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Buy or Bye? Foundation Mini Reviews

Apologies for missing in action for the past month! This pregnancy certainly hasn’t been easy and I’ve been taking some time off to rest.

I’ve been decluttering during my time off and I took out all of my opened foundations – can’t believe I had more than 20 open foundations right this moment!

So I thought I’d do a mini review on all these foundations, filling you in on whether I would buy them again or bid them goodbye.

Enjoy!

 

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery BB

Pros:

  • Pink tube packaging? LOL.

Cons:

  • Only comes in one colour and doesn’t do much to correct skin tone or brighten skin, simply leaves a slightly white cast on my light-medium skin tone and feels uncomfortable on the skin.
  • Doesn’t seem to get absorbed or settle into the skin properly even with setting powder.

Such a shame because the sunscreen is one of my top holy grail sunscreens of all time (featured here, here, and here)!

Buy or Buy? Definitely BYE!

 

Bourjois Nude Sensation Foundation

Looking for something with sheer coverage with skin-like finish that also blurs your pores seamlessly? This is it!

Check out my full review here.

Pros:

  • Its whipped, mousse texture sinks into the skin beautifully and feels very comfortable to wear throughout the day.
  • Skin-like finish.
  • Sheer coverage but smooths out pores really well.

Cons:

  • Jar packaging probably not too hygienic.

Buy or Bye? Buy. Absolutely.

 

Cargo One Base Concealer + Foundation In One

Honestly, this used to be my favourite foundation-and-concealer-in-one product that I featured it here – that is until I discovered the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer, which has much better coverage, longevity, colour-match and formula.

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Pros:

  • Nice, lightweight finish.
  • Doe-foot applicator for fast and precise application.

Cons:

  • Colour is also a bit off now that I’m much lighter and I couldn’t find a colour in their range to match my current skin tone. Most Cargo foundations tend to have yellow undertones so it was difficult for me to find a perfect match whereas Clinique has colours with neutral undertones.
  • Doesn’t work as a concealer too well.

Buy or Bye? Sadly bye.

 

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Fluid 

Expensive? Yes. Useless? Yes. Literally did nothing for my skin, the only reason I still have it is because it was so darn expensive, I don’t know why I never returned this to the store! What was I thinking? It’s so sheer and seemingly non-existent on the skin but the way it sits on the skin feels weird and almost grimy at times, as if it never really settles and just slides around. For something sheer that will give you a healthy glow, opt for the Glossier instead – reviewed below.

Buy or Bye? Absolutely bye.

 

Chanel Perfection Velvet Aqua Foundation

Now this is a different story. This foundation and the Vitalumiére are absoutely wonderful.

This is the perfect base for people with normal to oily skin as it is lightweight with medium to full coverage and great oil control, but you’ll love the PLV even though you have dry skin.

Click here to read full comparison review.

Buy or Bye? Buy!

 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua vs Perfection Lumiere Velvet - Swatches (2)

 

Chanel Vitalumiére Aqua Foundation

If you don’t have problematic skin and just want something lightweight with a dewy, skin-like finish that doesn’t feel sticky or tacky on the skin, go for this one instead. This works with most skin types but it might slide off oilier skin types a bit easier.

Click here to read full comparison review.

Buy or Bye? Buy!

 

Cle de Peau Silky Cream Foundation

My holy grail, ride-or-die full coverage liquid foundation. This foundation can never do me wrong, it’s the one I always go to when I have a special occassion or event to attend and I need something reliable and goof-proof!

I wore this foundation on my wedding day so it does hold a special place in my heart! This made my skin look so flawless all day, I didn’t have to worry about touching up at all (in fact I didn’t touch up my face makeup at all, not even once).

Pros:

  • SPF 23.
  • Absolutely incredible for photography.
  • Medium to full coverage.
  • A tiny bit goes a long way.
  • Blends beautifully into the skin.
  • Feels silky smooth on the skin.
  • Lasts the whole entire day until it is removed.
  • Doesn’t transfer especially when set with powder or setting spray.
  • Satin matte (slightly dewy) finish but its creamy consistency makes it comfortable on dry skin. Works incredibly well on oily skin too, but I think the Cream Foundation (not Silky Cream) will be better for oilier skin types.

Cons:

  • Price? Ugh.

