Seasons, hormones and emotions all wreak havoc on the skin. Terrible thing, really, given that the three account for much joy-giving variety in life. But skin, it wants slow and steady without vagaries in the form of a Saturday boozy session, day in the sun sans protection or a little weekend spent in bed with someone (hopefully) special.
Addressing it on a day-to-day basis therefore involves tailoring your routine accordingly, and while I’ve written much on the subject of doing so with skincare, I’ve never mentioned that a foundation wardrobe also serves the cause marvellously well.
At the behest of QVC, who are currently asking for viewers to vote in the QVC Beauty Excellence Awards, I’ve solely been using the four shortlisted foundations to cater to different skin occasions/moods with much success. As I firmly think they all have a place in the great rotating make-up scheme of things, I’d prefer not to pick a winner, but have in the spirit of things decided one slightly pips the rest…
l to r: Laura Geller, Tarte, bareMinerals and Joan Collins
THE OILY SKIN DAY ONE // Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation / Owing to the clay content, this feels a bit like a mousse and is ever-so-slightly thicker when on than other foundations. That’s not to say it isn’t brilliant on greasy skin, though – it is semi-matte and seems to absorb most oil throughout the day while still looking natural. It offers moderate coverage (I only needed to conceal spots – redness didn’t show through).
THE SUMMER’S DAY ONE // bareMinerals Original / Two problems with covering problem skin on a hot day: make-up slips around and bright sunlight can make it look like you’re wearing a layer on your face. A good mineral foundation like this one does neither. I also like that it provides a physical sunscreen.
THE LUSTRE-GIVING ONE // Joan Collins First Base Foundation / I’ve probably not mentioned my fondness for Joan Collins previously but here it is: I think she’s quite the marvel. Her make-up range is, rather like the woman herself, none-too-shabby and is deliciously old school in both packaging and performance. This foundation is of the classic good-quality liquid variety, offering decent coverage while looking a touch sheeny/radiant and, crucially, like skin when on.
THE ON-THE-GO TOP UP & MY WINNER // Laura Geller Balance-n-Brighten Baked Colour Correcting Foundation / This just pips the others because it’s extremely buildable (you could use it as a powder over foundation or just keep applying it for more coverage) and is eminently easy to when out and about – while I was trialling it I just chucked the foundation and retractable brush that comes with it in my bag to go to a spa and it managed to do the work of concealer and foundation in a jiffy.
If you’d like to win all four (in the same shades as above), simply leave a comment in the below field, telling me what your go-to foundation is. The winner will be picked on the day of the awards, which is the 28th of August.