Foundation is one of the most important step of my make-up routine as the condition or appearance of my skin is usually the first thing I take note of when I'm outside giving myself a little self-check. Whether or not I have a stunning eye make-up on, or brows on
fleek, if my foundation is in a mess, my make-up is in a mess.
With that said, I believe that it is great to invest in a good foundation especially for special occasions. At the same time, investing in the
correct foundation is also something to take note of, so today, I will be comparing a total of 5 high-end liquid foundations to help you decide which one is most suitable for your skin type and preference! (
Swatches available too!)
As we talk about investing here, it's always good to make sure to stretch your dollar. So if you're in a hunt for a high-end foundation or any other high-end beauty related products, even fragrances, do check out
Cosme-de.com as they offer a wide range of high-end beauty products at really competitive prices with occasional discounts and special promotions!
Before I (finally) move on to talk about the foundations, I figured out that it would be helpful to let you guys know my own skin condition so you can gauge how the foundation worked for me, and how it may work for you. I have oily, medium and yellowish toned skin, and I live in Singapore where it is always hot and humid. Another thing to note is that I always apply any liquid foundations with a beauty blender!
Alrighty, let's begin the battle!
First up on the list is the
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation SPF25 / PA++ in the shade 002. I've heard a lot of rave about Koh Gen Do's liquid foundations, so I really wanted to try one out for myself!
Packaging -
Simple yet functional with a touch of colour is how I would describe the packaging of this foundation. It comes in a simple looking glass bottle, with a black pump and cap to prevent any spillage. I love how there is a hint of red at the bottom of the bottle so it doesn't look too plain and boring.
Shade -
On first glance, shade 002 definitely looks light and too pale for my skin tone. However, after I have blended it out, I noticed that it does blends well into my skin without making me look too ghostly.
Finish, Coverage and Longevity -
I LOVE the finish of this foundation! It blends in very easily and it has a nice smooth finish once it has set. With this foundation, I would say that it has a light to medium coverage. Personally, I'm not one who will use a lot of product on my face so I tend to use only about 1 to 1.5 pumps of this foundation and I feel like it is sufficient to even out my skin tone. But if you are suffering from any acne spots and scars, you will definitely need more of this product, or top up with a concealer.
Next up, we've got the
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup Foundation in the shade 2C3 Fresco. This is actually one of my favourite liquid foundations and it is also another highly raved foundation in the beauty scene!
Packaging -
If I have to say something bad about this foundation, it would be the fact that it doesn't come with a pump, and I do prefer foundations with a pump as it makes it so much easier to control the amount of product to dispense. The glass bottle looks quite small but in general it's simple, basic, and easy to bring around (
not that you really need to because *spoiler* this foundation is really long-lasting!).
As this is the only foundation in this list that does not contains a pump, you can tell that I had a difficult time trying to control the right amount to pour out and I ended up pouring out a lot more than I needed.
Shade -
Since I dislike how yellow my skin can look at times, I love how this shade has slight pink undertones to help balance out and colour correct my skin. It's not too crazy though so I think it still matches my skin tone pretty well.
Finish, Coverage and Longevity -
My favourite thing about this foundation has got to be the flawless finish it gives my skin. After blending it out, it sets beautifully and does not budge for the rest of the day. The finish is smooth, flawless, and matte. Having oily skin, it does keeps my face shine-free for the entire day which is why I love using it on long days. I would say that the coverage is a medium to high as I usually only use a little bit of product and I was able to achieve a decent coverage. So if you were to add on another layer, I'm sure you will be able to achieve a fuller coverage.
Next on the list is the
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in the shade 4.5. Once again, this is a fairly popular foundation in the beauty scene that has been raved by many beauty gurus!
Packaging -
This foundation comes in a simple looking frosted glass bottle with a couple of details. The cap has a little logo on it which is a nice little touch and the shape of the bottle is actually quite wide and short so it will probably take up a lot of space in your make-up pouch if you were to bring it out.
