Foundations for every skin type

The hunt for the Holy grail foundation is an ongoing hunt for many people and to make the hunt even harder our skin is constantly changing. Just when you find a foundation that you love, your skin begins to act up and the hunt begins all over again.

I often get emails from people asking me to recommend a foundation for them. It is probably the most asked question in the beauty world, so I decided to go to my foundation drawer, yes the hunt has been a long one so I have a drawer, and pick out my favourite foundations. There is sure to be a foundation in this pile to suit all skin types. I have normal skin but it can range from dry to oily depending on the weather or how my health is.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Desert Beige

Estee Lauder Double Wear

I have lost count of the amount of times I have repurchased this foundation. It was my go to foundation for years until my skin began to get a bit dry.

Coverage: Double wear is a medium to full coverage foundation. It will cover most blemish and dark areas. Apply this sparingly and build to your desired coverage otherwise it will look caky. It can feel a little heavy on the skin at times, if applied to heavily.

Wear time: A good 8-12 hours without budging. I could apply this at 7:30 in the morning and it would still be perfect at 7:30 that night. If you have oily skin, a setting powder would help prolong the length of time before it begins to wear off.

Finish: Matte

Skin type: This is best suited to normal or oily skin. If you have dry skin, stay away from this as it will cling to dry patches

Colours: There are 31 colours in this range, meaning there is something to suit the lightest and the darkest skin tones.

SPF: yes – This foundation has a tendency to flash back in photos.

Price: €36.50 . It is on the more expensive end of the scale but it lasts for ages. I wore it everyday and got at least 2 months out of a bottle

Where to buy: You can get this on any Estee Lauder counter or here

Make Up For Ever Liquid lift foundation number 10

Makeup For Ever Liquid Lift Foundation

This is my go to foundation. I absolutely love it. You can read a full review of this foundation here.

Coverage: Medium coverage, which is buildable. I find that this foundation gives enough coverage to cover most blemishes, but I do still need a good concealer under the eyes. It doesn’t feel heavy on the skin at all and almost feels like you are wearing no makeup

Wear time: Varies but mostly 8+ hours. The best thing about this foundation is it wear off evenly, so that you don’t look like patchy.

Finish: Dewy/ glow from within, but not overly so. Just really gorgeous

Skin Type: This is better suited to normal to dry skin and is great for more mature skin. It doesn’t cling to dry patches and instead gives your skin a dewy (not oily) finish.

Colours: There are 15 colours in this range. They have both pink and yellow based foundations and they also have colours for darker skin tones.

SPF: No

Price: €35. I’ve had my bottle since Novemeber and it’s still half full.

Where to buy: In Ireland it can only be bought in The MUFE store on Calrendon street or online here. Elsewhere it can be bought in most Sephoras.

Mac Prolong Wear foundation NC25

Mac Pro long Wear foundation

This is another foundation that I have repurchased a number of times.

Coverage: Sheer to medium buildable cover. I love the cover of the double wear and to be honest I think Mac prolong wear holds its own along side it in terms of coverage, while at the same time you can get light coverage if that’s what you like. It is very light feeling on the skin

Wear time: Claims to give 15 hours finish but I find I need to top up after about 7 – 8 hours. A setting powder is a must for this foundation

Finish: Neither matte nor dewy. Quite a natural finish.

Skin Type: This would suit most skin types, oily skin will need a setting powder, while dry skin might want to try it out before buying as I feel it might have a tendency to cling to very dry areas.

Colours: Like most Mac foundations, this comes in both NC – which is more yellow toned and NW which is much pinker in tone. There is a huge range of colours to choose from and cater for both really pale and dark skin tones.

SPF: yes

Price: €36.50

Where to buy: All Mac counters or here.

laura Mercier Sile Creme foundation Cashew beige

Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation

This foundation is a funny one for me. Some days I love it, some days not so much. However where it really shines for me is as a night time foundation.

Coverage: Medium to full and a little goes a very long way, as this foundation is very pigmented

Wear time: It is said to last 12 hours on the skin, but for me this is not the case. I get about 5-6 hours without having to top up.

Finish: Dewy.

Skin Type: This is not one for oily skin. I found it slipped right off my oily areas. This is a very hydrating foundation and would be amazing for dry skin.

Colours: There are 10 colours in this range . I wear Cashew Beige and while it is a little dark for the daytime it is perfect for a night out and is always my go to foundation.

SPF: There is no information on this to be found

Price: €48. This is the priciest of the bunch, but it is absolutely worth getting a sample to see if it suits

Where to buy: Laura Mercier counters in Brown Thomas.

L’Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint 110

L‘Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint

This foundation has been reviewed to death by bloggers, but that is for a reason. This is a fantastic budget foundation. It is like your skin, but better. It has a water like consistency, so a little goes a very long way. It can also be a little messy, as there is no pump at the top and it is very easy to pour way too much everywhere due to the consistency.

Coverage: Sheer to medium

Wear time: 8+ hours. I could wear this all day without having to top up and when it does wear off, it wears off evenly.

Finish: This is a liquid to powder finish

Skin Type: This would suit most skin types

Colours: The shade range is limited. I wear the 2nd lightest range and I ma very far from porcelain skin. There are 6 shades so it can be difficult to get a perfect match

SPF: Yes

Price: €12.99 – €14.99 depending where you buy it

Where to buy:All L’Oreal stands or here.

Bourjois Healthy Mix number 53

Bourjois Healthy Mix

This is another foundation that is much loved amongst beauty bloggers and it is probably my favourite budget foundation. It is so light and hydrating on the skin.

overage: Sheer to medium

Wear time: 8+ hours. It does have a tendency to wear off a little bit around the chin.

Finish: Dewy, but not overly so. Very natural finish.

Skin Type: Normal, combination or dry skin. Oily skin could wear it with a setting powder but they will loose the dewy finish and the stay

ing power won’t be as good.

Colours: 8 shades.

SPF: no

Price: €12.99 – €14.99 depending where you buy it

Where to buy:All Bourjois stands .