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49 Comments

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Fatima Avatar
Fatima

Your skin tone/coloring: Neutral/ light medium
Best brand for innovative formulas? Hourglass and Nars ( because I can’t live without dim light and the translucent loose powder)
Best brand for basics? Urban decay
Best brand for unconventional colors? Illamasqua

ElKay Avatar
ElKay

â– Your skin tone/coloring: Mac NW-25
â– Best brand for innovative formulas? Tom Ford
â– Best brand for basics? Urban Decay
â– Best brand for unconventional colors? Nars

akanksha Avatar
akanksha
Light Medium Combination skin. View akanksha Full Profile

Your skin tone/coloring: nc35
Best brand for innovative formulas? Hourglass at the moment 🙂
Best brand for basics? MAC
Best brand for unconventional colors? Haven’t really experimented enough with unconventional colors. Waiting to read everyone else’s responses.

Kiss & Make-up Avatar
Kiss & Make-up
Light Medium, Yellow undertones. Very Oily skin. View Kiss & Make-up Full Profile

Your skin tone/coloring: light to medium warm

Best brand for innovative formulas? I thought about this for a long time! And then decided to see what the other two people have said so far. I think I’ll go with what Fatima suggested and say Hourglass.

Best brand for basics? Bobbi Brown maybe?

Best brand for unconventional colors? Depends on the type of product I guess. Kat Von D got pretty crazy with the new lipstick range 🙂

Christina D. Avatar
Christina D.

Skin tone/coloring: warm medium (NC25-ish)
Best brand for innovative formulas: Urban Decay
Best brand for basics: Bare Minerals
Best brand for unconventional colors: theBalm

Laura Avatar
Laura

Your skin tone/coloring: warm/light
Best brand for innovative formulas? MAC and NARS
Best brand for basics?: Urban Decay
Best brand for unconventional colors? MAC

Grace Avatar
Grace
Lightest, Pink, slight pink undertones. Combination skin. View Grace Full Profile

NC15
Innovative – Nars put out a lot of new formula this year, but lately I kind of feel like it’s all been done
Basics – Urban Decay.
Unconventional – OCC

I find it funny so many people are labeling UD for “basic” and not “unconventional” like they may have 10 years ago, but amazing formulas and the neutral trend have altered their image a little. I really hope they start walking on the wild side again soon though!

xamyx Avatar
xamyx

It could depend on what people consider “basics”. For me, it refers to everyday products like foundation, mascara, eyeliner, etc…-the things that rarely vary. Also, 10 years ago, not too many brands were readily available, or were relatively unknown (we didn’t have as many resources!), but now we have more options. UD still has many unconventional shades, and they still create new ones from time to time, but now we have NARS, Illamasqua, MAC has expanded, Kat von D, and countless indie brands.

PJ Avatar
PJ

Your skin tone/coloring: Neutral/light medium
Best brand for innovative formulas? IT Cosmetics
Best brand for basics? MAC
Best brand for unconventional colors? Urban Decay

xamyx Avatar
xamyx

Skintone/Coloring: Fairly light, very neutral; dark-featured.

Innovative Formulas: L’Oréal; while several HE brands may have better/wider shade selections, L’Oréal is easier to procure, and the quality is just as good-at a fraction of the price. Also, keep in mind that the more “luxury” brands that have similar products are also owned by L’Oréal.

Basics: Again, L’Oréal; when it comes to eyeliner & mascara, I’ve never been disappointed, and although I’ve tried more expensive brands, the only one that can compete is Lancôme, which is owned by L’Oréal… I’ve gone back over & over for nearly 30 years. Also, even the foundations rival their HE counterparts. Even if you have to mix shades, it’s still less expensive to buy 2 L’Oréal than 1 HE foundation, and nearly identical formulas can be found.

Unconventional Shades: NARS; whether you consider “unconventional” to be bright/bold shades, or just more suitable for a wider range of complexions, NARS has it covered. There are other brands, at similar pricpoints, that are of comparable quality, but I’m also taking into consideration availability. Also, while individual products may not be so “unique”, the choices of pairings in duos, or even the mix in seasonal collections, always seems a bit odd, but for some reason always seem to work!

Jenny Avatar
Jenny

Your skin tone/coloring: Neutral/Fair.
Best brand for innovative formulas? Nars.
Best brand for basics? Urban Decay, though I do love Lorac as well.
Best brand for unconventional colors? Nars and Stila.

