This January I’ve set myself a challenge: aside from the healthy eating/fitness challenges you get with the start of any New Year, I’ve set myself the mission to use every single foundation currently in my collection. Why? Over the years my tastes have changed and what I look for in my foundation of choice has evolved. Although my rational side knows this, the slightly less rational side holds onto those favourable memories of foundations past tricking myself into thinking ‘one day’ I’d use them.
When you blog you feel like you need all the things. God forbid you end up repetitive or boring ;) Alas what that actually means is collections can spiral and at times readers don’t get a true sense of what a persons favourites really are. I’m not saying I’ve held onto these bases for that single reason alone however I’m holding my hands up to say I’ve hoarded, it needs to stop, so as of January every foundation is going to be used, reviewed and cut, kept or stored. Let the fun begin!
I was a bit sneaky by starting this off with one of my favourite foundations, the reformulated L’Oreal True Match is still one of my most worn and most reached for bases and, to this day, I adore it. Worn in the shade 2N Vanilla which is a perfect match I find this is an easy to wear, blend and apply base that feels lightweight on the skin yet covers any redness or blemishes. It lasts throughout a day at work and feels hydrating as you apply it. I can use either my beauty blender, brush or fingers to still achieve the same fab finish and healthy complexion. I do pair this with a higher coverage powder such as my Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder but that is just if I’m looking for more of a flawless finish so I can dust over any obvious pores.
Verdict: keep as one of my everyday foundation picks
Compared to my loved True Match, the Chanel Les Beiges foundation gives more coverage to the skin whilst leaving a satin finish. I’m not a huge fan of the slightly matter finish which lends me to think this will be a better fit for those Summer months when my skin is less dry from the harsh Winter winds. The consistency is visibly thicker in comparison and although it’s a more luxury base, I find this doesn’t last as well throughout the day. Once home it’s clear that the foundation has disappeared around my nose but I did pair it with a lighter Rodial Illuminating Powder*. No 20 is a great match for my skin and is something I’m going to retry when the seasons change.
Verdict: keep and retest in the Summer
Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder
This is the foundation that surprised me the most, I have such fond memories of when I first purchased the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation out in LA and used it for the entire Summer everyday. Although I remember loving it, since then it’s sat at the back of my cupboard and hasn’t been picked back up. Either the foundation has gone off (that might be the case for a few of these!) or quite simply my skin has changed, but it’s once light boosting properties aren’t enough anymore. It provided minimal coverage that required a second concealer under my eyes to mask those puffy bags. It didn’t last well thought out the day and I felt like my complexion didn’t get that douse of healthy glow compared to others bases. Shade 2 Fair is a good match and yes I could repurpose this for Summer, but I have so many BB Creams and Tinted Moisturisers that I adore I’m going to do the right thing and cut!
Verdict: bin!
This foundation is a classic and one that most beauty lovers will have in their collection. Again, worn in the shade No 20 which is my match for Chanel bases this is most similar to my L’Oreal True Match foundation. I adore the lightweight formula, it gives great coverage to my skin and leaves me with a healthy glow that you can easily loose in Winter. I paired it will the Rodial Illuminating Powder* and at the end of the day there was a bit of redness around my nose. Even pairing it with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder didn’t fix this, however it’s something that I can look past considering everything else is a win in my books!
Verdict: keep as one of my everyday foundation picks
My next round of foundation testing in under way, make sure you are following my Blog over on Bloglovin to be notified when it’s live!