Buy or Bye? If it’s within your budget – BUY!

 

Cle de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation

After loving the Silky Cream Foundation for years, I was so intrigued by this foundation because it has a lighter texture and consistency, and it also has a more dewy, satin finish. So I purchased this earlier this year.

This is just as good as the Silky Cream, but unfortunately for me the shade I got is slightly too dark for me right now (bought this when I was in Indonesia, so I was much tanner) thus I haven’t been wearing it much.

Pros:

  • SPF 24.
  • Blends easily and evenly.
  • Medium to full coverage.
  • Much thinner consistency than the Silky Cream Foundation, but thicker than the likes of Make Up For Ever Face & Body Foundation.
  • Feels more lightweight on the skin than the Silky Cream.
  • Looks more like skin than the Silky Cream.

Cons:

  • Sorry to do this to you guys but the only con is honestly the price!

Buy or Bye? Absolutely another buy! Cle de Peau knows how to do base products!

 

Dove Essential Nutrients Protective Tinted Moisturizer

I’ve honestly never liked any of the “supermarket BB creams” I’ve tried, so I was rather skeptical when I tried this the first time but, boy, was I wrong! This turned out to be amazing for my skin.

Pros:

  • SPF 15.
  • Sheer coverage – a bit more than the Glossier, but less than the Physicians Formula CC+ Cream (both discussed below).
  • Has a cooling sensation on the skin when first applied, which feels very refreshing.
  • Moisturizes the skin throughout the day!
  • Can easily be applied using fingers.
  • Very affordable.

Cons:

  • Only comes in two shades! Boohoo.
  • Poor longevity, only lasting about 4 hours on the skin.

Buy or Bye? If you need a light base with SPF to run short errands, but you’re mostly going to stay home the whole day, I recommend this. I’d personally buy again because it’s perfect for days when I want to skip moisturizer and SPF and just slap on a light base with SPF. Plus, it’s super affordable!

 

Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint

I don’t know how many of my Instagram #MOTD posts feature this product because it’s currently my most-worn base! This has also been featured in two of my monthly favorite roundups (February and July 2016)!

Pros:

  • As the name suggests, it’s just a tint. It doesn’t provide much coverage at all yet I can still see a difference when I apply this on my face, and a glow.
  • Skin looks brighter, more dewy and refreshed.
  • Skin tone slightly more evened out.

Cons:

  • No SPF – really wish it does have SPF!

Buy or Bye? Over and over again – BUY! And if Glossier adds SPF into this, my life is made.

 

It Cosmetics CC+ Full Coverage Cream 

One of my top favorite foundations EVER.

Pros:

  • SPF 50. WHAAAAT.
  • Medium coverage, definitely not full coverage though.
  • Favorite for my makeup bag because it comes in a small travel-sized tube too, and a little goes a long way. So the small tube can last for more than 2-3 months.
  • Amazing coverage with natural-looking, dewy-but-soft-to-the-touch finish. I hate dewy foundations that feel tacky and grimy, and I also hate full coverage foundations that give my dry skin a cakey finish. This does none of that and it feels so comfortable on the skin.
  • Great longevity.

Cons:

  • I honestly can’t think of any!

Buy or Bye? BUY! NOW!

 

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

This one is a cult favorite for a reason – the opacity and coverage is no joke I’m sure this will cover tattoos.

Pros:

  • Very full coverage and can also be used as a concealer.
  • Doesn’t crease when applied with a damp beauty blender.

Cons:

  • I love this as a concealer but it’s too thick as a foundation.
  • Because of its high opacity, it’s important to get the right shade. I personally wasn’t able to get the perfect shade, I’m always been SX08 (too pink) and 09 (too yellow), so I had to buy both shades and mix them, but even then it’s still a bit off.

Buy or Bye? If you can find the perfect shade match, buy! If not, get a sample first 🙂 but don’t push it. If you can’t find a shade that suits you, I honestly don’t think it’s worth the investment unless you want to use it purely as a concealer/highlighter or contour (which I don’t think is worth splurging for either).

 

L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup

Speaking of shade matching, I have never had a foundation that matches me so perfectly. I’ve repurchased this many times and this is a backup bottle that I had. I don’t think these come in this bottle anymore, I think they have a different packaging, but the formula (I think) still remains the same.

