We hope you'll consider supporting Temptalia by shopping through our links below. Thanks!
Sephora Amazon Ulta Nordstrom
  • Clarisonic — Enjoy 20% off your purchase with code FALL20, ends 9/30.
  • Macy's — 15% off beauty purchase with code VIP, ends 9/25.
  • Neiman Marcus — Receive up to a $300 gift card with $250+ purchase with code SEPTGC (beauty/fragrance included!), ends 9/20.
  • Saks — Earn a Gift Card up to $700* with code SEPT2017, ends 9/21.

Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

Get Updates by Email

How often?
We hope you'll consider supporting Temptalia by shopping through our links below. Thanks!
Sephora Amazon Ulta Nordstrom

137 Comments

Discussion and debate are highly encouraged, and we expect community members to participate respectfully. When asking a question, please check the post above for information regarding pricing, availability, dupes, and availability, and keep discussion on-topic. If you have general feedback, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us.

Comments that include advertisements, self-promotion, insults, etc. may be in violation of our comment policy and subject to deletion. Please see our comment policy for more information.

Comments on this post are closed.
Andie

I have oily skin & love it. I personally don’t even set it with powder most of the time. It has a decent amount of staying power & it provides good coverage – more than a tinted moisturizer, but feels just as light. I will say that I sit in an air conditioned office all day and have really never tested it out in the summer heat. I do imagine it’d still have fairly decent staying power though. I don’t have acne prone skin really, but I didn’t find this aggravating in any way & don’t think you’ll have a problem.

Anna

I have combination skin and very acne prone and this foundation is amazing! It doesn’t brake me out and gives a really nice natural finish 🙂

Enikő

Definetely… I got mine a couple days ago, and I’ve alredy used it a couple times. I have an olily (temporarely) acne prone skin and it works perfectly. It’s one of those rare products that work for every skin type.

Alinda

I have oily and acneprone skin and I’m using this foundation for a couple of weeks. It gives a really nice, natural finish, has way less coverage than my most used foundations (mat lumiere, MUFE HD and MAC pro longwear), and so I use it as kind of a tinted moisturizer. Only problem I have it that it is not longwearing, it’s allright for about 5 hours on my skin, but it doesnt claim to be longwearing so I can’t complain about that…

Ana

Lancome Teint Idole! Best foundation if you’re looking for natural-looking, long-lasting full coverage. Much longer-lasting than MUFE HD on me and with a more universally flattering finish (not so dewy, not too matte). Took me 3 tries to finally be matched to the right shade since there are so many, but it was worth it! Tip: If you lean toward yellow toned, go for the BUFF shades.

CJ

Unfortunately I’m still looking! My skin is super oily and shiny, and I need something matte that’s medium coverage however, most of those products end up looking too cakey or make-up-y on me…

sara

i have super oily skin and my skin is also acne prone but i think the foundation i use will work for you. I am obsessed with laura merciers silk creme foundation. I still get a tad oily but when i do i use peter thomas roth mineral spf 45 powder and just dust it on my face. Hope this helps!

Susan Lopez

You might try an oil control primer and using a damp sponge to smooth out the foundation once applied. Most people like the “beauty blender” but just a wedge sponge works great and you can toss them in the wash with the whites.

Honi

Oddly enough its L’oreal True Match foundation.. the color i have fits my skin so perfectly its like it just enhances the good and removes the bad. Many other foundations i just struggle with but that one i do love.

Vassileia

I love the way it looks and feels on my skin, but it doesn’t last for more than three hours on my skin-which I find ridiculous since my skin isn’t super oily or anything… I really wish it did last longer though because it looks natural and doesn’t break out my very acne prone skin.

Musing on Beauty

Nars Sheer Glow (although I wish it did last a bit longer on me). Every time I wear it I wonder why I bother wearing anything else. Even though I like Diorskin Nude and Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua 🙂

Maya C

I’ve really been loving Chanel VitaLumiere Aqua, but I find myself reaching for my MUFE HD a lot lately. I think the HD would be my “holy grail” foundation, especially in the summertime when my skin is oilier.

