I have recently been receiving a lot of compliments and questions regarding my foundation and I have felt so flattered! If you read 'My Top 3 Foundations' then you know that I am relatively new to the world of complexion products but I can truly say that the student has graduated! My favourites have changed since that post so I thought I'd share my recommended foundations for women with dark skin in time for Black Friday to hopefully help another 'student' out and help you save some cointz!
Ok so first thing’s first - how do I like my foundation to look? I’m definitely more of a 'sheer to medium' type of girl than the 'full face beat' type. I also like my skin to look like skin, so I prefer lightweight foundations with dewy to natural finishes over matte finishes.
My all time favourite foundation is Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra. It's a full coverage foundation but I just apply small amounts in order to sheer it out. This is my “face beat to the gawds” foundation. It never fails. It doesn’t move. It never gets cakey. It lasts all day (granted, I’ve never had my foundation on for more than 12hrs). It’s the goat. This foundation comes in 50 shades with various undertones so finding your match should be easy. In the US the shades are named differently to the rest of the world so I have provided my shade in both nomenclatures.
My Shade: Cookie (9) /460 Suede W. [Beige Praline (10) /495 Suede W in summer.]
Cost: $47 / £33.50
Coverage: Full
Best Applied With: Damp sponge
Con: Dries down quite quickly so you need to work fast.
My holy grail everyday foundation is the NARS Sheer Glow. An oldie but goody that applies with minimum effort. I think this is the best first timer foundation as it doesn’t need you to “make it work” it applies beautifully and gives you a “my skin but better” look. Despite being named “Sheer Glow” the foundation is not dewy and leaves you with a beautiful natural looking base. It is very buildable so it is perfect for covering hyperpigmented spots and while my skin was having a tantrum, I feel it provided the skincare benefits it claims to deliver.
My Shade: Macao
Cost: $47/£33.50
Coverage: Sheer to medium
Best Applied With: Flat top buffing brush
Con: I find that it sometimes makes the area between my brows oily (I have normal skin and don't generally get oily)
Competing with the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra is NARS Natural Radiant. It's basically NARS Sheer Glow for experts lol. It applies as easily as Sheer Glow but gives you a much more 'beat' finish. The formula is smooth and blends beautifully with the skin. The great thing about NARS is that they have a great shade range which has been inclusive from the very start. We stan an ally.
My Shade: Macao
Cost: $49 / £35
Coverage: Medium to full
Best Applied With: Flat top buffing brush or damp sponge
Con: You have to build up, it is very pigmented and you can easily get more coverage than you planned for.
Another brand that never forgets the melanin rich is of course, MAC Cosmetics. My first ever foundation was the MAC Face & Body Foundation and it is still one of my favourites. It's a no fuss foundation with sheer coverage that gives your skin the most beautiful natural glow. This is not the foundation you want to use if you need to even out your skin tone or cover blemishes but if you have good skin and are happy to use a concealer for small imperfections then this is your friend. The best thing about this foundation is that it is so light that it allows your skin to breathe. MAC Face & Body Foundation can be used all over the body but I have never tried that so if you have let me know in the comments how that worked.
My Shade: C7
Cost: $31/£27
Coverage: Sheer
Best Applied With: Damp sponge
Con: Not long lasting
We can't talk shade range without mentioning our good sis Rihanna's Fenty Beauty. As stated earlier, I prefer a more natural finish to my foundations but when I want to get glam, Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation is the way I do that. This foundation is very lightweight and leaves a natural matte finish but it's not undetectable, you will look like you have foundation on. Having said that, you will most definitely look flawless hunty!
My Shade: 420
Cost: $35/£27
Coverage: Medium to full
Best Applied With: Buffing brush
Con: Can't be worn alone, you need a full face of makeup it will look like a mask.
My make up journey wouldn't have been the same without Jackie Aina so when she created new shades for the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation line I just had to try it. I wasn't disappointed, the shade Chai is just gorgeous! The foundation is lightweight and gives you a flawless base without the mask affect. I alternate between this and NARS Sheer Glow as my "everyday foundation" (in quotes because I don't actually wear foundation every day).
My Shade: Chai
Cost: $35/£29
Coverage: Medium to Full
Best Applied With: Buffing brush
Con: If you don't blend this well you will look crazy! LOL!
All the foundations mentioned are great products and have vast shade ranges so I'm sure you'll find your match somewhere. Don't be afraid to ask for samples before committing to full sized bottles, I would have saved a whole bunch of money had I known I could do that earlier. Having said that, it's Black Friday today so take advantage of the discounts.
Enjoy shopping!
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