Pros:

  • Light to medium coverage.
  • Lightweight on the skin.
  • Great longevity and doesn’t transfer.

Cons:

  • No pump – product has to be poured out, which is messy!

Buy or Bye? Not sure if I’ll personally repurchase again because there are so many foundations out there that I like more than this, but this seriously is one of the best drugstore foundations out there. I highly recommend it.

 

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation

This is my ride-or-die full coverage stick foundation! Read the full review (of the foundation and concealer) here.

Buy or Bye? Absolute buy!

 

Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation

This used to be one of my holy grail foundations that this is actually my second bottle! However, I noticed that every time I use this days in a row, my skin would end up so badly clogged up and uneven in texture.

With my first bottle I only used it occasionally, so I never noticed that it clogs my pores. With my second bottle I started using it more frequently and consecutive days in a row. I guess this isn’t too friendly with the pores, so if you have skin (specifically pores) that easily gets clogged, you might want to stay away from this.

The pros I have are:

  • Very lightweight that it literally feels like nothing is on my skin.
  • Blends easily.
  • Great color range I was able to get my perfect shade.
  • Lasts all day.

Buy or Bye? Bye – only because it clogs my pores 🙁

 

Maybelline Dream Velvet Soft-Matte Hydrating Foundation

This is the more hydrating version of the Maybelline Dream Wonder Foundation, it has a soft mousse texture and claims to be hydrating.

Sadly, that didn’t seem to be the case for my dry skin – here are some of the cons of this foundation:

  • Difficult to find the right shade as shade name and colour on the packaging seems to look dark, but in reality it’s much fairer. I had to go a shade darker, but it still ended up looking ashy.
  • Gives white cast in flash photography.
  • Clings on to dry patches around my nose (I have dry skin) and my mom finds that she had to blot a lot throughout the day (she has oily skin).
  • I much prefer the Dream Wonder, but sadly that’s been discontinued. Oh and don’t bother getting the sponge applicator that goes with this foundation – it’s so bad I can’t even begin to describe how bad it is.

I honestly can’t think of any pros except for maybe its nice, silky feel on the skin.

Buy or Bye? Bye!

 

Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

Now this is an absolute must-have for me. This is my current favourite drugstore foundation, check out my full review here. Well, it’s kind of a tie between this and the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundations, reviewed here!

Buy or Bye? Buy!

 

Physicians Formula Super CC+ Cream SPF 30

This product claims to have color correcting abilities, but I personally can’t really tell if they do. I still like it though!

Pros:

  • SPF 30.
  • They do brighten the complexion even though redness still peeks through sometimes.
  • Lightweight feel on the skin even though they have pretty decent light to medium coverage.

Cons:

  • Fades away really fast, only lasting about 5 hours before fading away.

Buy or Bye? I probably would 🙂 we’ll see!

If you’re looking for something that feels like a tinted moisturiser on the skin but with a bit more coverage and brightening properties, this is worth a try!

 

Physicians Formula Nude Wear Touch of Glow Foundation

For a fuller coverage and better longevity, this is the Physicians Formula foundation you need!

Pros:

  • Gives the skin a really nice glow and lasts more than 8 hours when set with a powder. I love setting this with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light because it amps up the glow the foundation gives.
  • Amazing for my dry skin, and I also heard it works well for normal and oilier skin types too.

Cons:

  • Packaging breaks easily and isn’t ideal for travel (mine broke a bit and spilled all over my makeup bag)
  • Only comes in two shades! What!

Buy or Bye? Buy! If you can find your shade, I highly recommend it!

 

Rimmel Match Perfection

I thought the name “Match Perfection” was just a gimmick, but it isn’t! The shade 300 Sand really does match me perfectly and it doesn’t oxidise on me.

Pros:

  • Balanced finish that is in between dewy and matte.
  • Natural-looking finish even for dry skin.
  • Coverage is pretty buildable (light to medium).
  • Feels slightly more hydrating than the Maybelline Fit Me Matte (of course) but it doesn’t feel thick or greasy. However, I think this is better suited for dry/combo skin types, not oily.

Cons:

  • When not set properly, it can slide around the skin a bit.
  • Longevity not as impressive as other drugstore foundations.

 

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So I hope you found this helpful! Let me know if we share the same likes and dislikes!

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