Here are some swatches of all the
foundations/moisturizers/Idon’tcarebutitcoversmyface-s that I use on a somewhat
regular basis. I’ve included the
swatches first, so you can get a gander, and then I’ll do a quick description
of each, and how I use it. I have not evaluated
any of the foundations for any skincare benefits they may claim to have, except
to note whether they have SPF. I used a
liquid eyeliner that I’m never going to wear to separate the swatches.
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Swatches in natural light
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From Left to Right Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation in Fair Honey | LORAC Oil Free Wet/Dry Powder Makeup in WD1 | Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in 110 Ivory | Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA+++ in #13 Milky Beige | Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer in Fair to Light 20.
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Swatches in UNnatural light (my pantry)
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Detailed descriptions and reviews after the jump!
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| (far left natural light) |
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| (far left - unnatural light) |
Cost: $36 + $26 (brush) = $62
Form: Loose Powder.
Shade and SPF: Tarte’s description says “fair skin w/peach undertone,” and I think that’s fairly accurate. Be warned, however, that when they say peach, they mean an orange pink undertone, so if you’re very cool or pink toned, this foundation might not be the best match. No SPF.
How I Wear It: I use this in the summer when I’m more oily and my face is just a bit darker. I also wore this on my wedding day. I apply it over moisturized and primed skin with the most adorable brush in the world. I stick the brush through the mesh sifter and buff it onto my face. I use more of a pressing motion for dry areas such as my nose, and only buff it a little. I usually use about four or five pushes into the sifter for my entire face (two for cheeks, one for forehead, one for chin and jaw, and one more for touch ups/nose if needed).
Wear: I find this wears for at least eight hours before fading, and it does fade evenly. The powder doesn’t cling to dry patches, though if you’re too enthusiastic about buffing you can drag up some flakes. I don’t find that it comes off on my phone. Despite being medium coverage, this foundation feels very light on. It has no SPF, so it won’t flash white in photos, though you should definitely wear a sunscreen under it if you plan on being outside/stuck in your office with a window.
Pros: Great coverage, doesn’t cling to dry spots like most powders do, and great staying power, especially in summer conditions. The brush is great, and I’ve used it for other foundations with great success. It also mates very well with Tarte’s powder blush. It travels very well, as the sifter is completely covered by an extension of the lid, so you don’t open it up to find an explosion of powder (I’m looking at you Nars Loose Setting Powder).
Cons: This powder doesn’t play well with cream products, and as such, concealer application can be a little tricky (Tarte’s concealer works well though). The lightest shade is just a bit too dark for my winter skin, so if you’re paler than I am, you’re out of luck. I’m also not confident about its range of darker shades. To my eye, it seems to go from medium to DARK with nothing in between. Finally, I’m not sure how easy this powder would be to apply without its special brush, which does make it an expensive purchase.
Overall: If you’re in the market for a medium coverage powder foundation, aren’t too pale or too dark, and are a sucker for adorable brushes
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| (second from left - natural light - I promise it's there!) |
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| (second from left - natural light - I promise it's there!) |
Cost: $36
Form: Pressed Powder.
Shade and SPF: LORAC describes this shade as “porcelain,” and I think this description is correct. It leans neither warm nor cool, especially once applied. If you have an unusual undertone, this powder might be a good choice, because it lets so much of your natural skintone shine through. No spf!
How I Wear It: I wear this powder on its own occasionally, but more often on top of other foundations when I want extra coverage or setting power. I use a flat-ish topped buffing brush (such as the Tarte one above). I swirl the brush pretty heavily into the powder and kind of press it into my skin, then buff it just a little bit so that I get some coverage. I’ve tried wearing it wet, but bizarrely a wet application results in completely sheer coverage. I haven’t used the little sponge that comes with it, but that’s probably because 1) I don’t like sponges and 2) It fell in the kitty litter tray.
Wear: I’m still trying to figure out how to make the best use out of this powder. It will definitely be useful in the summer, as it does feel slightly drying on the face. You can definitely tell you’re wearing powder as opposed to liquid foundation. The powder is definitely not medium coverage, as advertised, but more light to sheer depending on application. It does feel very soft when applied to skin. Given how light the coverage is, it’s difficult to measure how long this powder lasts, which I suppose says something in and of itself. It does set other foundations very well though, and I can’t manage to make it look over-applied. I think that this powder does a better job of evening physical skin imperfections, such as large pores or fine lines, than it does at hiding redness or dark circles. Given that I originally bought this foundation for touch-ups at work, it’s been a bit of a disappointment for me.
Pros: Light coverage, if you’re into that. Looks like you’re wearing nothing at all. The shade is a perfect color match for my skin (fair cool/neutral), and it doesn’t get greasy. In fact, it’s noticeably lighter than any drugstore powder I was able to find. I imagine it would travel well, though I haven’t tried dropping it to see how durable it is.
Cons: Very little coverage. If you have dry skin, this product will likely be too drying (though it doesn’t actually seem to create flakes on the skin). Wet application seems largely useless, so don’t think you’re getting a double duty product with this purchase. I think this powder is too expensive for what it is.
Overall: If you are very fair and looking for light coverage that doesn’t look at all like makeup, this is your product.
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| (first full box on left - natural light - top swatched heavily, bottom blended out) |
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| (first full box on bottom- unnatural light - top swatched heavily, bottom blended out) |
Cost: $13.99
(though I’m sure you can get it on sale at drugstores/amazon)
Form: “Whipped Crème.” It’s basically a very thick liquid foundation in a tub.
