Finding The 'Perfect' Foundation

 Hello again!!

I'm one of those people that once I get an idea I need to follow it through... Probably something to do with OCD but hey ho.

This month I decided to set myself the task of finding the 'right balance' from my foundation. Now I'm in a funny old place with my current foundation (Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum) after my husband said it would get really shiny at the end of the day, less dewy and more oily than it previously did. Now I think this is because my skin in the Summer naturally gets a little more oily and so dewy foundations won't give me the finish I'm happy with anymore. Thus my search for a new foundation.

So I trialled... a load of different foundations to try and figure out what is best for my oily skin and what would pass my little 'tests'.

First of all, what I was looking for out of my foundation:
- Something easy to apply, quick and painless. I don't have time to buff for 15 minutes anymore.
- Something that matched my skin tone
- Something preferably budget friendly

Maybelline Superstay Better Skin
£8.99
Pros: Budget friendly.
Cons: Sticks to imperfections and dry patches.
Summary: I wouldn't buy this again as it just doesn't sit on my skin very well.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation
£8.99
Pros: Budget friendly. Gorgeous finish.
Cons: Not enough shade range.
Summary: I love the gel formula of this and although the colour doesn't quite match me I find myself buying this over and over. A great budget friendly foundation!

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
£31.00
Pros: Great shade range. Gorgeous finish.
Cons: Expensive. No pump.
Summary: The finish of this is beautiful. As quoted by many other Sheer Glow fans, 'It's my skin, but better'... It really is! It's a medium coverage but with a super light feel - I love it. I feel as if my skin can breathe and look natural, yet this magical foundation covers all my redness and imperfections.

Loreal Infallible 24H Stay Fresh Foundation
£9.99
Pros: Budget friendly.
Cons: Not enough shade range.
Summary: The finish of this is quite nice but I wouldn't say it competes with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. Also the shade range isn't great meaning that this takes a LOT of blending to look match my skin tone. I think for the really fair skin types though this one may be great as the lightest shade is super light! I think I may try it again in the Winter when my (very slight) tan has faded.

Mac Pro Long Wear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation
£25.50
Pros: Waterproof. Great shade range.
Cons: Expensive.
Summary: This one is great but very thick so use only a tiny amount! I wouldn't want to use this on a daily basis because of the price and how much blending is required (once it's dry, it's dry and there is no budging!). But for Summer, holidays and the beach - this would be fantastic!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
£29.50
Pros: Great shade range. SPF 10 included.
Cons: Expensive. No pump and heavy glass bottle.
Summary: This is very similar to the one above by Mac in that it needs a lot of blending as it dries and then doesn't move! It doesn't claim to be waterproof however I imagine it would stay put pretty well as well. I think I prefer the finish of this one slightly more over the Mac Pro Long Wear but again the blending is just too much work on a daily basis for me. I would use this one for either holidays, special occasions or big nights out as I'm sure it would stay put really well.

Honestly after trying all these I still seem to be going back to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. I just love how easy it is to apply and how long lasting it is, with a nice medium coverage. My only issue with this foundation is that the shade is a little too dark for me (even the palest shade). If I have a heavy day I can get shiny but that's where I would just have to touch it up with some blotting paper or powder. For a big day out I would switch to the Nars Sheer Glow as this foundation is just beautiful but it does require a little more blending than the Bourjois foundation.

So really I guess to find a 'perfect' foundation my search is still ongoing. How did you guys get on with these? Do you have any suggestions for me to try?

Thanks for reading!
Jess xox