stuff last almost 24 hours through weddings, reception, sweating and tears. I’m sensitive to silicones, which makes it even harder to find a great foundation. HG for sure!!
I use OCC Skin on my brides too! It lasts and lasts. I usually assure them that, short of going snorkeling with it on, it will not melt or move on their big day! If they don’t want airbrush, I use Revlon Colorstay: they always call back a few days later to tell me they loved the coverage, light feel and durability, and they’re shocked when they find out what it is… I use the back of my hand as a “palette” when applying, and when I wash my hands after, even with soap and lots of rubbing, some of it is still there… it only comes completely off with a cleansing oil for me. It’s like glue!
MAC Face & Body foundation – feels like skin and when its on, its on.
For me it would have to be the Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation. I love it and it’s absolutely amazing on my oily skin!
Revlon Colorstay.
L’oreal Infallible
Definitely Estee Lauder Double Wear. I always make sure to cleanse twice when I wear it because it doesn’t budge!
Guerlain Parure Aqua.
Tarte Full Coverage Amazonian Clay Foundation
How do you apply this foundation? I tried it a while back and loved the texture, but even when using a primer, it managed to settle into every poor around my nose 🙁
I love Max Factor Pan Stik. It lasts forever (with powder), and I can really control the coverage. Also, I’ve found a great color match in Nude Ivory. I’ve worked long shifts as a waitress many years ago, and this was always my “go-to” foundation choice. Revlon Color Stay is also very good.
MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation lasts a long time as well, as does the Milani powder foundation, which is very similar, but comes in a limited selection.
Estee Lauder’s Double Wear just goes and goes and goes.
Jane Iredale’s mineral foundation is the only thing that lasts on my skin. The pressed base looks almost the same when I remove it late at night as it did when I put it on in the morning. It has even looked okay the next morning when I’ve been sick and not managed to take it off before going to bed. I have extremely oily skin and every single regular foundation I’ve tried has started to slide right off after 2-3 hours.
Estée Lauder Double Wear! That stuff means BUSINESS. It’s a bit hard to remove, but I’ve found that their makeup remover lotion from gets it off well.
I don’t really have one – but now I want to check out the Estee Lauder Double Wear!
Katie B mineral liquid foundation! I get a great 10 hour wear on these…and beyond ^_^
For winter I love Estée Lauder double wear. The longest I have worn it was 15hrs when I was at out of town work events/meetings. I also love Mac studio fix fluid with studio fix+ on top to set it instead of powder and it last all day.
i used to wear glominerals satin II every day but i am finding that dermablend’s smooth indulgence spf 20 is AMAZING. dries down to a matte finish which is great for my combo skin. i happened to have it on for 20 hours the other day(not a normal occurrence, my sis had a baby) and it was still looking pretty darn good!
I completely agree – Dermablend’s Smooth Indulgence lasts forever and has great coverage.
my skin looks the best after 12 hours when i am wearing Laura Mercier oil free foundation..
but I don’t think it s meant to be a long lasting foundation though.
MUFE Face & Body! It’s my holy grail foundation. Most days I wear this foundation between 8-12 hours and it never looks as if I’ve worn it that long when I remove it at night, even on my combo/oily skin. I love it!
I live a lot of the foundations people have been mentioning, in particular Kett Fixx, Dolce & Gabana, Guerlain Parure Gold, and MAC Matchmaster (great wear for a lighter foundation). I also think Chanel Mat Lumiere holds up extremely well. But hands down, the longest wearing foundation I’ve come across,and the one I use about 95% of the time on clients is Temptu SB. It absolutely does not go away. Oily skin, tears, and heat are nothing, and transfer is nearly nonexistent. I use a pro set, but it’s the same formula sold at Sephora.
Revlon Colorstay for my very oily skin, I’m able to make it look less “mask like” with the Real Techniques Buffing brush. Also able to tame the coverage down a bit by adding a bit of my oil control moisturizer. I’ve worn it for about 14 hours straight and it looked pretty damn good just before taking if off!
Revlon Colorstay hands down for me! Although I have to mix 2 shades to get the correct color for me.
So far I think it’s the Revlon ColorStay, although admittedly I haven’t tried too many longwearing foundations. Right now I’ve been shying away from using mine because it’s just a bit too pale for me, but I know that once winter arrives it will match me perfectly.
Revlon ColorStay really has the best staying power (for me), it lasts 12 hours without smudging. My only problem with this is that it sticks on my skin like concrete even by the time that I want to wash it off. Since I don’t need that much coverage for a long time anyway, I gave this up.
Estee Lauder DOUBLE WEAR!
I second this suggestion! I have found that medium or full coverage lasts the longest for me. It also depends on if I use a primer and what primer I use before application.
