When I started out, I liked fuller coverage and a very matte finish, and then I moved toward light-to-medium coverage with a natural finish but lately, I’ve been enjoying medium, buildable coverage with more of a matte finish (as my skin has been less dry).
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I used to think of foundation as just boring base. But now I consider foundation much more important like another layer of skincare. When I was younger, I was oily and I only wanted a foundation that would control shine. Now I look for SPF and anti aging ingredients.
And in the past, I only used one foundation until I ran out. But now I have many different kinds of foundations, primers, tinted moisturizers, and BB / CC creams. I experiment all the time with different textures, finishes, shades, etc.
So I’m always buying and sampling new brands. And if I get tan or pale, I try to blend colors or end up buying new shades.
Definitely much more picky about having a great shade match than I had been previously! Not that I didn’t get rather obsessive about it before, just didn’t exactly have the options open to me like now. As for finish, I tend to prefer a “natural” looking finish. Not flat matte, not shiny looking, either. I’ve always needed a medium coverage foundation, at bare minimum. Even my CC cream by It has medium coverage! And with skin like what I have underneath, I need that plus spot concealing.
I use to prefer a matte finish as my skin was pretty oily. When I started noticing my foundation was catching on dry patches, looking cakey and settling into my fine lines and wrinkles I moved towards a more luminous finish.
It hasn’t really. I’ve always used medium coverage matte finish. I have oily skin so I’ve always used a foundation that has worked with that so I’ve always been about mattifying the skin and controlling oil. Creams, cushions, serums and stick foundations just aren’t for me. Recently I bought bare minerals for the first time so I’m using a mineral foundation with a matte finish on my oily skin. I’m impressed with how light weight it feels. Still need to blot and powder my face throughout the day but it’s less heavy on the skin and it does cover!
I want a lighter feel, sun protection and a somewhat dewier finish all in one product. I used to be all about matte, matte, matte, but now, expect maybe in the dog days of summer, I do want a bit of glow/dewiness. That is probably the biggest change as I’ve never really liked full coverage or looking like I’m obviously wearing foundation.
Same here I have dry/combination skin and do own several few from medium matte coverage to light but prefer the lightest I can find with a bit of luminous touch. I only want to even out skin tone or some redness but don’t like the heavy coverage of some. I’m loving Maybelline Fit Me! And Lumi from Loreal, also the BB cream from Loreal almost finished. Boots No7 go on very nice too but have a bit more coverage. Oh! And also have the Infallible. All great actually. I wear very little bit.
I still prefer a matte finish, but I accept lighter coverage. When I was younger, I would always go for full. And probably looked horrible.
Over the last 5 years, I have been consistently looking for full coverage because of my age spots. But 5 years ago I wanted a very matte finish, but as I grow older, I find that I need (and love) something more luminous.
From my teens to early 20s I knew nothing about foundations, and I used mostly drug store liquids because that’s what my mom used. I was happy to find something that kind-of matched my skin tone and didn’t oxidize too quickly. (No face primers back then.) My 24/7 super-oily skin made that virtually impossible.
Starting in my mid-20s, I exclusively wore BareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15, and continued that for the next 15 years. That and the Mineral Veil were the only things that kept the oils at bay. I was all about a matte finish.
Peri-menopause hormones have been changing my skin a lot over the past 5 years. Now I may be oily (though not as OTT oily as when I was younger); then a week later my skin might turn combination with an oily T-zone, or occasionally combination with dry cheeks; then a few days later I might have a cystic acne attack. And so on.
I favor medium-coverage or buildable foundation with a matte or satin finishes most days. However, now I find myself using liquid foundations more than powders. I still like powders for hot, sweaty, summer days. I prefer full-coverage now when I have big cystic acne attacks (Lancome Teint Idole is amazing for this!).
I’m using most of the same products, but I find that my application preferences have changed. I prefer to sheer out a fuller coverage foundation to medium coverage, and then I spot-conceal areas that need a bit more help. My attitude toward my acne/hyperpigmentation has shifted as well. If it shows through in my daily routine, so be it! I’ve also accepted my oiliness and have gravitated away from trying to maintain a perfectly matte finish. Old(er) age has mellowed me out a bit 😉
My foundation preferences based on my dry skin have never really changed: light to medium buildable coverage with a dewy formula. For me, finding the appropriate shade has always been my biggest problem: I’m fair with a slight pink undertone. I think I’d have more choices if I lived in Japan, S Korea or Singapore. I’m not Asian, but their shade ranges seem to offer many more choices than those made in the USA and Europe. I used to buy French foundations, exclusively, because many of them include several shades for fair skin. Now, I’m all about Dr Jart Premium BB and TBS Lightening Drops, and I’m more than pleased with Dr Jart’s formula, which includes SPF protection.