Shade and SPF: Revlon describes this shade as “Ivory.” It’s mostly neutral with a slight pink tone, and I find it to be an excellent color-match. It has no SPF.
How I Wear It: When my brush is clean, this is my go-to foundation. I prime and moisturize, then stick my finger in the tub (yeah, ew), dot it lightly all over my face, and then a few more times in places where I want more coverage. I then buff it in with a buffing brush (I love the Real Techiniques Expert Face Brush, though I’ve also used their buffing brush to good effect), apply concealer, and dust with setting powder. I really try and buff the liquid in, even more than I think I should, because it can streak, especially if you brush is…less than clean. Some people also like applying this formula with a stippling brush so as not to drag up flakes/get a more “pixilated” appearance, but I find that method takes way too long.
Wear: I find this foundation wears very well throughout the day, though it’s definitely not 24-hours as advertised. I would say by the end of an average workday (8-10 hours), I definitely need a touch-up, though it plays very well with other foundations. You can definitely feel that you’re wearing makeup, though that effect is lessened with setting powder. This formula does rub off on my phone somewhat. You can get nearly full coverage with this foundation, but I wouldn’t recommend trying for full, as the effect can be somewhat cake-y. It has a soft matte finish.
Pros: Easy to apply and blend, great coverage, interacts well with both cream and powder products. Neither dry no moisturizing.
Cons: The jar packaging makes it difficult and unsanitary to get product out. It’s also extremely heavy (do not drop this on your foot), and as such, doesn’t travel in a purse well at all. There is a near complete lack of truly darker shades, which I think is strange, given Revlon’s attention to darker skintones in the rest of its Colorstay line. You will also have to wash your brush fairly often, as this foundation can streak when not applied with a buffing or blending tool. It also can cling to dry patches on the nose if buffed too much.
Overall: Great for someone with fair to medium skin who needs a medium coverage foundation that wears well and is willing to put up with poor packaging and regular brush cleaning.
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| (second from right- natural light - top swatched heavily, bottom blended out) |
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| (two down from top- unnatural light - top swatched heavily, bottom blended out) |
Cost: $22 (beware of cheaper options on Amazon, these can be fakes)
Form: Liquid with pump cap
Shade and SPF: Missha describes this color as “milky beige,” which I guess, isn’t wrong (I don’t want to see beige milk). It’s the most truly neutral foundation I own, and it’s also the palest by a hair. It contains SPF 42, so it can flash white in photos.
How I Wear It: I use this foundation every day my brushes aren’t clean enough to use the Revlon (often). I prime and moisturize, then squirt a pea sized amount onto my fingers. I then dot and rub it on my face, making sure to concentrate on areas where I need more coverage. The application isn’t entirely foolproof (you can get streaks if you’re not careful), but I have applied it on the bus plenty of times with a hand mirror to check things out.
Wear: Despite it being labeled a BB Cream, I find this formula has greater coverage than all of my foundations other than the Revlon. It is especially good at covering dark circles. I imagine you could do a lighter application as well by just rubbing it in more vigorously. The wear time is not as good as the Revlon, but it does approach eight hours, especially with setting powder. It stays creamy for a decent amount of time after application, and so it plays especially well with cream concealer. It looks very natural and luminous on. I was getting ready at a friend’s house and had only put on this foundation. I said I needed a few minutes to slap on my face, and he said “But you look great right now without makeup!” Bless his heart.
Pros: Relatively inexpensive, great coverage, easy to apply. For a BB Cream, it has a decent range of color options, and it is a particularly good option for very fair people. It travels very well, as the pump has a cap (which I have of course lost) to prevent it from squirting everywhere.
Cons: Hard to find in stores unless you have an Asian drugstore in your area. Maybe not the best option for the darkest of skintones. Doesn’t wear off as evenly as I’d like.
Overall: If you’re willing to take a chance on something you can’t try out in store, this is a great medium coverage option for slightly dry to slightly oily skin.
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| (far right- natural light - top swatched heavily, bottom blended out) |
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| (top- unnatural light - top swatched heavily, bottom blended out) |
Cost: $11.99
(but I’m sure it’s on sale somewhere)
Form: Liquid with a pump top.
Shade and SPF: Neutrogena describes this shade as “fair to light.” I think it is more accurately “light to medium.” It’s pink toned and contains SPF 20.
How I Wear It: I wear this formula on my legs to make them look tan and more even toned. I rub it in and then dust with setting powder. I got this shade thinking it was the lightest shade available, but it turns out, there is a lighter shade (Ivory to Fair 10) that’s not sold in drugstores.
Wear: This definitely has light coverage, but, paradoxically, the coverage can be quite patchy. I’m not sure how long it wears, since if I’m having a night of wearing leg makeup, I’m usually too drunk by the end of the night to check. It definitely feels like you’re wearing makeup, even after apply setting powder.
Pros: It…has a pump? Light coverage, so you don’t have to as vigilant about color match.
Cons: Patchy coverage, impossible to tell shade from looking at the bottle. It appears to have no options for very light or very dark skintones. Feels like you’re wearing makeup.
Overall: If you hadn’t read this review and wanted a tinted moisturizer, this would be a good choice. As it is, there are far better options out there (or even mixing your foundation with your moisturizer!).
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