Dry skin and foundations are a difficult mix, getting the balance between a product that hydrates the skin so you don’t look like an overcooked flapjack, but isn’t so oily that you look like an old frying pan. Add in staying power, colour selection, availability and cost to the mix and its a minefield. Am I being dramatic? Yes (always). But as a bride to be who is doing their own makeup for the most important day of their life in a few short months, I’ve tried my hand at a few over the last year.
I feel like I’m not asking for too much, I just want my skin to look better than it does without any product at all. I know how lucky I am that I don’t really have any skin complaints, I rarely suffer with spots and my skin tone is fairly even. I just want a foundation (especially for my wedding day) to blank everything out and look extra flawless. I do have a little bit of redness around my nose and on my cheeks, and obviously there’s going to be a lot of pictures, I don’t want to look back and wish I’d used a different product. The pressure is real and the stakes are high. Dramatic?
I have compiled my four favourites here, these work well on me with a variety of primers, concealers, powders and all the other stuff I put on my face in an attempt to look better. These have also all passed the 12 hour wear test, I haven’t worn these for very strenuous days and I will be wearing these and going for runs or doing workouts to see how it lasts so I know which I can rely on, but if you just want something for a standard day at work and you don’t plan on running a marathon in 30 degree heat, the only real difference is the coverage.
These are all super affordable drugstore foundations that are easy to get your hands on, even during a national lockdown. These are listed from highest to lowest coverage, as the prices are all fairly similar from Superdrug.
Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation – £8.99
Previously called ‘Dream Satin Liquid’ but with so many added skincare ingredients that drew me in like a moth to a flame. I got the colour SO wrong from ordering online, swapped for a lighter shade and its still too dark for these colder months unless I have fresh fake tan on. In summer this shade is perfect and I haven’t picked up my winter shade in this formula which is just my little interjection to explain why this one is such a different shade to the others in the pictures.
Of all the foundations I’m mentioning in this post, this is the most full coverage and has the most insane staying power. I always rely on this one when I want to look the most flawless, its such a beautiful soft finish, looks so smooth and glowy all day long. Only 17 shades which is less than ideal, such a small shade range in 2021 isn’t acceptable.
With hyaluronic acid and collagen for a fresh yet buildable base, this is perfect for dryer skin with a higher coverage. I wore this one recently and asked my other half what he thought, given that he has to look at my face and I don’t, I wanted his opinion. He said it looked really natural and made my skin look good, which for a man who knows nothing about makeup is high compliment indeed. Especially given the high coverage, getting a natural looking finish is a win win.
Revolution Conceal and Hydrate Foundation – £9.50
Firstly, thank you Revolution for bringing fifty shades in all your base products. I am Here. For. It! More brands should follow in their footsteps. But about the foundation… This one is also infused with hyaluronic acid which I feel is standard in hydrating base products now, its a standard ingredient I expect to see but still glad its mentioned.
The coverage on this one is less than the Maybelline one, however similarly it is buildable. It smooths out the skin and has a soft glow satin finish. I would say out of this and the previous one, this one is perhaps slightly less glowy, the finish is more matt but the dewy finish is still definitely there. This slightly different finish gives it more staying power, and I find I don’t have to use any setting powder with this product to keep the luminosity going all day long.
NYX Born To Glow Foundation – £10
This foundation promises to ‘even out skin’s tone AND reduce the appearance of pores – while also giving you a just-applied glow for 12 hours straight.’ and I can agree. I wear this one so often currently as its a light to medium coverage that I just find myself wanting all the time. It builds beautifully, adding coverage in the areas you need more and just blending flawlessly.
My favourite thing about this one is that it has no SPF in it so there’s no risk of flashback. Don’t get me wrong, its lovely to have it all in one product, but when I’m wearing a foundation just on an evening and I know there will be pictures taken, this is quite often the one I’ll reach for. Yes, during the day I would add SPF underneath because premature ageing is not fun, but when the sun has gone down and I want a glowy base… NYX is my favourite.
I will just say, that although the shade range leaves much to be desired with only eighteen shades, because the coverage is slightly sheerer the shades are more adaptable for more skin tones. Understandable, yes but could still be improved.
L’Oréal Paris Skin Paradise Tinted Water-Cream – £10.99
Although this is the lightest coverage, don’t discount it as ‘just a tinted moisturiser’ the coverage here is still noteworthy. It covers all my redness around my nose and cheeks, but isn’t enough for under the eyes for one of those extra special days when I get to leave my house for the food shop, yay.
This is the perfect skincare lovers foundation, although it can be applied just with your hands for a quick and easy morning, I prefer to use a beauty blender and treat it like a regular foundation. You need the tiniest amount, and can really sheer it out or build it up where needed. It has the most beautiful finish, so natural and lasts really well all day and is arguably the most comfortable to wear all day. It just feels like a moisturiser, to the point where I completely forget I have it on an surprise myself when I catch sight of myself in the mirror… oh I’m looking healthy today… ah I’m wearing foundation that explains it. Certainly not getting that glow from my crisp and bourbon cream diet.
Because the coverage is slightly less than the others, and the shade range is small, you can wear a shade slightly deeper than your natural skin tone to give a warm tan glow. I’ll definitely be doing this in the summer months, but for now I’m okay being my regular pale self.
Are any of these your favourites, or do you have any recommendations? Let me know below!
Enjoy, Milli x
I haven’t tried any of these! They sound great. x
Zoey | http://www.zoeyolivia.com
They’re fab! Let me know if you try any 🙂 x