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foundation that really doesn't feel like one
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LONG PREAMBLE: It was a big deal for me in my early 40's to start wearing a daily sunscreen/moisturizer. I always protected my skin when I was outside for extended periods of time (beach, skiing, etc), but I had never worn anything on my face daily. Never wore foundation of any kind, just blush and lisptick. I always had somewhat oily skin, and it only took trying out a light moisturizer or sunscreen of any kind to throw my skin out of balance and cause me to break out. I did great with nothing on--never dry, only occasional pimples. So I just kept doing what worked. At almost age 40, I started commuting in my car during daylight hours, and unbeknownst to me I was getting UVA exposure through the auto glass, and got melasma. Then I got rosacea. To make a short story long, I finally bit the bullet and started using a daily sunscreen. I can tolerate that now because the rosacea treatment dries my skin out, and I'm older and not as oily as I used to be.
The ACTUAL ISSUE: I started out a few years ago experimenting with powder foundations because they are light, even my skin tone a bit, and add to the sun protection (if they have spf). But sometimes I would like to try a somewhat dewier finish with a bit more coverage. The problem is every time I try a liquid foundation (even--or maybe even especially--tinted moisturizers), I feel like I can't wait to get home and wash it off. Any recommendations for a really light foundation that's not drying, cakey, tight, or settles in the pores (as many products that claim to be for oily skin can be)? Or is it all in the application? It's more how it feels on than how it looks that's the issue for me. I'm also not sure I ever found a powder or mineral makeup that truly matched my skin color, but that's another problem...
Today I tried Bobbi Brown's "skin" foundation. It's maybe a contender. The color the makeup artist selected was definitely a color match.
Though my shopping trip did entail the annoying lectures about how skin needs to drink from moisturizers just like your body needs to drink water (okay, skin gets its water from the water you drink, and if natural oils are abundant they prevent water loss just like moisturizer does, but that's another story), how wrong I was to never use moisturizer when I was younger, how dry my skin is (after she just used a very drying remover to take off what I had on). -
Hi Sarah!
The last bit there....THAT is why I don't ever go to make-up counters. Well, one of the reasons. Plus a bad experience one time with trying all the products in a line at once. I had a bad allergic reaction to something and swore I would only try things one at a time from then on.
I have normal to oily skin now. Like you, as I get older, my oily-ness is decreasing. (Plus using Extra Virgin Olive Oil to do oil cleansing method helped mine a lot but that is another story entirely...) I use a sunblock with a high spf daily. I have found that the inexpensive Maybelline Mineral Power Powder works fine for me. I use the Classic Ivory. Actually I have only been using that for my concealer. I use a kabuki brush and lightly dust their Translucent powder over the rest of my face to achieve a more matte appearance. It is a little too matte when I first put the makeup on but give it a half hour and it looks the way I want it to look. I do have to use a primer under it. For now I am using philosophy's the present clear makeup for that purpose. While it works well for me I have issues with not being able to get it in a smaller size for travel and so am scouting around for something else I could use.
I don't like the 'mask' feeling some makeups give either. I have never had a problem with the Maybelline mineral makeup on that count though.
Hope that helps a little and hope you find something soon that works for you! -
Completely agree with you about trying on too many products in one day. For me, it's the removers they have to use to get a "clean palate" for the next try-on that irritate the heck out of my face. Thanks for the tip on Maybelline. My only hesitation with drugstore products when it comes to foundation is not being able to try them on! A lot of places are liberal about accepting returns, it's just a bit of a hassle to be overcome. I do like my lancome ageless minerale powder reasonably well (what I like is it has just a faint hint of shimmer to keep it from looking too matte), but I wonder if it's just a half shade too light and/or too pink for me. It's also called Ivory (I'm pretty sure I got natural ivory 20?). The darker shade was too dark, so when it comes to that product line, what I got is probably the best color match. I do use bronzer in places to adjust the color a bit. But maybe I'll see if I can find another similar product (maybelline or any brand) that also has a bit of shimmer like the Lancome.
