For the last couple of years, I’ve been struggling to find the perfect day foundation that suits my skin. I’ve tried everything from high end beauty hall brands to the cheaper pharmacy bought ones. I’ve watched countless YouTube tutorials and I’ve read one too many articles on the best everyday foundations but no foundation is capable of just staying in place all day long. For some reason I find myself looking into the bathroom mirror cringing that I didn’t realise how patchy my foundation was and shocked that no one told me to fix it up. I had a few foundations that I really liked but none of them were the perfect one for my skin. However, on a little holiday in Italy I managed to stumble across a gem of a foundation that changed everything *dramatic pause*. Here are my five top day foundations that actually make a difference and require the least amount of touching up.
- Kiko Milano Fall 2.0 foundation
Kiko makeup isn’t actually available in Ireland so I picked this up in Milan. It is probably the best day wear foundation I’ve ever used. It is a matte foundation with a buildable coverage so it’s easy to use with my normal skin one and also when I’m wearing fake tan. I bought the shade warm beige 15 and I got in half price in the shop so it came to only around €10 and included a small applicator. Even though Kiko isn’t available in Ireland, it is in most cities around Europe and they also have a really good online website that delivers to Ireland.
- MAC Pro Longwear
This foundation is a bit on the pricier side however I found that it stayed on nearly all day without budging. I also use this foundation for nights out because it stays intact for hours. I use it if I know I’m going to be gone for the entire day and even though it does stay on, I find my skin can break out after I wear it for a long period of time. It’s definitely a great night out or occasion foundation but it isn’t the most price friendly day foundation for students on a budget. I use shade NC20 and it usually retails between €35 and €40.
- NYX stay matte but not flat
This foundation is definitely one of the best quality affordable foundations I have come cross. I stuck with this NYX one for a good while and managed to try of loads of different shades. It’s a medium coverage foundation so I still had to top it up a few times throughout the day but when it’s retailing at €8.00 I don’t think there’s need to complain. It’s a handy one to use on a college day and definitely suits the student budget. I’ve used the shades Creamy natural, soft beige, Nude, soft sand and warm beige.
- L’Oreal True Match
There has been an awful lot of mixed opinion about this foundation so I was sceptical about buying it but I was somewhat impressed with it. I personally refer matte foundations which are full coverage however this foundation still allowed your skin to come through. I didn’t mind this as it gave a more natural look but I found that it really dried my skin out and wasn’t very moisturising. However, it is a good foundation if you’re aiming for a natural day look and there’s loads of shades to choose from. It retails for around €15.
- No7 Stay Perfect foundation
This was one of the first foundations I ever used and over the years I’ve always gone back to it. It’s very like the True Match foundation as it is quite light on the skin and not matte but it stays on all day and really gives a natural glow. I wouldn’t use it every day because I prefer a full coverage but it’s always a great one to go back to and it doesn’t irritate the skin. It’s only available in Boots and costs around €20 however No7 usually has good offers on their products.
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash