I want to highly recommend going to Sephora and talking to someone there about foundation. You can try out any and all of the products they carry (and there are a LOT) and decide what you like best. And if you change your mind, you can return it.
In the last couple years I’ve switched from drugstore makeup to Sephora/department store makeup, and I am waay happier with my stuff now. It does cost more, but if you buy things as you run out, it isn’t so bad. And, in my opinion, the nicer stuff lasts longer because you actually use less. Not to mention having a better experience while you use it.
There are some good drugstore products, and if you read and try things you can find them and be happy, but I think the customer support at a place like Sephora or MAC is worth the extra cost. YMMV
I love Benefit Cosmetics. They have stuff that’s hard to find anywhere else, such as browbone highlighter. They’re foundation ranges from tinted moisturizer to heavy-duty drag-queen cover ALL, and they have a huge variety of skincare products too. Check out their website http://www.benefitcosmetics.com.
I love to buy makeup and have way, way, way too much. I can’t resist ‘this season’s IN eyeshadow color’ and am still after all these years searching for the perfect lip color. So, I seldom leave a store without a tube or bottle of something that’s going to transform me into a great beauty. I love Maybelline Dream Mousse as a foundation, occasionally splurge on L’Oreal, and examine the NYC or Rimmel racks for a fun cheapie (yeah, like I need shiny lime green eyeliner!). The makeup counters in the department stores scare me. I stand there looking at all that expensive stuff wondering who buys it, but I run when a sales clerk approaches. They’re so desperate! I’m just looking, OK? I don’t want to spend a week’s salary on something just to take it home to add to the pile.
L’Oreal. Cheap and effective. I also have a couple of items by Wet N Wild, even cheaper, and they work for what I use them for, but I use them kind of differently than they were intended.
I buy whatever’s on sale, except I never buy Revlon nail polish, because it sucks ass.
I would pay BIG money for a foundation that actually matched my skin tone, but I gave up that dream years ago I’ve gone to Sephora, I’ve done makeovers at the makeup counters in department stores … nothing works.
I’ve only used their primer, and I didn’t care for it. It’s the most expensive primer I’ve ever used, but was also the least effective. Maybe their other products work better, or maybe the primer just didn’t work for me.
I’m going to have to jump on the L’Oreal bandwagon here. I’ve mainly used them for eye shadows, but I recently bought their primer, and it’s the best one I’ve ever used. It visibly improves the appearance of your skin the moment you put it on, and really does help your foundation stick. It’s better than Smashbox, but only cost $12. My first time using it was earlier this week, and as drug store brand cosmetics notoriously discontinue products all the freaking time, I promised myself I would stock up on some next time I went to the store. Shit, I just came back from the store a half hour ago and forgot. :smack:
For foundation, I stick with MAC. Their foundation can get heavy, sure, so the trick with MAC is to remember a little goes a long way. I use them because they’re the only brand I’ve found that can match my skin tone exactly. I’m a dark-skinned black women, and it seems like once the hue of foundation is darker than a paper bag, cosmetic companies just start getting lazy and go, “Okay, dark brown and really dark brown are the only two colors we’re going to bother with after this.” And if you think you’re going to find something that matches your undertone…
Laura Mercier’s primer is the only product of hers I don’t like and don’t use. But I know a lot of people who use it and love it, so I always figured it was just me.
Otherwise–my house looks like I robbed a Laura Mercier counter.
Really? I’ve been wanting to try that product but I can’t imagine what it actually does. Aside from making your foundation stay put (which isn’t really a problem for me) can you share a little more about what it does to change the appearance of your skin?
I’ve tried two gel liners so far (the kind in little screw top containers) and apparently “gel” means “really thick paste that maybe you can smear on but it’ll look very uneven.” Am I doing something wrong? Did I just have bad luck?
Another one on the L’Oreal Tru Match bandwagon. It’s one of the few I’ve found that matches my skin tone. I also like their lipstick, concealer and eyeshadow. For eyeliner, I generally pick up a nice grey pencil from Sally’s Beauty Supply. I also go there for brow pencil since even department stores tend to start out a shade too dark for me. For Mascara, the only one I’ve found that doesn’t irritate my eyes is from Merle Norman.
I had the same luck with gel, not good. I really wanted to like it but I just made a big mess. It might have worked if I could have figured out how to get just the tiniest amount on the brush, but it seemed like it was too much…wipe wipe…too little. I gave up.
It’s not a complete skin makeover, to set some expectations, but the primer alone gives your skin a matte and more even appearance, and seems to buff away tiny blemishes. On my no makeup days, I usually just dust some translucent finishing powder on, but this works better than that. I was surprised by how good it is, and have now disavowed Smashbox forever. Gah, I’m now walking that weird tightrope where I’m a total devotee, but don’t want to oversell. If you try it, I hope it works as well for you as it has for me.
I laugh because I totally know what you mean. White powder can make you look ashy, but my skin is pretty oily, so when I throw it on it’s not bad, and is actually an improvement. Sucks the oil right up, and gives my skin a nice finish. I use Sephora Makeup Forever HD Powder, which I typically apply over my foundation, or will use alone only if I’m not having a dry skin day, otherwise I start looking grey. I’ve also found that CoverGirl’s (seriously, CoverGirl) translucent oil-control pressed powder works really well. I don’t even leave the house without it. Once my face starts getting oily, which is how the cookie crumbles during the summer, I whip that compact out and start dabbing away. It doesn’t rub away your makeup, and keeps your skin looking fresh.
But this advice probably works better for people with oily skin. If you don’t have this issue, please feel free to disregard, or regard with a grain of salt.
I also like L’Oreal True Match, but my one problem is that my “summer” color happens to be their lightest shade in neutral. This is obviously a problem now, even though I live in South Florida and it doesn’t get cold here. I’m still paler right now than I am during the summer.
I’m at the other end of the spectrum-- I’m the lady who’s at the beginning range of “you’re too pale for our product” in the winter and just barely fits into half of the drugstore color ranges in the summer. I have a MAC stick foundation around here somewhere that’s their lightest shade that I had gotten to do a “pale ghostly” effect one year, and I’ll be damned if it isn’t the right shade for me now.
I’m contemplating trying an online mineral makeup company I found called Meow Cosmetics. They have a wide range of mineral foundation in many different undertone varieties, as well as going from really pale to really dark. You may be able to find a good match here as well.
What kind of brush are you using? I use an angled liner brush like this, and haven’t had any problems. I can use gel eyeliner or eyeshadow and vary my angle to either get a really thin line close to the lash line or a wider swoop with a bit of pointed tip to the outer end.
I’ve gone to Sephora, I’ve done makeovers at the makeup counters in department stores … nothing works.
sounds like just what I was hoping it would do. I’ll let you know how it goes.