It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays and sequins always make me want to up my makeup game. Something about adding a bold lip or a luminous base feels so much more festive!
It can be a tall order to find the perfect foundation that serves all of your needs. It’s taken me years to find something that really works for my skin and the look I am trying to achieve. If you can’t find one product that does this, don’t be afraid to mix two. That’s what I did and I am loving the outcome… full coverage, dewy finish, and long lasting! However, when I am just working from home and doing routine school pick ups, my goal for a foundation is quite different. After trying many different foundations over the years, I have finally found my holy grails that fit all aspects of my life. In no particular order, here are my favorite high-end foundations that are worth the hefty price tag.
Estée Lauder Double Wear
My Thoughts: I freaking LOVE this foundation! I’m sure you have heard every single blogger rave about this, it really is that good. It has an amazing long wear time and coverage, you could wear this to bed and wakeup with it looking the exact same (not that I recommend that). I actually wore it for my sisters wedding because I didn’t want to touch up for pictures throughout the day. However, it is a matte finish and oil-controlling, so it doesn’t look the best on my dry skin. Would be best for oily skin!
Shade: Sand
Finish: A classic satin finish. Not too matte, not too dewy.
Coverage: Full, but apply it with a makeup sponge and you can sheer it out a little.
What They Say It Does: A 24-hour-wear makeup with buildable medium-to-full coverage for a natural matte finish that looks flawless. It feels so lightweight and comfortable that you won’t even believe it’s super long-wearing. It unifies uneven skin tone and covers imperfections while staying color-true. Oil-free and oil-controlling, DoubleWear is transfer-resistant and waterproof and lasts in hot and humid weather.
Too Faced Born This Way
My Thoughts: The thing I love most about this foundation is the finish. It leaves your skin looking hydrated, plump, and juicy! This is the one I have been using mixed with the Estée Lauder Double Wear. It gives me the long wear time with a luminous finish.
Shade: Ivory
Finish: Satin
Coverage: Medium-to-full, natural coverage.
What They Say It Does: The foundation delivers coverage that is undetectable for skin that is naturally radiant. It is infused with coconut water to aid in delicately replenishing skin’s moisture barriers without over-hydrating, while alpine rose helps brighten skin’s appearance and promotes elasticity. Hyaluronic acid helps you achieve a smoother, more youthful appearance.
It Cosmetics CC+ Cream
My Thoughts: My favorite CC Cream! This is what I use when I am hanging around the house, running errands, dropping off the girls… It gives a beautiful medium coverage, is hydrating, very glowy, and has SPF! It’s perfect for everyday wear, especially during the sunny months. I use one pump and rub it all over my face with my fingers. Great for dry skin!
Shade: Light (it runs dark in my opinion)
Finish: Glowy, dewy, fresh. Dry skin types will love this.
Coverage: Medium coverage, that can easily be built up or sheered out.
What They Say It Does: It truly gives you full, flawless, perfect coverage and protects your skin with SPF 50+ UVA/UVB broad-spectrum physical sunscreen. Clinically shown to give you 179% of skin hydration, smooth skin texture and enhance skin brightness, this breakthrough color-correcting cream never creases or cracks and instantly camouflages skin imperfections including dark spots. Plus, it’s infused with an advanced anti-aging serum made of hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, vitamins and antioxidants that work in harmony to diffuse the look of wrinkles, minimize pores and give you a more radiant, supple and flawless-looking complexion.
It Cosmetics CC+ Cream – Matte
My Thoughts: For girls who like the idea of the original CC Cream but find it a bit too glowy or oily looking on your skin, this matte cream one is for you! It’s the same idea as the one above, but has a more velvety matte finish. Also has SPF, which is great for busy moms who love a two-in-one product!
Shade: Light (it runs dark in my opinion)
Finish: Matte
Coverage: Medium coverage, that can easily be built up or sheered out.
What They Say It Does: Delivers all the benefits of your best-selling, original CC+ Cream with a matte finish that lasts! Infused with charcoal to detoxify, colloidal clay to absorb oil, and tea tree extract to combat blemishes. Clinically tested to reduce shine and control oil for up to 12 hours. Ideal for oily skin.
NARS Natural Radiant Foundation
My Thoughts: This was the first high end foundation I ever purchased years ago. And I still love it! For best results, I recommend using your fingertips to apply which will help the foundation melt into the skin. Apply in thin layers for more coverage.
Shade: Santa Fe
Finish: Natural and Radiant, ha!
Coverage: Buildable, medium-to-full coverage.
What They Say It Does: A lightweight foundation with 16 hours of fade-resistant wear with buildable, medium-to-full coverage that looks and feels natural. The transfer-resistant, sweat-resistant, breathable formula stays color-true all day and continues to look fresh and vibrant, as if it was just applied. It’s formulated with NARS’ Skin Optimizing Complex, which is infused with raspberry, apple and watermelon extracts, which help to smooth the look of your skin instantly and over time.
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
My Thoughts: This foundation blends flawlessly into the skin! I love that it feels weightless and provides buildable coverage without becoming cakey. It is the ultimate people pleaser, great for most skin types, including both dry and oily. I’ve heard this is also a favorite of Kim Kardashian and Megan Markle!
Shade: 5
Finish: Satin, with a slight glow.
Coverage: Medium-to-full coverage
What They Say It Does: This oil-free fluid foundation captures the glow of perfect skin. It uses exclusive Micro–fil™ technology to sculpt and brighten, improving texture and blurring imperfections, too. It’s so weightless that it redefines foundation. Its hydrating fluid glides on seamlessly with a silky texture.
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish
My Thoughts: This stick is a foundation and concealer in one, making it perfect for those of us who want max coverage. The formula delivers twice as much pigment as traditional foundations, giving high coverage without the cake. Plus, it doubles up as a concealer, I used it on blemishes and dark areas.
Shade: Nude
Finish: Satin, with a slight dewiness.
Coverage: Full
What They Say It Does: A revolutionary foundation stick with the coverage of a concealer, the fluidity of a liquid and the weightlessness of a powder in a long-wearing waterproof formula for undetectable full coverage.
Let me know if you would like to see a drugstore version of this post as well!