Anita’s Picks: Favourite High End Foundations

This post is long over due for me. I planned to give you all a detailed review of my top foundation favourites a while back but I recently discovered a new foundation that blew me away so I thought I best wait and give this a good test before I did this post otherwise it would be incomplete.

Today I plan to focus on my higher end favourite foundations as these are the ones that people are more reluctant to spend the cash on…..but don’t worry I will have a post very soon on my favourite, less expensive picks.

Before I start I have to tell you that I have combination skin for the most part. I get oily on the chin and nose and slightly drier on the cheeks and forehead. The foundations I will mention below all suit my skin very well but I have tried some of them on other skin types and they do work well but I will point out ones that I feel will only suit my skintype the more I go through the post.

My preferred finish of foundation would be demi matte. One that gives a decent coverage but that doesn’t look too matte or cakey on the skin. I like a subtle glow to come through but at the same time detest a foundation that is too shiny and shimmery on the skin. So…with all of that out of the way….let’s begin………

Me wearing Mac Studio Fix Fluid Shade NC20

The first one I need to talk to you all about has been a firm favourite of mine for a long time now. It is one of those foundations that is always in my kit and one I turn to when I want a decent coverage and I want it to last all day. Mac’s Studio Fix Fluid is my top Mac foundation by a long shot. This is a “natural matte” finish with medium to buildable coverage so perfect for me. I find this foundation blends really well on to the skin. It almost dries into the skin so even if you apply other cream products over it it doesn’t tend to move too much. I always top this with a powder and I tend to get at least 8-10 hours from it and I would maybe have to touch up once on a hot day. I find it gives a very satin look to the skin and is great for hiding any bumps or lumps you may have on the skin. Even in areas where I have pigmentation or acne this still tends to cover the area very well and I rarely need concealer. This foundation does contain an SPF of 15 which I am not a fan of as it can tend to give flashback (make face look white ) in pictures so I usually avoid this when I know I will be getting pictures taken. I do love the shade range from Mac as you are sure to find one that suits you. My shade for when I have a small amount of tan on is NC20 and I love this shade as even if I am that bit paler or more tanned it still seems to work for me. This foundation is €31.50 to buy but a word of warning I would buy a pump to fit this bottle otherwise you will waste alot of product. The pumps cost €5.50 from any Mac counter.

Me wearing Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Light in Intensity 2

Next up is another favourite of mine Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Light. I know alot of people adore the original Double Wear foundation and there is no doubt that it gives amazing coverage and lasts a long time but it is just not for me I am afraid. It looks very chalky on the skin and none of your natural skin texture shows through so it can often give a mask like appearance. That is great if that is what you are looking to achieve but it is just not my preference. However, the Double Wear Light is a different story. This is a super foundation. When I first tried this I expected it to have a light coverage and not last too long on the skin, more like a tinted moisturiser or BB cream but I was completely wrong. This is marketed as a sheer to medium coverage but I find  if it is applied with a Kabuki brush I get very decent coverage from it. The best thing about this foundation is that it lasts all day. Estee’s slogan “Smooth it on once and don’t think twice about it” really is true. It stays in place all day, very rarely needs a top up but yet your skin looks healthy and radiant. I find with some foundations that the radiance that you get when first applied can diminish during the day but with this foundation it remains throughout. I love the easy to use tube packaging of this foundation aswell as it means you can get every last drop out of it and it’s great for travel as its compact. It does contain an SPF 10 which is low enough not to create flashback so this can be used if you know you will be photographed. My one criticism for this foundation is that the shade selection is very poor. It is only available in 4 shades which isn’t exactly ideal but I am lucky that Shade 2 suits me for tanned days and Shade 1 for paler days. Anyone with deeper skintones could try Shade 4 but that is the darkest shade available. Estee Lauder if you are reading this please bring out a lighter shade than 1 and darker shades than 4!!!! This foundation is €37 for 30ml and available nationwide.

My next pick is one that I would recommend more for drier to combination skins. Oily skin gals may find this one too creamy for them. Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme Foundation is a beautiful foundation though. It is creamy as the name suggest and like alot of cream foundations it is pretty hydrating for the skin which is amazing on drier skins. It leaves a really luminous look to the skin but definitely has a really high coverage. This is one that I like to use on special occasions and especially in the winter months as it lasts all day but gives my skin the hydration it needs in the colder months. This has no SPF so great for photography. It is a little pricey though at over €40 for a 35ml. Like the Estee Lauder foundation I love the packaging of this foundation as its easy to use and lightweight for on the go. My shade with a slight tan is Bamboo Beige.

A bride wearing MUFE GD Foundation in shade 123.

The next foundation is one that holds a very close place in my heart!. Sounds a bit dramatic I know but it is one that I use in my bridal kit and one that I rely on to get me through many different situations and to make some beautiful ladies even more beautiful for their big day. Makeup Forever HD Foundation is simply stunning. As the name suggests it is a High Definition Foundation which basically means that the foundation is undetectable to a HD camera. All you see is perfect skin and no sign of a foundation. So as you can imagine this is amazing for bridal makeup. But it is equally as stunning for everyday makeup and it is almost undetectable to the naked eye too. It gives a stunning finish which is a glowing yet sort of matte finish which means that it suits alot of different types of skin types and as it is oil free even the oily gals can give this one a go. When you pump out this foundation onto your hand it feels very liquidy and light but it can be build up to give alot of coverage but still look natural and radiant on the skin. I use shade 123 when I have a slight tan and 153 if I am seriously bronzed up. My main critcism with this foundation is that it can be a nightmare to get hold of because there is only one shop in Dublin that stocks it and it is often out of stock because it is such a popular foundation. This foundation is around €39 for 30ml.

This beautiful bride wears Urban Decay Naked foundation in shade 4.5

Finally is a foundation that I only tried recently. This was one that I expected to be similar to the MUFE HD foundation and I wasn’t too far wrong. The Urban Decay Naked foundation is another great foundation. It has a similar texture to the HD foundation and does give a similar look to the skin. This is another foundation that is weightless but yet gives very decent coverage that resembles an airbrushes finish. You cannot ask for much more than this from a foundation. This beauty makes you feel like you are not wearing makeup (just like the MUFE HD one) and yet gives the skin a really professional finish. It is oil free again and paraben free but it contains light reflecting particles so although it is matte enough for oily skin it still gives a radiance to the skin. This would be more luminous on the skin that the MUFE one if I was to compare. This can be built from a very light coverage to a pretty full on coverage which is great as it can be worn for all occassions. Again no SPF in this one and so perfcet for flash photography. Definitely a new staple in my collection. This is available from UD counters which are mainly in Debenhams and can be bought online here for €34 for 30ml. My shade is 4.5 which is perfect for me for tanned days although I do get away with this when slightly paler too as it seems to blend into the skin very well.

So there you have it my round up of my top 5 Higher End foundations. They are all equally as beautiful but yet all give very different finishes to the skin. If I had to choose I would choose the Mac one for everyday wear and either the HD foundation by MUFE or the UD Naked foundation for nighttime and special occasions.

Thanks a mill for stopping by and I hope I didn’t waffle on too much.

Have a great day Big kisses Anita XXX