Eliz Avatar
Eliz

Skin tone/coloring: Porcelain, cool undertones

Best brand for innovative formulas: Hourglass, Chantecaille, and Marc Jacobs. Honorable mention to Clinique for their Pop Blushes and reformulated eyeshadows.

Best brand for basics: My definition of basics would be the workhorses of my collection that I use over and over. Chantecaille, Dolce & Gabbana, Laura Mercier, and Dior.

Best brand for innovative colors: Illamasqua and Marc Jacobs

xamyx Avatar
xamyx

Max Factor really was the frontrunner for innovative formulas! I can’t really speak for current products, since MF left the US about 7 years ago, but one example would be the HD foundation that was released loooong before anyone else did one. I had a bottle about 20 years ago, and it was the closest thing to perfection I’ve ever found.

petazetas Avatar
petazetas
Lightest, Neutral undertones. Combination skin. View petazetas Full Profile

Your skin tone/coloring: pale. NW15
Best brand for innovative formulas? NARS
Best brand for basics? Make up for ever. They have great complexion products and amazing liners, eyeshadows. Very good basics and at the same time great quality.
Best brand for unconventional colors? NARS. There are so many shades I love by NARS that I just haven’t been able to find anywhere else. Not as unconventional as Illamasqua, but they definitely have very special colors.

Maddie Avatar
Maddie
Light Medium, Neutral undertones. Very Oily skin. View Maddie Full Profile

â– Your skin tone/coloring: NC20ish
â– Best brand for innovative formulas? Nothing comes to mind!
â– Best brand for basics? Urban Decay or MAC.
â– Best brand for unconventional colors? Urban Decay (for eye shadow/liners), MAC or Lime Crime (for lip products).

Rachel R. Avatar
Rachel R.

Your skin tone/coloring: Very fair/neutral; auburn hair, hazel/green eyes

Best brand for innovative formulas? I really don’t know what to put here.

Best brand for basics? BareMinerals, Sleek; Physician’s Formula & Almay (mascaras for sensitive eyes)

Best brand for unconventional colors? ColorPop (eyes), NYX (lips), Almay (sensitive eyes colored mascaras), Fyrrinae, Urban Decay. Just For Redheads, not so much that they have “unconventional colors” in the sense the other brands do, but that they have products in really fair skin tones, mascaras/brow products in redhead shades, etc. that I can’t find anywhere else.

Anne Avatar
Anne

Fair w/pink undertones (NW20), hazel eyes:
1. Innovative: Armani (whether hit or miss, always innovative)
2. Basic: YSL foundation (lots of pink undertone shades in great formulas)
3. Unconventional: I don’t do unconventional. I’m too boring! Lol!

Sylirael Avatar
Sylirael
Light Medium, Pink undertones. Combination skin. View Sylirael Full Profile

Your skin tone/coloring: Cool-neutral vampire

Best brand for innovative formulas? Er, I’m not sure about this one in a ‘has personally tried some’ sense, but Hourglass seems to be popping up frequently here.

Best brand for basics? Most of my basics are either Urban Decay or YSL (funnily enough), but I take basics to mean ‘things you use every day’. In terms of ‘base products’ I’d have to go with YSL, for liners and shadows it’s UD, and for lipsticks it’s probably Revlon (because I have a hard time equating ‘Guerlain, and Chanel’ with the word ‘basic’ because of the price, even though they are my favourite lipstick formulae at the moment)

Best brand for unconventional colors? For non-indie or for ‘largeish company’ I’d say UD or Illamasqua. For ‘Indie/smallish company’ I’d say Makeup Geek or Sugarpill! I have no feeling for how big OCC is as a company, so I’ll just add them here in general! ^_^

Pteetsa Avatar
Pteetsa
Very Light, Neutral undertones. Oily skin. View Pteetsa Full Profile

Your skin tone/coloring: Fair with neutral to warm undertones

Best brand for innovative formulas? Hmm…that’s a hard one. The Perricone No Makeup line was pretty interesting and very good.

Best brand for basics? Physician’s Formula (everyday blushes and powders), Almay (mascara), and NARS (eyeshadows), Benefit (blushes and eyeshadows)

Best brand for unconventional colors? NARS for its unusual eyeshadow duos, Illamasqua, and OCC.

