Foundation, BB Cream, Concealer, Powder Combo

[amessimer]

Hello, beautiful friends!

I've finally hit the frustration peak in trying to find a foundation/bb/cc cream. That's where you start right? Imagine also trying to pair your base with a seamless concealer AND a powder for setting/touch ups - how overwhelming this journey has been! This thread is 2-tier and quite complex so I will do the best I can to explain and welcome all suggestions!

I recently bought Gregorio Armani Liquid Silk Foundation which has a cult following. I tried a sample first and loved it so I purchased the full bottle. Oddly enough, the sample color and bottle color were completely different on my skin. I bought/returned 3 different colors and still haven't found one I like! Has anyone else had this issue? I have neutral undertones which rules out anything yellow/pink but the 'neutral' shades aren't quite right either. I thought about trying a bb cream with a brand that specializes more in the neutral shades vs warm/cool but it's been A LOT of trial and error even after doing ample research.

My skin isn't perfect by any means but I almost feel like it's worse when I put makeup on because applies like a mask (even with good skin care and proper primer).

I'm just very confused and need help talking through this! TIA!

[RAWRitsRED]

Hi @amessimer!

Foundation is definitely the hardest thing to find for me as well and there are never enough shades.  The biggest frustration for me is the perfect foundation shade oxidizing and turning orange due to my oily skin.

Skincare routines are very important as well.  I have a pretty long skincare routine in order to keep my oily face as oil free as possible so my makeup doesn't "melt" off and look gross.

When finding a foundation, first find out what skin type you have (oily, dry, combo, normal).  That should narrow down the types of foundations a bit.  For example, I have oily skin so that leaves me with the options of matte, oil free, and non comedogenic foundations, and rules out any radiant and natural ones.

Then look for foundation coverage: light, medium, medium to full buildable or full coverage.

Color of the foundation is always the absolute hardest!  I have also gone through many trial and errors for years, and yet I can never find the perfect shade.

I took a Makeup 101 class at Sephora last year and I learned that the application technique is important.  I used to get cakey and heavy looking complexion, but I learned what tools I needed in order to get a flawless complexion.

I always ask for foundation samples when I go to Sephora.  Unfortunately, that's not an option due to COVID 19.  I was told by a Sephora employee that if your local Sephora is open, you can call them up and ask to pick up some samples.  Not completely sure how this works...