Hello Beauties!
I am back with another segment of “My Top Four” posts. (Past posts; Top Four: Concealers, Top Four: Affordable Facial Oils, Top Four: Blemish Treatments.) This time it’s all about Foundation!
Foundation is a tricky thing. We all want perfect skin but not all of us like wearing makeup. Some of us actually hate it. I, believe it or not, being the makeup lover that I am, do not like the feeling of too much makeup on my face. Foundation especially. I want to be able to hug loved ones and not fear that the makeup is wiping off on their jackets. I want to be able to have my cheeks kissed and not worry that color will be left on lips. These are the things I think about! I also dislike feeling like I am clogging my pores with a bunch of ingredients that are not necessary.
With that said; I do not have perfect skin. I have redness around my nose and severe dark circles, both due to allergies. I get occasional blemishes. I sometimes have really flushed, red cheeks because I am incredibly sensitive and sometimes my skin gets really, really red. I want to feel confident when I am going out and like to know there are options for me to wear on my skin without compromising my comfort.
Thankfully, due to many trials and errors with testing out a plethora of natural foundations, I have come up with four that I not only love, but never make me feel like I am “wearing foundation”, instead, they look like my skin, but better and all of them are perfect for my overly sensitive-self. 🙂
1. Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation
“Alima Satin Matte Foundation is hypoallergenic, goes on easy and feels like nothing at all. It evens out your skin tone, enhances your complexion and reduces the appearance of fine lines and pores using only the purest mineral pigments.”
I wear three different shades of this foundation. Sometimes I will even blend one or two colors together. My favorite, most-worn shade is “Neutral 2” although I also use “Neutral 1” and “Beige 1”. I find either people love or hate mineral foundation. I have always been a huge lover of them. Even though I have dry/sensitive skin, I find that using a moisturizing cream or even oil before applying my mineral foundation helps it to never look cakey or emphasize dry areas. I also always set my mineral foundation with lots of Rosewater. This helps immensely. This is my favorite foundation of all time. Why? because I have the most sensitive skin in the world (or at least close to it) and mineral foundation, especially Alima Pure, is the one foundation I know will never clog my pores, irritate my skin and honestly, it’s the least likely to cause any sensitive or reaction. Also – the coverage is just amazing! (and super buildable).
2. Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation
“Kjaer Weis Foundation refines even the most sensitive, delicate skin. Expect a creamy, beautifully blendable, weightless texture with a semi-matte, light-as-air finish. Blends so well no one will notice you’re wearing makeup, they’ll just notice how beautiful your skin is. Sweet almond seed oil and coconut oil naturally moisturize the skin, while jojoba seed oil are rich in fatty acids that promote skin elasticity and reduce signs of aging.”
I am the shade“Like Porcelain” although I can wear “Paper Thin” in the summer if I make sure to really, really blend. This Cream Foundation is unlike any other cream foundation I have tried. It is literally like a second skin. It applies on the skin seamlessly, and although it contains Coconut Oil, it has never made me break out or made my pores feel clogged. It is pricey but once you purchase the compact, you only have to buy the refillables and it makes the purchase much more affordable and honestly, there is nothing like the packaging from Kjaer Weis. Nothing.
3. Gressa Skin Corrective Serum Foundation
“It’s a serum. It’s a foundation. It’s a multivitamin for your face. Perfect your face with long-term benefits of this revolutionary serum to powder foundation. GRESSA Healing ComplexTM is a proprietary powerhouse blend of carefully selected botanical extracts that care for your skin by providing it with overall balance, radiance and clarity. Minerals provide a tone-correcting coverage natural finish.”
This is probably the most unique of all the foundations I listed because it is a combination of a a skincare + makeup product in all in one. It applies just like a serum but dries to an almost powdery finish (with a beautiful, natural glow). It covers really well and contains so many amazing and beneficial ingredients for the skin. You can wear this and know that not only are you enhancing your features, you are also treating your skin with skin-loving ingredients. Win-Win!
4. Vapour Beauty Luminous Foundation
“Effortlessly achieve the look of radiant, healthy skin and a more even complexion with Atmosphere Luminous Foundation. Atmosphere is like nothing you’ve ever tried — a foundation you’ll adore wearing. Atmosphere Luminous is designed for normal, dry, mature, and sensitive skin. It gives a luminous, glowing, natural finish and comes in a precision stick for maximum control. With Vapour’s Light Reflective Technology, the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pores is diminished. Skin becomes instantly smoother, softer, and more even.”
