Let’s Talk: Luxury Foundations

Without fail, if I leave the house, I have foundation on. I may be in sweats and a baggy t-shirt, but my base will be flawless. That may be weird for some people, and I know that’s it’s something that I should get over, but I am very self-conscious of my skin. I have quite a bit of pigmentation left over from when I had severe acne and my skin is just not as clear as I would like it to be.

I like my bases to look completely undetectable on the skin, give an evening-out amount of coverage, have a high level of longevity and have a slightly dewy look without making me look like an oil-slick. The only thing with this is that long-lasting and dewy aren’t words you typically hear together.

Here are my top 5 current luxury foundations:

5 – Chanel Les Bieges in 12

There is something about Chanel. It just feels so luxurious to own. Growing up, I thought the epitome of “making it” was when I could afford something from Chanel. There is just something about Les Beiges that drew my eye. It’s not thick, but it’s also not a tinted moisturizer. It gives a light to medium coverage that is somewhat buildable. It evens out my skin tone while still letting my actual skin show through. I can build it up in places where my pigmentation shows more and let my freckles show through the rest. Overall, I love this foundation, but there is just something about the other foundations on this list that makes me reach for them more.

4 – Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in 12

This is the sheerest foundation that is in my top 5. It gives a light coverage that evens out my skin tone without making it feel or look like I’m wearing any foundation. The texture is almost skin-like, making the foundation imperceivable. It just seems like I have perfect skin without having to do anything. The downside to this foundation is that it does wear off with time. I never seem able to get a full days wear out of it. It’s perfect if you eat to slap something on before running errands, but after a full days work, I find its almost entirely disappeared off my face.

3 – Lancome Tiente Idole Ultra Wear in 110 Ivoire C

I have loved this foundation from the first time I slapped it on my face. It gives a medium coverage, easily evening out my complexion. It looks like nothing is there, like I have perfect, velvety skin. It also comes in 40 shades, which means more than likely, they have a shade that will perfectly suit your skin tone. The one drawback is that because it is such a matte texture as opposed to moisturizing, I find that it can cling to very dry patches. This is one of my favorites for my oilier days, but doesn’t work a great when my skin is feeling parched.

2 –  By Terry Sheer Expert in 1 Fair Beige

The By Terry Sheer Expert I find to be almost the exact opposite to the Lancome foundation. This packs in the coverage in an extremely natural way and gives some serious glow. The only thing it lacks in is longevity. Sure, it hangs around for a decent amount of time, but on hot summer Houston days by the time I finally look in a mirror in the afternoon, I feel like it’s barely there (side note: I know that powder would help here slightly, but I really am not the biggest fan of powdering down dewy foundations, it feels very counter productive).

1 – Giorgio Armani Power Fabric in 3.5

I needed something that would last, and I was willing to give up a bit of glow to maintain a full face of foundation all day. The Giorgio Armani Power Fabric is my newest foundation. It is also my favorite one.

I had initially ignored the hype on this because there was something about it that just screamed ‘CAKE FACE’ to me. But I was going on vacation and needed something that would last through a full day of walking. I went to my local Cos Bar and this is what they recommended. I must say, it’s freaking amazing. It’s nowhere near as dewy as I would normally reach for, but it blends perfect into my skin so it’s completely undetectable, the coverage is insane, yet natural-looking and it lasts beautifully throughout the day. The finish isn’t completely matte, more of a satin texture. My favorite was to wear it is to mix it with a bit of the Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer in 07 to add a big of glow back into the foundation while maintaining the staying power of the Power Fabric. My perfect combo.

What are your favorite foundations?