Most natural looking drug-store foundation?
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free skin care · Sun Mar 18, 2012 8:08 pm

I have never in my 49 years on this earth found a drug-store foundation that will not only help hide age spots and soften fine lines but that matches my skin tone and looks as if I don't have foundation on. Is there even such a product out there?

I've spent too much money lately (thanks to this site Wink

) and cannot spend the $40 or more for the higher priced foundations.

So, can anyone tell me if they've found a foundation they feel provides good coverage yet feels and looks almost invisable on your skin that can be bought at a drug store.

Also, what is the best way to match it to your skin tone? I either pick too light or too dark.

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:43 am

Doesn't anyone use drug store foundation? Question

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:49 am

sandooch wrote:

Doesn't anyone use drug store foundation? Question

I have used MMU for years, even make my own when the mood and time constraints are right. I really cannot think of any that ever thrilled me in my past, mind you I never wore foundation at all until I was well into my 30's. Sorry!

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:46 am

I'm sure there are great drugstore foundations which match what you're looking for. I'm not sure what they are right now, but these days there are great products at EVERY price point. I just google for hours and eventually find my way! Products have improved so much that kids have extremely high expectations as far as makeup performance now. Smile

I use MUFE Face & Body, which goes on light/medium coverage, but in my opinion, looks like skin. Its pricey ($38 or $42? in Canada) but a bottle lasts me a full year. I went with it because shade matching for my dark/olive skin's always been a pain & found an exact match. The nice thing about higher end products is that you can often get samples before you decide. I have no idea how people go without testers or samples with no return policies at drugstores.

Quick note: It sounds to me that an inexpensive primer (even anti-chafing gels) would help to conceal the fine lines, and a corrector or concealer may work best to dot on before your foundation for the age spots. If you can identify the colour of your spots & the corresponding/opposite colour - correctors can work like absolute magic! Then you wouldn't have to use a full-coverage foundation which may not let your own skin show through.

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:28 pm

Thank you both for your replies. I know that some stores like Target and Rite aid do have a return policy on the makeup, and that's a big help. I guess I'll keep plugging along until I find one that is the right fit.

free skin care · Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:06 am

I use DrJart Premium BB 45 right now, but when I go drugstore brand my favorite "go to" is Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging. So far the best I've found that looks really natural on my skin, provides good coverage and doesn't settle in those pores and fine lines. They only have a few to choose from, (Light/Med, Med and Dark...I think) but it supposed to match your shade, you just have to choose the tone.

Most other store brands I have tried just make me look "made up"...this is one that doesn't for me.

free skin care · Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:56 am

I have been using Garnier's BB cream in Fair. It's really nice and very natural looking. I find the older I get the less foundation I actually use. I just use a concealer around any trouble spots.

For night time or evenings out I use Laura Mercier which is pretty expensive but great coverage.

free skin care · Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:05 pm

I actually have tried both the Almay and the BB Garnier foundations and was not too happy with either of them. Funny how differently we feel about certain makeup.

Today I was at Target and was looking at the Elf brushes and took a look at their foundations. I saw one that was in a light-medium tone and it said it was for complexions that had a yellow tone to it. That would be me! I couldn't pass it up at only $3. When I got home I applied some quickly just to my chin and the color matched perfectly. I was amazed because I never get the color right. When I put it on my entire face and wear it for a day, I'll come back and give my full review on it. Hope it provides decent coverage without sinking into my fine lines. We'll see.

free skin care · Thu Mar 22, 2012 10:09 am

I use L'Oreal True Match in W3 for warm toned skin. I am very happy with it.

Here is a video review. The woman uses W4 which is a shade darker but she looks very pale in this video, so don't go by that. My skin is somewhat pale but not as pale as she looks in the video.

If you buy from RiteAid or CVS you can return it. I bought W2 and W3 but instead of returning W2 which was too light, I use it as a primer for my eyeshadow and light concealer.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAo09x91psw

free skin care · Thu Mar 22, 2012 10:27 am

Thank you Softskin. If the Elf brand foundation doesn't turn out to be what I want, I'll look into that one. I'm just waiting for my skin to finish peeling from my TCA peel before I test it out all over. Maybe in another day or two.

free skin care · Sat Mar 24, 2012 11:46 am

I used to use bare minerals and loved it, until my skin began changing in my fifties and the mineral foundation started emphasizing my fine lines. Now I'm very happy with Almay TLC Truly Lasting Color foundation, which is available at drugstores and Ulta for $11. I don't use any other Almay products and I was surprised to find a drugstore foundation that I really like. A natural finish is more important to me than full coverage, so it's probably a light/medium coverage foundation as far as spots go. There are reviews on both makeupalley and youtube.

ETA: I apply it with a stippling brush and one pump is usually enough.

free skin care · Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:08 am

I hate to be a downer but I hate every drug store foundation I've ever tried. For not much more I can have my perfect foundation, it's just not something I want to skimp on. You can save money on the other parts of your makeup, not foundation. I have a very unusual skin tone and i only recently found something that looks good.

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:52 am

Hi. Unfortunately I cant use most drugstore brands, i've tried but i break out like crazy.
Only brand that hasnt broken me out is Almay.

The way to test a foundation is:
1)Go under white light (most drugstore makeup section uses yellow light), so step few steps away from the mirror, stand under white light..
Yellow light tends to make things look different.
2)Swap some foundation on your finger then over the area at your cheek near your neck.
The reason for this area, because some of us have fairer face but darker necks (due to sunscreens on face). You want a color that match that area.
3)Also, depends on some foundation, some needs to let it warm a bit before applying on your face.
4) Foundation generally take 20-30 mins to set in to your skin.

free skin care · Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:57 am

Revlon Color Stay *can* look natural but requires a light touch and expert application. The CS dry is amazing but the colors are wrong- I have fair warm toned skin. You might also try the new Photoready foam foundation. There are a lot tutorials on both on You Tube.

A good primer helps also- the L'oreal Studio Effects stuff is good. I never had any luck with True Match, just doesn't really cover anything. For drugstore foundation Revlon is probably the only line that offers anything.

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