And yeah, nowadays, I don't even leave the house anymore without my spf 30 on. I'd rather be late for work than skip it. I only wish I'd started younger with a daily sunscreen, but at least as a kid, my parents protected us with sunblock a decade or so before most parents were doing it. -
Alas my sunblock applications were started by me, not by my parents. As it turns out it was a good thing that I did not enjoy getting out, baking in the sun and 'getting a good tan'. I was always the pale face. I would rather be inside reading a book instead of baking in the sun. All these years later my skin thanks me for that!
Sometimes you cannot find just the right color in mineral makeups. If you don't mind experimenting with it you can buy a shade too light and a shade too dark and mix until you get it just right. All the advice I have ever read says to go for the yellow undertones in makeup and stay away from the pink undertones. For me all it took to follow that advice was seeing little old ladies whose faces were soo pink with obvious powder. Oh my....
The Maybelline looks a little darker on than it looks in the jar. Or at least that is my experience with it. I just wonder how much longer I will be able to get away with wearing it. Many makeup artists advise not using powder makeup once you are past a 'certain age'. Ahem. I think I am past that age already. Guess I just have to trust my husband and family to TELL ME when it starts to not look great anymore! -
Lindygirl, I am "past that age," too. One of the reasons I wanted to experiment with liquid makeups. But I refuse to follow rules. If I can't stand how a liquid foundation feels, then I won't wear it, and a little mineral makeup may be better than nothing...I come from a family that's very minimalist with makeup. My mom wears no makeup of any kind, and I just finished visiting with my paternal aunt, who still wears zero foundation. She can't deal with the mask feel either, and frankly, her skin still looks perfect to me. Sure, she looks her age, but there isn't any foundation that will make you look 20 years younger. Her skin tone is even, the texture is soft, and she has a nice sheen on her skin. So I don't see why she needs to wear more makeup than she wants to.
At any rate, I tried on Lancome's teint miracle (a lightweight, brightening--i.e., mildly luminizing--liquid foundation) today. It doesn't feel like too much on, and the color is good, but I can't say I still didn't want to get home and wash it off. Both lancome and Bobbi Brown were kind enough to give me samples to take home, so I'll see how it feels when I apply it myself (which will be very, very lightly). At least the lancome counter woman was nice, though. She didn't say I had dry skin or that my skin was "a mess"--yes, I was told that once at a makeup counter--didn't try to sell me products I didn't want, just complimented me on my skin. Good way to make a sale--flattery will get you everywhere... -
Absolutely Sarah! I honestly believe the staff at makeup counters everywhere would make lots more sales of their products if they would just stop disparaging their customers quite so much. ;-)
Over the years I have tried lots of different makeups. Lots of different foundations. I do tend to like powders best. When my skin gets drier I will most likely just skip that step. Less is more is a good mantra to have in regards to makeup as you get older. Piling makeup on can just accentuate everything you are trying to hide. (Concealer overdone under the eyes comes to mind...)
Still, it is an ongoing process. Good thing I don't mind experimenting, isn't it? -
One more thing about the Maybelline Mineral Power Powder makeup Sarah. I do like the product. Hate the packaging. It seems that every jar I get splits open down the side. Fortunately for me I have a sifter jar I saved from a previous experiment with another mineral makeup which I decant the product into.Other than that one issue I do like the product.
Come to think of it I find that many drugstore variety products have issues with poorly made containers. Which is sad because many times the products are great but the containers? Not so much. -
The lancome mineral foundation (ageless minerale) has a great sifter container, it has a cover that rotates so you can control how much of the sifter is exposed when you sprinkle it into the cap. Having tried their liquid makeup, I'm actually thinking the mineral foundation is a reasonable choice for me. I don't think the liquid foundation looked that much better on me, and the mineral makeup doesn't have the annoying feel. Plus the jar of it I bought months ago--while expensive--looks like it will last me practically forever. If you ever get curious, have it tried on you. The reason I think it's worth a try on is that slightly illuminating effect it has. You might prefer a more matte look; I used to, but now I like a tiny bit of shimmer.