Monica Avatar
Monica
Very Light Dry skin. View Monica Full Profile

Skin tone/colouring: MUFE 115, fair, neutral
Innovative formulas: I’m only recently expanding into the high end brands, so can’t really say too much here. I’m thinking NARS though.
Best basics: MAC, but for drug store I’d say Revlon. Their ColorStay foundation is so good.
Unconventional colours: MUFE for eyes (loving all the recent eye shadow swatches) MAC/OCC for lips

zainab Avatar
zainab

Skintone: Light with olive tones
Best brand for innovative formulas: Hourglass.
Best brand for basics: MAC: they have such a huge and varied range and I’ve been able to find some favourites I could happily use every day.
Best brand for unconventional colours: Inglot: they have a lot of unusual shades (even a collection of blue lipsticks) and the price makes it easier to take a chance and experiment.

Nurse Ratchet Avatar
Nurse Ratchet

â– Your skin tone/coloring: NW25
â– Best brand for innovative formulas? MUFE, OCC, NARS, Hourglass
â– Best brand for basics? Revlon, LORAC
â– Best brand for unconventional colors? Sugarpill, Fyrinnae, Nyx (macaron lippies for a mainstream brand- genius!).

brandon Avatar
brandon

Your skin tone/coloring: Caramel/Deep
Best brand for innovative formulas? Obsessive compulsive cosmetics
Best brand for basics? Obsessive compulsive cosmetics
Best brand for unconventional colors? Obsessive compulsive cosmetics

What can I say I just love OCC <3

A. Mar Avatar
A. Mar

Your skin tone/coloring: Fair-Light/Neutral
Best brand for innovative formulas? Hourglass.
Best brand for basics? Nars or Urban Decay.
Best brand for unconventional colors? Illamasqua or OCC. The shared reason I love both brands so much!

Amanda Avatar
Amanda
Very Deep, Yellow, slight yellow undertones. Combination skin. View Amanda Full Profile

Your skin tone/coloring: Golden Dark. Mac NC45, Nars Macao, UD Naked Skin 9.0
Best brand for innovative formulas? Benefit tries its best but often flops. I’ve got to say Hourglass.
Best brand for basics? Urban Decay (with five Naked palettes of various varieties, there’s something for everybody!)
Best brand for unconventional colors? I’m not big into colour, but I’ve just gotten into some of Mac’s colours! Expensive Pink and Sumptuous Olive.

MClaudeS Avatar
MClaudeS

Your skin tone/coloring: Very Fair/Neutral
Best brand for innovative formulas? Daniel Sandler (Watercolour Blush)
Best brand for basics? MAC
Best brand for unconventional colors? Sugarpill

Jennifer Avatar
Jennifer
Lightest, Pink, moderately pink undertones. Normal-to-Oily skin. View Jennifer Full Profile

Coloration: Snow White (character)
Innovative Formulas: Silk Naturals. Her skin care combines a no-frills practicality with the latest research.
Basics: Meow Cosmetics. Fantastic formulas, especially for foundation and blush. Concealers and contours matched to your foundation shade. Buttery eyeshadows. Inane website.
Best Brand for Unconventional Colors: Darling Girl. Things that shouldn’t work – like worksafe peach glitterbombs or a lime green that reads warm rather than cool – just come together magically.

liz Avatar
liz
Lightest, Olive, cool undertones. Combination skin. View liz Full Profile

Your skin tone/coloring: fair, with neutral peachy undertones. UD 0.5.
Best brand for innovative formulas? Urban Decay for their creamy smooth budge-proof lip, Hourglass for their Ambient Lighting powders,
Best brand for basics? UD again, for eye pencils, lip pencils, lipstick, and foundation; NYX for brow products, blush, and lipsticks, Maybelline and Covergirl for mascara.
Best brand for unconventional colors? Indies like Shiro and Fyrrinae, for sure. UD on some level too.I think I just REALLY like UD.

Winni Avatar
Winni

Your skin tone/coloring: NC25-30
Best brand for innovative formulas? Hourglass, YSL
Best brand for basics? Tarte (love their eyeliners, lipsurgence, setting powder, mascara, etcetera). UD is a close second.
Best brand for unconventional colors? Illamasque. Or Inglot.

Fran Avatar
Fran
Light Plus, Pink undertones. Combination skin. View Fran Full Profile

Your skin tone/coloring: between fair and light; cool undertones, warm tan overtones in summer, even though I wear sunscreen every day!
Best brand for innovative formulas? Hourglass, It Cosmetics.
Best brand for basics? Tarte, Too Faced, LORAC.
Best brand for unconventional colors? MUFE, Urban Decay, NARS.

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