Five Bases I Always Go Back To

I will forever be on the hunt for the perfect foundation. It’s like my personal makeup mission. I’ve been looking since I was 14, and I’m still going 13 years later. I can’t help it, I love them. There’s nothing beauty-wise that beats the feeling when you find a base that’s spot-on; giving the skin radiance, evening everything out and just making you look nice and glowy. That’s the dream. I say I’m still on my mission, but actually I now have quite the collection of foundations, BB’s, CC’s, EE’s – the lot – that I fall back on daily that all do their required jobs really well. So here are the five bases that I always, always go back to…

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream. Out of the five I’d say that this one is my most-used and most-loved. I purchased in L.A over a year ago now and have since almost gone through a whole bottle and purchased it in a more winter-appropriate shade (I use Light in summer and Fair in the winter). Don’t be put off by the thickness of the formula; this makes it great for when you need some serious coverage, but it can also be sheered out with a damp Beautyblender. I tend to use the Beautyblender for everyday use and then the Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush if I need more coverage (it’s worth noting that that’s the application method that I use for all of these). The finish though is why I really love it – it just glows. Skin looks so healthy and there’s a nice sheen left behind that doesn’t look greasy, just extremely natural and skin-like. Love, love, love.

CHANEL Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation. Every couple of months I cycle back to this foundation and wonder why I ever let it gather a little dust. This a is a light to medium coverage offering, so to me is more of an everyday option and I let the others deal with evenings and events when I want a more polished finish. That’s not to say that this doesn’t do a great job at neutralising any redness or blemishes, because it does. It leaves a sheer tint on the skin that just evens everything out and it does so whilst being extremely undetectable. B10 is my non-tanned shade and B20 gives me a little more of a bronzey look in the summer.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk. Ah, a classic. This used to be my daily go-to, although these days I require something with a little more dew. Not that this is a matte finish, but it leans more that way unless I put something real hydrating underneath. I have a bottle of the shade 4 (I used to use 6, but that is way too tan for me these days), that I like to use as a ‘mixer-inner‘. The longevity of this is insane, so I find that it works well to beef up the hardiness credentials of whatever I mix it in with. This and a blob of the It Cosmetics is my current dream combination.

Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Youth-Boosting Perfect Skin Foundation. I’m guessing out of the two formulas that Charlotte offers, the majority would go for the Magic Foundation for the high coverage and velvet finish, but to me I’m all about Light Wonder. The coverage is medium-ish and so I reserve for ok-to-good skin days, but it gives so much glow it practically leaves the skin looking glossy. Considering it’s so darn dewy, the longevity is pretty good, although I do tend to save it for cool wintery days and occasions when my skin is feeling super dry. The shade 2 Fair is a pretty spot-on match too.

YSL Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation. This is a relatively new addition to the ranks, but I’m having a bit of a moment with cushion foundations. I recently ran out of it, but I do love the L’Oreal Paris Nude Magique Cushion Foundation too. The reason why I love them so much is that they are just so easy to use. I stamp in my Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush, swirl it onto areas where I need a bit of coverage, lob on some mascara and lip balm and go. It’s so easy, hence why they’ve become the product that I reach for when I’m in a rush. Now this option has a little more coverage in it than the L’Oreal formula, but it still has the same fresh and light appearance. 10 is the best shade match for me.

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