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Survey Says... February 21st, 2018

Happy Wednesday! Here's this week's survey, which you can copy and paste and share as a comment.

  • Your skin tone/coloring:
  • Best foundation for perfected skin?
  • Best highlighter for glowing skin?
  • Best your-lips-but-better lip color?

38 Comments

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Zee Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair light warm, NC15
Best foundation for perfected skin? EL double wear
Best highlighter for glowing skin? Cle de peau highlighter in pastel, hourglass incandescent strobe light, benefit watts up
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Armani maestro in 500

CeeBee Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Light medium, yellow tones. Brunette, brown eyes.

Best foundation for perfected skin? I’m really enjoying both Designer Brands Luminous Hydrating foundation and the Ordinary Coverage foundation.

Best highlighter for glowing skin? All time best (but ridic expensive!) is Edward Bess Afterglow cream.

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Colurpop Cami – love it!

CeeBee Avatar

Hi Genevieve! It’s got a really nice finish (even after setting with powder) and is easy to blend out. Has pretty good coverage, wears reasonably well and doesn’t go patchy on my nose in 4 – 5 hours like a lot of others! It’s also very reasonably priced, though I ended up ordering mine online (I’n in NZ and it shipped to me from Australia) – the shade range runs very light and only has half a dozen options and I actually think Light Sand is the palest and most neutral – I got Light Sand, Classic Ivory and Nude Beige and from what I can see of online pictures, Porcelain Ivory leans quite yellow. If you can test it in store, you should be able to match fairly well but it’s a bit of a crapshoot buying sight unseen. Worked out well for me though, I’m happy.

Good luck!

Genevieve Avatar

Thanks CeeBee for this information – I really need the pink undertones otherwise the foundations turn orangey/brown on me. It’s a shame that the porcelain shade has a yellow undertone. I will try them out.

Rachel R. Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Very fair with neutral undertones; magenta/red hair; hazel/green eyes.

Best foundation for perfected skin? Lancome Teint Idole 24H Long Wearing Foundation

Best highlighter for glowing skin? TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer, MUG Celestial, Notoriously Morbid Osteomancy

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Urban Decay Sheer Rapture

Tammy Avatar

Skin tone: Medium warm (NC30)

For the past year or so I’ve been using Armani’s Luminous Silk and Lancome’s Teint Idole Ultra. I am always on the hunt
for the perfect foundation but have not been able to find any better than these.

My favorite Highlighters: Laura Mercier Matte Radiance 01, Ofra Rodeo Drive, Artist Couture in Coco Bling, and any of the highlighters in the Anastasia’s Sweets or Nicole Guerriero palettes.

MLBB: This is tough because MAC Velvet Teddy is an EXACT match fo my lip color, so much so that you can’t tell I’m wearing lipstick when I put it on. It isn’t really better though unless I add a gloss. Recently I’ve been loving Lancome’s liner in Nude, MAC Doe, and Bare Minerals Gen Nude lipgloss in Groovy.

Joan Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Fair & cool!
Best foundation for perfected skin? Hourglass Illusion Skin Tint seems the best lately.
Best highlighter for glowing skin? The recent Hourglass Highlighting palette has been my go to lately.
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Hmm, I think the closest I got was Lorac Cat Lady (at least in my memory)…which I finished…I should check for a dupe for it.

Mariella Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair, cool
Best foundation for perfected skin? it’s discontinued now but Shiseido’s Sheer and Perfect was my fave; now it’s IT’s CC Cream
Best highlighter for glowing skin? Becca Pearl or the LE Dior Glowing Gardens Glowing Pink
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? MAC Capricious

Helena Avatar

Skin tone: Pale neutral-yellow
Best perfecting foundation: one that I really love the finish and texture of every time I use it is Lancôme’s Teint Miracle, but there isn’t a perfect shade for me (lightest is too dark and peachy).
Best glowy highlighter: TheBalm’s Mary-Lou Manizer has a smooth sheen (not obviously shimmery with distinct particles) that can be worn lightly despite its high pigmentation.
Best MLBB: Urban Decay’s Vice lipstick in Ex-Girlfriend is my daily go-to. RIP UD’s Super Saturated lip color in Naked, which was a bit more pigmented than Ex but also had lovely shimmer. RIP Revlon’s Lip Butter in Pink Truffle, which was slightly deeper than the UDs and creamy.

Maggie Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair, neutral
Best foundation for perfected skin? I’ve been wearing Dr Jart+ dis-a-pore BB cream lately. It looks more natural than my usual foundation and is slightly glowy.
Best highlighter for glowing skin? Laura Geller “french vanilla” isn’t a wha-bam shine, so it’s nice to wear to work.
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? NARS “Barbara” is a great color match, but might be too matte a formula to look like a true MLBB.

AB Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair warm ~NC15; blue eyes; brown hair w/copper highlights

Best foundation for perfected skin? Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water in fair/light. When I need more coverage, I mix in Armani Luminous Silk in (I think) shade # 3

Best highlighter for glowing skin? Becca Backlight Priming filter along the cheekbones. Pretty subtle by most standards but I like it.

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? UD Lovelight

Nancy T Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Medium w/ olive undertones MAC NC37, Lancôme Teint Idole 24H foundation N360, Fenty ProFilt’r in 260 or 290, deep brunette, blue-green eyes w/ gold flecks.

Best foundation for perfected skin? MAC Studio Sculpt foundation for a dewy finish, Lancôme Teint Idole for heavier coverage, Fenty ProFilt’r for natural looking, but with great coverage of uneven skintone!

Best highlighter for glowing skin? Current favorite for winter has been between ColourPop Luster Dust in Aura Voir and Maybelline Molton Rose Gold.

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? It depends! If I want a MLBB (and slightly darker) UD Tampered. If I’m going for MLBA(live), KVD Cathedral Studded Kiss, MAC Mehr or Cosmo. MLBS(himmery), Guerlain Air Kiss.

Genevieve Avatar

Your skin tone/colouring: Porcelain, with pink undertones

Best foundation for perfected skin? For me, the best one I have found is sadly (very, very sadly) discontinued: the Clarins Everlasting foundation in linen. It has a medium coverage, blends easily, lasts all day and a slightly matte finish. Best of all, it suits my skintone perfectly.

Best highlighter for glowing skin? Personally I am not a highlighter person because the effect emphasises pores I don’t have and I just don’t care for the shimmer.
I love the Natio blush/highlighting palette in Sunkissed for a peachy glow.

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Generally I don’t do lips but better colours because I end up looking washed out, but perhaps Clarins Joli Rouge Ginger would be the closest.

Logan Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair/warm

Best foundation for perfected skin? elf Flawless Finish Foundation

Best highlighter for glowing skin? Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder in Precious Petals… I also wear it on my shoulders when I’m feeling extra in the summer

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Clinique Almost Lipstick in Pink Honey

Deborah S. Avatar

Skin shade/tone: Very pale with cool undertones.

Best foundation for perfected skin: Chosungah 22 Luminous Blend in shade 01 Porcelain. For lighter coverage I like Dr. Jart BB in Light.

Best highlighter: Mary Lou-Manizer for a focused highlight and Guerlain Meteorites in 02 Claire for all over glow.

Best MLBB: Honestly, I haven’t found one.

Kat Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Fair with neutral-to-olive undertones (MAC NC10-15, MUFE Y215)
Best foundation for perfected skin? Makeup Forever Ultra HD. It has such a lovely, skin-like texture and medium coverage. It’s the foundation that makes people ask what skincare products I use! I also adore the MAC Studio Fix Fluid (I mix NC10 and NC15) because it lasts all day and is matte without making me look like the desert.
Best highlighter for glowing skin? I’m a huge fan of the Laura Mercier Matte Radiance highlighter in 01 but I wish they’d release more shades! It’s pretty intense but still flattering and it doesn’t emphasize texture or look powdery. I also like the Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight and Starlight powders for the same reason.
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? The Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Sheer Liar. That exact formula has been discontinued, which is a bummer because it had a certain amount of stiffness which kept it from being slippy while still being lightly hydrating and surprisingly long-lasting for being so sheer and shiny. It’s a hard formula to describe but I’ve never found anything quite like it. I’ll be sad when I finally finish my tube!

