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If you could only pick one foundation to wear for the rest of your life, what brand and formula would you choose?
If you could only pick one foundation to wear for the rest of your life, what brand and formula would you choose? Why?
This is definitely easier than the last two! Guerlain Parure Gold, probably, though admittedly I don’t need quite that level of coverage on a daily basis, and it IS discontinued so… after that Guerlain Parure de Lumiere – really liking that a lot lately, right level of coverage, nice finish.
Thanks to Dyan for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
I haven’t tried enough foundations to say for sure… I’ve been using MUFE Mat Velvet+ a lot though, and I do like it!
Laura Geller Balance n Brighten!
My favourite pick would be estee lauder double wear.its my hg foundation!
Illamasqua Skin Base foundation. Good coverage but not heavy. Gives the skin a lovely, natural glow.
MUFE face and body! It is definitely what I’ve been looking for in a foundation! Lightweight, it looks and feels like my skin, and goes well with my dry/sensitive skin! <3
Dolce & Gabanna Perfect Luminous Foundation!
kat von d’s lock it foundation… i’ve never loved a foundation so much! i do wish it had spf but it’s not hard for me to just put some on in the morning.
This is my new favorite too!
I would chose Mac Pro Longwear. It’s perfect for my skin type, has a natural finish and has a wide range of colors.
Hourglass Immaculate Foundation. It’s got medium coverage that is buildable or can be sheered out. I only use it in my t-zone because I like to show the freckles on my cheeks, and it gives oil control where I put it. Barely need powder. It’s amazing!
Definitely easier than the last two questions. Whew! I guess it’s a toss up between Guerlain Lingerie de Peau and Parure de Lumiere, both of them work really well on me. They’ve become a huge part of my make-up routine.
I also stopped trying other brands when I discovered these foundations through you. So, thanks, Christine! 🙂
I’m continuing to enjoy my Guerlain Lingerie de Peau and wouldn’t be averse to wearing only this formula!
It’s gotta be Armani Luminous Silk! The best foundation I’ve ever tried! Which, despite the low numbers, is actually a huge compliment :p
Easy. Maybelline FitMe Liquid Foundation in 110. Perfect color, love the dewy finish and light-medium coverage.
I’ve been wondering about the finish, and I’ve wanted foundation with a dewy finish, so I will try this one. Thanks!
Marc Jacobs gel foundation is amazing for my oily skin! Lasts all day & I love the finish. I also love Giorgio Armani’s maestro foundation, it’s really light but provides a lovely amount of coverage. No matter what I wear on my face for a base (in summer I tend to reach for a tinted moisturizer) I’m currently relying heavily on Hourglass’ lighting powders! My fave is Dim Light to wear over any base, it’s amazing!
This is such a tough question! Right now I like how my skin looks with the Cover FX CC Cream. I always feel like it looks luminous and about as perfect as it’s going to get. It’s also got SPF 30 in it, which doesn’t hurt.
I need to check this out. I got Smashbox CC cream a while ago and I really like it but for winter, I really need to lather on the moisturizer underneath it (which is what made it so perfect in the warmer months!)
I’ve tried all high end brands but Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation is THE foundation for me!
This is a foundation I would really like to try! Bourgeois seems to have great foundations available at the drug store, but I have so many bases to get thru before buying a new one! This one is def at the top of my list though
Oops Bourjois**
Clinique’s Superbalanced Makeup. I love it. It’s buildable so you can have light to full coverage.
Diorskin Nude, nothing else comes close for me.
Estee Lauder Double Wear it’s got the best coverage and it doesn’t cause breakouts!
Estee Lauder, Double Wear Light 2.0, exactly right for my skin tone and right amount of coverage for me.
Hmm…probably Maybelline FITMe foundation, liquid formulation. Sheer to medium coverage, nice finish, and one of the only drug store foundations with a shade light enough for my winter skin tone. 🙂
Hourglass immaculate liquid powder foundation. It keeps my skin matte and oil free ALL DAY.
Guerlain Parure Extreme, without a doubt. Unfortunately it is being discontinued and I haven’t yet tried its long-wear replacement.
Hourglass Immaculate Liquid to Powder. It is the only thing that can stand up to my oily skin.
Probably something like Vichy Dermablend Foundation, because it has amazing coverage so it can either be used as concealer or mixed with a bit of moisturizer for a lighter and more natural look. I basically only use it in areas where I need some coverage (some acne scaring/hyperpigmentation on my chin) and leave the rest of my face completely bare.
