Foundation advice- fed up

[slet]

I know skin changed as you get older. I’m almost 42 and just feel entirely fed up with foundation as I feel like I no longer know what works on my skin.

I still have quite oily skin and get spots on my nose and chin, and redness in my t zone.

i feel like every foundation I try nowadays just glides of my face within 2 hours. It oxidises and I get cakey, patchy bits especially around my nose and inner corners of my eyes. I do set it with powder but this doesn’t seem to make any difference to how long it lasts. Do I need a setting spray?

I feel like I need something quite full coverage to cover the redness. I am willing to spend money. Recent ones I have tried are the Dior foundation stick, the HausLabs foundation, the it cosmetics CC one and a Nars one. I have also tried cheap ones like L’Oréal truematch, a revlon one etc.

any advice gratefully received

I imagine it’s what you’re doing beforehand that is making the foundation not sit right. Do you have instagram or tik tok? There’s a make up artist/skincare person called Saj Your Beauty Mom and she covers all of this type of thing, getting the base right. Essentially it’s about light layers of hydration (for all skin types). I really like the Dior Forever Hydra Nude foundation, I have oily skin that is also prone to dryness 🙄 and rosacea that needs covering up too. If you don’t have the dryness then there’s the Forever Nude I think it’s called which is what Saj recommends for oily skin.

Just started using tropic - really lovely.

Re: sorting out your skin as a base for makeup, I've just discovered Caroline Hiron's Skin Rocks site. I like it as it doesn't just recommend her products, it recommends lots of other brands too. You can do a skin analysis, which made me realise I was using the wrong type of cleanser and serums for my skin type. There's a 7-day free trial, I signed up for the £24.99 yearly sub after my trial. My skin has improved now that I've changed from products that were a bit too harsh for my 59 yr old face.

I dont have the same skin type as you, but noticed you've used Dior foundation, which i use. Have you tried the Dior Forever Natural Velvet compact, which is dryer than the stick?

I also use Elizabeth Arden setting spray, which works well. I usually wait until there's a 20% off premium beauty offer at Boots (which there is at the moment).

Thanks everyone. I will have a look at the suggestions people have made.

i know the idea of applying thin layers of moisture as a base but does anyone find this really time consuming? I feel like I don’t have time when I’m getting ready on a morning to wait for multiple layers to sink in? And maybe that is why the foundation is sliding off?

Try the Erborian range. They have a redness correcting CC cream which covers really nicely.

I just do each layer quickly, I don’t wait in between. So I pat some toner on, then sometimes a serum and tinted moisturiser (the Erborian one for redness mentioned above by pp) or toner, spf moisturiser then foundation. Depends what I feel like on the day.

I have very dry skin but get cakey patches around my nose too, it is very annoying. I find exfoliating the area a couple of times a week - I use Tatcha’s exfoliating grains that form a paste with water -helps a bit.

Other than that, I hear you on the rosacea but maybe try the Lisa Eldridge patchwork technique of only dotting the foundation where it’s needed anyway? I do this although annoyingly for me, this does still include needing to dab foundation around the nose, but still.

The foundation I currently use is a foundation stick from Merit, which is very good in terms of coverage (almost concealer like) although sometimes it still does cake around the nose a bit anyway.

I was also going to suggest Erborian CC cream.... I think it's excellent. I'm quite oily too but think a few lighter layers are better than anything too heavy. My current routine after morning moisturising/skincare is:

Primer (I use ELF)

A skin tint applied with a beauty blender sponge (I was using Erborian CC but am currently using Charlotte Tilbury flawless filter as I like the glow it gives me.)

Powder foundation (Laura Geller balance and brighten) applied with a brush. I did have to go a shade lighter than was suggested though, I use the original one I got in summer when I'm a bit more tanned.

Setting spray at the end after I've done the rest of my makeup (ELF again)

This routine lasts really well for me so I don't need to reapply during the day.

English mineral company. I pivoted away from liquid foundations etc

armani liquid silk. Amazing. Ridiculously priced at £47, but currently on LOOKFANTASTIC for £37. Little goes a long way. You need to get a tester at a counter as the shade numbers make you feel like you need a degree in Organic Chemistry!

I have very similar skin type to you and I swear by loreal infallible foundation. It's amazing for oily skin and it genuinely lasts all day and doesn't separate when I set it with the Laura mercier loose powder.

I've also tried Nars, Charlotte Tilbury, loreal true match, revlon colourstay, mac, and the loreal infallible comes up trumps to all of them, it's also full coverage without feeling heavy and the price point isn't too bad. I think a good setting powder is essential when you have oily skin.

Hope this helps.

Have you tried MAC?

I just squirt moisturiser in even amounts next to the squirt of foundation, blend it with a brush and apply directly to face, and it works a treat. Putting moisturiser on my face first, waiting for it to dry and then applying foundation meant I used more of both of each product and was time consuming for no good reason, IMO.

I also think this is about your skin condition and not the product, what is your routine? I quickly cleanse my skin with just a Simple product, then I apply retinol, I then floss my teeth, I then apply hyralonic (sp) serum, I then water floss, I then apply moisturiser, then brush my teeth, I do this morning and night, takes about 3 mins all in, I then put my make up on in the morning after the moisturiser step, , as my skin is so well hydrated, it lasts all day and night, I use Charlotte tilbury flawless filter.

I have always had a combination skin. I ended up skipping foundation altogether and just using a mineral based powder which I got on great with but it became unavailable and others I tried didn’t give the coverage I wanted. I started breaking out into white pimples and rosacea and make up made it worse. I went to see my gp who prescribed rosacea cream. I stopped using make up altogether because the slightest dab of cream or powder started causing breakouts. After about a month my skin settled down and I don’t cover it all but the rosacea cleared up. I have a friend who told me she suddenly became allergic to make up after the age of fifty and I think that’s what happened to me too.

I use Laura Geller - takes me two mins

Out of shower and slap on the Hyaluronic Acid, brush teeth, into bedroom, slap on the primer ( I like her spackle ) get dressed or do hair then 2 mins for foundation, blush, highlighter and maybe bronzer

I use the baked balance and brighten foundation which is light to medium coverage, and the double take which is full coverage on my oily red t-zone- it does not shift and its so light weight I forget Im wearing foundation

Its not for everyone but its the one foundation that never caked, collected around the nose of slid clean off and I dont get that tacky feeling of shiny face

I used Estée Lauder Double Wear for years now I use the sheer version which is lovely. Nothing I have ever tried and I've tried them all stays put like it does.