I’ve never been a big fan of liquid foundation.  Perhaps that’s because it’s always come with this stigma of being “face paint”, as in, if you wear it on a somewhat-regular-to-regular basis, that means you wear a lot of makeup and you “paint” your face.  You know, a painted lady?  And I’ve always been scared of wearing too much makeup.  Maybe I’ve felt that “a light dusting of powder” seemed more modest as compared to a “light smear of foundation”.  I don’t know.  Thought vomit.

But I suppose this idea of foundation used to be pretty justifiable.  I mean, I remember looking at the drugstore formulas back in the early 2000’s and thinking Wow … Can I ever wear this stuff without looking like I dipped my face in wet terracotta?  And then just let it dry and have myself buried with thousands of ancient Chinese soldiers with the rest of the terracotta folk?!  No ma’am, I’m not trying to look like Lucy Ricardo when she tries to make a literal bust of herself (see season 2, episode 15 “Lucy Becomes a Sculptress”).  And then of course, there’s always been the issue of shade range when it comes to foundation.  OHHHHH the shade range.  Not only have makeup companies needed to seriously step-up their git-along when it comes to shade range for darker skin tones (because no, not every so-called “Eastern” woman can be covered by one shade, usually called something awkward like “clay” … I mean for real?), but I feel like just within the past five years have manufacturers begun considering things like “neutral”, “cool”, and “warm” tones in foundation shades.  Yes, because “eggshell”, “orange”, and “orange 2.0” just doesn’t quite cover it.

Now, I shouldn’t talk too much smack because it does take work and some Jaeger-level technology to develop a truly excellent color range for something like foundation, and so this post is more meant to praise than criticize.  I think the work has finally paid off!  Hail Science.

So, as you regular readers know, I’m a big believer in BareMinerals.  And I continue to use it (in it’s original powder formula), but there’s something about a powder formula that, with as mineral-y and sheer as they can make ’em now, I believe detracts from a skin’s glow.  Now, I am all about glowing skin.  I like the dewy, fresh, translucent, just-washed look, and I feel today about matte skin the way I felt about foundation at all a decade ago – It’s just too much.  It doesn’t sit well with my psyche, which is a problem, because many women prefer a matte finish and I need to be able to willingly accommodate that desire.  And what’s more, matte skin, lips, and nails are huge for this coming fall season, and so of course, being the sucker that I am, you know I’ll be wanting to play along.  Heck, I’m already armed with Urban Decay’s Surreal Skin Mineral Makeup in a shine-free, perfectly matched shade.

So autumn trends aside, I decided to start looking out for a regular-use foundation line that provided light-to-medium coverage with a natural, non-mattifying finish.  And I wanted a high-quality one with plenty of shades to choose from.  I’d heard wonders about the new Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Foundation.  I literally squealed when I swiped a bit of it on my wrist because it felt like silk.  Oh, they easily could rename the stuff “Silky Baby’s Butt Makeup by Giorgio Armani”.  But priced at sixty-five bucks, I just couldn’t stomach it.  How about their Luminous Silk Foundation?  It gets rave reviews, but it still costs sixty.  Chanel’s well-reputed Perfection Lumiere?  Still over fifty.  So what other lines are there?  Hmmm …

I then thought of Lancome’s Teint Idole line that debuted perhaps a couple years ago, with Julia Roberts as the spokesmodel.  I also thought of the eight-dollar reward I had for Ulta, and my curiosity was piqued.  I headed over to Ulta and plopped myself down in the makeup artists’s chair in the Lancome section.  Not only was the Teint Idole priced at forty-five, but the shade range was overwhelming.  It’s divided into four “intensities”: Ivoire, Buff, Bisque, and Suede.  These intensity levels are then broken down into different shades and tones, so every complex variation of skin color is covered.  However, I realized that the Teint Idole was a full-coverage, mattifying foundation that gave off no shine.  Not what I was looking for.

Lancome’s Teint Miracle, however, worked some sheer magic on my skin.  My skin felt soft and hydrated with just enough coverage to give a dewy, evening-out effect.  As so many good foundation reviews will say, I didn’t feel like I was wearing “makeup”.  It took a very small amount of the product to reach a satisfactory level of coverage, too.  And as for the price, well, the price wasn’t wrong, in that it still felt like an investment but not something shameful and unnecessary.  I can’t hang with the Maestro when he’s asking for all my mo-nay!

I will note though that my Lancome shade is the tiniest bit lighter than my current skin tone (thanks to the summer sun), and so I’m putting off using it for the next month or so.  I’m currently mixing my Boscia B.B. cream with Weleda’s ultra-moisturizing Skin Food for an incredibly rich, sheer bit of coverage that my skin just drinks up.  I mix a dab of each product on my hand (even parts) and rub it evenly on my face for a delicious glow that makes me look awake and refreshed.

So this is what I have for now, and while foundation may not be a primary concern of yours in this God-awful September humidity that we’re experiencing in Orange County, it’s something to keep on your radar nonetheless.  Fall is coming (and, did I mention Fashion Month has commenced?!), and we’re well on our way to an abundance of dark, cozy nights with plenty of opportunities for mysterious, not-too-perfect smokey eyes, oxblood lips, and evened-out, flawless skin.  Let’s get this heat over with.  xo, MR