Foundations of Beauty (Budget Friendly Edition)

Foundations of Beauty (BF Ed.)

Tried and tested. The products featured in this post have been my go-to and most used foundations for the past 3 yrs or more.

Foundations can be a hit or miss. There's a lot of consideration to take into account when buying a foundation. To us women (or men), foundations are our second skin. It's going to help us achieve a flawless look and mask our imperfections. The first (in which we all often do) consider is the color. Getting the perfect match of color to your skin can be difficult. For me it's hard, my skin color changes depending on seasons. Winter I'm an NW40 in MAC but during summer I can go as dark as NC45. Skin pigmentation often changes which depends on many factors, from your personal health to skin care routine and climate changes are just a few. A few years ago I was obsessed with using self tan on both face and body and I was using it in both winter and summer months. With the self tanning I was darker in foundation colors and would find the NW40 light on my face, fast forward it now (where I no longer use tanning products) and I am finding that MAC's Studio Fix NW40 is perfect for me. 

The second to consider, that some of us seem to forget - as there is a vast choice of foundations out there in the market that when a new one is introduced we seem to all flock to it (I admit all us beauty bloggers do it) - is our skin types. I used to make this mistake often. I would often neglect to consider my skin type and just purchase a foundation with good coverage to just find a few days later it would start an outbreak of break outs. I have very oily skin. The problem is that I love a dewy finish foundation but it's just not going to happen. If I don't choose my foundation carefully then at the end of the day I'm left with a patchy, blotchy, greasy looking skin. I am not a fan of powders either however, I know it is essential to my routine. The following foundations I'm reviewing are the ones I have found to have better suited my skin and have found them to be budget friendly.

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in Natural Beige (400) 30ml AU$14.95

"Feather light, liquid mousse blends flawlessly for natural-looking, all day shine control.

Silky smooth formula leaves a perfectly matte, baby-soft finish. Lightweight texture

won’t feel heavy or greasy. Minimises the appearance of pores.

Oil Free."

 This foundation has been popular in the beauty world. Comes in it's simple tube packaging , for a drugstore foundation, it offers great coverage. The creamy consistency makes it easy to blend and apply and offers a powder /matte finish. I've read several rave reviews about this foundation and if you are looking for a base to give you a medium to full coverage at a budget price then this is the go to.

The color range that Rimmel offer is very limited. I purchased the darkest shade they could offer and it left me with an "ash" toned skin color that was not flattering at all which in turn made my skin look dull. Forget minimizing the appearance of pores I looked grey! To combat this I mix the foundation in with my Avon BB cream in Medium and a tiny bit of MAC Studio Fix Foundation (in NC 45) which has quite a strong yellow tone to give the Rimmel foundation a warmer color. My other problem with this foundation is that the first few hours the face stays matte but when someone( like me and most of us) work 9-5 jobs and you have my oily skin type then you'll find by lunch time your face is looking slippery and greasy. Although it is nothing some HD setting powder can't fix.

L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation in Gold Camel (W6) AU$33.95

If you are looking for a foundation that is going to give you a luminous glow and instant skin radiance then this is it. This sheer lightweight foundation gives you a flawless finish thanks to it's liquid light technology. It's glass bottle and rose gold pump packaging is almost as similar it's other L'Oreal foundation counterparts.

This is my absolute favorite sheer coverage foundation. It almost reminds me of the MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation. It has has the same light reflecting pigments in the liquid formula however the L'Oreal Lumi doesn't feel as oily. The skin is left with a dewy finish and is excellent for those who have normal to dry skin. I use this foundation when I'm running errands and when I want to go for a "no makeup" makeup look. Again, the only problem I have is the color range. I'm left purchasing the darkest shade they have and it still leaves me looking pasty and light colored so I'm having to customize it by adding my Mehron Celebre HD Cream foundation (in MD1) to give it a darker tone which in return makes the consistency of the L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation creamier therefore bumping it to a full coverage.

Do you see where I'm going with these drugstore foundations? I find the color range is very limited for olive and tanned toned girls like myself.

BH Cosmetics Liquid Foundation in W3 Medium Olive US$3.95

I have this foundation in several colors. I had been wanting to try out their foundations after reading rave reviews regarding the quality for the price and because online shopping for foundation is as difficult as online shopping for dresses I purchased several colors. For the price of $3.95, you can easily pick up a couple...or several colors (like I did) without burning a whole in your wallet.

