Which foundation for pale skin?

[TitchyWitch]

Sorry to start another foundation thread but who does good foundation for pale people? I have been searching for months as since the arrival of DD2 I need a bit more help than I did before! I am royally sick of make up counter people saying things like "this isn't the right colour for you but it will give you a bit more colour and you'll look healthier". I don't want to look darker, just more even. I see pics of people with great looking pale skin all the time and they are made up so it must be out there.

I am mid thirties with combination skin.

am v pale use alabaster - bobbi brown - love it !!!i too dont like adding coulr with foundation !!!

good luck - i really really rate ! i cd send a bit of mine ha ha if you cant get to a bobby brown as you wd need try!!!!i wd tho!!

I feel your pain.

I used to find Clinique good but they have recently discontinued some pale shades- so I am having to use one a shade darker than normal.

Bobbi Brown have a good range- porcelain is very pale- in fact too pale for me. But I find the texture too thin- I like a fairly matte finish, even though I have normal-dry skin- and theirs are very dewy.

Laura Mercier does a pale shade - in fact it was too pale for me- but the next shade up was too dark :)

You could also look at Lancome and some of the cheaper ranges- i was surprised to see that L'Oreal have a few pale shades.

Also- Estee Lauder.

Deffo not Chanel- all very dark.

Shiseido does some of the palest foundations available (you'll risk looking like a kabuki character). I found Temptalia's Foundation Matrix very helpful - I'm naturally very pale and often even the palest shade is too dark for me. Check the 05 and 10 colums for really pale shades. You'll see that many ranges don't have them.

Shades that have worked for me: Diorskin Nude 010, Revlon Colorstay Ivory, Estee Lauder Double Wear's lightest shade. Double Wear Light has a more limited range, their lightest shade is too orange on me.

Also check Makeupalley by limiting the search to the "very fair" - loads of very helpful info there.

Finally, at the counter, ask for a sample jar. Swipe your jawline and scrutinize it in bright daylight and in artificial light. Also check out that there is no oxidation - some foundations look nice at first and then turn darker in a few hours.

Sorry, new link for Foundation Matrix.

I am pale, and I use:

MAC Studiofix liquid in NC15 for heavy coverage
Lancome Teint Miracle in Porcelain for medium cover (I LOVE this foundation)
Chanel Vitalumiere Liquid SPF15 in Clair for light cover

Chanel Vitalumiere is amazing for very pale skin

I tried samples of Chanel and they were really yellow/dark.

bourjois 10 hours sleep in the very lightest shade is very nice :)

I use Dr Hauschka 00.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I think I need to write some down and insist on samples to take away. I'm really hopeless at that and then I've often spent loads on something I hate.

Chantecaille

Also the foundation matrix is so inteesting, no wonder I've struggled so much!

I found Chanel Vitalumiere works for me in the very palest shade 0.2 Diaphane (which I may have ordered from the US at ridiculous cost as a birthday present ) In fact it's possibly slightly too pale and mixing it with the next shade up works quite well too. I already had that though.

I'm pale, but freckly.

I'm also v pale, with pink undertones and combination skin, so I like v v light feeling foundations - am currently testing Organic Pharmacy (number 01, but there is even an 00!) and Inika, both v nice, and no chemical nasties!

Another vote for Bobbi Brown alabaster. Also L'Oreal Infallible is just about pale enough for me.

i use Chanel Vitalumiere, and i do go a shade up. the older you get the more liz jones the effect of wearing pale foundataion imo.

If you can get your head around the concept of mineral makeup www.lilylolo.co.uk/category/foundation is good and they will send you samples for 99p or something. You can build up slowly and mix colours till you get the right shade. It seems like a faff to start with but once you get it it's really quick and easy.

I used Lily Lolo for a while, the problem I found is that if there is any sign of dehydration (eg dry skin round nose), mineral powder only highlights it, liquid mineral is just as good but moisturises at the same time.

Maybelline dream matte mousse 020 cameo. It is pale and works a treat on combination skin. No orange! Yay! Reasonable price and it doesn't separate on the skin in the oil prone places. Helps if you have a few enlarged pores too as it covers them. I wear it everyday and it doesn't congest the skin.

I have just got some of the new L'Oreal pen one in ivory and it is very pale indeed and stays on for 24hrs - I was very impressed for the price, I normally use lancome.

I am currently using Clinique 'even better' alabaster.

I do get on well with Clinique and find their alabaster is just right for my paleness.

Bobbi Brown Skin foundation. i use the porcelain shade, and this is the only range in which i've not needed the palest shade available. good for pinky-pales.

don't go near chanel unless you are more yellow-toned than pink-toned.

miss foodie - what liquid mineral do you use?

I'm using Organic Pharmacy (Organic Glam - shade 01, but there is a shade 00) which is pricey at £32 and Inika (is about £20 I think, am using second to lightest shade) both v v good, feel v lightweight (like a moisturiser) and just enough coverage, I don't like anything thick - I write a food and beauty blog so I get free products thank god! Am preparing a feature on skin friendly/organic make up, so testing a few. I can also recommend 100% pure, which is about £18 i think?

what's your budget?

there's a company called Beauty Without Cruelty that also do a mineral foundation, but I haven't tried it yet, but they are v affordable (£11)

Am also going to be testing Miessence and Vapour Beauty.