Finding the right foundation

[Anonymous]

I'm 58 and just started wearing makeup again after 20 years. Every has changed since then - everything.

I watched A LOT of TikTok videos before stepping in to Sephora/Ulta. I didn't know what shades I needed but because I knew what ingredients/type would be best for my skin, I was able to make some excellent choices.

You really need to understand what kind of primer will work best for you - Do you need color correction, if so, what kind? Is your skin oily, combo or dry? Matte finish or dewy? With sunscreen or without? Do you want skin products in it? Etc.

I don't like feeling a bunch of stuff on my face so I don't use foundation all over, just where it's needed and not usually over concealer. I don't use blush (I have rosacea) or bronzer but will use a highlighter and contour sparingly. I will set it with either translucent powder or spray.

[Anonymous]

Try Laura Mercier

[Anonymous]

OP you can book an appointment at Nordstrom. The appointment is 45 mins long and with their “in store beauty expert.” You can chat with them beforehand to explain what you need. It’s the beauty equivalent of booking an appointment with a Nordstrom personal stylist and different from going to a Brand’s beauty counter. They will pull from a variety of brands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you can book an appointment at Nordstrom. The appointment is 45 mins long and with their “in store beauty expert.” You can chat with them beforehand to explain what you need. It’s the beauty equivalent of booking an appointment with a Nordstrom personal stylist and different from going to a Brand’s beauty counter. They will pull from a variety of brands.

+1. Do this. Here's the link: https://www.nordstrom.com/appointments?ref=3&cat=5

[Anonymous]

I love Armani Luminous Silk and the brand ambassador at Tysons Sephora did a great job matching me—I’m fair with cool undertones and some rosacea and often people erroneously match foundation to the depth of the redness in my cheeks. There’s a good range of undertones in that line.

If you do try Sephora in general, make an appointment online with an actual artist, and go to a store that has a door to the outside so you can go check the match in natural light. Remember to give it time to see if it will oxidize.

[Anonymous]

You may also want to try primer. It smooths out the face before the foundation goes on. I finally found my perfect color with Lancome's Teinte Idole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Armani Luminous Silk and the brand ambassador at Tysons Sephora did a great job matching me—I’m fair with cool undertones and some rosacea and often people erroneously match foundation to the depth of the redness in my cheeks. There’s a good range of undertones in that line.

If you do try Sephora in general, make an appointment online with an actual artist, and go to a store that has a door to the outside so you can go check the match in natural light. Remember to give it time to see if it will oxidize.

Second this, I love Armani liquid foundation. I suggest just going to Sephora and requesting a ton of samples. You really have to wear foundation for a few hours to get a feel for whether it will turn orange, crack, get oily, etc. If you are a difficult shade match, try going with more sheer foundations or tinted moisturizers. That will give you some room for error.

[Anonymous]

Il Makiage got me with their social media ads, and I’m actually loving their foundation. The color matches based on the online quiz I took and they do have a great return policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Listen…the commenters who are saying “my skin is so good I don’t need foundation!” How are you being helpful?

OP asked a question…this is not about you or your skin being perfect. You have no idea what kind of skin the OP has.

And before you ask…I already gave advice in the thread that was directly answering her question.

So true. I have beautiful skin, but wear foundation b/c I like a more polished look.

My fav is Estee Lauder Daily Wear. I've been wearing it for 20 years. I also like il Mikage. Fenty is known for having a million shades. I don't like it because at 55, I still have really oily skin and it's not matte enough for me.

[Anonymous]

I’m fair and have had this problem for years. I remember splurging on Chanel foundation in my 20s because it looked good at the counter but then it turned orange and darker during the day. I ended up switching to Bare Minerals powder foundation for years because it didn’t seem to oxidize on me, but the color was never quite right. Now that I’m in my late 40s my skin is too dry for that. In recent years I used a newer Laura Mercier formula that’s nice but not perfect.

Fortunately I did find my perfect concealer (Cle de Peau stick in #3 medium) a few years ago. I normally just use a bit of that concealer and that’s it (along with lipstick and bit of brow powder). I’m going to try the Cle de Peau foundation at some point since I do have a bit of rosacea that I like to cover on special occasions. Now when I try foundations, I apply a bit to my cheek but don’t cover the whole cheek. Then I walk around all day, checking the mirror periodically and taking a couple of selfies. I intentionally don’t cover the whole cheek because I want to see the difference between the foundation and my real skin. I always feel bad sampling and not buying on the spot because the sales person doesn’t get the sale right away, and if the color doesn’t look great after a couple of hours, they don’t get the sale at all. But I’ve wasted so much money over the years that I just won’t buy foundation on the spot anymore.

[Anonymous]

I always select foundation samples as my free sample from Sephora whenever I order anything. I appreciate the opportunity to try foundations at home. I have yet to find a perfect match, but I keep trying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may also want to try primer. It smooths out the face before the foundation goes on. I finally found my perfect color with Lancome's Teinte Idole.

I’m not the OP but would love a recommendation for a primer for dry skin, rosacea, and a tendency for clogged pores.

[Anonymous]

I was going to suggest the Sephora camera color match thing too. This has helped me find the right shade and brand. I was picking colors that were too light until this thing came along

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may also want to try primer. It smooths out the face before the foundation goes on. I finally found my perfect color with Lancome's Teinte Idole.

I’m not the OP but would love a recommendation for a primer for dry skin, rosacea, and a tendency for clogged pores.

Use a moisturizing serum + a heavier moisturizer like Tatcha Dewy Skin, exfoliate regularly to get rid of dry patches. A green color corrector will help with rosacea. And then for primer I would look at something like Smashbox Photo Finish Light or Fenty Pro Filter Hydrating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may also want to try primer. It smooths out the face before the foundation goes on. I finally found my perfect color with Lancome's Teinte Idole.

I’m not the OP but would love a recommendation for a primer for dry skin, rosacea, and a tendency for clogged pores.

Use a moisturizing serum + a heavier moisturizer like Tatcha Dewy Skin, exfoliate regularly to get rid of dry patches. A green color corrector will help with rosacea. And then for primer I would look at something like Smashbox Photo Finish Light or Fenty Pro Filter Hydrating.

Wow, thank you so much!