Lacey

I have two. 🙂 Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and Cargo Liquid Foundation (thats the name i believe-the one that comes in the weird little pouch) the chanel one is almost like a tinted moisturizer with full coverage, and the cargo one has amazing coverage and a really silky feel. It also does a great job of controlling my oil

Lina

I have yet to find a holy grail liquid foundation but my holy grail powder foundation is by Milani! I love it for setting my liquid foundation and no matter what liquid foundation I use, the end product is always the same when I put that powder on!

Amy

ATM, Graftobian Hi-Def Glamour Creme in Porcelain. I mostly like it cuz it’s the first foundation I’ve found that matches my fair but neutral Asian skin tone, but I also like that it’s a cream and I find it a bit easier to work with than liquid. But out of all the foundations I’ve tried, texture wise I absolutely love Chanel’s new Vitalumiere Aqua, but too bad the lightest shade is too dark and oxidizes into a weird muddy orange color on my skin.

KRISTANNA

I second the graftobian HD creme makes u look flawless in pics, and also im liking MUFE HD for photos, but the graftobian product has more coverage and a better price point.

Jessica

I have a few 😉 Clinique Superbalanced, Bobbi Brown Skin, and Estee Lauder DW Light. All even out my skin without looking too made-up. Love them.

ponikuta

Currently, I’m loving Clarin’s Skin Illusion Natural Radiance Foundation. I love how natural it looks on my skin and doesn’t oxidise.

Erin

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. It’s light but provides enough coverage. Feels like nothing is on your face.

Yazmin

Studio Fix Fluid!!

Ive tried Most of the mac foundations, and the face and body mufe ones, but i loveeeee my studio fix fluid!

Gala

Havent found a perfect one, but I actually adore the Maybelline Dream Creamy foundation – its light and comfortable for my dry skin.
I have tried many – Guerlain, Chanel, you name it – and they were all very heavy and mask-like – i live in a country when there is summer all year long almost, so I need something light that provided decent coverage.

Cynthia Imperato

I have settled on my HG foundation(s) after much trial and error. One pump of MUF HD with one pump of MAC prolong wear- medium and natural coverage that is long wearing! Love

Natalie

I searched for what feels like ages, but it paid off – NARS Sheer Glow is my absolute HG! It feels wonderful when on, never feels sticky or tacky, and matches my skin so perfectly. I like that (on me) it also looks like real skin, never a mask. Totally HG!

Katie

Guerlain Parure Extreme! Except I do find that 03 beige naturel is slightly too dark for me. Shame, as it is an excellent foundation. I’ll have to try mixing it with something

John

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation because it’s so versatile and looks incredibly natural on the skin. It can be used for virtually any skin type and you can achieve sheer to full coverage with your fingers… which is definitely a huge plus for me, since I’m always in a rush during the mornings. Only downside is that there aren’t too many shades, I mean, I found my match, but I know a lot of people can’t.

A close second for me would be Chanel Lift Lumiere.

Sarah

Revlon ColorStay. One of the only foundations I can find that covers everything and is in a shade light enough for my skin.

S.D.M.

I love the ColorStay too! I have tried the high-end stuff, and I think the “name” is the appeal. Nothing out there better, honestly.

Kathy

Liquid: Chanel Vita Lumiere. Powder: Revlon Colorstay. Cream: Graftobian Super Palette.

I live in a hot climate, so liquid and cream foundations are not always my best choice. I also prefer to use the minimum product to achieve a clean, even-toned face. No makeup can reproduce the lumenosity of natural skin, so I try to limit it on my face and those of my models.

…and I’m a big blotter. Cream or liquid? It gets a quick blot before the setting powder even gets picked up. I may put that on my tombstone ;-).

Amy

I mix Nars Sheer Glow and YSL Teint Resist together and my skin looks flawless and it stays all day.

Stephanie

Dinair airbrush. I’m so spoiled that I don’t even consider liquid foundation anymore (I’ll wear powder foundation occasionally, especially if I’m traveling). It gives me the coverage I want (no need for concealer) without feeling like a mask.

Sandhya

I have several that I love (depending on weather and how dark I am): Diorskin Nude for the winter, MUFE HD for summer, and MUFE F&B for when I am more tanned.