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P.S. My latest product experiment--that seems to help achieve a more natural look combined with the lancome mineral foundation--is Becca pressed shimmer powder in "Angel." I highly recommend for light skinned people who want to achieve a glowy look without liquid products. I put it on right over my sunscreen and put the mineral foundation on afterward. Even without my mineral foundation, the color of the pressed shimmer powder is very natural, and not glittery or too shiny.
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Sorry I keep posting answers to my own question. I mentioned earlier that Bobbi Brown "skin" foundation was a contender as far as liquid foundations go. I tried the sample with a foundation brush and it's great! Looks airbrushed and natural, matches my skin color, and doesn't have the "gotta get this off my face" feel (if applied lightly). So, now I have a wealth of foundation options.
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Not to worry. I find I frequently end up answering my own questions through doing research on my own and just experimenting!
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And I got told by another beauty counter lady I had great skin! That means either 1) my wrinkles aren't as visible as I think or 2) these beauty counter people have finally figured out they aren't going to make a sale (especially to someone in midlife) by telling you your skin is "a mess!"
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Chanel's new Vitalumiere Aqua is lightweight, you can't feel it and looks really natural. I hate foundation and I love this!
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@sau: Makeupalley.com has some positive reviews of Vitalumiere Aqua by Chanel. I had never heard of this foundation before so thanks!
@saraf: I think a tinted moisturizer might appeal to you IF you use a makeup sponge to apply it. There are excellent, less expansive ones, as well as pricier ones, that have a nice feel and a natural look when correctly applied (spread evenly while looking in a makeup mirror with good magnification, with any excess wiped away by the sponge). I am definitely a fan of them! -
Neutrogena makes a nice tinted moisturizer - Healthy Skin Enhancer. It is generally recommended for normal to dry skin. If used on oily skin you might need to set the t-zone with translucent powder.
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Hi all,
thanks for your suggestions! I will keep them in mind. For now, I'm back to mineral makeup. I did find some tinted moisturizers that I liked, but every time I use one for several days in a row, my rosacea gets worse and (the latest thing) I break out with a big, deep acne pimple (I have rarely had them in my lifetime, even in adolescence). So I think my face must prefer powders.
Sarah -
@lindygirl: I like Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Enhancer a lot, too! I use it almost every day unless I want a little more coverage. After Paula Begoun gave it a very favorable review, I did a little experiment: I applied some to one half of my face and used a Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer sample on the other half. (Of course, many think LM's product is the gold standard of tinted moisturizers.) Conclusion? I definitely liked Neutrogena's product better! I even went outside with a mirror to see the difference in sunlight and it still was the better choice on my skin. Of course, it costs a whole lot less money and has Vitamins A & E in it so triple bonus!
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I personally use mineral powders. My skin is oily. But my daughter swears by the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer! :)
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Since I seem to love weird combos and experiments--what's working for me is to use my closest shade of lancome's ageless minerale powder, which is a little too pink for me but has a lovely texture and sheen, followed by a Becca yellow-toned finishing powder. The combo seems to match my coloring really well, and the lancome is a little bit luminizing so the effect isn't too matte like some powders can be.
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I have used Physicians Formula mineral powder foundation for a while and it does the trick for me. I also went through a Sheer Cover stint, but realized I was paying way too much and stopped that. I usually combine two different powders to try and get the right shade, but that is the hardest part: finding a shade that matches my skin tone! I would definitely look into some less expensive mineral products to save some money. Sally Beauty Supply has some, but I haven't tried it.
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Thanks twin girls! Yeah, admittedly, I'm a sucker for the pricey stuff. I will say though I've been working on the same thing of lancome mineral powder for almost a year (if not), I think. So I don't use very much or replace very often. There's still a ton left in the sifter. When it's getting time to replace, I'll check out some less expensive options.
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Maybe you could find some ideas and narrow down the field by taking a look on makeupalley.com. You can specify skin type and even by age range in the search so it really helps to narrow it down. :)
Have fun hunting and let us know what you come up with!
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