This foundation is in cased in a lightweight glass bottle with a black pump. The simple packaging offers an outstanding quality product. It's light cream consistency offers buildable coverage which takes you from light to full. With it's price tag you can easily purchase a couple to customize to your color. A warning though that the darker colors lean towards the pinker tones. I often mix Medium Olive with Mocha to get the color I need.

Mehron Celebre HD Pro Cream Foundation in MD1 US$12.95

 

This is my all time favorite foundation. I am absolutely in love with this product. It offers triple coverage. On its own the Mehron Celebre Pro Cream foundation offers full coverage with the ability to build. It is perfect for oily skinned girls like myself as it is oil-free and fragrance free. It contains powerful antioxidants such as aloe vera, vitamin E and pomegranate.

I like to start off with a sheer coverage and build from there. I use a damp beauty blender and stipple a tiny bit at a time. This product goes a long way and lasts a while. It usually takes me a good 8 months or more. I do tend to use this foundation on nights out or when I am doing makeup shoots as I find it gives you a flawless finish on camera. It's cream consistency is easy to blend.

One of the great things about the Mehron Celebre HD Foundations is the color options. With 41 color options to choose from you are bound to find your perfect match. For US$12.95 a pop you can purchase a few to mix and match and to get your perfect color.

WITH FLASH
TOP: Arbonne Perfecting Liquid, Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse, MAC Studio Fix, MAC Face and Body
BOTTOM: BH Cosmetics, L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique, Mehron Celebre Pro HD

NO FLASH
TOP: Arbonne Perfecting Liquid, Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse, MAC Studio Fix, MAC Face and Body
BOTTOM: BH Cosmetics, L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique, Mehron Celebre Pro HD

 MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC45 30ml AU$49

 Moving to the higher price tag  foundations, the MAC Studio Fix foundation has been a cult favorite among beauty enthusiasts. This had been my go-to for several years before I had found out there were much more pocket friendly options that offer the same coverage. For years I had been NW40 in color but I decided to opt for a darker foundation with yellow undertones last summer as I had gone darker.

MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundation is in cased in a glass bottle with a matte black lid. The downfall with the packaging is that it does not come with a pump however you can purchase the optional pump for $8 from any MAC counter.

MAC also offer another foundation in their Studio range called Studio Sculpt which is more creamy, gel like, while the Studio Fix is a liquid build. Both are matte finishes and offer medium to full coverage. The only problem I found with Studio Fix was that once it had set/dried it was impossible to blend.

MAC Studio Fix offers up to 36 shades (in Australia) which is fantastic for us girls who find that the usual and limited color selection that the Australian cosmetics industry offer does not fit women with ethnicity or have a medium to darker skin color. Another great thing about the Studio Fix foundations is that they are easily accessible to buy either in the MAC online store or walking in to your Myer or David Jones department store or stand alone MAC stores which can be found in many locations in Australia.

Arbonne Perfecting Liquid Foundation in Golden Beige 30ml AU$55

I was first introduced to Arbonne products from a friend who was setting herself up as an Arbonne representative. I had never heard of them till I was fortunate enough to to play around with all their products and test drive them. What stood out (besides their amazing skin care line) was their Perfecting Liquid Foundation.

The Perfecting Liquid Foundation has your typical foundation packaging (glass/plastic clear bottle with black lid) that features a convenient pump included.

The foundation has a light cream consistency that offers buildable coverage that gives a flawless finish. With 15 shades to choose from you are able to find a shade that is close to your skin color.

This foundation is great for those with oily skin but it is also fantastic for those with dry skin as it is hydrating. It offers skin firming and anti-ageing properties, smooths and evens out skin tone. It is formulated with Optilight Technology which can diffuse light to create a soft focus effect.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N7 120ml AU$160

When I was in L.A. this was my first foundation purchase. What I liked about it is that it is perfect for face and body and doesn't have the oily, "I'm wearing foundation" feel to it. This liquid foundation has sheer coverage but can be built to the desired affect. It gives a natural finish without the skin looking neither matte or oily. It is water based as well as water resistant, in which I tend to use this a lot (instead of the popular spray tans) on my legs, I mix this with a gold luminizer and voila, my legs look airbrushed and flawless! A little goes a long way with this product and the huge 120 ml bottle gives a good run for 6 months and that's using it on face AND body! It is excellent for those who like to wear minimal makeup during the day (face wise) and excellent for those who have imperfections on their body part (ie veins and spots) and want both color and coverage. 

Well there you go peeps, that's my list of favorite foundations.

I know there is so much out there in the market to try and if you have any good ones/recommendations please comment below and keep a look out for my higher end foundation review.

Till next time,

Z. xx