Foundation for your skin type.

Finding a great, long wearing foundation for your skin type can sometimes be a bit of pain in the butt and quite an overwhelming experience. Your friend raved about one of her favourite foundations but what works for her, may not work for you because everybody is different and has different skin types/tones. You read tons of online reviews about different brands and types of foundations but when you finally buy it and get to try it out… It didn’t work for you and it ended

up in the bin! Sound familiar to you?

Well, if you’re like me and a bit stretched for money, worry not because there is actually a lot of amazing drugstore foundations out there but it takes a lot of trial and error to find one that suits you. And the key to finding you’re perfect match? Skin type; it’s the reason why one foundation may look flawless on one person and awful on another. This is why it is crucial for you to assess your skin type before purchasing the product in order to have the most flattering look.

Below, I’ve broken down each of the four most common skin types, and a great drugstore foundation for each! (With the exception of “normal skin”, which can wear all three foundations and still look flawless).

Skin Types

In general, there are four main skin types which are: normal, oily, dry and combination.

• Normal: Luckily, for you, your skin appears evenly toned and only suffers from a few breakouts. Your skin is not overly dry or oily and you can pretty much wear whatever foundation you please-they will all work for you, more or less.
• Oily: If you notice that your face tends to become shiny over a period of time, then you probably have oily skin. This is more obvious in the T-Zone area of your face, which is across your forehead, down the bridge of your nose and sometimes on your chin. Oily skin types typically don’t have many if any dry areas.
• Dry: Your skin may often feel tight and looks flaky in areas. You may get dry, flaky patches especially around the nose, the chin area and on your cheeks which usually gets worse in the winter when the weather tends to be quite harsh on our skin, drying it out even further.
  
  
• Combination: Your skin displays both characteristics for both oily and dry skin. You will likely have an oily T-Zone (nose, forehead & chin), but dry patches on the rest of your face.

Now that you have an overall idea of your skin type, on to the foundation!

Oily Skin - Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse!

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse - £7.69

Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation - £8.19

L'Oreal Paris Matte Morphose - £10.29

L'Oreal Infallible Brush foundation - £12.99

(Boots)

Often powder foundation is not the best for those with oily skin types as it can actually turn the colour slightly orange and make it so that your skin tone does not match up with the colour of the powder foundation. You should avoid using products containing oil and opt for a water based foundation instead, if you aren’t sure whether its oil or water based, spend a little extra time reading the information on the back of the bottle/tube. Often a lot of matte foundations are a great option for those with oily skin types as they control shine. I have found Maybelline to have the best range of matte foundations, I suggest trying something like Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse  because it’s great for oily skin types but the only thing is that it is very high coverage and can often look cakey on the skin if applied too thickly and it may also feel really heavy on your skin. I suggest if you don’t like a heavy feeling foundation to try something else like Maybelline’s Dream Satin Liquid foundation. Another favourite foundation for those with oilier skin types is L'Oreal Paris’s Matte Morphose foundation and you may also like to try their Infallible Brush foundation as it is better suited for those with oily/combination skin types. You can then also try setting your foundation with a small amount of oil free translucent powder in a yellow tone (although if you have extremely pale skin, use a white toned powder).

Dry Skin - Revlon Colourstay!

Revlon Colourstay Foundation - £12.49 (Boots)

I’ve found Revlon Colorstay to work well on dry skin. Foundations for dry skin typically contain more moisturising ingredients, and Colorstay fits the bill. In general, if you have dry skin, look for foundations that emphasize their hydrating ingredients. I would also reccoment that for girls with dry skin, you should always exfoliate before applying any foundation. This will help get rid of some  of the dry, dead skin cells so that the foundation can be applied more smoothly.

If you are looking for something a bit lighter than a full-coverage foundation, I also recommend trying tinted moisturisers for a hint of colour minus the heavy look and feel.

Combination Skin - Revlon PhotoReady!

Revlon Photoready - £12.99 (Boots)

Combination skin can be tricky to work with at times. I have combination skin myself and I find that the seasons largely dictate what foundation I wear. For example, during winter, your skin can get really dry because of such harsh weather, so you need a more hydrating foundation, while during the summer, your skin gets shiny the second you walk out the door into the heat. If you have combination skin, you may need two foundations, yes two! – One for the winter and one for the summer. With that said, I suggest using Revlon PhotoReady which has a beautiful coverage while evening out the skin tone. It also blends beautifully with your skin tone and doesn’t look unnatural or cakey; although this foundation does contain a slight shimmer which may be a problem for ladies with skin on the oilier side. Shimmery foundations can have a tendency to highlight open pores and oily areas, so be sure to powder on top if you’re worried about it. However in turn Revlon PhotoReady is a great general option that works really well all year-round: wear over moisturiser in the winter and under translucent setting powder in the summer!

Concealer: Before or after foundation?

I recommend apply concealer before foundation. The most common mistake many women make when applying concealer is that they apply too much or they stretch or pull the skin when applying. To apply correctly, use a small brush, your pinky or ring finger and dab concealer where you need it the most.

If any product you use irritates you discontinue use immediately!