I’m not quite sure how it happened but I’ve grown quite the collection of foundations. I’ve come a long way from owning just one foundation from Mac, that I ultimately realized was too red for my skin tone. Now that I’ve developed some more experience and a larger collection, I’m giving you a list of my top five foundations. This is hopefully the start of a series where I’ll be sharing my top five concealers, contours, and setting powders as well. Keep in mind that I’ve got combination skin with my oiliest parts being my cheeks (specifically under my eye) and T-zone area. I’m simply giving you a list of what’s worked best for me!
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Long Wear Foundation
This was the first foundation I bought when I finally decided to try something other than Mac, so it’s only right that I list this foundation first. I think I came across this foundation because of a Jackie Aina video that discussed her list of top foundations from women of color and I decided to give it a try. I have absolutely not regrets. Obviously it is a luxury makeup brand and at $47 this foundation is definitely on the pricier side. However in terms of shade range, Lancome truly made an effort to reach out to a wide variety of skin tones with this one. What do you expect from a company that made Lupita Nyong’o the face of its brand? Anyways this foundation is super long lasting and blends into my skin like butter. I wear the shade 520 Suede W. It’s a medium/full coverage foundation so I usually go for this foundation when I want a full glam look!
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
THIS. FOUNDATION. HERE. Let’s take a moment to thank God for whoever created this. Hands down my favorite full–and I mean FULL–coverage foundation. It’s matte but still let’s some glow come through over time as you wear it. The foundation comes in 47 shades and I wear it in Nutmeg (6W2). It is a luxury foundation so it’s another one in my collection that is on the pricier side at $42. Keep in mind though that I only use this for full glam looks and I don’t wear any foundation at all during the week when I go to work. So I’m really not refilling foundation bottles often because I’ll be wearing them max twice a week.
Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Foundation
While I love a full glam beat on most days that I’m putting on makeup, my July trip to Cuba left me wanting to add a super lightweight skin like foundation to my collection for travel. After checking out some reviews on various options I decided to go with the Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation. I was not at all disappointed with my choice. As already mentioned the foundation is light coverage but still a foundation. As opposed to a CC cream or tinted moisturizer, this foundation has more potential to cover up some blemishes but nothing major. It’s truly lightweight however, a complete downside is the shade range or lack thereof. Online the foundation has 26 shades but when I went to pick it up in stores, there were even less since the 26 shade count is actually an expansion from the original. My shade, 12.0 was the darkest available as it was the darkest shade of the initial launch. I don’t even think I have to tell you why that is so problematic for a brand. So while I loved this foundation as a lighter coverage one, I realize it may not actually be accessible for many due to the limited shades.
NYX Can’t Stop Wont’ Stop
I can’t even lie, I’m pretty wary of using drugstore brand foundations. Most of the ones I’ve used in the past have left me extremely oily after a short amount of time. However I was pleasantly surprised by how amazing the NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation is. The foundation, which was a collab with popular Youtuber Alissa Ashley, launched with 45 shades. Let that marinate for a second. 45 shades! I actually spent about an hour in the store trying to determine my shade match not because there wasn’t any available but because your girl had options! Ultimately I decided to go with Deep Rich but I’ll definitely go back during the Winter to pick up another shade once my summertime tan fades. It’s only $15 and a medium to full coverage foundation. If you’ve got oily skin, I’d recommend pairing with the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Primer. It’s suuuuuper mattifying however so when I used it I only applied in areas of my face that tend to get oily.
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation
The last spot on this last was a battle between Born This Way and the famous Fenty Beauty Foundation. If I’m being honest with myself I just don’t reach for the Fenty Foundation as often as the hype around it would suggest I should. Maybe it’s because of the slight oxidizing that happens but I just haven’t been blow away by the foundation. Instead I like to use Born This Way Foundation especially after the most recent partnership with Too Faced and Jackie Aina to expand the shade range. It truly gives a skin like finish. If you want to see a full review on this foundation, check it out on my YouTube channel! Nothing too cakey or piled on even though it is medium to full coverage. The matching concealer is also a banger but I won’t say much on that because I’ll be following this post up with one about concealers!
Final Thoughts
As always this is just a short list of the top foundations I find myself using most often. There are many more in my collection and many more that I’m always looking to try. Got a favorite foundation? Leave a rec in the comments below!
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