20
Aug

Three fantastic long-last glowy foundations.

Remember the days when I used to talk about silk pillowcases? Seems like an eternity ago. Anyway, on that pillowcase post there was an interesting query by a fruit named Amy, who said:

“I was hoping you might have some product suggestions for foundations that suit long day wear, wedding occasions. I was hoping to go for the glowy look!”

To which I obviously in my head yelped, OF COURSE I DO YOU GORGEOUS DUNCE! Here are three long lasting liquid foundations, right here, right now, as Jesus Jones once famously sang.

The radiant, nourishing one: Lancome’s Teint Visionnaire, $65

LancomeTeintVisionnaire

This is a liquid foundation with skincare benefits that was created for a “mature” skin, which means it will be a bit richer, a bit thicker, and real good at smoothing out your lines and reducing the look of pores and uneven skin tone. And, it gives a radiant, non-matte finish. I don’t think at 33 I quite qualify for mature skin, but I will tell you that this is my foundation of choice because I have thirsty, dry, dehydrated skin, and it can take the richness of the formula, and I very much enjoy the full coverage and the glowy – but not shiny – finish, which lasts beautifully. It comes with concealer in the lid, which is undoubtably handy, but I find it too sheer for my undereye circles. It’s better for around the schnoz, lips and on the eyelids. I find a touch of powder down the T-zone sets it perfectly. Tip: Use primer underneath and a touch of powder on the T-zone to set. Don’t eat for breakfast.

 

The natural-looking one: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation $68

NARS-Sheer-Glow

 

Possibly a better choice for those who prefer a lighter, more ‘skin-like’ finish, this makeup artist’s fave gives a more natural-medium coverage finish, but since it’s easily buildable, you can layer for more coverage that still looks and feels light and glowing. No powder is required to set this stay-put foundation, in my opinion, but I’m not a shiny dolly, so it may differ for others. Lack of pump can be a bit annoying/messy – but you can buy them internationally online. Tip: Use primer underneath for the best results. Don’t apply to elbows.

 

The all-in-one with a matte finish: Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation, $19.95

CoverGirl Outlast


Definitely the pick for those with oily or combination skin, this primer, foundation and concealer in one (translation: it stays put, and is high coverage, therefore able to act as a concealer on uneven skin tone/pigmentation/redness, dark cricles etc) is remarkable in its lightweight texture/high pay off. In other words, you don’t feel like you’re slapping on a layer of stage paint, but get excellent all-over coverage that doesn’t move for many hours. The finish is definitely on the matte side, so avoid if you have dry or lined skin, as they may be exacerbated, and you will look older than you are, which seems unfair. Tip: No primer or powder required. Finish off with a luminous highlighter for glow. Don’t use as deodorant.

 

Responses to this drivel: 56 Comments
Responses to this drivel ( 56 )
  • Miranda

    Can I recommend Benefit’s Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow? I am not a fan of liquid foundations, at all. They do not work for me. I can’t get a coverage level I like. However. This stuff is amazing. It lasts ALL day. I apply around 7:30am and at 9:00pm the stuff is still in place. Doesn’t make my skin oily, which is the easiest thing in the world to do. It has a lovely smooth soft gentle finish. HIGHLY recommend spending your coin on this one. (Also, just quietly the Benefit foundation brush is the best one I have ever used.)

  • Carrie

    I love the Hourglass Veil Fluid and the primer that goes with it is pretty spesh too 🙂
    I find it really tough getting the exact shade I need when I buy from Priceline etc… That’s why I end up with the pricier ones cos now I’m just lazy and go into Mecca where it’s all done for me! Zoe, any tips on getting the right shade in your average fluoro lit supermarket?

    • Kristine

      Yes! How to choose the right colour foundation yourself would be eternally helpful.

      • Nicci

        Yes please, me too. Am too self conscious to use the cosmetic ladies in DJs as my skin is not great (acne scars & the odd pimple) and don’t think they would really want to touch it. Also not keen on sitting in the middle of the shop with everyone walking past.

      • Leah

        Honestly, it’s not super convenient but the absolute best way it to put a few swatches on your face and then go out of the shopping centre in natural light to check the colours.

  • Sally Albright

    I realise your excellent advice is largely for the dames, but do you have any specific recommendations for gentlemen’s skincare?

    Also, this may seem ridiculous, but do you have any tips on using an eyelash curler? Is it the moments before you apply mascara, before or after concealer, during the application of eyeliner? It looks deceptively simple and so far it has indeed deceived me. It wouldn’t be the first beauty tool to do so.