Anne Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: NC15 w/some redness

Best foundation for perfected skin? Honestly I don’t really do “perfected” skin, because what’s the point.

Best highlighter for glowing skin? Mixing a highlighting primer or liquid highlighter in with your foundation. Pretty much any decent one will do.

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? For MY skin tone and lip tone, MAC Brave or Marc Jacobs Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Erica Avatar

Skintone / coloring : light, MAC NC 15-20, medium brown hair and eyes

Foundation : MAC Studio Fix Fluid

Highlighter : Becca Moonstone, MAC Lightscapade or Fenty Lightning Dust/Fire Crystal

MLBB: MAC Hug Me or Velvet Teddy. Lipstick Queen Jean Queen

Amy E Henry Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: light medium
Best foundation for perfected skin? Marc Jacobs Genius Gel
Best highlighter for glowing skin? Marc Jacobs Dew Drops (under foundation) Kevyn Aucoin Neo-Limelight in Ibiza (a lavender shade but doesn’t look that way on skin)
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Givenchy Boyish Pink or Marc Jacobs Slow Burn
JOIN THE DISCUSSION

Samantha Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair/cool
Best foundation for perfected skin? Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup (new favorite)
Best highlighter for glowing skin? Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Celestial
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek in Rally

Natalie Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: light skin with neutral to pink undertone, brown hair, brown eyes

Best foundation for perfected skin? Hourglass Vanish Stick Foundation (Bisque) mixed with Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (3.75)

Best highlighter for glowing skin? I tend to wear very intense/blinding highlighters, and these ones have been my recent favorites: Hourglass Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette (all three shades are pigmented and there’s no glitter), Anastasia Amrezy highlighter (quite subtle at first but can be built up to an intense glow), Becca Opal Flashes Jade (such a unique highlighter and the shift is beautiful), Dior Nude Air 001 (pigmented without being glittery), Colourpop Super Shock Cheek in Forget Me Not (can be used as a highlighter or blush), and Becca Champagne Pop (can be used any time imo and works with every look)

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Too Faced Le Creme in Spice Spice Baby

Wednesday Avatar

Hi Natalie: I have never tried mixing a stick foundation with a liquid so your response has completely piqued my interest. What is your method for mixing and applying? Or are you layering one on top of the other. In which case, which one first? Liquid all over with stick just in areas you feel you need more coverage?
I’m thinking as I’m typing ?

Natalie Avatar

Hi Wendy. I apply the Vanish stick first directly on my face, usually 2 stripes on each side and 1 on the forehead. Then I either dot the Luminous Silk on my entire face or put one pump directly on the brush and start blending in. I feel like the Vanish stick has enough coverage on its own, and sometimes when I’m in a hurry I only use that one. But I add a little bit of the Luminous Silk in 3.75 because it’s more pink-tone and therefore suits my skin tone a little bit better.

Wednesday Avatar

Gotcha! Luminous silk has been a formulation on my wishlist for a long time. I always struggle with their shades esp. between formulas, get frustrated and abandon ship.

Do you happen to wear EL double wear by any chance? If so, which shade. I’m ecru 1N2 in the new formula. You?

Natalie Avatar

I love the finish of Luminous Silk but I’ve never found a true match. 3.75 is the third shade I try. It is still a bit too pink so I mix it with other foundations. I’ve never tried the EL Double Wear but on Sephora my color IQ match is 1N2 Ecru as well. I’ll definitely try it when I finish one of my foundations since I’ve heard it’s great for oily skin.