The biggest change over the past five years was switching from drugstore to high end. I’ve been wearing medium-to-full coverage for many years. My go-to was Revlon Colorstay. I finally got tired of the way it got patchy by the end of the day and decided to look into high end brands. I got a sample of EL Double Wear and that was it…love at first wear!
In the last five? Not too much has changed! I’m happy in anything satin from next to no coverage up to just under full depending on the occasion. I’m slightly more accepting of dewy finishes now.
I also started out wanting full, matte coverage (MAC Studio Fix Fluid and Revlon Colorstay) because I was self-conscious of breakouts and how red my face gets (because I’m pale with sensitive skin). Now that I’ve gotten really into skincare and my skin is 1000x better, I’m more fond of sheer to medium coverage, satin to natural to dewy finish foundations (I’ve been wearing NARS Radiant TM now that I have some summer color to my face, L’Oreal True Match Lumi and IT Cosmetics CC are also favorites). I really never should have been wearing such matte foundations back then, my skin was so, so so dry!
Over the years, shade matching has been so difficult and I’m super picky about formulas so I actually haven’t worn a huge amount of different foundations over the years!
I went from pretty much not wearing foundation ever except for special events, and hating every second of it because I would borrow my mother’s very thick, very full coverage foundation. Then I started to use a medium-full coverage matte foundation, then a medium coverage dewy foundation, then a light coverage dewy foundation, and now no foundation just concealer and very glowy skin. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been with both my skin itself and how I do my makeup.
In my day it wasn’t fashionable to wear a ‘dewy’ face. I always wore loose powder over my foundation as my mother did. I started with a matte face and that has never changed.
Yes! When I was in high school, I always went for the super full coverage, matte, thicker foundations every single day. Now, I like more of a semi-matte finish with medium coverage. And even then, most days I don’t wear foundation unless I’ve got something planned! I’ve definitely become a lot more comfortable in my own skin!
When I started wearing makeup I wore liquid foundation. Then in my 20s I changed to powder mineral foundation which I absolutely adore. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what happened but it started oxidizing on me so I switched back to liquid/cream foundation. I go for more full coverage to hide the sun damage from sunbathing with no sunscreen. If I could tell my younger self one health related piece of advice it would be to always, always, always wear sunscreen.
My foundation choices have undergone a complete metamorphis from 5 years ago. Back then, I couldn’t understand why every foundation I tried (both HE and DS) left me looking brownish by the end of the day or dehydrated.
Since reading this blog, and a couple of others (Phyrra, Isabella Muse), I realised that the foundations I was buying had the wrong undertones for my complexion. I had pink undertones, not yellow. Since I have only purchased foundation with pink undertones, all my foundation issues have been solved.
Not a lot has changed from when I was 53 to now 58. The biggest issue(still) is getting a good match for my nc15 skin. Five years ago I was happily using MUFE hd foundation & was deeply disappointed when they discontinued. I don’t like the ‘improved’ one. I also used Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme foundation(again old formulation) & not impressed with my old shade being replaced. I have started using Estée Lauder’s double wear mostly on my oily t zone. The rest of my face I mix kat von d concealer with moisturizer and pat on.
No changes for me in the last 5 years. I prefer a dewy, luminous finish with no SPF. I get that in MAC Face & Body, or Maybelline BB Cream, blended with additional moisturizer. Sometimes I tolerate a bit of SPF because I love the finish of a particular foundation, but I’d rather the manufacturer leave it out as I consider all types of SPF to be toxic.
I used to just slap anything on lol. Especially if it’s popular. Now I’m a bit more selective with what I put on my skin. I’ve also shied away from fuller coverage foundations too. They’re nice to have but I mostly prefer light to medium coverage now with a nice dewy finish
Yes. I now seem to hate all foundations.
I used to always try to find a full coverage foundation because everyone else liked them. They did not pair well with my dry skin, and I never really had anything I had to cover up. I started gravitating towards lighter foundations because they looked better on my skin and now, if I want a “fuller” foundations, I wear something light to medium. Otherwise, I’m typically wearing a BB cream or tinted moisturizer.
I now have to deal with aging skin so I need light reflecting finishes that do not settle into lines. I can still wear matte if I mix in some face oil or if I am having a good skin day and only need foundation on my T zone.
My foundations are matte/natural and medium coverage. I don’t see this changing anytime soon (oily skin). If the name or description have glow/illuminating/dewy, I ran faster then a car in the last Fast and Furious movie series.
I am pick about color, which is difficult because I have a yellow chest (Studio fix NC44 is on point) and a neutral face (Mufe Y445 disappears), and texture. Nowadays I like liquidy foundation.