I haven’t tried that many foundations but right now I’d say Revlon colorstay foundation for combo/oily skin. It’s affordable, super long lasting, and has medium to full coverage for my acne scars without emphasizing my dry patches. When I want something lighter, I mix it with my aveeno radiant daily moisturizer and it’s perfect!
That’s a very tough one, I guess I would choose Make up for ever face and body, because it really looks like skin and it can be buildable to a medium coverage without ever looking cakey. But I also really like Diorskin flawless perfection wear for a full coverage.
I credit Temptalia with helping me identify my Holy Grail, Guerlain Lingerie de Peau. 🙂
Am really keen now on trying Parure de Lumiere though…
I love Lingerie de Peau as well! But, you must give Parure de Lumiere a try too, it’s amazing! 🙂
Chanel, vitalumere aqua
This is definitely a top 5 fave of mine! I even love the scent of it 🙂
My pick would definitely be Revlon ColourStay Combo/Oily formula in Buff. It’s the best! xo
Mac studio fix fluid in nc45, it’s the only foundation I’ve found that matches me we’ll
That’s the easiest question you’ve ever asked! I’ve been wearing Jane Iredale PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation for 10 years now, it’s the only foundation I’ve tried that I love on me, that lasts all day, never breaks me out, gives me flawless yet natural looking skin. I get lots of compliments on how perfect my skin is when I wear it. It’s a true miracle.
This series of choosing only one product has been most interesting!
When it comes to foundation, i don’t know if i could choose between my Armani Maestro and Guerlain Extreme.
Today i would choose the Armani for its light (to medium) coverage. But that’s ToDaY, not sure what i’d choose tomorrow….
Tom Ford foundation stick and Giorgio Armani lasting silk compact.
Guerlain here to, but Lingerie de Peau – it is the one liquid foundation I can always rely on to give terrific results. But for quick “every day”, I’d choose a mineral powder product just because they’re so much faster and easier to use. That would be a toss up between Laura Mercier’s loose mineral powder and Tarte’s new “airbrushed” mineral powder – I’d happily live my life with either one of those.
I actually just started to wear foundation again after using only a tinted moisturizer or BB cream for the past two years. I am wearing Urban Decay Naked Foundation, can’t say I would want to wear that forever. It has a smell, that I am not too found of even though it dissipates quickly.
MAC Studio Tech because it is versatile. I sheer it out using Evian facial spray or Fix+ with a makeup brush when I don’t require much coverage. It can be worn as full coverage by using a sponge.
Sisley’s Phyto-Teint Eclat fluid foundation. It’s incredible stuff.
This one is easy.. It would be Giorgio Armani Maestro – cream version.
Please do share more Wwendalynne! I’m trying to finish my four bottles before giving in to this, and I’m coming close. How different is it from the liquid version, aside from the form(ula) of course.
I’ve been actively comparing this foundation to many in my stash and I keep coming back to this one as my current favourite. I’ve tried a bunch of different ways of applying: fingers, various brushes, beauty blender. My preferred method of application for this product is the a dampened beauty blender. Wow! works amazingly well with this foundation.
I’m scratching my head trying to figure out how to compare the liquid to the cream and they are not really comparable other than the colours seem to be consistent and the excellent melding with the skin thing seems to be consistent. Other than that, they are very different products with the cream being a big preference for me especially as we head into the winter months. It applies very smoothly and does not adhere or draw attention to dry patches and it is just an overall friendlier canvas for applying other products in general. I find this to be true with most cream products. My skin is aging and I’m finding I need that bit of glow that comes from a cream based foundation. I use powder with this, but only a very light dusting in the nose forehead, chin area. With the liquid, I would not use any powder and found the formula to be quite a bit drying. With the liquid, I would apply NARS TM as a base to improve the appearance and give a smoother appearance, even in the summer months. I do not need a double moisture base with the cream. FYI: I use Guerlain light diffusing primer before any foundation always.
Right now, I can safely say this is the best foundation product I have tried that suits my skin type, colour, and texture. I have other foundation products that I like, but the colour match isn’t as good. Guerlain Parure de Lumiere is lovely, but can run a bit heavy looking on me IMO and 02 is fairly close, but 04 Armani is a better colour match. The Guerlain would be my #2 foundation pick. #3 Would be the liquid version of Maestro but just for hot summer months just to give you a sense of pecking order.
Hope this helps?
Oopps..forgot to add one last point. The cream has better buildable coverage. I find the look of the coverage on both products a bit tricky because what seems like scant coverage upon application actually looks like more coverage once the product melds with the skin. You have to wait 20 minutes before you ‘see’ the final product. You can definitely overdo coverage with the cream which is why I really like the beauty blender.
