It is true when they say that natural and dewy skin is always in. Aside from drinking lots of water, maintaining a healthy diet, and exercising regularly (or trying your best to be active, and for me, it’s going outside to explore the outdoors.), I believe that what you put on your body will directly affect you and what you put out to the world. That is why when it comes to skincare and makeup products like foundations, aka things that I put on my skin, I always want to make sure that they are made from great ingredients from brands that I trust.

I have tried and tested out a lot of foundations over years, so at this point, I know pretty well what I like or do not like in a foundation. I love to see skin-loving ingredients. It has to be hydrating and gives me a natural dewy finish. I’d prefer something that lasts on me throughout the day without worrying about touching up.

My skin type: I have dry skin, and it can get super itchy in many areas on my body, especially on my cheeks and forehead if I don’t thoroughly moisturize it. In addition, my forehead and eyelids get quite oily at the end of the day, so I always make sure I at least use an eye primer and set my forehead with powder. In short, I think I have a combination skin type but leaning more toward a drier side. Luckily, I don’t have acne nor do I suffer from any allergy or skin sensitivity.

My foundation shade: I don’t worry too much about matching my skin perfectly to the foundation because as long as the undertone matches (mine is olive undertone!), nothing you can’t fix with some bronzer and blush. Moreover, I always match it with the color of my neck. In fact, I don’t even use a lot of foundation. Just a couple of dots and an even blend will do!

How I’ve determined that I have an Olive undertone: My skin is naturally more tan compared to a lot of my Asian friends. I also tan pretty easily, and gold jewelry suits me well. In addition, over the years whenever I’m shopping for foundation, I am always told by Sephora and Ulta sale associates/stylists that I have an Olive undertone.

For some reasons, if a brand does not offer medium shade of foundation for olive undertone, the next closest I’d go for is warm undertone. When shade matching, it’s also important to wait until the foundation is completely dry before confirming it’s the perfect shade. Lastly, I don’t need a foundation to match my perfectly because there’s nothing a little more bronzer cannot fix.

SHOP MY FAVORITE FOUNDATIONS:

1. Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation

This Double Wear Stay-In-Place foundation is a famous full coverage foundation with matte finish that lasts all day.

One day I just decided to give it a try after seeing it a Sephora store. I got the foundation shade matched, 3W1 (Tawny) for Warm/Golden undertone, and it does match my skin, especially my neck color perfectly.

Usually, I’d stay away from full coverage foundation because I’m a natural girl and do not like the look of a lot of makeup. It’s advertised as ‘great for oily and combination’ skin,’ and with the dry to combination skin I have, this foundation works great. I like to use it with a wet Beauty Blender sponge as it helps sheering out the foundation in the most natural way. And on days when I feel like wearing a little more coverage, I’d pour a little bit more and use a brush instead.

Some people complain about the paint scent or how it’s not great for textured skin, but for me, those are not my problems at all. I don’t notice any strong unpleasant scent because it just smells a little bit like an old-school makeup product. Of course, I’d highly recommend you to read reviews and ask for a foundation sample before purchasing. Note that this foundation doesn’t come with a pump. It does not bother me, and in fact, I’d prefer products with this type of minimal and less plastic packaging.

2. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 – Oil-Free

This Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer and the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer are my go-to everyday face products. The reason why I don’t feature the NARS one in this post is because I’ve recently ran out of it. And this Laura Mercier one is what I’m using at the moment. I guess you can call it a tinted moisturizer or a foundation, however you’d like.

For every day wear, I’d prefer a tinted moisturizer like this because of the lightweight feel and how natural it looks. Despite of the fact that this has SPF in it, I still wear sunscreen prior to apply any makeup products on my skin. I love the hydrating dewy finish as well as how well it lasts throughout the day. My shade is 4W1 (Tawny) – medium with warm undertones.

Made with skin-loving ingredients, the new Invisible Touch Liquid Foundation instantly becomes my favorite ever since. This product is a PR gift from the brand, and I got sent the shade M222 Subtlety. I think the team did a great job at shade matching me because all I did was to tell them a few of my current foundation shades. I’ve tested this for about a month, and it’s been great so far.

