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Do you use multiple foundations on your face?


Do you use multiple foundations on your face? Maybe to mix colors or change coverage depending on an area’s needs?

I don’t! The only thing I’ve ever done was mix shades or use a darker shade to contour.

Thanks to Nancy for today’s question!

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35 Comments

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Mallory Avatar

Same here.. but there have been times (specifically during the winter) where even the lightest shade is too dark so I mix in a teeny bit of pure white liquid foundation to lighten it up.

I do agree though, it is nice being on the extreme end of the spectrum

Kristine Avatar

No…I kinda want to try because I heard it really adds dimension to your face if you use a darker foundation on your cheeks and lighter foundation in other areas, but I ca’t afford to get 2 foundations. (I like to splurge on foundation because I feel the better quality is better for my skin)

John Avatar

I don’t because I’m super satisfied with my routine with a single foundation. However my friend swears by mixing two foundations. She mixes NARS Sheer Glow and Estee Lauder Double Wear. Apparently she likes the dewiness of SG and the longevity of DW and it works for her. Plus it allows her to get the perfect color match.

I can see why she does it but I personally have a great color match from a single foundation, not to mention I enjoy else everything about it: finish, longevity, versatility, etc… you name it. xD

Mistli Avatar

That’s so funny, I do the same thing!! For me it was more to get a better color match because the double wear is always too pink but yeah the mix of finishes gives a more natural finish but still gives really long wear that never needs touching up.

Katie Avatar

Yes I do. I am always searching for a holy grail foundation, so I never buy the same twice. As a result I am forced to mix due to seasonal change. I have a light Laura Mercier silkcreme foundation that I bought during the winter, and I have a darker MUFE Matte + for summer. At the beginning of June and end of September when my tan is coming in/fading I mix the two.

Jacii Avatar

Pretty often, actually. Especially with a really flat looking foundation like Revlon Colorstay. I mixed that with my Nars Sheer Glow before I went out tonight for a nicer finish (and because my summer CS is a little dark, so I had to lighten the color a bit). My foundations all have different finishes, so I mix them together to get the exact look that I want for any particular day.

TygerKitty Avatar

I only use mineral foundation and I mix a few colors together to get the right shade for me… I use benefit hula bronzer for contouring because it isn’t shimmery. So – yes and no, yes to get the right color; no I don’t use different shades on different areas.

Nancy Avatar

Yes, since I am older, recently I had to switch to a lighter foundation that is very sheer, otherwise it goes in my pores and wrinkles. But sometimes I still use a medium or fuller coverage on different areas that it still looks smooth on. As you get older, less is really more.

Yazmin Avatar

I do! its the only way i get full coverage, before when i was using one foundation, i didnt got the result i wanted, ever since i mixed my foundations, even ones with different formulas my foundation lasts all day and looks better, my current combos are , pro long wear and studio fix, mufe face & body and studio select, Pro long wear and collection 2000, studio sculpt and ysl tinted mosituriser. My fave combo is estee lauder double wear and pro longwear, flawless face ever. It may seem heavy but it feels soo light on my face and doesnt look cakey at all

monica Avatar

I do, but only recently. I took a makeup course and had to mix to get the right color since I had a limited range of colors. I have some foundations that I love the texture of, but not the coverage so I will mix it with a better coverage foundation to get the best of both.

katie Avatar

I don’t either. I used to because being a POC my face came in different shades and using one color would make be look ashy in some areas. However, I’ve been taken better care of my skin and my face is finally evening out so now I just use a darker color to contour.

Kathy Avatar

I really believe that using foundation to contour and highlight is a legitimate thing and a good idea. It’s easy to buy shades lighter and darker once you’ve been striped for foundation, but it’s expensive if you’re buying high-end. For my personal use, years ago, I started with one shade and then bought the contour and highlight on the subsequent paydays.

brittany Avatar

Yes. I use different foundations for different weather conditions & I use different foundations at the same time to contour. Sometimes different brands a the same time too.

Tamara Avatar

Absolutely. I frequently mix for colour when I’m in between shades, and I have blended different formulations for a more customized effect.

I remember being so frustrated when I had to mix for colour, but now I actually prefer it. Go figure. LOL

be Avatar

I just got the opportunity to try the new foundation from MAC called Matchmaker which has not been released yet. I wore it all day yesterday and got so many compliments on my skin. The credit goes to the Matchmaker it is amazing.

Katherine Avatar

I have to mix at least two foundations to get the color that I need. I fall between a NC 35 and NC 37 but in the summers I can wear NC 40. It’s perpetual summer here in Hawaii for me where I now live. I don’t use Mac on a regular basis, my skin has changed over the past 10 years in very erractic ways.

beth maiorana Avatar

Yes. I have dry very fair skin, and have had a lot of difficulty with just one brand of foundation meeting my requirements- e.g. coverage, finish, shade, moisturization, staying power, transferability, etc- so I have been mixing them, and am usually fairly successful!! Luckily, two drugstore brands work out the most optimally for me. It frustrates me that the lovely highend brands won’t make a shade light enough for my skin (none of the Chanels, not Laura Mercier, I even heard that Cle de Peu is hard to match); I would surely be a customer if they did!!

Donna Avatar

I have MAC NW20 skin colouring and I use MAC Studio Sculpt as my primary foundation however I start with a strip of very pale ivory stick foundation on the planes of my cheeks and down the centre of my nose & chin. At the same time I use a dark tan stick foundation on the deeper contours of my face.

Once those two foundations are placed, I blend with the Studio Sculpt. I find this method to be really effective when I am time poor (most mornings).

Jessica Avatar

I don’t know if it;s really two foundations…but I use a suuuper shimmery BBcream under my lancome teint miracle..makes my face look all glowy but in a healthy way not a “OH gosh…you need to blot” way…lol

Zadidoll Avatar

Yes. I have an unusual coloring and every single foundation I’ve bought be if from Smashbox, Urban Decay, MUFE, Covergirl, Maybelline, etc are either too light, too dark, too orange or too pink. I finally broke down a few months ago and bought a color corrector so now I’m not mixing two or three foundations to get my color.

scrapgalgr Avatar

I use a dark stick foundation for contouring, then I apply a foundation that matches my skintone on the center of my face and then with what’s left on my brush I blend the areas where the two colours meet. If I apply my foundation only, my face looks flat. I’ve also tried to skip the dark stick foundation and contour with a light matte bronzer powder but the result is not as natural as with the dark stick foundation.

Monica Avatar

yeah I do. I have a few spots due to an attack of crazy acne earlier this year, fortunatelly the spots are fading but in the meanwhile I use the Vichi dermablend stick on top of my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer just to better cover those spots. The rest of my face goes rather sheer

Dusty Avatar

ABSOLUTELY! I WISH more people would try it out – Not just for the color options but for the finish options as well. 90% of the time you really need to mix shades to get a perfect skintone match but I also use different foundations in different areas of the face. Example: Dior’s Capture Totale around the eyes and the mouth and MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid around the perimeter of the face. Set the Dior with Purely Cosmetics Diamond Finish Powder. It’s a great look for either dry or more mature skin.

amanda Avatar

rarely i will use a different one on my forehead [oil free] and the moisturizing one for the rest of my face. OR ill use an ever so slightly darker one, but one that still matches the rest of my face, in the centre of my face then the regular along my jawline since its a bit lighter there.. i.e. MUFE HD 120 in the centre and NC20 select spf around the jawline and such

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