Definitely MAC Face & Body. It looks so beautiful on my skin and it is totally buildable. Plus it comes in so many different shades, it’s almost impossible not to find one that works with your skin tone.
I think I’m going to go with MAC Studio Fix Powder + Foundation, because I find it the most versatile and the easiest to apply among all foundations I have ever tried.
Ease of use out of the question, though, I’ll choose MAC Studio Fix fluid because it makes my skin look its best. It just sucks that I would have to make a mess out of my fingers/foundation brush/sponge in applying it, though.
Hmmmmmm…..probably Kat Von D Lock It. I can sheer it out by mixing with moisturizer and it can double as concealer!
Ooh, I’m excited to read through the other responses. For me, I would have to pick the L’Oreal Magic Nude. It’s the same product as the Armani Maestro minus the synthetic fragrance–a plus for me, since I can’t stand the smell. (Remember, L’Oreal owns both brands). While I do have to mix two shades, it is the only foundation I’ve encountered that controls oiliness decently, provides a natural matte finish, gives light-medium coverage, and above all, is so thin that it doesn’t emphasize pores; because really, there’s not much foundation to actually “sink” into the pores as the day wears on. It can emphasize flaky skin, but the same can be said about any foundation. I just prep with a good moisturizer/serum/primer beforehand, which acts as a clean canvas so that I can easily smooth the foundation allover with my fingers, while providing a barrier to the high alcohol content present in the foundation, thereby not allowing it to dry out the skin.
I’ve tried probably 100+ liquid foundations, though very few of the newest releases (Guerlain Lumiere, Perfection; YSL Youth Liberator, Smashbox Halo, Lancome Teint Visionnaires, etc…), and this is the best foundation for my skin type, which exhibits oiliness, occasionally flakiness, enlarged (giant!) pores, and significant acne scarring–both hypertrophic and pitting types. I’m so content with the L’Oreal Magic Nude that I haven’t felt a need to try other foundations; though it certainly isn’t so perfect that I’d never try another product.
*runs out to buy L’Oreal Magic Nude*
Hourglass Immaculate Foundation
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua <3
Kat Von D Lock It is my holy grail foundation. I have redness problems and dark under eye bags and it covers *everything* without it looking mask like. It’s magical. When there were rumors of it being discontinued I freaked the hell out , lol.
My HG foundtion is YSL Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation. I love the luminous finish and the gel-like consistency.
I am in love with MAC Studio Fix fluid in NC13. It looks amazing on my skin and is actually the right color, especially for my winter porcelain skin.
The hunt continues. Haven’t tried Estee Lauder Double Wear or Double Wear Light yet – but I have at least another year of foundation on hand before I have to purchase again.
So far, I am liking the IT Cosmetics CC Cream with SPF 50 although I’m waiting to see how it performs under evening photography lights. Usually don’t need anything heavier than a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen but my skin is getting increasingly “dependent.”
Based on what I’m loving right now, I would have to say NARS Sheer Glow. The shade Siberia actually matches my skin and the coverage isn’t too much, which I prefer.
Definitely my YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation! I’ve been really, really loving every single thing about it lately (well, except for the price…. lol!)
Estée Lauder Double Wear Light 1.0
I have tried many different foundations, but it’s the only one that truly works for me.
Well, since my all-time favorite, HG foundation was DCd many years ago (Max Factor High Definition Perfecting Makeup), I still haven’t settled on one. However, given what is available, Rimmel Clean Finish 130 True Ivory; although it’s a bit too dark, at least the undertone is neutral enough. Revlon ColorStay is another good one, but I have to mix Buff with Ivory, or a white liquid foundation.
I just want to add that no matter what foundation I end up falling in love with, the formula and/or shade will inevitably change (Lancôme Teinte Idole & Shiseido compact foundation), or it will be DCd altogether…
Mufe hd
MUFE Face & Body
For me hands down, the Tarte Amazonian Clay Spf 15 Foundation!
I have been using it for 2 months and i don’t regret it, I would totally repurchase…
It’s a perfect match for my skin, I’m Light Medium Sand. It lasts more than it says in the packaging
I would totally choose a mousse texture with a matte finish And full coverage 🙂
Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1…absolutely incredible for my acne prone, combination skin. I always get asked what I have on/assumed that I have flawless skin…Something that’s comparable: Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24Hr. Both amazing.
Mufe mat velvet plus,i have oily skin and need a medium coverage foundation
Skin79 orange bb cream, since I started using this, my skin has improved a lot, and I haven’t touched any of my mac foundations anymore. My new holy grail.