I love the skinny glass packaging, great to travel with as it does not take up a lot of space. The tiny dropper application makes it little bit hard to apply since I have to go back and forth a few times to get enough product on my face. The texture is quite liquidy, so I feel like I will run out of this fairly quickly. But I love that it’s got a serum-like formula and does feel like I’m applying skincare. I like using my fingers to spread the product ad love how natural and luminous the finish is.

In addition, I love Kjaer Weiss as a brand because of their effort in designing products using recyclable and reusable packaging.

4. Chanel Vitalumière Moisture-Rich Radiance Sunscreen Fluid Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15

I especially love Chanel’s approach to face products, makeup that feel like skincare and look natural but glam at the same time. Every foundation I’ve tried from Chanel is brilliant. I’ve gone through a few of the Vitalumière Aqua and Chanel Vitalumiere foundation, and I’ve been dying to try the Les Beige range, specifically this Water-fresh tint.

It’s such a shame because Chanel foundations are so limited in their shade range. This Vitalumiere foundation comes in only 8 shades, and my shade is 40 Beige. Due to such limited shades, I highly recommend coming into a Nordstrom or Sephora store and ask for shade-matched as well as a sample before you buy.

I find that the Vitalumiere range is so great for dry skin. I love the creamy formula, and it effortlessly applies. It looks and feels luxurious. The finish is soft, natural. luminous. It’s everything I want in a bottle.

5. Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation is the best foundation ever existed. It is my holy grail foundation, and I am sure it is a staple for a lot of you guys as well.

I love how it gives me such a gorgeous natural lit-from-within glow. It gives me good coverage but doesn’t cake up nor run away. Because of how skin-like the finish is, I’d totally see myself wearing this every day (if I had somewhere to go or had a reason to dress up). I’ve also noticed that this foundation is pretty hydrating, and all I have to do is plot my forehead since it does get a bit oily looking at the end of the day. However, most of the time, I don’t even touch up my makeup because I absolutely do not mind the shine.

Note that this foundation is not full coverage, but it is buildable. I’d usually just rather use some full coverage concealer like this Tarte one and set my forehead, under the eye areas and along the lower or hollow sides of my cheeks with this loose setting powder to achieve a full-proof makeup look.

My shade is 6.25 – medium to tan, golden and/or 6 – medium, olive. Again, you should get your shade matched in a Sephora store or Nordstrom and ask for a sample before purchasing. It is absolutely stunning, and I’d highly this to everyone.

MY TOP 5 FAVORITE FOUNDATION BRUSHES & SPONGES:

1. Artis Elite Mirror Oval 7 Brush – shop on Sephora or Artis and use my code AN20 for 20% off – This product is gifted, but that doesn’t change the fact that this Oval 7 brush is the best brush for foundation. And it is true! The densely packed brush distributes foundation or any liquid and cream products so effortlessly and fast. The spoon-like handle design makes it so effortless and easy to glide across the face.
2. Sephora Collection PRO Foundation Brush #56 – I am not a fan when a retailer tries to come up with products. Sephora has one, and Ulta has one. But I will make one exception for Sephora Collection brushes. Only brushes! They’re great and worth the price in my opinion!
3. Beautyblender beautyblender® pro – best when wet! I love the rounded end for a quick foundation application, and the contoured end is perfect to get in the corner of the eyes and nose.
4. Real Techniques Miracle Body Complexion Sponge – I love the flat end of this sponge. It’s a sturdy sponge, and I like to use it with the Laura Mercier powder to set my face, especially perfect for baking.
5. SIGMA BEAUTY F80 Flat Kabuki^™ Brush – I’ve had this brush for 4 years, and the bristle has just started falling off. I’d say that’s very worth the $25 price tag! I reach for this just as often as my other brushes and sponges and whenever I want to change things up.

READ MORE:

Krave Beauty Review – My Honest Thoughts on ALL the Products!

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10 Must-have Beauty Products from Sephora

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