Kathrina

I still haven’t found it. I’d love to try Guerlain Parure Gold, but it’s really expensive. How long does it usually take you to finish one, Christine?

Christine

I’ve never finished one, but I don’t wear it often (it’s more coverage than I need if I’m not wearing much else), as I’m either testing something else or I just wear tinted moisturizer. 🙂

jo

I know everyone swears by high end foundation.. I prefer the cover girl clean in sensitive form. It’s the only foundation that is a 100% match because of the extra pinkness in the foundation. Most foundations are too yellow for me.

S

For colder months my favorite is Graftobian HD Creme foundation. For summer months love Laura Geller Balance N Brighten. It’s light, but makes my skin look flawless & even.

Carina

I absolutely love Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation – full coverage and lasts all night (I only wear it if I go for a night out) for day time I love Chanel Pro Lumiere (thin application) or Laura Mercier oil-free tinted moisturiser, its got the coverage of a light foundation rather than a foundation, LOVE IT!!

dayna

iv’e recently purchased the NARS sheer glow. it looks so natural on the skin, without having a “i’m wearing makeup” look. i have oily skin, so it really helps me stay matte. so far so good, idk if it my HG yet.

Leslie

I second this. It’s the only foundation I’ve ever worn that’s significantly controlled my oil. Almost everytime I wear it, someone will randomly complement me on my “beautiful” skin. It’s insane!

Emma

Catrice Photo Finish. It’s European drugstore brand. I haven’t tried any high end foundation, because there are some wonderfull ones out in drugstores, like Bourjois and Maybelline. They tend to not have my right shade, that’s why I’m loving Catrice Photo Finish. Plus – it’s longlasting and it covers everything. And it gives me dewy finish. And it doesn’t emphasise dry areas on my face. And it’s perfect for using as a tinted moisturizer when mixed with a little bit of any moisturizer. What else to say, if you have dry to combination skin, try it 🙂

Meghann

MAC studie tech foundation (for a cream foundation) or MUFE HD foundation for a liquid. Both have a flawless no make up look when applied with a beauty blender…. I’ve found that a beauty blender can make almost ANY foundation (even cheap and hard to work with ones) look great (as long as its colour matched properly).

Rt

Hi..

I am very new to foundations. I love in extreme hot weather of Mumbai and cold windy weather of London. Studio fix works wonder for me in London but in Mumbai I am yet to find a good foundation which would not make my sin greasy oily n shiny . So its studio fix Nc 42 .

May

MUFE HD and Nars Sheer Glow. Love the finish of MUFE. Nars Sheer Glow has the perfect color match for me and it also does not feel heavy on my skin yet still provides excellent coverage. But I’ll still look around.

Devi

It seems I’m the only one who likes Neutrogena’s SkinClearing Liquid Makeup. xD They changed the formula so that it contains some oil now, but it still works for me. Controls my oily skin and the salicylic acid in it keeps my mind at ease. I’m not looking for medium or heavy duty coverage, so this is pretty natural looking and light on my skin.

Lauren

Cle de Peau Silky Creme Foundation… its matches my fair skin perfectly, keeps my oil at bay and doesn’t look fake even though its full-medium finish. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive 🙁

lazeny

I’ve got my top 3 w/c are Graftobian HD Creme Foundation, Shu Uemura Nobara Cream Cover Stick and Guerlain Lingerie De Peau.

Christina

I love 2: Diorskin Nude and NARS Sheer Glow. RIght now I am loving the NARS sheer glow. I mix Josie Maran’s agran oil illuminator with it and it makes my face look flawless.

Leslie

Awesome question…I can’t wait to hear everyone’s suggestions. Unfortunately, I haven’t found an HG foundation for my super oily and sometimes super flaky skin (and I’ve tried many). My absolute favorites so far are:

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light
MAC Pro Longwear
Boots Lifting & Firming
Mehron Celebre Pro HD (AMAZING for the price)

I recently got a sample of MUFE HD and really like it, but haven’t had the chance to test it out thoroughly. I’m really interested in trying NARS Sheer Glow and Lancome Teint Idole.