It would have to be Kryolan HD Micro Foundation Smoothing Fluid. Light flawless coverage. Not easy to get, but worth the hassle.
Mally’s Poreless Perfection glowing foundation SPF20. Love it.
In love with Kat Von D.
MAC pro longwear foundation in nc44 It stays so well on me and i sweat a lot so thats hard to find one that actually holds up well on me. And it dosnt break me out which is amazing cuz every other liquid i ever tried did.
Right now I wear Lancome Teint Idole 24H Ultra foundation for work and then the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint on weekends. I don’t like to wear foundation on weekends, only TM or BB cream. I like both of these products but I can’t say that I 100% want to wear them forever, even though they are my 2 favorite “foundation” products at the moment. I still want to try MUFE Mat Velvet + for a work week foundation. I also really like the Tarte BB Tinted Primer on weekends and can’t see myself ever giving that up…
For me the choice would be Laura Mercier Silk Creme. Plenty of coverage but it’s so natural looking and easy to work with!
Estee Lauder Double Wear! I can not live without this foundation. This foundation is not for everyone because it is full coverage and matte. However, if that is what you like then it truly perfect!!!!!
Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation – skin-like finish, never dry or cakey, evens out my skin and blurs imperfections without looking like I have anything on. It’s the most comfortable and effortless foundation I’ve ever worn.
I would choose NARS Sheer Matte because it provides enough coverage without being too heavy and works all year round. Even though I try different foundations, this specific one works every time.
I love Tarte BB cream! It’s perfect for me and not too makeup-cakey type like which I love.
Diorskin Forever Fluid
I’d have to say either Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich or Skin Foundation. Love both of them. Perfect colour match, perfect coverage, just perfect in general!
Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 in 540 Suede. So far, this is the only foundation that makes me perfectly.
Hands down Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation , I use # 55 for my NC 40 skin tone and have 3 bottles with me right now :d
two 55 and one 56 🙂
they are beyond amazinggggg but i do want to pick GUERLAIN now 😀
Christine , how about –
” If you could only pick one signature look for the rest of your life , what would it be ? “
Definitely going with Guerlain Cle de Peau. Such a beautiful finish that I can take from a day to evening look.
(I basically use it everyday anyway)
At this time my foundation of choice is Lancome Teint Idole 24H in 210 Buff (N). It’s quite lovely, demi-matte finish with a nice radiant glow. Not too bad for my super oily skin, yet not HG status.
My holy grail foundation is elf Acne Fighting Foundation. The shade Porcelain is perfect for my NC15 skin tone. It’s fair with yellow undertones which is very hard to find. It has natural matte finish and it is medium buildable to full 🙂 It’s 10xs better than Revlon ColorStay in my opinion (I wear 150 buff).
Probably Givenchy’s Photo Perfexion. Is a FLAWLESS foundation.
Bare minerals original foundation
MAC Prolong wear for sure..i can wear it in the summer and winter…last all day for me
Definitely Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour wear! Has worked for me like a charm especially since I have oil prone skin! Second would be DiorSkin Forever Flawless, been using that alot lately and has been really good so far!
Kat Von D Lock it Tattoo Foundation
Kat Von D Lock it Tattoo Foundation. This hands down is the best foundation for me. I’ve been using MAC Fix Fluid and Match Masters for years. I will ever use those again.
ok..the ones i’m using right now…
my skin type:dry to normal
preferred coverage and finish: light to medium / dewy to satin
1-jane irdale liquid minerals (liquid foundation- light to medium / dewy to satin if you powder )
2-Garnier bb cream for normal combo skin (BB- medium / satin )
3-Estée Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release (tinted moisturiser -sheer to light / dewy)
4-Diorskin nude ( my wedding day foundation….medium / satin)
My favorite combination is Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation mixed with 1 pump of ProLongwear Concealer!
YSL Youth Liberator has recently become a contender for my HG foundation. It looks AMAZING on the skin, lasts all day and feels comfortable. It gives a nice lightly dewy finish and builds from light to medium coverate. It just looks like you have plump, fresh skin without seeing any trace of visible foundation. I have very dry skin that can get a little oily in the T-zone. I find this doesn’t highlight any of my dry patches and at the same time doesn’t cause my oily areas to become greasy. I would have never even tried this without a sales associate at Nordstroms recommending it, I am SO glad she did! I also like Guerlain Lingere de Peau and Illamasqua Skin Base (if applied properly looks fantastic and gives amazing coverage).