Which counter for a foundation overhaul?

[Sarsaparillajones]

Late 40s, v pale skin, prone to be a bit dry. Think I need to overhaul my make up and should start with decent foundation. I normally just pop into boots and pick up whatever (often bb I don't like a heavy look). So which counter / brand do you think I should visit to upgrade ?

[imjustahead]

Clarins, i have stuck with them for 20 yrs. I have combi skin/dry.

I am 40's, and i love their True Radience. It's £27 but one pot lasts a year (or more-blush).

I am not financially well off at all, but it really makes such a difference having a good foundation to rely on. I also use use Garnier BB on days i just want a very light coverage.
Other days I put a bit of the foundation on eye area only, and blend with the BB. Both creams seem to work well, i believe in mixing stuff as you can see!

[Itsalldramarama]

Try the no 7 colour match service is your boots does it . I got my perfect match for my pale cool toned skin .. Cool or soft rose
My dd tried the double ware and the counter got it totally wrong !! Far to pale ! A senior assistant had to step in and went up 2 shades ! Still not perfect really ! Try a few until you are happy

[andadietcoke]

Estée Lauder do a good matching service, with a ten day sample. I have the Clarins BB cream and love it, and the YSL Teint Éclat is the only foundation that I've bought repeatedly since it came out. I love it. Lightweight but buildable, and a lovely texture that lasts all day but isn't flat.

[nightswift]

YSL Teint eclat - I'm pale and wouldn't buy anything else now - is a lovely consistency and very natural.

[ScrambledEggAndToast]

YSL is fab. Got that at the moment, it has real staying power. I found the Boots no.7 to be quite patchy. Make sure you invest in a good brush and wash it regularly. My brush was about £20 but I've had it for over 2 years so far and it's still going strong.

[DidgeDoolittle]

I was going to recommend ysl touché éclat. It far out performs any other foundations. I've tried loads and still got loads. I'm probably going to ditch them and just use the ysl.

I'm 53 with pale, dry ish skin

[LordEmsworth]

I have just gone back to Bobbi Brown, after trying Nars (fine but not as good as BB!). I am quite pale and didn't like the Boots matching service; Bobbi Brown has a massive range of colours as well as different types. I use Skin Foundation, which is medium coverage and looks very, very natural (and is very easy to put on/blend).

But honestly - don't worry about asking to try something, and not buying anything. If they are pressuring you, walk away and don't go back. Get them to put it on your skin, and when it's on don't buy immediately - go outside (natural light) and have a look (take a compact mirror with you and pretend to be touching up lipgloss or something). And then go somewhere else and do the same...

[hettie]

Lots... seriously, you need to get a few samples from several counters...If you don't like a heavy look and have dry skin my two for starters would be clinique cc cream and bare minerals complexion rescue Chanel is also worth a look too. Get them to give you a little sample pot and try out at home- both for colour and how it feels on skin (all day, and over a few days- eg does it clog skin etc)...

[DrankSangriaInThePark]

I am also late 40s, pale and dry and have the Clarins True Radiance. It's nice, but it's no Holy Grail. It's very natural and a good colour match. Clarins don't go for the 'orange is the new black' Estee Lauder approach.
I am excitedly waiting for a Korean Bb cream though, which I've been told beats hugh end foundations like Chanel hands down.
Lancome always get excellent reviews (Idole, Photogenic etc) and so does Dior Skin Nude.

[Coastingit]

Whatever you do, don't go to one counter, have foundation applied expertly, and buy it immediately.

Go to a counter in the morning and then look at your face in lots of different mirrors and natural and unnatural lighting. And always ask for a sample to take away and try yourself at home, all the high end counters will give you this. Then and only then, invest!

I like Clarins True Radiance too, and YSL Teint Éclat. I have dehydrated skin and both make me glowy.

Or you could experiment with BB creams - I'm currently using Maybelline one and it's cheap as chips and a great colour match for me in the pale colour and it's SPF30. Feels very nice on the skin and better coverage than I expected, as good as a light use of foundation. Boots Botanics BB also gets good recommendations on here.

[LyraIsLost]

After trying lots of more expensive brands, I just keep going back to Bourjois healthy mix. Good coverage and has serum in so is ridiculously smooth to apply.

[daftyburd]

I went to a Dior counter in my local Frasers. Couldn't have been more helpful. Colour matched, asked about my skin concerns and sent me off with samples. I really liked the foundation they matched me with too.

[Sarsaparillajones]

Thanks everyone ! Great tips will take myself off to a good dept store and start at clarins ......... Testers here I come. Seems to be a fair consensus of brands to try.

[Leviticus]

Go to Space NK. If you have cash - £75 will buy you live photoshop care of By Terry. Almost as good is Nars sheer glow for half the price, which is fabulous.

[Norfolkandchance1234]

I use clarins everlasting for when I need good coverage as per my friends recommendation last year when I needed a new foundation. I have just starting using garnier pure active BB cream for the weekends during the day.

Because I was in covent garden and walked past the Bobbi Brown shop I went in and ending up splashing out on their new intensive skin serum foundation for something in between the other 2 now that it's getting warmer. It's light but good cover and matches my skin tone perfectly.

[Norfolkandchance1234]

However for something more bargainous I am planning on trying out loreal true match at some point.

I used Lancôme for ages which I loved but it just doesn't cut it for my skin anymore. Comes off to easily these days.

I think I just need to reapply in the afternoons but I can not be pfaffed to do that so the clarins everlasting is great for no touch ups.

[XiCi]

I keep reading how Korean bb creams outperform high end foundations but I've tried a few now and none come even close to Chanel Vitalumiere. Having said that no other high end foundation that I've tried has come close to Vitalumiere either. Light but good coverage, lovely dewy finish, instantly tightens and brightens my skin, I'd definitely recommend you try it OP. Channel will do a colour match at any counter for you.

[Norfolkandchance1234]

Bobbi brown although quite expensive do do the lightest colour foundations apparently. The girl in the shop had very very light porcelain skin and her pale foundation looked great on her.

[5446]

Just bought the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk and it is stunning.

Lots of choice of shades, buildable coverage, great texture and leaves my skin looking glowy.

Had so many compliments already, people telling me my skin looks amazing and they can't believe I am wearing foundation.

Can get it in Debenhams, HoF, Selfridges etc.

[BadgersArse]

for dry skin the chanel vitamumiere

[Coastingit]

Is Vitalumiere good for pale skin?

[FrugalFashionista]

If you are very pale, Chanel have nothing for you - their foundations are slightly yellow-toned and start quite dark. I've worn Chanel foundations a lot, currently forcing myself to use up a bottle of Lift Lumiere (shade 0.5 Faience is far too dark for NW10). Vitalumiere goes patchy on me by midafternoon, Lift Lumiere has better staying powder but is very yellow-toned. Missha BB cream is everything I wanted Chanel to be, #13 if you are very pale and #21 if the palest shade of regular foundation is about right. Dior foundations are longerwearing than Chanel and have better pale shades but I developed an allergy to them and had to stop using them.

[Only1scoop]

Ysl
Touché eclait foundation....so many shades you will get a perfect match.

I love it

[Sarsaparillajones]

Quick update after a fun morning being matched yesterday. I loved both the clarins skin illusion and the ysl touché eclait. Am now trying the ysl sample out. Clarins refused me a sample so may not return to them.........