My 3 Favourite Foundations for a Fresh Winter Glow

 

Here in Australia we’re in the middle of winter. The dry freezing weather always finds a way to suck the moisture out of my skin, so I find that I have to put extra thought into my skincare and makeup to make sure I don’t end up looking like a dry crusty mess!

I’ve been revisiting my old favourites and also trying out a few new products. I’ll be sharing three of my current favourite foundations (and sneaking in a BB cream) — and giving you the full run down on these products.

If you’re in the Northern hemisphere and expecting summer, don’t you worry! Paired with a great highlight, these foundations can give you that perfect summer glow for when you sip on your Pina Colada while lounging at a pool party!

 

YSL Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation (Teint Encre De Peau Le Cushion)

THIS!!! This is my holy grail foundation — I’ve bought countless repeats despite the steep price (see price details below). This foundation is described as matte, but I would say it’s more on the dewy side for my dry skin. Overall, this foundation has pretty good coverage, is super moisturising and can help you achieve that that beautiful glass skin look. As this foundation is in a cushion compact form, it’s super quick and easy to apply and carry on the go for touch-ups! An important thing to note is that this foundation sticks to the surface of the skin rather than fully sinking in, meaning that it can cause build up around the nose area and leave visible fingerprints/marks — but this can be improved with a layer of powder.

This foundation may not be suitable for:

• Those concerned about oily skin, as it is more on the dewy & moisturising end of the spectrum.
• Those with darker skin tones — the limited shades created only seem to match those with light to medium skin tones.

Details

• Price: $93 for the compact and foundation, $63 for the individual refill.
• Staying power: 3.5/5 – Not the most long lasting foundation I’ve ever used, but with powder it can get you through your day with no major problems. 
• Coverage: Medium coverage, buildable.
• Shade Range: 6 shades (ranging from 10 to 60). As stated earlier, not a very diverse shade range so you may not be able to find your perfect match.

Available at

• Sephora 
• YSL Beauty official site

 

For those who are interested in a cushion foundation that can make you look like a glowing goddess but don’t want to fork out $93, an excellent dupe for this foundation is the April Skin Magic Snow Cushion.

This cushion is a BB cream that is nearly a QUARTER of the price with the benefits of added skincare as it is 45% serum based. The overall quality of this cushion comes extremely close to the YSL one. Sometimes when YSL sells out of my shade or I just don’t want to fork out the equivalent of a week’s worth of yummy meals to beat my face, I opt for this one.

However, there is one major problem with this product. If you thought that the YSL shade range was small, then this one is TINY. Being the typical Korean BB Cushion, this product has only 3 shades (N21, N22 and N23. AKA super light, super light with a hint of pink and… regular light). For our friends with tanner complexions, keep reading for another two great shade inclusive foundations!

Available at

• Yesstyle
• April Skin official website

 

Estée Lauder Double Wear Nude Water Fresh Foundation

 

This foundation has a thin consistency and gives a very natural and fresh look to the skin. It has a radiant velvety finish (not as dewy as the YSL cushion foundation) and doesn’t enhance the dry patches or oily parts of your face. I love that it has SPF in it, but I hate that it doesn’t come with a pump (although, you can buy one for an extra $10 *rolls eyes*) so the top of the bottle gets quite messy over time.

I turn to this foundation on days where I’m in a bit of a rush and just want a light layer of makeup to cover up some discolouration. As it has a thinner consistency, it’s super easy to spread quickly around the face. However, this also means that if you tend to stick to full coverage foundations, this might not be your cup of tea. 

Details

• Price: $58 
• Staying power: 3.5/5 – I usually can wear it for 5-6 hours before it starts to break down (this is with primer, but no powder!).
• Coverage: Light, but can easily be built up to a medium coverage.
• Shade range: 24 shades. A really great range, super diverse in all the undertones. 

Available at

• Sephora
• Estée Lauder official online store

 

 NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

This foundation is a little thicker in consistency than the Estée Lauder foundation and provides a lot more coverage. It’s definitely not as moisturising as the previous two mentioned as it has a very different finish. Still, I think it’s a great foundation to wear in the winter when you really want flawless matte skin that truly lasts all day.

There were many reviews stating that this foundation is super powdery looking, but I personally disagree. On the skin I find that although it’s matte, it still gives you a subtle glow. If you want an even more luminous complexion I suggest spritzing a few layers of setting spray and highlighting to the heavens! I have quite dry skin but I haven’t had a problem with this foundation yet. However, I do find that it’s a bit harder to spread around the face as it dries down quick — so you gotta work fast! Overall, this foundation has A+ coverage while still feeling light on the skin and can easily last a full day of wear! 

This foundation may not be suitable for:

• Those concerned about very dry skin – those with moderately dry skin can still make this foundation work with adequate skincare.  
• Those who prefer more dewy and moisturising foundations.
• Those who prefer a light coverage.

Details

• Price: $71
• Staying power: 4.5/5 – After a full day of wear it won’t be looking as perfect as when you first applied it, but will still look pretty decent rather than a patchy hot mess. 
• Coverage: medium to full
• Shade Range: 20 shades!

Available at

• Mecca
• NARS official online store

 

 

I’m so glad that I discovered these foundations and I would definitely recommend them! If you’ve tried any of these, I would love to hear your thoughts – did these products work out for you?

 

Thank you so much for reading, see you next week for a fresh new post!

Love,

Cherrie ♡

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