Foundation problems. How to get it just right?

[treaclesoda]

All my adult, makeup wearing life, I've struggled to find a just right foundation.

Here is my problem. I'm very pale. Common enough problem I know. But it's weird. If I did the 'match the colour to your jawline' thing it would just be far far too pale. I'd look like a goth. Yet so many foundations look orangey around my jawline, even in quite pale colours.

I use a brush, blend well, use quite a light covering but still it just doesn't quite please me. It looks good on my face, sinks in invisibly yet on my jawline, it suddenly looks not quite right. Have I got a weird two tone face? And can anyone recommend some (not too expensive) brands that do natural looking pale shades?

It's definitely blusher, and maybe bronzer and highlighter you need. Foundation makes your skin all the same colour, which will always look weird. I have pale skin and can't ever wear foundation without blusher and ideally a highlighting bronzery thing too.

I wear Bourjois Healthy Mix in 51, and add a blended swipe of Clinique stick blusher, then a dusting of Soap and Glory 'Glow All Out' which is sort of a bronzing illuminating powder but very pale, just adds a certain something for pale skin.

I've been wearing (and raving about) the palest shade of Maybelline BB cream this week, it's SPF 30 and easy to wear and looks super natural but good coverage - but I like the idea of just slapping that on and nothing else. In reality I have to add blusher and probably fill my eyebrows too before my face looks ready to face the world.

I am very pale.

Boots no 7 Caliko is too dark for me. Or too pink or something but it makes my face look tired.

Bourjois is far too dark as well.

best shades I have found so far are:

-Bobbi Brown Porcelain ( Alabaster is paler still)
-Dior Star- palest shade
-Clinique Perfectly Real Shade 1( cheapest and slightly darker)
-L'Oreal True Match- the palest one as long as it is N and not pink toned.

Oh and NARS do a pale one- think it's Siberia- and MAC also do pale shades.

Some of you lot who think you are pale really aren't, you know
You are wearing shades 3 shades to dark for me.

or even too dark.

Hi Vegan

I've looked at the site and the rotters have put the price up!!! I've just become high maintenance now it's £2.49.

Ignore the colours on the site as well - they are nothing like a representation of the colours irl.

Treat yourself: www.alacartelondon.com/custom-blended-makeup/custom-blended-foundation.html

You will not be disapointed.

I've recently tried over 30 different foundation samples in an attempt to find the perfect match. By far the best was No.7 Cool Ivory. Everything else was just too orange/yellow/peach.

I don't think I'm as pale as you OP but it may be that like me, you need cooler, pink based tones. NARS Siberia and Mont Blanc were both pink toned but too pale for me so might be worth a try?

Pussinboots61 the Avon cream to powder foundation is lovely and light and literally feels just like a powder.

I have an Avon book in front of me and looking at that cream to powder, even the palest shade looks very dark for my skin, although obviously it's hard to tell by looking at a picture.

Does anyone know if Avon do samples?

Have you tried either Liz Earle or Laura Mercier, or L'Oreal True match- all price ranges but all pale ( palest shades) as is Bobbi Brown.

Avon do have samples...but afaik they only do sachets in:

ANEW Youth Awakening Transforming Foundation
Extra Lasting Foundation
Ideal Flawless Invisible Coverage Foundation
Ideal Flawless CC Colour Corrector Cream
Luxe Silken Foundation

They do some other samples but they are trial sizes (no idea how much you get in these sizes in terms of ml)

Ideal Flawless Invisible Coverage Foundation
Ideal Flawless Skin Loving Beauty Balm
Ideal Flawless CC Colour Corrector Cream

Alternatively you can order a product and if it's not right you can return it. I do a teeny Avon round at work and I'd be happy to order a sample for any of my customers.

HTH

AkkerDemik thanks for that, I wasn't sure if it was the 2.49 matte one or the clearing one which is, wait for it, a whole 20p cheaper! Haha it's here www.superdrug.com/2True/2True-Be-Clear-Foundation-Shade-1/p/626751#.VSrSk3B4WrU but now I know when you said it's 2.49.

I am not sure whether to go for shade 1 or 2. How does it compare to Revlon Colorstay, do you know? Their palest shade Ivory is too pale for me, I am the second one Buff which is also a bit more yellow which I need.

You have beautiful skin treacle.

I know ideally you want a cheaper foundation but I have the same problem and use Clinique Even Better in shade Alabaster. It took ages to find the right shade but the make up lady was really patient and found the right tone/colour combination.