Shade -
It was quite tough to pick out the shade because it comes in SO MANY different shades. But surprisingly (or luckily), I find that this shade is a close match to mine.
Finish, Coverage and Longevity -
Having oily skin, one thing I did notice is that the foundation itself is quite moisturizing and I guess it is not oil-free as I do find myself feeling quite oily after wearing this foundation for awhile. So far, I've never experienced any breakouts though but that has definitely made me avoid this foundation. With that said, I do think that this foundation will be great for those with dry skin. The coverage of this foundation is a medium to high even though the formula feels really watery and lightweight. It blends out easily and the finish is more healthy looking rather than matte. As for the longevity of the foundation, it is not as long-lasting as the Estee Lauder one.
Next up we've got the
Tomford Traceless Perfecting Foundation SPF 15 in the shade 03 Fawn. Retailing at USD74, this is one really expensive foundation.
Packaging -
After all that talk about glass bottles, we've finally got a plastic bottle here. Unfortunately, for the price we're paying, I did expect to receive this foundation in a glass bottle as the plastic bottle just seems to feel really flimsy and cheap in general. However, I'd say that this foundation is very travel-friendly as it's the lightest one among all the foundations and the pump is released with a twist of the cap which prevents any spillage.
Shade -
The foundation has quite a banana-liked shade which I think is great for people with yellower skin like myself, as it helps to brighten and tone up our skin without looking too unnatural.
Finish, Coverage and Longevity -
The formula of this foundation is less liquid compared to the rest as you can see in the image above, it holds it's shape unlike the others. Once it sets it also kinda sticks onto your skin, so make sure you blend as quickly as possible to avoid any unevenness! This is currently the foundation I have been using as I really like how it adheres nicely to my skin to avoid any rub-offs or smudges throughout the day, i.e., it is very long lasting! I would say the coverage is a medium to high as once again, I don't have the habit of going full coverage but I feel like a little bit of product is enough to even out any dullness and discolouration.
The last foundation is the
Burberry Fresh Glow Foundation SPF15 - PA+++ in the shade No. 26 Beige. To be honest, I was attracted to the eye-catching packaging of this foundation and since I have also heard numerous praises for Burberry's make-up products, I decided to give it a go.
Packaging -
Among all the foundations, this is probably the most attractive one due to the patterned cap. It also comes in a plastic bottle but I guess the fancy looking cap compensated that. It is quite extra to have such a huge cap though, but it certainly looks pretty!
Shade -
On first glance, this foundation looks way too yellow! I was quite worried initially as it looked like a mixture of orange and yellow. Thankfully, I swatched it on my hand and noticed how it turned A LOT better and a lot less yellowish. Long story short, it actually suited my skintone very well! If you watch the unboxing haul I did for Cosme-de.com (
here), you will see me testing this foundation out for the first time and how it transformed from a yellow foundation to a much wearable shade!
Finish, Coverage and Longevity -
The finish of this foundation is a very balanced, dewy finish that made my skin looked moisturized and healthy. If I'm going on a beach holiday, this would probably be the foundation I'm bringing along! If you have very oily skin though, you would want to test this out first before purchasing it as the "dewy" finish might cause you to look shiny in the middle of the day. This foundation has a medium to high coverage as a little bit of product was able to cover up most of my acne scars and even out my skin tone.
In general, I was really impressed with the quality of all the foundations and there is definitely a difference between a high-end foundation compared to the ones in our drugstore. Of course, there are many drugstore foundations I love as well but like I mentioned, if I'm looking for a longer-lasting or higher-coverage foundation, these are the ones I will go for.
Currently, my favourite ones are the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay All Day Foundation as well as the TomFord Traceless Perfecting Foundation because I found that these two foundations last the longest and both gives me a really nice smooth, matte and flawless finish. As I have oily skin, these two foundation also help kept my face shine and oil-free so I don't look like a greased pan at the end of the day!
So we've come to the end of this battle, which is your most preferred foundation out of the 5?
Labels: beauty, face, make-up, review
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