Laying the ideal foundation for college beauty

After buying gas and food, most times there is little money left over at the end of the month to splurge on high end beauty products that might not even be worth it.

So why spend the money when there are more affordable options that work just as well as, sometimes even better than, the higher end products?

For the longest time, I didn’t use my skin type as a reason behind buying foundation. At the time, I didn’t realize that there were certain products for different skin types (I was in high school, please don’t judge me too harshly).

The women in my family didn’t and still don’t wear full faces of makeup all the time, so I didn’t really have anyone to pass down crucial beauty tips, such as things like matte foundations are typically meant for those with oily skin (my mom did teach me to set my makeup, though she didn’t quite call it that).

I would like to think I have gained much more knowledge on beauty and makeup since I was in high school, as I now know that there are foundations specific to the different skin types.

With that in mind, I want to point out that I have normal to dry skin. During the warmer months, my skin is normal, but during the drier winter months it is very dry.

With these beauty tips under my belt, here is a list of affordable foundations for the different skin types.

First, on my list of affordable foundations for my skin type is the Maybelline Fit Me Dewy & Smooth, which retails for around $5 at Walmart. I originally used the Fit Me Matte & Poreless, and it still works quite well for me in the summer when I don’t have any dry patches and my skin is hydrated. Overall, the Dewy and Smooth works much better especially in the colder months.

When wearing this foundation it doesn’t feel like I have anything on my skin. It is also one of the longest lasting foundations I have come across. I can get well over eight hours of wear before it starts to break apart on my nose. It doesn’t cling to the dry patches on my face, and it makes my skin look very hydrated.

There are only 24 shades in the Dewy & Smooth compared to the 40 in the Matte & Poreless. Seems a little shady to the A&E editors.

Next is the Wet n Wild Photo Focus foundation, which is just under $5 at Walmart. This foundation is not specific to dry skin, and you do have to play around with it some. It isn’t an overly drying foundation, but it definitely isn’t a very hydrating foundation either. With this one I do make sure to moisturize before I begin applying my foundation, whereas with the Maybelline foundation I don’t always have to moisturize.

This foundation wears really well. It doesn’t cling to dry patches if I moisturize beforehand, and it doesn’t make skin that wasn’t dry before look dry.

I have had foundations make my skin look so dry while wearing them when my skin didn’t have any visible dryness before application. The wear length of this foundation varies depending on what exactly I’m doing the day that I’m wearing it. Usually I can get six to eight hours of wear before it starts to break apart on my nose and chin.

The Wet n Wild Photo Focus foundation has 20 shades.

The last foundation that I have tried recently that I want to recommend is the Believe Beauty Skin Finish Foundation. This is available at Dollar General for $5.

When I first heard that Dollar General was releasing a makeup line, I was quite skeptical, but after watching a bunch of reviews of it I decided to see if it would work for me. It did; however, it is not long wearing at all. I can get maybe four to five hours out of it before it starts to break apart. During those four hours, however, it looks amazing. It doesn’t feel like I have anything on my face, and it wears beautifully.

There are only 12 shades available in the Believe Beauty foundation line.

Since I have dry skin and can’t give a proper review for foundations for oily skin, I asked our Executive Editor Emily Wilson for her input. She recommends Maybelline Superstay Full Coverage foundation, which is around $9.

She said that the foundation lasts up to 12 hours and hasn’t tried to see if it lives up to its 24 hour claims.

“I love this foundation for my oily skin. It gives my face a matte appearance without looking too dry. I also have a very red face and this foundation gives me an even tone,” Wilson said.

There are 28 shades available in the Maybelline Superstay foundation.

There are so many other foundations that are affordable that work really well. These are just a few of the ones that I have tried and believe in.

Pacer Photo / Hannah Hughes