Wednesday 2 July 2014

Top 5: Medium & Full Coverage Foundations for Oily and Dry Skins (Drugstore & High-End)

A good foundation makes the world of difference to any makeup look and I think it is one of, if not the most important aspects of cosmetics. While eye makeup is fun and everything, a good foundation can make your skin look flawless and change the overall appearance of your look.
I've tried a lotttt of foundations from different price ranges and while some high-end foundations are nice, I have found a lot of budget friendly bases that are very comparable to higher-end ones. Although I have oily skin, I have found that some of these work better for a dryer skin type, and some are best suited to an oily skin.
One important thing to keep in mine is that all of these foundations are medium to full coverage and very long lasting. While I wear most of these daily, a full coverage isn't for everyone all the time and so might be something to try for a special occasion or night out. I hope this post helps some of you who are on the hunt for decent full and flawless coverage!


Firstly, the very well known Revlon ColorStay foundation (it looks and feels SO strange to write Colour). As far as coverage go, I would say this is medium to very buildable. It doesn't feel too heavy on the skin and has a great shade range, particularly for pale girls (I typically use the shades Ivory or Buff). One thing I really like about the ColorStay is that they offer 2 different types; one for combination/oily skins and one for dry. I've tried both and there definitely is a difference but I can't decide which one I like more! It stays on the skin for ages and wears nicely throughout the day (no cracking or separating on my oily skin). It also has an SPF of 15 which is nice to know. The only thing it's missing is a pump to be honest but I know a lot of people have said that about this foundation. I love using this with my Real Techniques Expert Face brush. Although one of the pricier drugstore foundations, the Revlon ColorStay is a great one to have!

 

This was one of the first fuller coverage foundations from the drugstore that I ever tried. I actually originally bought this for my Transition Year Ball a long time ago (okay, maybe not that long but definitely at least 3 years ago!) I absolutely loved it and it found it to be very long lasting. This foundation is definitely medium coverage but again, pretty buildable. Unlike the Revlon one, this definitely feels like you have makeup on which isn't actually something I particularly mind most of the time but I know a lot of people hate that feeling! I don't agree with the lightweight claims but it is definitely hydrating - this would work for both dry and oily skins (provided the latter set it with a powder). Rimmel's pricing is very reasonable but the only gripe I have about this foundation (like most in the drugstore) are the shade ranges - they're horrific! 100 Ivory is the lightest shade available and is the equivalent of a MAC NW20 at least. Unfortunately, I have to mix this shade or choose to wear it when I (rarely) have a tan. However, if you are lucky enough to find your shade in this range, or wear it with fake tan then there's no worries... just not great for the milk bottles. (As a disclaimer, I repurchased this foundation in Poland about a year ago so the packaging is different - it comes in a glass container with a red pump in Ireland/UK). This foundation works well with a stippling or a flat topped kabuki style brush.


Truth be told I have a very hard time finding a full coverage foundation in the drugstore. Typically, what they claim is a "flawless longlasting finish" is just a medium coverage base. Now, don't get me wrong, that's perfectly okay but when I wandered over to the 17 section in Boots and saw "full cover" on the bottle, I actually laughed! I honestly think it's the first time I've ever seen a lower-end brand claim that their foundation is "full" coverage. Seventeen isn't a brand I gravitate towards to at all, but it has definitely swayed my opinion on the brand's face products. I've seen a lot of people talk about the matching high coverage concealer and powder but not really the foundation - I have no idea why.
Oh lawwwwd, this foundation is AMAZING! It genuinely has everything I could ever want in a foundation and I'm pretty sure it's the cheapest out of the drugstore options. Firstly, it is of course full coverage and when they say full, they mean full. This covers everything! I have quite a lot of acne scarring, redness and some blemishes but I never have to use a separate concealer with this - I simply dab and stipple over the problem area with a little more foundation. I've even used this as an undereye concealer in a pinch. Honestly, the coverage is amazing! It's long lasting and doesn't feel at all heavy. The packaging is nice and small and comes with a pump. It has an SPF of 25 which is nice but something to be aware of when wearing it for flash photography because it does bounce back ever so slightly, giving off a white cast to the skin. This foundation doesn't really 'set' and leaves quite a tacky, dewy finish to the skin if left unpowdered. This means it would work nicely for dry skin but oily skins can absolutely wear this too - just be sure to prime/powder before and after. Finally, after harping on about this foundation for an age, the best thing about it for me is the shade range... if you're a pale girl looking for full coverage then good god get this foundation. I remember watching it on the back of my hand in the store and seeing just how pale it was alone sold me on it. My shade is Soft Ivoy which is the equivalent of NW10 or maybe NC15 by MAC. I prefer to use this with the ELF powder brush. Just.Buy.It.


Regardless of what anyone says, I still think MAC do some of the best foundations - particularly on the higher-end of things. Studio Fix Fluid was the first foundation I ever tried from the brand (probably like most people!) It's their best selling foundation and I can definitely see why. I always get compliments on my skin when I wear this because it gives a high medium to full coverage finish and is SO flawless and airbrushed it's insaaaane. Great for an oily skin and one of the longest lasting foundations I own. For reference, I use this with pretty much any brush and it still turns out looking amazing - particularly with the 187 from MAC. To get the most coverage out of it, use it with the ELF powder brush.


And finally is MAC Full Coverage. I thought this product was an urban legend for such a long time. This is a PRO product which I bought in London last year but I know for a fact that Brown Thomas on Grafton St. stock this foundation for everyone to purchase. MACCosmetics.co.uk also recently did a 'Murica and added their PRO line to their website so you can purchase it there, too! This foundation is amazing and there is definitely a reason so many professionals use it in their kit. This stuff covers it all - scars, tattoos, redness. Now, this isn't an everyday foundation for me and probably won't be for everyone but if you're looking for extreme full coverage for special occasion makeup or something like that then this is the one for you. You get a whopping 28g of product and this formula is the same as the Studio Finish concealer so it works out so much cheaper to use this also as a full coverage concealer. I keep a darker shade of Studio finish for my face and use the lighter Full Coverage foundation as an under-eye concealer. This is a very emollient cream based makeup and honestly works with a dry skin. However, you can definitely make this work if you're oily and want that full coverage - you'll just have to set it very well to make sure it doesn't budge. I like to use my Expert Face Brush with this but you can definitely sheer it out (while keeping the coverage flawless) by using a damp beauty blender.


If you guys have any foundation recommendations - light or full coverage then please let me know! You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram @DrnkTxtRmeo_ and let me know your suggestions! x

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