Allow me to preface this article with one fact: I don’t like foundation.
It’s heavy. I don’t like feeling like I have another layer of skin plastered onto my face; I have plenty of skin as it is.
Plus, it’s too much work in the morning. Between bargaining with myself to leave my bed, showering and trying to catch up on schoolwork, I don’t really have the time to smack myself with a sponge for the sake of an unattainable beauty standard.
I’m okay with the way my face looks with just moisturizer on. I have freckles and acne scars and the like, but that’s okay. Everyone does.
However, for special occasions, I’ll put in that extra effort and slap some porcelain or fair-labeled goo all over my face. These are my personal favorites.
My first favorite is Maybelline’s Dream Fresh BB Cream Skin Perfector. Since it’s a BB cream, it feels really light on the skin, which I like. It provides enough coverage to even out the skin, almost in a “your skin but better” kind of way. It’s also hydrating, so it’s really easy on dry skin, which is what I tend to have.
I usually apply it with my fingers after applying my moisturizer. That way, I can rub it in pretty quickly and be on my way. I imagine you could get a bit more coverage using a brush or a beauty sponge, but I haven’t tried that, so I can’t really guarantee results.
Despite all this, I’m not completely happy with every aspect of this product. Maybelline only produces five shades in this formula. This is a lighter-coverage product, so there doesn’t need to be an exact shade for every skin tone and undertone, but the range could definitely use some improvement. People of all skin tones enjoy or, at the very least, have a need for makeup, and they should be able to find products that will work for them.
Dream Fresh BB Cream Skin Perfector is sold at Walmart for $7.37.
Another foundation I enjoy is NYX’s Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil. This product is marketed as a tinted moisturizer, so it has more coverage than a BB cream; however, the coverage is still pretty light.
When I first tried it, I didn’t really like this product. I was expecting more of a moisturizer than a foundation, so I found it much heavier than what I was looking for. However, once I accepted it for what it is, I began to enjoy the product more. It stays on pretty well, and although my skin feels pretty tired by the end of the day, it doesn’t break me out or leave dry patches for me to find in the morning.
I usually use a beauty sponge to apply this product. I tried to use my hands, but it just turned out really streaky and made me really sad. I also set it with powder afterwards, which only helps to give my skin more of an airbrushed effect.
NYX’s Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil is sold for $13. It’s a bit pricier than average drugstore products, but if it seems like something that you would enjoy, it’s still worth checking out. It can be found online and at Ulta.
My final choice is Maybelline’s Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation. Considering only my forehead shines like the desert sun, this was probably a questionable choice, but it works well for me. I find that it doesn’t cling to dry spots and sets pretty evenly. It also comes in 40 shades as well as a more luminous variant, so it beats out the BB cream in that regard.
I also use a beauty sponge with this product. I find that the sponge allows me to build up the coverage as I wish rather than slap on a wet layer of goo.
Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation is sold for $5.34 at Walmart.
I hope this list is helpful to you, whether you love or hate foundation. Go forth and slay your makeup like the queen you are.
Photo Credit / NYX
