Foundation recommendations?

[drcrab]

I'm coming to the end of my lancome teint idole foundation and wondered if anyone would recommend one. Have been happy with this one (think it's my 2/3 bottle now) but thought i might be up for a change. I'm 38, 2 kids aged 3 & 1 and have combination-oily skin that's flaky/dehydrated too! :( I also have alight acne scarring (not red, just scarring).
Thanks.

I love estee Lauder double wear.... it covers well, gives a dewy finish and just generally transforms me from knackered hag to something that won't scare small children.

pines for my old foundation now I am poor and forced to use Rimmel instead

Mac studio fix - brilliant

Vichy dermablend -was recommended to me a few weeks ago here as I was looking for a foundation with good coverage(am in mid forties). It is specifically for covering little blemishes etc. but also gives really good coverage.I have no skin problems but I have to say I am really pleased with it-great coverage,lasts for ages. It costs about £15 but you only need to use a little .

I love Estée Lauder Double Wear too. It can be a little thick, but if you mix it with a little moisturiser or oil before putting it on, it gives a lovely dewy finish. Then in the evening I just slap it straight on if I'm going out and it stays put completely. It's supposed to be for oily skin, but I have dry skin and find it's absolutely fine if I've got a good moisturiser underneath, so definitely recommend it for someone with combination skin.

Thanks all for your recommendations!! Keep them coming. I'll be off to the shops this weekend

I'm 36, with oily ( but ageing ) skin with lots of redness cover up. Have tried many, many foundations. I like Vichy Dermablend, Estee Lauder Double Wear ( but only if applied very sparingly with finger tips ) and my all time favourite is Shiseido sun protecion liquid foundation.

I'm 46 and recently tried samples of Lancome Photogenic, Chanel Vitalumiere, and acouple of others, but ended up going back to my Clarins Instant Smooth, have used it now since it came out. It's a mousse-cream and has the same effect on lines as their Instant Smooth magic "putty" line eraser stuff does. It's fab!

I've recently had a massive foundation hunt.

Used Clinique for about 20 years but they are gradually phasing out many pale shades- and my skin is uber pale.

Just bought Clarins Extra Firming which is nice- not as much coverage as the Repair Wear Clinique I used but good range of shades.

You might like to try their long lasting foundation if your skin is oily.

EL double wear is very matte and not to my taste. I did try some others- Regenerist (?) and Futurist and Lucidity are good but not available at time in a pale shdae for me.

I always used to use Lucidity, loved it about 20 yrs ago, but when I tried it again last year I looked like Pippa Middleton (as in being orange, not as in having a pert bottom obviously)

lol!

My Clinique days are over, too poor these days - but have been using L'Oreal True Match the last couple of years and think it's bloody brilliant, and it's £9.99. Stays put all day too. The powder to match (in funny shakey brush contraption) is great too.

I use the same shade all year round and it just seems to blend in perfectly, whether I'm deathly winter pale or summer freckly flushed.

Oh Bucharest that's disappointing (colour I mean, not bottom) - i wanted to ask you experts about lucidity which I last purchased 18 years ago but was embarrassed to ask about. Is there a modern equivalent or am I going to have to face the fact my skin looked awesome all those years ago because er, I was a teen?

Well, I went to the EL woman, (who was satsuma toned herself, so I should have known better...) She said Lucidity hadn't changed, still a bestseller among ahem "the more mature customer" But obviously the colour has changed. Probably also the formulation, I expect, as IIRC Lucidity was about the first to talk about "light reflective" blah blah. Maybe it was innovative then, but had become a bit ordinary now.

having been on the quest for the perfect foundation all my grown up life, I have come to the conclusion that if you have a perfect colour match the actual type of foundation (i.e. matt, dewy, full cover etc) is less important.

i often think it isn't the type of foundation that makes it look bad but the fact the colour match isn't quite right.

i use Dior Forver, it is full coverage and heavier than I thought I would like but the colour match for me is pretty much near perfect and as a result I can slap it on and it makes my skin look great.

have tried loads (laura mercier, lancome, clarins, mac, clinique the list goes on) and this for me is by far and away the best.

You might be onto something there Whoneedssleep. I've tried so many foundations (Laura Mercier, Bobbi Browne, Armani, Guerlain, Chantecaille, Dior, YSL ... you name it. At the moment I'm using a By Terry foundation and the colur is absolutely perfect. I'm at the end of my bottle though and it's going to be £63.50 to replace it but it lasts 6-8 months so I shouldn't complain.

Today I'm using Bourjois 10 hours sleep effect, which I love. It's quite sheer so I don't use it if I get a spot or two, but it really does make me look more glowy and definitely helps disguise my (slightly) craggy under eyes.

When my skin's needing a bit more help I use Max Factor Second Skin, which goes on a bit thicker and disguises a zit outbreak better - it stays on all day too.

I've tried some more expensive foundations in the past (Clarins, Lancome & Chanel come to mind) and TBH they didn't seem any better despite being hideously expensive....

Millie1, I am very tempted by the By Terry; is that the Lumiere Veloutee you're using? Please tell me more! Is it worth the ££? Is it subtle?

(I'm nearly 50 past my best, have slightly haggard dry skin and never normally wear foundation but am getting married next year so feel the need to cover up a little and would really appreciate any input before I splash that much cash.)

Thank you

Giorgio Armani skin fabric is AMAZING

Sorry, it's called Face Fabric, not Skin Fabric. I have combination, oily and flaky like you and it's perfect for me, although doesn't give full coverage.

Mothermirth ... Gosh, is it worth the £? That's what I ask myself!! I guess it is. My skin can have dry patches but a few oily areas too. It gives medium coverage but you can build it up. The finish is must lovely. It's not dewy and shiny but I certainly wouldn't call it matte. Subtle? Yes, though I think the right foundation for you will be subtle as long as you get a good colour match and then, so I'm told, use blusher, bronzer etc to give shape etc. Can you go into Space NK and ask for a makeover? So .... Yes, def recommend it. Oh and it is the Veloutee lumniere!

Thank you for all the info Millie1, much obliged.

A makeover, yes, that would be a start. Dread to think what they would make of my knackered weather-beaten complexion but will be brave and give it a go.

I like the Mac mineral one, can't remember what it's called but it's really good.

Bobbi brown skin foundation. Like skin but better.

Am currently using the new Clinique one.

But bought a mineral one from Aldi at the weekend for about £3. Was going to donate it to DD

Tried it and can't tell the difference.

I gave my l'oreal True match to my 22 yr old daughter The colour was fine- very pale- but it didn't last on my skin, and made my skin look "flat"- I don't like shiny or matte finishes but this one just looked sort of dull after a couple of hours.