I’ve been trying to find a foundation recently (to no avail.) So here are three mini-reviews, and remember that I am always open to suggestions =P
What I was looking for: (I know — it’s quite the list!)
- A medium-to-light finish
- Liquid. Don’t even ask — I decided I wanted to try a liquid and there is no derailing me at this point!
- Oil-absorbing properties for my t-zone!
- A perfect or almost-perfect shade match
- Not just a lightweight feel, but a finish that my fingers can’t feel if I touch my face
So here are the foundations: Stila Natural Finish Oil-Free, shade B; Korres Ginger & Vitamin in LF1; MAC Face & Body in C1.
L-R: Stila, Korres, MAC(Yay for samples!)
Stila Natural Finish Oil-Free
Unfortunately, when I got home, I found that this was the only foundation that actually matched my skintone — major bummer! At least one of them matched, though, right?
Price: $38US/$50CAD. Eff you, cosmetics industry. ($49US/oz, or $55CAD/oz.)
My shade: B. I really like the yellow undertones, especially as this doesn’t oxidise into an orange mess!
Ingredient summary: Lots of dimethicone(s), water based, generally just a nightmare.
Coverage: I’m trying to cover up acne scars without having to individually conceal each one — and this doesn’t quite do the trick. It’s nice if you don’t have any scarring or blemishes to cover up, but any more than that and you’ll still have to conceal. Medium-light coverage, I’d say.
Overall: This was a pretty good foundation, with a natural-feel finish and light-medium coverage. However, the huge price mark-up pisses me off, and it photographs strangely — check out this FOTD (especially this photo) to see it in action. There is a whitish cast to edges, and seeing as I’d be wearing this more than half the time solely for photography, it really doesn’t make sense for me.
L-R: Stila, Korres, MACUnblended swatches
Korres Ginger & Vitamins
OHAY GUYS! SPF! I LOVES IT, I LOVES IT! (Yes, I’m an addict.)
Price: $28US/$36.50CAD (this works out to $21US or $27CAD/oz)
My shade: LF1. Except for how IT ISN’T. Because it’s a hair to dark, despite the fact that it’s the lightest shade, dammit! In and of itself, the shade is pretty solid — there are no super-strong undertones, so (combined with the sheerness of this foundation) it should work on everyone with this lightness of skin.
Ingredient summary: No parabens, but it has the breakout-inducing dimethicone. This makes it a write-off for me, but also makes it feel aaaahhhmazing! For a “natural/pure” foundation, there are a crapload of ingredients in this baby. (Holy crap, am I on drugs today? I feel like I’m on drugs today.)
Coverage: Pretty darn light. Unless your skin is already practically flawless, this probably won’t do the trick for you. It has about the same coverage as a tinted moisturiser, actually.
Overall: Good if… you’re a) allergic to parabens, b) fine with dimethicone, c) trying to find something that doesn’t smell awful, and/or d) looking for a tinted miosturizer with a feel that is comparable to heaven. Aside from that, it wasn’t super-exciting or anything.
L-R: Stila, Korres, MACBlended swatches. If I was smart, I would have actually swatched these on someone else, so they would stand out more. Fail.
MAC Face & Body
Often referred to as the holiest of grails (haha,) I had high hopes for this one! The bottle is freaking huge — it’s four ounces!! (For reference, the Stila was less than one ounce and the Korres was just over one ounce.)
Price: $32US/$38CAD, a markup which is totally decent. ($8US/$9.50CAD per ounce. Also known as A REALLY GOOD BUY.)
My shade: C1 is what I have, but I’ll be going back and hoping they have the white one for some reason (though I doubt they will; I’m pretty sure it’s PRO-only) to lighten it just a touch.
Ingredient summary: Water based, no dimethicone — no complaints! The formula is very liquid, very thin, and feels like lotion.
Coverage: Much lighter than I had hoped — it has more coverage than the Korres, but less than the Stila (yes, even if I layer it.) I dislike the “dewy” finish it gives; I find the degree of dewiness is more like WHOA OILINESS… not pretty! This is easily dealt with, though. All you need is powder!
Overall: For the price, this is a total steal. If you’re going to set it with powder anyways, you can find your shade, and you’re looking for light-medium coverage, definitely check this out!
L-R: Stila, Korres, MACSwatches (same as the other blended ones) but I’ve put them in boxes next to each other so you can see the shade differences.
(click to enlarge!)
If cost was not an issue, I’d buy the Stila. If breakouts were not an issue, it would be the Korres. However, with everything taken into consideration — if for whatever reason I had to buy a foundation tomorrow, I’d buy MAC Face & Body.