My preferred color is “115” though I can also make “100” and “110” work depending on the time of year. This is one of the very first natural and organic foundations that I ever used. It’s one that I find myself often going back to, no matter how many other foundations I may try out. It has a heavy scent of Frankincense and Holy Basil (both amazing for healing + calming skin) which can be off-putting to some, but coming from someone with a highly sensitive nose and sense of smell, it has never bothered me, I actually really find the scent to be relaxing, and after applying, the scent starts to go away. This is a wonderful foundation for those with dry skin.
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Have you tried any of these foundations? Please share your thoughts and favorites in the comments!
* You can purchase all of these products (except Gressa, which is only available at GressaSkin) at The Detox Market and Spirit Beauty Lounge, and Eco Diva Beauty.
xoxo,
Britanie
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*All of my reviews are based on my own personal experiences with the brand/products. I am never paid to give my honest opinions and will only review and recommend products and brands I love and use myself! All Photographs are (C) Britanie Faith unless stated otherwise.*
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Are you wearing 01 in Gressa? I can never decide if that’s the right shade for me or if I should try 02. And I while I love the feel, the scent is hard on my nose. I keep hoping I’ll get used to it.
Yes!! I’m 01 and it’s perfect for my fair skin. The scent seems to dissipate for me after a bit. If the scent bothers you badly you should try the Kjaer weis which has no scent…
I use it regularly! And I love it! But I worry a bit about the coconut oil in it and whether one day my skin will become angry about that. Hope not!
I’ve tried all but the Gressa, which I keep hearing good things about and I really need to try it. 🙂
I recently ditched my boscia bb cream (it’s my summer staple) and tried sappho organics foundation (a bit heavy coverage for me) and just bought gressa in shade 03. it’s perfect on my skin in the winter giving me a bit of moisture and a more sheer coverage. i use 1 drop for my entire T zone…this stuff is going to last forever! In the summer, I think I’d have to go up to the 04 but I’m good right now 🙂 The texture is really interesting for sure! I always make sure to give it a good shake before I get my drop. It’s really been calming on my skin in the changing season. For ref: I have combo dehydrated skin from working in a lab with low humidity and an oily T zone
These are lovely picks! I adore Kjaer Weis and have been eyeing Gressa Skin’s impressive line for awhile now, especially this unique serum foundation. Lately, I’ve been leaning towards products with lighter consistencies as they feel more comfortable, but that usually means a sacrifice in coverage. I’m definitely interested in giving your product reccomendations a try!
I used an all-natural mineral foundation for years…until last winter, when the cold, dry air really dried out my skin, even using face oil. Now I’m all about hydration, but I really want SPF in my foundation, too. Plus, I can’t stand the feel of foundation on my face so I like something that feels very light. Foundation is the hardest thing to pick of all makeup, in my opinion! I think out of all these I’d like to try Gressa the most.
I’m just curious. What’s your take on Bare Minerals foundations (they have several kinds now)? They also have a serum version similar to the GressaSkin you mention. And also, have you tried any of Melaleuca: Sei Bella foundations? Or Merle Norman, or Jane Iredale? I, personally haven’t tried any of these, as most of them are out of my budget. And they may not be as “natural” as they claim. Which is precisely why I’d LOVE to know your thoughts! Thanks!
Vapour Atmosphere Luminous Foundation is my absolute favorite! It works so well for me, that I’m now on my fourth tube of it. My match is 115, too. I had started out with 110, but I have very ruddy cheeks and the yellow in 115 neutralizes that better for me. My cheeks tend to be dry and my t-zone less so, but it works great on both. Love love love it!
lovely picks, Britanie! I love the Alima Pure SMF 🙂 That’s definitely my favorite powder for sure. I really need to try Kjaer Weis, but SBL is constantly out of porcelain so I bought Gressa’s serum foundation instead to try. Hope I love it as well! ♥
I’m pale, but I tend to have yellow undertone. I would love to have a look at the colors in store of Kjær Weis because I don’t want to waste money. I just bought the RMS un-coverup in 11 and I hope that will suit me. Great post!
Dear Britanie,
How would you compare Gressa foundation with Kjaer Weis? Which gives the most natural finish? 🙂
I would like to know why RMS beauty un cover up didn’t make it to your top three? I recently bougth it and don’t think threre is anything special about it. I much prefer my good old Inika mineral powder foundation. I think I would have liked Vapour more as it seems a bit more matte. If you have any recommendations it will be greatly appreciated. I’m looking for something for very dry skin. TIA and thank you for your ever inspirational work. Kind regards, Anne.
Im trying to decide wich one of these three to get, I really just cant make my mind up! If you had to choose one that is the most like natural, “no makeup” one, wich one would you go for?