    • Leah

      I usually curl my eyelashes just before I apply mascara, unless I am wearing a lot of eyeshadow, then I do it before I apply the eyeshadow so that I don’t accidentally wipe any off. Many people like to do their eyes first so eyeshadow doesn’t fall onto their makeup, however I am an eyes last kind of gal, so I do my full face, then prime eyes, curl lashes, apply eyeshadow, apply mascara:)

  • Sarah

    I wish more places offered decent samples. I’m on the hunt for both the perfect foundation and the perfect BB or CC cream and so far all I have is a waste land of failed products. Most recently the new Ultraceuticals CC cream, which smells nice but just doesn’t sink in to my skin and is impossible to blend.

    Back to the makeup counter I go….

    • LIZZY

      Try the smashbox bb cream – it is really good coverage that is natural looking at the same time!

    • kirsty

      hey sarah…i’m with you…just got a sample of cliniques CC cream..supplied/and colour matched by Myer…not bad..thickish, good staying power and enough in the pot for a few goes…hope this helps

  • Klaudija

    Hi Zoe! Any glowy recommendations for us sensitive skinned dames?

  • amber

    Matte makeup makes me look a bit sick, so I’m a big fan of the glowy foundation. I love Stila’s Illuminating Liquid Foundation in 20 watts — it’s a yellow-toned shade suitable for the fair but sallow (this is me — lucky, lucky me).

    Now that I have that out of the way, I have to ask a Very Serious Question. I am 29 years old, and in addition to my fair, sallow skin, I have near-black wavy hair… that’s prematurely greying. I don’t know whether this is simply genetic, or whether it has something to do with the auto-immune disease with which I was diagnosed at 25 (or both!), but I’m finding that I have to dye my roots every 10 days or so. Not only is the constant dyeing tedious, but it’s stripping my hair of moisture and condition. I’m getting more and more depressed as the grey (dead white) takes hold. With my colouring, I can’t seem to find a way around regular touch-ups. Can anyone sympathise or offer helpful advice..?

    • eliseb

      I just came across a product called WOW at Hairhouse Warehouse, it’s a powder-like makeup for hair, and comes with an applicator brush. I suppose kind of like the old hair mascara but without the stickiness. You apply to regrowth at your part and it’s supposed to last through rain etc. I tried the blonde an it worked great, and there were about a dozen colours.

    • MissLinda

      Are you home couring? My Mum had a similar issue with her hair (also near black). She found going to a good salon with experienced staff and explaining the situation rather than a home dye solved it. Her hair just wouldn’t take & hold colour normally and needed specialist products. Her colourist ended up using her as a training model.

  • Annie

    Thanks for the suggestions Zoe! I was wondering if you had any suggestions for a concealer for surgical scars? I’ve recently had surgery and am left with some pretty obvious scars on my neck/chest area. I find it nearly impossible to find a concealer that covers/matches! They are completely flat, so if I could cover the colour then I’d be very happy 🙂

    • Gemma

      Hey Annie, have you tried Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Maximum Coverage Camouflage Foundation? This one is a true FULL coverage foundation which made my terrible acne and scarring completely disappear when I had it. There is also a brand at Priceline called Dermablend which specialises in camouflage makeup – covers tattoos, scarring etc. They are both around $50 – $60 but both are very much worth it and a little goes a long way!

    • Anita

      Hi Annie,
      Kryolan do a product called Dermacolour which is created for this kind of thing. It covers scars, birthmarks, bruises, tattoos etc
      http://kryolan.com.au/index.php?route=product/category&path=117_67

  • Nikki

    Zoe, I have terribly oily skin. My mother has always told me its a good thing, but I’m now almost 30 and I am still yet to find a great foundation to help with my little issue. I actually get very self conscious of it and would love any suggestions you could offer??!!! #shinymess #help

    • Sophie

      I am with you Nikki! Super oily skin, great as thgey say we will age well, but not so great when you are trying to find a foundation where you dont have to constantly check for oil slicks throughout the day!

    • Lena

      i would love to hear about foundations for oily skin too!!

    • Anne

      I also have oily skin, and find that most foundations don’t last very long at all. It’s like they just slip off my face! One that I keep going back to is Estee Lauder double wear. I like the finish and it does last well.

  • Jacqui

    Hi Zoe, how would you recommend applying these? I have been given so many different opinions (brush, sponge(s), fingers), and to someone who is just starting to use (and care about) make up more and more I’m confused… Love your blog xx

    • BeautyBee

      I would say that it depends on the foundation – some are a little streaky when applied with a brush, but really its all up to you and what you prefer 🙂 I for example, always use my fingers as it gives a natural sheer coverage (the heat in you fingertips helps the makeup melt into your skin) while brushes give you a more perfected look. 🙂 BB~

  • Abbe

    Hi Zoe and readers, i am after some suggestions for a brightening cleanser, toner & moisturiser… currently i am using a Mary Kay one that i am not loving. Any suggestion’s? Does Zoe have a section on cleansers? I cant find it if so… Love the blog xx

