You wouldn’t build a house on sand. And you wouldn’t marry without a good relationship. Yes, a solid foundation is the benchmark for most things in life. Except make-up. Here, I prefer the opposite: I’m more of a liquid foundation gal…
You wouldn’t build a house on sand. And you wouldn’t marry without a good relationship.
Yes, a solid foundation is the benchmark for most things in life.
Except make-up. Here, I prefer the opposite: I’m more of a liquid foundation gal.
To this end, I trial several liquid foundations that vary in texture from light to medium/heavy coverage, and vary greatly in price from $23 to $78. They’re listed here in order of price from the lowest to the highest.
In the interest of parity in my not-very-scientific study I used the same primer: first I tried all with Inika Primer and then all again with Smashbox Luminizing Primer which gets a special mention as something I would heartily recommend as it felt so silky under all the brands.
Cheapest foundation was by a long shot was Fit Me by Maybelline New York at $23 for 30ml. I found it had a light coverage – they describe it as "letting your skin show through." It felt a bit thin, a bit dry, and didn’t last as long as the others. It would be ideal for younger skins. I liked that it had a SPF18 and came in a good range of ten shades.
I was pleasantly surprised by the performance-for-the-price of Maybelline New York SuperStay 24 HR Makeup. Priced at $34 it has SPF19 and what they term Micro-Flex technology, meaning it forms a flexible skin that resists against cracking, fading, creasing, and dryness. It felt creamy and comfortable after hours of wear. I would buy this again.
True Match from L’Oreal Paris at $42 is a mid-priced liquid foundation, so we’re getting into the realms of more sophisticated formulation now. It boasts skin matching technology (also famously seen in M.A.C cosmetics’ Matchmaster ($75) which adjusts to your skin using a combination of coloured pigments and clear ones.) You select your foundation shade according to your skin’s undertone; Warm (W), Neutral (N) or Cool (C). The number after each of the letters (W, N or C) indicates the depth of colour. I found it excellent for blendability and hydrating to skin as well, with no caking.
Inika Liquid Mineral Foundation (30ml $69.50) is a certified organic liquid foundation in a squeezable pump tube with a lighter coverage. I found it spread well and dissolved into my skin beautifully. It wasn’t a good heavy coverage though -I found it more akin to a tinted moisturiser – so if you want a heavier finish, combine it with the Inika mineral foundation which comes in a loose powder. Perfect for those interested in using organic products on their skin.
Smashbox Studio Skin had the best coverage of all foundations I tried. It basically gives you a flawless face. They say this is from a formula whereby "imperfections are blurred with light-diffusing spheres." I just know that you get perfect skin and it still feels moisturised. It does err on the side of being quite thick so go easy; a little goes a looong way. I made the mistake of using too much the first time I tried it and got a mask effect. You want your skin to still show through, so use this sparingly to great effect. Would definitely recommend.
This one isn’t released until 16th April, but it is worth the wait. I found Clarins Everlasting Foundation had the best staying power. It is also incredibly luxurious on the face and very comfortable to wear. I wore it on the hottest day at the BMW Polo, and it didn’t move all day with no finishing powder, or touch-ups. It was looking quite moist by the end of the hot day but it had not run or creased. They are releasing the Everlasting liquid foundation in tandem with the Everlasting Compact Foundation ($78) which you can use wet or dry. I used mine dry and found it gave a very smooth finish with high coverage and a matt, powdery result.
Megan Robinson, 9 March 2012.
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