Wednesday Avatar

It’s always good to find a skin-twin! I struggle with foundation as I have sone olive (the cooler beige variety with a hint of green) in my compkexion. My Big S IQ is 1R05, but I find some of the other matches waaay too peachy and bright. My skin is much more muted. The Ecru is very neutral beige with a bit of pink. It’s complex in tone which is why I think it works for so many. It’s my perfect summer foundation. I have to work harder on my base in winter so I do not end up looking parched at the end of the day. I’m thinking the DW with luminous silk could be very good!

EL is a fantastic formula esp for oily. ?

Brenda C Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair/light/cool
Best foundation for perfected skin? MUFE Ultra HD Foundation
Best highlighter for glowing skin? Pat McGrath Nude Shiny Stick
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Pat McGrath Flesh 2 with a clear gloss

Nicole D Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: fair light leaning cool, NW15-20 w/ some redness.
Best foundation for perfected skin? Koh Gen Do in PK-0 mixed w/ 1/2 a pump of IT CC Cream in Light.
Best highlighter for glowing skin? Clinique Nude Glow Up-Lighting Illuminating Powder, Nudestix Illumi-naughty stick (worn non stop this winter), Algenist Luminizing drops.
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liner in Eastend Snob. Nudestix lip pencil in Pulse comes close.

WildDove Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: MAC NC20 / NW20
Best foundation for perfected skin? MAC Face & Body (mixed with Clinique DDML moisturizer)
Best highlighter for glowing skin? Anastasia glow kits, Nars liquid illuminators and multiples
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? BB Luxe Pink Buff.

Poly Dragatsi Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: NC25
Best foundation for perfected skin? Estee Lauder Double Wear 2N1 mixed with some MAC Waterweight Foundation in NC30
Best highlighter for glowing skin? Difficult! BECCA Opal or Lilac Geode or MAC Whisper of Guilt
Best your-lips-but-better lip color? I have been enjoying MAC Liptensity in Smoked Almond, Estee Lauder Pure Color Love in Blasse Buff and Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk

Bonnie Avatar

Skin tone light/med neutral

Foundation- It Cosmetics CC creme in Light. Use to swear by EL Double Wear but after years of use (& formula change?) it kept oxidizing too yellow.
Highlighter- Laura Geller Baked Highlighter Duo French Vanilla/Portifino
Lips- Buxom Shameless Magenta

Diane Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: NW45-47

Best foundation for perfected skin? face and body from mac , fit me from maybelline, double wear from estee lauder

Best highlighter for glowing skin? Becca and Mac the skindefinition one

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Touch from Mac

MacKenzie G. Avatar

Skintone/coloring: Fair/light with cool to neutral undertones, light brown/dark blonde hair, green eyes

Best foundation for perfected skin: When I still used foundation, I usually relied on Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint mixed with Tony Moly Banana Sleeping Pack (moisturizer)

Best highlighter for glowing skin: CP Lunch Money Super Shock Highlighter or Elf Beautifully Bare Highlighting Stick in Fresh Morning Dew (basically face gloss)

Best my-lips-but-better color: TF Sugar Daddy creme lipstick or Fenty Gloss Bomb

kate Avatar

Your skin tone/coloring: Fair/Neutral

Best foundation for perfected skin? Mix Nars tinted moisturzier with Loreal pro glow and it’s FLAWLESS

Best highlighter for glowing skin? LM baked matte radiance highlighter

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Tarte birthday suit is the closest I’ve found

Yara Avatar

My skin tone is pale (I’m always the lightest shade), cool with some pinky redness.

Sadly, I haven’t quite found the perfect foundation yet. Right now I’m using up my Mac Waterweight, which is fine but not great. I only started wearing foundation last year though, because previously I was always convinced that foundation could only look orange and cakey on me. I’ve come a long way since then, but the journey continues!

The highlighter I use on most work days is Mac Lightscapade. It’s very subtle, but for an everyday look it’s what I prefer. For nights out I’ll reach for theBalm’s Mary Lou-Manizer or Becca Pearl.

Best your-lips-but-better lip color? Maybelline Smoky Rose is the closest I’ve found so far, but I’m sure I can do better.

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