  • kirsty

    thanks zoe..you mention in you advice useing powder over the foundation…am sooo not into that flat ‘made-up’ look…what sort of powder you you mean?..compact, fluffy powder, transluent, same shade as the foundation???..there are soooo many out there…help anyone…

    • BeautyBee

      Hi Kirsty! Nars do a beautiful pressed and loose translucent powder called light reflecting pressed powder/loose powder. It doesn’t have shimmer in it, but gives you a soft illumination 🙂 I hear that Hourglass’s Ambient Lighting powders do the same thing, but they have a light colour tint to them (depending if you want to brighten up the complextion and what skin tone you are naturally) also without very visible shimmer. I’m dying to try those because they have very good reviews! 😀 hope that helps somewhat!

      • kirsty

        thanks for that…live in tassie where the choice is sparce to sy the least!!.[Becca MAC and Myer brands..MAC mineral face powder/ powder products…whats your thoughts…

    • fruity

      Just a light dusting of translucent powder. They’ve come a long way – the Laura Mercier one is so light, you can’t see it, it just takes the shine down a touch and keeps things set.

  • BeautyBee

    Great suggestions Zoe! I love ‘glowy’ foundations! They just make skin look healthier in my opinion. I’m loving YSL’s foundation atm, the consistency and finish is just beautiful. If I want to amp it up a little, I add in some illuminater 🙂 I’m dying to try Hourglass’s ambient powders. Trying to find a highlighting powder WITHOUT shimmer is difficult…

  • Linda

    Totally off topic but, Zoe, can I ask… how do you organise all your cosmetics when at home (I’m figuring you have a few)? I’m struggling to keep everything neat and tidy.

    • fruity

      Uh, me too. I tend to keep my daily skin care on sink/visible, my Sometimes Skincare in a drawer, then I have a draw with some compartments for face, lips, eyes and a palette section. I have a one in, one out policy these days. No dang room for 48 eye shadows.

    • Leah

      I bought a vintage vanity specifically for all my makeup.. it’s amazing! I have one whole draw each for eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks, eyeliners etc etc. And on top I keep all my everyday stuff like my regular foundation, concealer and brushes.

  • Holly Challoner

    Hi Zoe!
    I’ve been battling mild cystic acne for about six years now (I’m 18). I have tried basically everything, Proactive, the pill, creams, and my mum even blew $400 on Chinese medicine that tasted like shit to try and help. But alas here I am writing, BEGGING, for any suggestion you can think of!?

    Many thanks.

    • Holly Challoner

      P.S. Please don’t say ‘time’ or I will be sad.

      • kirsty

        im a nurse..my advice too would be a dermatologist…diagnosis and appropriate treatment a must..get on top of it, thenb onto a good skin care regieme…may need a referal from a GP, may be covered by private health…good luck

    • katemelb

      see a dermatologist. Get a referral and see a dermatologist. They will be able to decide what will work for your skin type. It might be a course of antibiotics, together with a topical cream, a change of make-up and moustourisers (which is what happened to me). I have suffered on and off for years – for me, going on Diane was a savior and gave me very good skin – up until I went off it when trying to get pregnant, when I had to start again with the dermatologist (this time with retin A cream, as I didn’t want to go back on the pill. Good luck – it’s a miserable nightmare suffering from acne

      • LouAna

        I second katemelb. I tried ‘everything’ too until one day someone said have a tried a dermatologist? Which I hadn’t but then I did and now I try ‘everything’ in terms of glowy foundations and I looove YSL Touché Éclat but a helluva effort and serious detirmination to find the right shade.

    • M

      Hi Holly,
      I was in a similar situation spending fortunes on all different products. One that I can highly recommend is the clariosonic – it’s around the $100 mark but totally worth it. This + aesop products has improved my skin X 100000.
      Good luck!

    • Michelle

      Holly I think the Nutrimetics acne product (I am pretty sure it is called Nutri-clear) is the bees knees. You dab a *tiny* bit on the pimple and it magically disappears in 24-48 hours! Maybe give that a try?

    • Miranda

      I had to go to a dermatologist and took a six-month course of roaccutane. It sort of sucked while I was taking it (dry skin, particularly lips, very sensitive to sun, and it gave me back pain, plus you have to have blood tests to monitor how your body is coping) BUT the acne was totally gone after one month and has never returned. So it was worth it for me!

