Inside my Stash: Foundation

| Apr 20, 2010

Himself thinks I have a lot of makeup. Not surprising, I'd say if he skids on another lipgloss or falls over another bag packed with product I'll be traded in for a younger, cosmetic-free version.

If only he knew though - mine is nothing compared to some bloggers'. While my stash is pretty big, and more and more arrives daily as a result of my print writing and of course Beaut.ie, I don't keep it all. I can't. I live in a 450sq ft flat, which is populated with several thousand records, books and makeup items, as well as the inevitable shoe and bag collections and y'know, a bit of furniture for the pair of us to sit on and sleep in. We really, really need to move.

Anyway, I thought you might like to take a sneaky at the base products I keep on hand. This is an edit-down of what I've tested and found worthy. It isn't all of them, but it is the majority of what I like, use, rate and also a couple that are new. Want a closer look? Check after the cut so.

Two shades of Nars' lovely Sheer Glow. I have Deauville (light4) and Mont Blanc (light 2). This isn't glowy at all actually but somehow delivers a really beautiful veil of cover that's quite matte. I got on fantastically with this for ages but the cold in January and February meant my skin was drier than usual and I got a few flakes. Back to normal now though, phew, because I really like this.
The much-beloved budget babe that is Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. Shade is no 51, Vanille Clair. Read my thoughts on the who, why and where on the review I wrote recently.
Mac Studio Fix in NW15 - an old fave, not used so much now, but which I dug out again and used over the very cold weather. Great coverage, good for normal-to-oily skins, as my skin has changed, it's a bit too drying for me now.
Origins' re-entered the makeup market again recently with Youthopia SPF15, a companion product to their anti-ageing Youthopia line. The shade I have is light shade 2. This is a medium-coverage product good for anyone in their 30s who wants a little extra from their products. It's moisturising and dewy, and I found it to be a good pick this winter.
I adore this foundation: it's Giorgio Armani's Lasting Silk UV Foundation SPF20 in 4. An in-depth look at it can be found elsewhere on the blog.

Advertised

Great for summer (and something I'll be packing for Primavera in Barcelona at the end of May. Holidays, yay!) is Jemma Kidd Makeup School Mineral Nourishing Tint SPF20. 01 Porcelain's my shade, and again, lots more info on this product is available on the site.
A posh splurge, I included this as, even though it's actually too much for my skin, it is a beautifully-formulated foundation for someone who has cash (this is €100!) or wants their base to more than just colour in their phizog. Part of the pricey Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv line, this is packed full of anti-agers, is super-hydrating and provides great coverage. For the 40-plus, or heavy smokers, I would say.
Ah good old Diorskin Nude in 020. This is a Beaut.ie fave. I love it, Lynnie loves it. Check out the links to find out why.
Shu Uemura's Water Perfect foundation in, eh, some shade. Can't read it - most of the writing is in Japanese - but it's got a peachy undertone so it suits my skin, has a lovely finish and nice texture with just a bit more than a smidge of coverage, but dries my face. Ah well, you live and learn - and Shu have too, because this has been discontinued, as far as I know.
Boo HOO! Prescriptives Custom Blend was a truly innovative and custom product that proved to be a boon for anyone who just couldn't get on with off-the-shelf products. Before the company shut down, I got to learn how exactly they created it, too.

Chanel's Lift Lumiere is a lovely medium-to-full coverage product that is pricey, but which skin post-30 will get on well with. The shade I have, 20 Clair, is too dark for me, but I used most of this up anyway because I liked it oh-so-much
Another discontinued Prescriptives one (but which you may find online), All Skins Mineral Makeup was one of their last launches and is a very good almost-full coverage base with lots and lots of options to account for differing skin tones. I had a few shades of this, but settled on Level 1 Cool. If you can still find this, it will cover a multitude - it masked horrible post-laser marks on my face most excellently.
Another I like for warmer weather and days when I cannot frankly be arsed, Creme de la Mer's The SPF18 Fluid Tint is a whopper of a price (€60ish, I think) and is really a tinted moisturiser. Light 02 is the shade I have, and it looks awfully brown in the tube, but smooths out well on skin for a very light tint that's very nice when you're doing a no makeup makeup look.

New from Urban Decay is Surreal Skin Cream to Powder foundation. I was sent a few to try but Haze, a very pale porcelain, does it for me shade-wise. The packaging is beautiful and the included brush is great, but unfortunately this just doesn't suit me. It's for someone with a much oilier skin type, I think.
I was amazed at how much I liked Maybelline Dream Creamy, but I do. This is really very good for the price-point and while I'd advocate ditching the brush and having them add a few more shades - 40 Fawn is too dark for me - this is a nice product that suits my skin.
Lastly, a 2009 launch from Revlon. Beyond Natural threatened to be a gimmick but it works. You choose a shade variant and it then adapts to your tone, via pigment spheres in the mix. More bamboozling info can be found on last year's post.