Hi Katherine,
Just curious, which primer do you find works best under Double Wear?
i found innisfree jeju volcanic pore primer gives me best coverage and long lasting 😀
I agree! And I enjoy the LIGHT version.
I love benefit Hello Flawless! It is so lightweight and does the trick, and it lasts all day long!
I don’t know why but this foundation is to thick for me yet offers no full coverage :\ I got a mini tube as a sample and I only used it once. Neutrogena Healthy Skin liquid makeup works for me because it’s light and has a medium coverage (buildable). It lasts around 8 hours. I just have to use my blotting powder to keep my face matte all day.
Hi Nikki,
I guess it just depends on your skin. The Hello Flawless foundation is meant to provide light coverage and I feel that the Healthy Skin liquid makeup does at well. That foundation, however, does not do anything for me at all and I don’t get how it’s compared to NARS Sheer Glow.
Diorskin Forever is designed to last 12 hours, and I usually average 9 – 10 before a primer. If I use a primer, set with a teeny bit of powder, and add UD All Nighter, I can get up to 16 hours! No other foundation I’ve tried comes remotely close!
Definitely revlon colorstay liquid. Not the mousse formula though.
Guerlain Parure Extreme is the best i have ever used personally. I just wish they had a better shade range.
Drugstore brand: Revlon Colorstay
High-end: Estee Lauder Double Wear
I used to use Revlon Colorstay but when I have gotten a chance to use Estee Lauder Double Wear, I was hooked and didn’t really mind if costs a lot since I used a small amount and it really worked for me. Tried and tested in very hot and humid places like Singapore and Philippines and I got compliments on how my skin looked flawless and they didn’t detect that i am wearing a foundation
Dermablend…. and I feel you need the rub really hard to remove it, then use your Clarisonic with a scrub to make sure it’s all off.
YSL Teint Radiance and Nars Sheer Glow both have very impressive lasting power! These make my skin looks so nice and healthy throughout the day. My long day usually starts from 5:50am, that’s when I put on my makeup. They are applied after primer and set with powder. I don’t do touch up and they still look as if I just put on at 9pm. They serve me so well that I cannot come up with any tiny complaint other than the prices lol!
I once thought Dior’s liquid foundation last well, but by the end of day, my skin looks much more dull than the days I wear YSL and NARS.
Yes, Revlon Color Stay en Estee Lauder Double Wear are great, but the new Clinique Stay Matte oil free make up is the winner! Lasts impeccably through a total-sweat-spinningclass, looks fab on skin en the package (squeeze tube) is much better than the glass containters of Revlon and Estee. And no perfume or alcohol either!
I totally agree! Clinique’s Stay Matte is by far the best long wearing foundation I’ve tried. I love how light it feels on my skin and while it is “matte” it still has a natural appearance to it.
Lancome teint idole… If I am not wrong it says 16 hours but I never stayed that long with foundation but with primer it lasts about 12 hours or so (I need to use primer because of my oily skin, but I believe it can stay that long without a primer on dry or combination skin)
Estee Lauder Double Wear
Max Factor Pan Stick
Maybelline Super Stay, It’s Perfict!
With good genes and because I cleanse and moisturize, I’m fortunate to have good skin. Bare Minerals loose foundation in Medium/Medium Tan and Urban Decay’s Tinted Moisturizer in Bulletproof or Bodyguard are my favorites. Moisturizing and SPF protection are soooo important. I live in GA, and even in the awful humidity, both of these products do their job great. I never feel like I’m wearing anything on my face. Both get great coverage with little product.
revlon colorstay long wear foundation, i haven’t find another yet .. 🙁
Ben Nye matte foundation
Shu Uemura face architect foundation
I have pretty oily skin, and I’ve found Smashbox Studio Skin 15 hour is awesome in wear time. I’ve had it last at least 12 hours on me before it starts to wear off. The new Kat Von D one is also great for wear, although a little too heavy for my taste.
Revlon’s Color Stay with Ben Nye Luxury powder in my T-Zone.
Revlon Color Stay Long Wear.
Estee Lauder Double Wear.
For me it’s Mac Pro Longwear (lives up to its name). Even when mixed with Moisture infusion serum it stays on literally till I take it off, both shine-free and healthy sheen at the same time. As my skin is seriously oily, this is my HG foundation.
MUFE HD foundation lasts on me…but I do always use a primer…
May I suggest a topic for the hit list?
I’m not sure if this has been done yet, but best/worst duochrome polishes.
Make Up For Ever Face & Body Foundation lasts the longest, even over sunscreen.
Second place is Revlon Colorstay for Oily/Combo Skin. MUFE has a more beautiful finish, though, and it’s easier to wash off.
Estee Lauder Double Wear is absolutely fantastic! Mac Pro Longwear comes in a close 2nd. I use Missha bb cream underneath as a primer or Rachel K, let it dry then dab on some of these foundations and my makeup looks perfect still by the time I get home…