    • ZoeB

      Oh honey, I totally feel for you! I have to agree with all the other suggestions to see a dermatologist. It is expensive – need to pay to see GP for referral, and then derm fees normally run in the $200 or so mark, per session. However, it sounds like it is going to be worth it for you given what you have already tried! I had to try my derm’s suggestions – a mix of the pill, antibiotics, prescription creams, changes in diet, makeup and skincare for months – but one day, it FINALLY started going away, and now I haven’t had a spot for months. You do also need to be diligent with what the derm tells you, which can be hard when it feels like it isn’t working. Eventually, some part of the magical combination will, though. (Now to figure out how to deal with all that pesky scarring…) Good luck, and don’t put it off. It will be worth it xx

      • Holly C

        Wow thanks to all you lovely souls to replying to me and giving me suggestions! Looks like I’ll be going to the dermatologist then!

    • Ozlicious

      I agree with what everyone else has said about seeing a dermatologist (if you can find a good one), and this might sound simplistic, but have you seen a good beauty therapist? You might find that there could be some simple changes you need to make to your skincare routine in order to help nurture your skin to find some balance. It might be dehydrated (causing it to overproduce oil) or it might have a compromised acid mantle/poor barrier function (leaving it susceptible to bacterial invasion – ie ACNE bacteria!). A good beauty therapist will be able to diagnose this. Most salons offer a free skin consultation, so you could go to a few of them until you find a beauty therapist or facialist who really clicks with you.

      I only suggest this because dermatologists have an interest in “healthy” skin, but not necessarily “beautiful” skin. So they can sometimes prescribe some pretty harsh ingredients and I personally would use them as a last resort.

      Also, for what it’s worth, you could consider seeing a good naturopath. They can diagnose issues with food intolerances and digestive problems, both of which are often huge contributors to acne. Poor liver and kidney function can contribute too, as they hamper the body’s ability to eliminate waste.

      So maybe think about going down one of these paths before the dermatologist. 🙂

  • LouAna

    I have just starting using YSL touché éclat and I love it. Was a lot of determination and effort to get the shade right, unhelpful S.A’s at Myer and dj’s or none at all, or flat out refusal to hand over a sample. Serious girls, took months to get the right one. But super happy, glowy dewy lasts allll work day long. Beautiful glorious touch éclat.

  • Kiss & Make-up

    I bet these are all nice but I personally prefer matte foundations. My skin is oily so it gets that slight glow all on its own after a couple of hours, lol.

  • Tess Thomson

    I use the Lancome Teint Visionnaire and can really love it. I’m only 28, but love how this really hides those fine lines around my eyes, brilliant coverage and the finish is just perfect!
    Zoe or any other beauty in the know: Do you know where I can get my hands on the corrector that comes in the lid on it’s own??

  • Stephie

    Porcelain skin recommendation:
    I adore illamasqua’s skin base foundation. Wears well, blends well, & is comfortable to wear. This is the only makeup I have ever found that is truly pale enough for my skin. I have shade #2 (#1 is pure white) and I am so happy with it. I have spent 10 years (& a small fortune) looking for this baby- happy days! And, it’s really affordable!

  • Amy

    Thank you Zoe! Your advice is amazing 😀 I will definitely be investigating the Lancome, which now i think of it you have mentioned in a previous post! Happy Monday Fruity Beauty ladies!

  • Nadine

    I used to have oily skin but now ( thank you Jurlique) have normal skin. I’m 38 and have no real lines (I have a crows foot -one line- when I screw my face up and some fine crinkling under my eyes if I squint my eyes).

    I prefer a light to medium coverage and I am very pale ( many brands are too dark for me :Estée Lauder, Clarins, Clinique, Napoleon, Dior, Shiseido, La Praire and other).
    I have pink colouring but tend to wear slightly yellow based foundation as I find the pink based tend to make me look very pink all over, all day.

    Currently wearing MAC but I’m not in love with it.
    Years back I used Prescriptives and I loved it, I am thinking of trying Chantacaille but I am not sure I want to spend $110 (I usually pay around $60) unless it is AMAZING.

    Zoe, any suggestions???

    I want a beautiful foundation in the perfect colour that glides on. Happy to pay but if its $$ it has to be spectacular (and matt – this goes back to my days of oily skin and hair).

    If I was musical I would write an Ode to Jurlique and Kerastase – I am looking for the foundation that needs its Ode!!

    Any help, suggestions, guidelines or thoughts appreciated.

    Thanks…

  • Nadine

    Zoe, I don’t understand why all foundations do not state ” do not use as a deodorant” on them as you have clearly done here. I finally understand the yellow underarm sains I see on people – it’s not a mix of fat and sweat, it’s people applying their foundation to their armpits ( and not washing their clothes very well). Another mystery solved !!

  • Kaela

    Hi Zoe, I’m currenty being tested for perioral dermatitis and wanted to see if you could suggest a good makeup for sensitive skin. I currently use MAC but find it may be to heavy now, I after something that is medium coverage so that it can hide my dermatitis also. Cheers xx

  • Elle

    Just bought the nars foundation at Mecca at Melbourne central and they sold pumps for an extra 4 dollars, no need to go international!

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