I'm going to be brutally honest with you, and if you've followed me for any length of time you know that's just what I do. I don't love foundation. I did when I was younger but by my late 30s my skin was starting to reveal texture and enlarged pores which I found foundation only enhanced. Keep in mind that I have been in the beauty industry since 1992 so I knew a LOT about makeup, what brands worked, what didn't. Cut to 2003, right before I fell into TV, I took a job at a swanky little LA boutique that celebrities and the cool kids shopped at, Fred Segal. A natural, darling gal came in one day for the Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer and when she told me her age I was shocked. Her skin was glorious and it looked like skin! She attributed it to good SPF and Bobbi Brown. She hadn't had any work done as far as I could tell, and I saw a LOT of "work" daily at that boutique. THAT was the day I ditched foundation and forever pledged my allegiance to tinted moisturizer. I loved how it made my skin look and it didn't enhance any signs of aging.
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| She makes an oil-free version too but SPF15 is not enough so wear a higher SPF daily under it. |
Once I reached my 40s, my skin became even more texturized, uneven, and I saw sunspots galore. I still used my tinted moisturizer every day but now I needed more coverage in some areas. Instead of switching back to a face full of foundation, I decided to just use spot coverage. I really liked the Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick for that. I really only used it on my nose, chin, and inner cheeks and just blended it into my tinted moisturizer. You could certainly do the same with any liquid foundation of your choice, and while the Beauty Blender sponge works well, I prefer my fingers as skin blends beautifully on skin.
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| Comes in 24 colors |
I was faithful to my Bobbi Brown for about 10 years until I moved to a town in North Carolina that didn't sell Bobbi Brown AND add to that, my sister worked for Lancome so that came with a discount. I started using their tinted moisturizer and while I didn't love it as much as Bobbi's, it was more affordable. However, Lancome changed their formula and it's now called a Beauty Balm cream and it is lovely! I think it has even more coverage than before but because of ever-changing technology in the cosmetics industry, it looks like healthy skin! I just love it! I use it daily. To spot correct in areas where I need more coverage I just got lazy and started using my concealer. I've had an absolute love hate relationship with concealer for like FOREVER! But I'm pretty happy with the one I've been using for 6 months and that is IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye. It looks like skin AND they make an "illuminated" version too, but I'm waiting to finish my original formula first.
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| I'm on the fair side and I still wear their #3. Their #2 was TOO light for me. |
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| I use Neutral Medium and you don't need much more than the size of a pinhead. |
Just one more option for concealer, back in 2003-2006, all the celebrities were wearing the Cle de Peau concealer and I used that for many years and really liked it. The only reason I no longer use it is because it's spendy, $70. You can find it at Nordstrom, Saks, and Neiman Marcus. It has a lot of coverage but is creamy. Who knows what the red carpet wears now, I'm in NC y'all!
One of my followers recently wrote to me asking about a good foundation for herself. She is in her 40s and was looking for staying power, oil-control and coverage for broken capillaries (something that comes to most of us as we age). She had listed many different foundations she'd tried and they were all great quality but just not working for her. I suggested Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra 24H because I used it on a commercial, on a 99 degree, high humidity North Carolina July day, and oh, the actresses were white water rafting too! I panicked! Having just moved here from Los Angeles I wasn't familiar with makeup in humidity. My Lancome sister came to the rescue pouring me countless samples of this product in an array of colors. I had a blonde, an asian, and a black actress so I needed a vast color range. I used this foundation and after white water rafting, after lunch, I was shocked at the result. Their skin looked perfect! I only had to touch up around their mouths because they ate big sub sandwiches! I was sold on this foundation and while it isn't a formula I'd use on myself, I keep it in my kit for staying power!
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| And here is the Beauty Blender, works well, but I prefer my fingers |
And finally, so you can see for yourselves, the photo on the left I am just wearing the Lancome Beauty Balm cream, and the one on the right I've also added the Bye Bye Under Eye in areas needing more coverage, under my eyes, my nose, cheeks and chin. No need for a foundation for me, but I'm always open to products and ideas as there is ALWAYS learning to do in my industry.
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| No filter, no edits, no enhancing. You can see I have better coverage on my nose, chin and cheeks. |
I also have to give a shout out to Laura Mercier Cosmetics because my professional makeup kit is stocked mostly with her foundations, both moisturizing and oil-free. Her makeup has held up to Hollywood red carpet events, TV, brides, and photo shoots. It's a great foundation system, I just don't use liquids on myself.
And lastly, I buy my products with my own money. I'm not a brand ambassador and I don't receive products for free, however, most companies give pro makeup artists a discount. All the products mentioned are ones I've used for lengths of time both personally and professionally. My word is not law though, just my opinion, but I hope it helps and adds value to your life.
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