Reese

Estee Lauder Double Wear! Or Double Wear light in the summertime. Covers all my acne and acne scarring and right now it’s doing triple duty covering my “pregnancy” blotchy face! Loooooooooooooove it!

Ann

Studio Tech. I use so little of this foundation! NC15 in this formula is the best match for my skin that I’ve ever had.

flyavsted

This is a great question! Love reading everyones reply. Mine is the one I have used since approx 2005. Helena Rubenstein Color Clone.

angela

Mine is hands down Chanel Mat Lumiere. I never thought I could wear foundation and look natural before. I LOVE it! I don’t care how much it costs. HG!!

Dee

Still looking for one for my pale, yet acne-prone skin. Graftobian is great, matches my skin, but since I have some dry patches, I can’t get it to lay quite well, even with a well moisturized face. But that product is great. I’m like one/two shade light then NC15 🙁

Anna

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua! It gives a really nice natural finish and it’s weightless! I can’t feel it on my skin but it gives the coverage that I need. It also controls my oily t-zone very well!

Stefanie

MUFE HD foundation #127. It’s the only thing I’ve tried that truly matches my skin and it doesn’t make me break out. Win-win!

BeccaTheCyborg

LUSH’s Jackie Oates Colour Supplement. Lovely for sensitive skin, pale enough for me (I’ve had major issues finding one that is), and evens out my skin while still letting my freckles show.

Becca

I don’t know if it’s a holy grail, but I really liker the foundation that I’m using right now:
the Joe Fresh Style light weight foundation. it’s light and looks really natural yet covers everything and doesn’t flake or sweat off!!!!!
for me foundations usually do one or the other)

Daisy

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua! Totally feels like I’ve got nothing on and I really can’t stress how important that is to me when trying out new foundations. The coverage is just enough and my skin looks amaaaazing. It also manages to survive the summer heat beautifully.

Ann

Mufe HD. It provides coverage and looks natural. On my combination skin, it lasts a good 8 hrs when set with powder.

Jackie

For summer/going out I LOVE Merle Norman’s Lasting Foundation. It goes on matte and lasts up to 12 hrs. It looks amazing on. For the colder months, I love Merle Norman’s Total Finish Foundation. It is full coverage and oil-based (beauty pageant girls wear it) and protects my dry skin from the cold weather. Just make sure you wash it off at night!

Carrie Ann

Revlon Colorstay. Matches my skin tone perfectly, lasts all day and doesn’t aggravate my skin.

Holly

Does anyone else with Laura mercier silk creme find that it settles into expression lines? I had to go back to EL DW light and I no longer have that problem. I did really like the coverage of laura mercier though

Maureen

I’m using Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear tinted moisturizer right now, but if we’re talking true FOUNDATION, I’d have to say Clinique Superbalanced Makeup. It’s so perfect. I don’t even know why MAC bothers making foundation, when Clinique’s got that covered. Incidentally, I also like Revlon and Physician’s formula. MAC was hands-down the worst one I’d tried.

Gina

MUFE HD! However, I’m currently also liking Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Light. It’s a nice summer foundation when you want a little more coverage than a tinted moisturizer.

Jessica

Not sure if I’ve found one yet…but currently I’m using Lancome Teint miracle and really liking it :). I’ve also used pro long wear by mac and that ones nice as well, but feels a little heavy.

Moni

Doirskin airflash, but the older version, the one that came in a smaller can. It gave me the softest flawless skin ever! and I swear the formulation in the current presentation is not the same how dissapointing!

Andrea

Winter – Lancome Teint Miracle Summer – Estee Lauder DW Sheer-Tint Release….amazing and so light-weight for those hot days. Not much coverage though…i have to use concealer if I have blemishes.

Sass

Estee Lauder Double Wear is my summer holy grail foundation…goes on light, covers well and stays on long enough!

annie

Chanel VitaLumiere Aqua 🙂 got it since Mid May & in love ever since.its light,provide enough coverage,lasts the whole day without feeling cakey (n_n) <3

Liz

I don’t know if it’s HG yet, but I’m loving both MUFE HD (118) and MUFE Mat Velvet + (40).

