If you started fresh today, what five base products would you purchase first?

La Mer The Soft Fluid Foundation, AURIC Glow Lust, Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder, NARS Soft Matte Concealer, and Urban Decay All Night Setting Spray!

— Christine

30 Comments

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Chelsea Avatar

Ohh I love these types of questions!!
Budget no object?
1. Bobby Brown Moisture Rich Priming Moisturizer
2. Smashbox Redness Reducing primer
3. Dior Face and Body
4. Urban Decay Naked concealer
5. Lancôme Fit it and Forget It spray

Aditi Avatar

Dior face and body foundation, Dior forever concealer, Maybelline orange corrector, Nars natural radiant longwear foundation, Becca first light primer (or any other dupe since you can’t get it anymore:( )

Mariella Avatar

Hmmm…does this include concealers? I’m deciding NOT. So, IT CC Cream, Diorskin Forever foundation (the one that’s been discontinued – what else is new?) and Dior Airflash foundation (stupid expensive but so worth it), either Lise Watier or Sephora powder foundation, and Marcelle CC cream to make up the 5th (was that 5??)

Mariella Avatar

Arrrggghh…I see this DOES include concealer (and primer and setting spray). My head has almost literally exploded because even though I rarely wear foundation or base makeup, I’ve a real weakness for setting sprays and for primers that make my own skin look better so I need separate categories for those!

Nicole D Avatar

1. IT Bye Bye Redness Correcting Cream For Face
2. Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Foundation
3. Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camouflage+ 24h wear (shade Apricot Corrector, for correcting the blue in the inner corners of the eyes) + Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear concealer on top
4. Neostrata Defend Sheer Physical Protection Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF50 PA++++
5. Becca Hydra-Mist Set & refresh Powder (it is my HG setting powder, discontinued unfortunately, of which I still have a quarter left).

For the setting spray: I don’t use one on a regular basis. For the winter period, I have recently purchased and tried Milk Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray and I love it (I have dry skin and live in the Eastern Canada).

Blue Avatar

1. Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer
2. Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer (in my redness color correcting shade)
3. an undereye concealer, maybe Shape Tape
4. a loose powder
5. a dupe for Becca Pearl liquid highlighter, maybe the Auric

Cara Avatar

Tatcha Silk Canvas liquid, MAC Studio Fix Fluid, Lancome Dual Finish powder foundation, Givenchy Prisme Libre in Moussaline Pastel and UD De-Slick setting spray.
My holy grail primer, Nars Pore and Shine Control, has recently been discontinued but I would choose it instead of the Tatcha if it was still available.

BrandiD Avatar

Unseen Sunscreen (works as both a sunscreen and a primer for me, so it counts)
Lancome Teint Idole Care & Glow Foundation in 120N
Dior Forever Glow Foundation in 0.5N
Tarte Shape Tape concealer in 16N (eyelid primer and spot concealer)
Benefit Porefessional Setting Spray

Yasmin Avatar

1) Danessa Myricks Balm in shade 4
2) Nars Light reflecting foundation
3) NYX bars with me concealer
4) illamasqua concealer wand
5) Nars Light Reflecting Powder OR Danessa Myricks loose setting powder

Christie Stewart Avatar

1. Beauty of Joseon sunscreen
2. Mac F&B
3. UD Hydromaniac
4. The last sacred drops of my Burberry fresh glow fluid base which is discontinued *sob*
5. Mac fix + (original, coconut, or radiance)

Christy Avatar

1.) I’d need to find a new face primer–currently love Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer but I don’t want to keep supporting the company
2.) Make Up For Ever Hydra Booster Primer for under eyes
3.) Make Up For Ever HD Skin Foundation
4.) Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer
5.) Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Vol. 1 (the trio with Dim Light and Radiant Light), though again, I’d like to switch to something similar from a different company
6 & 7) the above five are first priority, but I’d also want a setting spray similar to the one I have from Urban Decay–it’s one they don’t carry any more–and Lancome Teint Idole undereye concealer

Genevieve Avatar

I love these kinds of questions too!
The base products I would start with today include:
1. Whatever day time moisturiser I am trying out at the time – I’m not particularly loyal to any brand
2. Sunscreen – either La Roche Posay’s 50+ or Dermaveen’s Sensitive Face and Body 50+
3. Nude by Nature’s Primer Correct and Even – a greenish colour to even out my skintones
4.L’Oreal’s True Match foundation in porcelain. My HE foundation (Clarin’s Everlasting has been d/c)
5.. Rimmel’s Translucent Matte Setting powder

Lysine Avatar

1. L’Oreal true match nude foundation
2. Fenty cream blush in bikini martini
3. Ilia mascara
4. Cle de peau concealer
5. Drunk Elephant d-bronzi drops

Zia Avatar

Primer – Maybe Fenty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Primer (my hg was discontinued)
Foundation – Bare Minerals Original and maybe Silk Naturals foundation (again my HG foundation was discontinued)
Concealer – Tarte Shape Tape (I use the tinnniiiest bit)
Laura Mercier loose setting powder

Carla Avatar

Too Face Primed and Poreless, the old formulation
Becca x Smashbox Under Eye Brightener, thanks for giving us a medium shade
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, old formulation
Pat McGrath Foundation
Mac Fix+

Mandy Avatar

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder
Tarte Shape Tape (Creamy)
Tarte Maracuja Oil (For primer)
MAC Studio Finish Concealer
MAC Prep & Prime Spray

Sorry…I have to have 6. Great question:)

Jess Avatar

1. Milk Hydro Grip Primer
2. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Glow…highlighter fluid stuff
3. Missha BB, the one in the maroon tube
4. ABH Magic Touch concealer
5. Kosas setting powder, whatever it’s called.

Jane Avatar

Milk Hydro Grip primer (which I don’t use much now, but really like and need to find what I did with it)
Estée Lauder Double Wear Nnude Water Fresh foundation !!!
PML Skin Fetish:Sublime Perfection foundation !!!
Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation with SPF 25!!

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