Help - I need an absolutely non-cakey foundation

[CottagePieLaLaLa]

Let me start by saying I have A LOT of make up. As in a whole cupboard full of it. I enjoy trying new looks, new products, and playing with colour.

However, I am yet to find a foundation that doesn't look cakey in the mirror. Even MAC face & body is too cakey for me. I don't use too much and I've tried stippling brushes, kabuki brushes, traditional sponges, beauty blenders, fingers and anything else I could think of. My make up may look good when I'm standing in front of a full-length mirror, but the moment I look closely at my face, in natural light, you can absolutely see the foundation. And I don't like that. I have also tried primer (I quite like Porefessional by Benefit), setting sprays (I even tried the DIY ones), and various foundation formulas (including Chanel SdT).

I am 50 and have some hyperpigmentation. A few lines but not much. Pores are a little visible. Do I have to go to tinted moisturisers? But even now my hyperpigmentation shows - and I don't like that. If I move to lighter formulas (right now I don't even use full coverage foundations), then the hyperpigmentation will be even more visible.

Any suggestions? Thank you.

I have this foundation too, which shade do you use? I also have a Clinique one and can never decide between the two which I prefer.

Another vote for Nars tinted moisturiser. I use Alaska for winter and St Tropez for summer and mix both for spring/autumn. Very seasonally attuned, me.

@citygirl1961 I think it's beige, might be slightly too light but it's suiting my pasty winter skin at the mo, might try warm beige in summer 😎. I can be prone to breakouts but so far so good.

Chanel Vitalumiere. A bit pricey but brilliant.

You need to have decent skin care before expecting foundation to do too much.
Are you using hyuarlonic acid? A really moisturising face oil? A serum primer? You need these to prepare the skin.

I think as well you have to be realistic
This video explains it better than I ever could but it's not always cakey, it's texture and makeup will look like makeup
My skin is dry and I find mac waterweight or Estée Lauder futurist works best on me

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJmVuGkF/

What about Armani luminous silk? Not Cakey and v glowy
i would leave a min or two between skincare and foundation but wouldn’t have time for anything longer

I've just reread your post and I feel we need to get to the bottom of this. A primer won't sort out any texture on your skin but you can disguise it a bit. I don't think you necessarily need high end stuff either. I've settled on a good method which works after years of trying the most expensive brands and instead involves some cheap stuff. Revolution Hydrating matt primer spray. Let it dry. Then a pea size amount of ELF mineral primer all over your face. Let that settle. Then whatever foundation (I use Nars tinted moisturiser but if you have hyperpigmentation then L'Oréal True match is a recent find and I much prefer it to my old Armani Luminous silk as it lasts longer and looks natural). Once that's on, bit of concealer if required and then do the light polishing and prodding-in with the fluffy eyeshadow brush over the parts that usually go strange. Powder over lightly and you can use the Revolution spray as a setting spray. My face doesnt look or feel heavy despite 3 products and lasts for hours. I am a fanatic about shine and patchy foundation round my nose and this has cured it.

Make sure you give your moisturizer and SPF at least 5 minutes to settle in, otherwise they'll pill and the foundation will just sit on top.

I like the No7 natural finish and their hydraluminous (?) One too. Have skin which is a sod to match colour wise and one of theirs is bang on.

Armani luminous silk

I tried that recently and that looked cakey on me too. Maybe I just don't like the look of foundation close up...

Are you putting on more than you need? As skin gets a bit older ( and drier!) you need more of a light touch.

If it's happening with ALL your foundations then yes, it's either your technique, or there's too much product on your skin before you start, or you're using a matte finish when you need something dewier.

Best foundation I've ever used is probably Suqqu.

Yes @Kittykatchunjy i feel the same!!!!

Chanel Vitalumiere would have been my recommendation but it's been discontinued and I'm not sure what the replacement is like. Nars Tinted Moisturiser is lovely and I'd agree with a previous poster it's more like a light foundation than a tinted moisturiser.

If you wear sunscreen underneath could that be making your foundation look cakey? I switched to Supergoop Glow and that's made a big difference.

Yep this. Light liquid. Dries to a Matt ish finish.
Can't get on with any tinted moisturisers. All of them oxidise really badly.

People mentioning texture - I have psoriasis on my face and I use moisturiser then a dab of 8 hour cream on the textured patches then foundation and this is the best solution I've found, especially if I have time to let each one settle.

I use about half or maybe even 1/3 of the amount of foundation that I used to, just a really small amount blended really well. I actually think a really thin blended layer of a quite pigmented foundation looks so much better and less cakey on me than a thicker layer of lighter/glowier foundation. I need a bit of cover as have a bit of pigmentation. I've also stopped using primer as I found having too many layers of stuff sitting on my skin (primer plus foundation) just exacerbated cakeiness and without primer, foundation seems to blend into my skin better. I'm also a tret user and in the mornings use this on damp skin then this as the more moisturised my skin is, the better make up seems to sit. I suspect I also need to drink much more water but that's a work in progress! Oh and don't look at yourself from 6 inches away from the mirror as nobody is going to get that close, I try and remember to step back to a couple of feet away.

Nars Sheer Glow.

Can I just ask, what exactly do you mean by cakey?

Is it pilling into little bumps so you can rub it off? Or do you mean you can't see your skin's natural texture (e.g. pores) so it doesn't look realistic? Or are you getting that thing where it settles into pores?

To achieve the look you're after I'd probably ditch the foundation and tinted moisturiser etc and just go with some kind of illuminator and then concealing in the areas it's needed. Have you tried Chanel's Les Beiges Fresh Water Tint? Maybe try that, and one of those Kryolan dermacolour palettes. It's basically a palette of different shades of concealer for different parts of your face. So gives a more natural finish than using one shade of concealer to cover all.