If you feel that a foundation looks too white before blusher/bronzer then it's the wrong shade for you. Foundation should make you look healthy not ill.

I find Estee Lauder Double Wear in Shell to be the best and I am super pale but can't always afford it! My fall backs are the long lasting Max Factor one in the lightest shade or a L'Oréal one in porcelain. It is a rectangular bottle with a purple lid. Goes on like water!

Powder is my problem! The only one I've found to be suitable is a £2.99 Collection one.

recovering thank you so much, you're very kind.

Funny, I always think I have crap skin, like I went straight from teenage spots to middle aged haggardness with no respite in between But maybe it's not so bad after all.

OP this is the list of everything I've tried so far!:

e Lauder Double wear 1N2 Ecru - too yellow
Estee Lauder Double Wear light 1.0 - too yellow
Dior Star 10,11,12,13, 20,21 - all too yellow
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua 20 Beige - too yellow
Urban Decay naked skin shade 3.5 - too yellow
YSL Touche Eclat BD40 - too yellow
YSL Fusion Ink BD40 - too yellow
Revlon Age Defying - Fresh Ivory - pink but too pale
MUFE N115 - pink but too pale
MUFE 117 Marble - too yellow
MUFE 118 Flesh - too yellow
NARS Sheer glow Siberia - pink but too pale
NARS Sheer glow Monte Blanc - pink but too pale
NARS Sheer glow Vallahris - too yellow
NARS sheer glow Deal ville - too yellow
May beeline better skin sable sand - very yellow
MAC Fix NW15 - too yellow
Tom Ford trace less - 2 pale dune - too yellow
Bare minerals Shell - close but too yellow
Mac FB N2 - too peach
L'Oréal infallible Rose Beige - too peach
Lancome Teint Miracle 010 - very close but too yellow

I think we can see that I do not have any yellow tones in my skin

Do you have oily skin? Perhaps the foundation is oxidising and that's why it's going orange in certain areas? I'm really pale aswell with pink undertone,most budget foundations are too dark but I find some max factor ones go down to light Ivory which is good for me (the serum one is nice) however I find the more expensive ones have a better colour range. Bobbi brown is my fave

I have the typical oily T zone. Now that you mention it, that could be part of the problem because it's definitely prone to looking more orange on my forehead than my cheeks. But then again, the bit I'm really paranoid about is the jawline, which wouldn't be greasy...

I think I'm going to just have to try absolutely everything.

Have tried Estee Lauder in the past and they insisted the right colour was about the third from palest in the range. They told me no one ever needs the pale shades I looked like an Oompa Loompa. It was horrific. It sort of scared me away from trying them again.

Had MAC in the past too, which was much better but still too dark.

Have never tried Clinique because years ago their shades all seemed to be quite dark and stupidly it didn't occur to me that they might have a better range now.

Revlon colorstay in ivory, buffed in with a flat headed brush. Set with a translucent powder dusted on with a brush. Sweep of laura gellar body frosting blusher, bit of pink blusher on the apples of your cheeks and you're done. I am paler than pale, almost translucent. This foundation and technique has changed my life (Mac is a little too expensive for me) people have been complementing me all week. I feel a million dollars! Very natural looking. A revelation having thrown good money after bad only to end up looking like a tangerine.

Where do you use the oily/combination or the normal/dry Colorstay? And which translucent powder do you use?
I use Cornsilk Satin loose powder but am waiting for delivery of the NYC Smooth Skin translucent pressed powder after hearing good things about it.

Stila do some really good pale shades in their powder foundation.

Benefit's Play Stick in Jax was perfect for me but the bastards discontinued it.

treaclesoda- totally agree wrt EL. I foolishly allowed them at me one day AND bought £60 worth of stuff after, and shrieked aloud on the train when I saw myself.
Such a shame, as I think their makeup is good, I always used Lucidity in the long distant past, but now they seem to go for a 'why use fake tan when you can use us' approach.

Bobbi Brown.

I'm also pale with orangey bits, and they were the only makeup counter who "got" it and showed me how to apply myself - and understood that no, I didn't want to look like I'd been tangoed.

They were also happy to bung some in a pot for me to take away and try at home.

MAC also do the same shades, but I didn't like their trial as much; but then I knew what I needed then so didn't matter as much.

Bobbi brown has been the best for me the tinted moisturiser and the long wear one. All the make up lady said is your foundation must match you add colour with your blusher and bronzer and build that to how you want rather than trying to get a darker foundation which will give you a line as she put it