Tracie in NC

I need to ask you experts! I currently wear BareMinerals SPF Foundation Matte in the lightest shade (whatever that is). I bought Estee Lauder DW in Shell recently and I’ve only worn it once but I like it. It might be a little heavy for summer. I am super super pale with combination/oily skin and HUGE pores on my cheeks… any suggestions for what I should try? I need something that won’t settle in my pores (I’ve tried every primer out there but everything settles in the pores on my cheeks for some reason) and won’t break me out. HALP 🙂

Shelby

Revlon Colorstay Oily/Combo! Wish it didn’t smell like paint, but other than that it is by far, the best foundation I’ve ever ever used!

Renee

I actually just discovered this one! It’s Mary Kay Timewise in Ivory 6. It disappears on my skin (can’t tell you’re wearing it), and if you apply it with a brush you don’t need a lot.

happybadfish

I have dry skin, pale skin, and some red undertones. I would like to have a medium coverage for dry skin, anyone have a holy grail for me???

Naomi

Cle de Peau Cream foundation in the twist up container so that I don’t have to dip my fingers into a pot of product 🙂 Love, love, love. Looks so natural and works with any type of brush.

Samantha

I have tried many foundations over the years, but always keep going back to Revlon Colourstay for oily/combo skin in Ivory 010. Going to stick with this for a while I think, it is costing me too much to keep trying foundations!

yasemin

i literally can’t use foundation or powder, i put on and 10 mins later i wipe it off. it makes your skin look so nice but i just can’t stand the feel of it =(

Aleeya

Ugh! I know what you mean. When I started wearing makeup it took me awhile for me to go out in public with it on. My first foundation was Mac studio sculpt and it made my skin too perfect and the feel of foundation was so weird to me. I took baby steps by wearing it once or twice a week then I slowly graduated to everyday. Now I’m wearing a much lighter foundation and feel so much more comfortable. You live, you learn lol.

Sharon

So far my HG foundation is Sephora Mineral Compact D10 and it works great with Sephora Perfecting Ultra-Smoothing Primer. I have combo-oily, acne prone, sensitive skin. I do still break out if I wear too much of this stuff but as long as I keep my Kabuki brush clean that I use with this it’s not so bad. I find the best thing to avoid acne breakouts when wearing this is using Olive Oil to wash it off with then I use my cleanser. I have been using this foundation for almost 2 years now and I have had good luck with it. In the summer my skin gets more oily so I started using MAC fix+. I spray that on after I use my powder foundation and it really helps with oil control.

Katie

I don’t have a holy grail, as I’m still searching for that one perfect foundation I can wear everyday without thinking about. For now, I have three favorites for light, medium & full coverage:

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua- Light
Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation- Medium
Laura Mercier Silk Cream- Full

Lena

At the moment, it’s Wardah 2-way cake (a local Indonesian brand) for most days, and Guerlain Parure Gold for when I need to look good a whole day and a half! 😀

Aleeya

Mac Mineralize foundation w/ spf in the compact NC45. I love the medium coverage it provides and it looks so natural on me. Before I was using studio tech and it broke my face out and it felt heavy. This mineralize foundation is light on my skin and actually helped my skin clear oddly enough. I get so many compliments when I’m wearing it, I love it!!

Jolie

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra matte foundation!
matches my skintone perfectly and stays on for 10+ hours!

April

Seriously late on this comment, but I just made my first Guerlain purchases yesterday. I got the Guerlain Parure Gold foundation, Rouge Automatique in 167, and Ecrin 4 Couleurs in 05. I can’t wait to them! I haven’t wanted to take them out of their boxes yet lol.

Jessica

My all time favorite would be Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. I absolutely love it. It creates a flawless, natural finish. It covers all my pimples and redness. I’m currently using the shade B20 and when I’m a bit darker I use B30. Rapid and easy application.Its soft and evanescent ultra-fine fluid texture is a real surprise. Although it is exceptionally delicate and light, an incomparable “second-skin” perfecting result is achieved. The complexion appears amazingly even, fresh and energized. The skin glows with seemingly nude beauty. As if glowing from within.
A little pricey but worth every penny you pay for it.

If you don't see your comment yet, it's still in our moderation queue. We try our best to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind. Thank you for your patience!

On Instagram