Foundation is my favourite makeup topic to talk about, and it seems you guys like to read about it as well; back in July 2012, I wrote a post called My Top 5 Foundations and this has been by far the most popular blog post here on the blog, ever. So, since nearly 2 years have gone by since I published that post, I thought I would update you on my five favourite foundations. If you missed the first Top 5, click here to have a read of it and be shocked at how much my foundation preferences have changed in less than 2 years. So without further ado, let me tell you a bit about them.

About my skin tone & texture: My skin is dry, medium olive with beige undertones. I find yellow foundations too warm and pink foundations too cool; neutral foundations are sometimes ok, but mostly they leave a grey cast on my skin, so I tend to choose foundations with a beige undertone.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, £35.50 | 30ml

Where to buy: House of Fraser || Selfridges || Armani Beauty || John Lewis || Harrods || Harvey Nichols

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

• No SPF (great for flash photography)
• Oil-free
• Natural matte & luminous finish
• Medium coverage (buildable to high)
• Lightweight
• All skin types
• 21 shades – pink, yellow or beige undertones (I’m shade 5.5 – beige undertone)

This foundation evens out my skintone and covers most of my blemishes, leaving a silky smooth feeling and luminous finish. You can easily achieve a high coverage with this foundation, but it never feels heavy or cakey on the skin. The lack of SPF in it means that this foundation photographs beautifully without flashbacks. As far as I know, it works well with all skin types, but I can only vouch for it on dry skin. It looks divine when set with a touch of translucent powder, but I sometimes skip powder altogether with this foundation. It lasts for well over 12 hours on my skin with no signs of fading and it blends like a dream! It’s the most well-rounded foundation in the market, in my opinion. Click here to read my full review of this foundation.

Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Foundation, £32 | 30ml

Where to buy: Boots || House of Fraser || Debenhams || Selfridges || House of Fraser || Selfridges

Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Foundation

• SPF 15
• Oil-free
• Water-based
• Dewy finish
• Light to Medium coverage
• Ultra Lightweight
• 10 shades – pink or beige undertones (I’m shade B40 – beige undertone)

This is the only repeat from my Top 5 Foundations of 2012 and I still love it just as much. This foundation feels like water on the skin; with its dewy finish & ultra lightweight feel, this is the perfect foundation for the Summer months or for anyone that likes their skin to look fresh and glowy. Vitalumière Aqua has a very watery texture (remember to shake well before application!), but because of that I end up using a lot more product, so it doesn’t last long. It sits nicely on dry skin without clinging to dry patches, and it provides a good base for everyday makeup. You can get up to medium coverage with it, but a touch of concealer is needed to hide blemishes and scars.

YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation, £30.50 | 30ml

Where to buy: House of Fraser || Selfridges || John Lewis || Harrods || Harvey Nichols || Debenhams || Boots

YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation

• SPF 19
• Not oil-free
• Soft focus gel
• Radiant finish
• Light to Medium coverage
• Lightweight (but needs powder to set the gel texture)
• 22 shades – pink, neutral or golden undertones (I’m shade BD50 – golden undertone)

This is a gel foundation which leaves a ‘lit from within’ kind of look to the skin; it’s the most moisturising of all five, but it was surprisingly the easiest to blend of all of them. It makes my skin look airbrushed, blurring out all of my imperfections. You only need a small amount to cover your entire face and neck, so this foundation tends to last a really long time. By layering it up, I can get a high medium coverage with Le Teint Touche Éclat, but it can look a bit full-on with more than 2 layers on the skin. It lasts up to 6 hours without a powder and 8-9 hours with a powder. The lack of beige undertones in the shade range is a bit disappointing for me, as all the other undertones don’t quite match my skintone. Read my full review of this foundation here.

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup, £39 | 30ml

Where to buy: House of Fraser || Selfridges || John Lewis || Harrods || Harvey Nichols || Armani Beauty

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup

• SPF 15
• Not oil-free (volatile oils present)
• Water and powder free (avoids a heavy/cakey finish)
• Matte velvety finish Radiant finish
• Light to Medium coverage
• Ultra Lightweight
• 12 shades – yellow, beige or golden undertones (I’m shade 6.5 – golden beige undertone)

This is the most lightweight foundation I own which can give me up to medium coverage. When this foundation first came out, it was quite innovative in the way that it’s liquid in consistency, but as soon as it’s applied to the skin, it evaporates leaving a slightly velvet-soft powdery consistency behind. Maestro is pretty much invisible on the skin once blended, but I find it takes a really long time to blend it fully into my skin, so when blended quickly it can sit on the surface of the skin. It can cling a little to dry patches if applied to bare skin, so make sure to prime your skin beforehand. This is my favourite everyday foundation for an inconspicuous perfected look. Read my full review of this foundation here.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation, £10.99 | 30ml

Where to buy: Boots || Superdrug || Amazon || Ocado

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

• SPF not known
• Oil-free
• Gel consistency
• Radiant finish
• Light to Medium coverage
• Lightweight
• 6 shades – neutral, beige or golden undertones (I’m shade 53 – beige undertone)

I’ve become quite a snob when it comes to foundations, haven’t I? This is the only High Street/Drugstore foundation that made it to the Top 5! This foundation has unfortunately been discontinued, and replaced by the Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix Foundation, which I haven’t tried yet, but it seems to be pretty similar to its predecessor. It’s a gel foundation made from a vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula. It evens out my skin tone without leaving a greasy feeling behind and it’s quickly absorbed by the skin. With up to 2 layers on, this foundation looks very natural and fresh, but any more than that looks un-natural and a bit cakey. It doesn’t say on the bottle if this contains SPF or not, so this might not be the best foundation for flash photography. Read my review of this foundation here.

So here’s my updated top 5 foundations! A lot has changed since 2012 and it seems I’m now leaning more towards the medium coverage foundations; also, I’ve finally figured out that I have beige undertones, and not yellow undertones, so my foundations are a much better colour match. In my opinion, high-end foundations are much more superior than Drugstore ones, so unfortunately most of these are a bit pricey, but if you invest in the best foundation you can find for your skin, it will literally revolutionise the way your makeup looks!

I hope this post was useful, and do let me know what other ‘Top 5’ posts you’d like to see! Scroll down to see more pictures of swatches with and without flash. What’s your favourite foundation?

Swatches with & without flash

Click on the image to enlarge