Confession: I have never owned a foundation.
It sounds a little crazy – I mean, I’m a beauty writer! I probably should be someone who has sampled every foundation on the market. But alas, I’ve always avoided it. Maybe you can chalk it up to a childhood spent with heavy stage makeup all over my face (I was a bit of a real-life Rachel Berry – #TheaterGeeksUnite.) Whatever the reason though, I’ve always felt like a foundation would just look and feel far too heavy on my skin, not to mention that it seems like a real pain to apply.
If you’re starting to get sick of your foundation regimen – or just looking for a good alternative to one – read on. While foundation will give you the best, most opaque coverage, you do have other options.
- Powder: If your skin runs on the oily side, the powder might be what’s missing in your life. Not only does it feel much lighter on your skin, it also works wonders on your skin type by absorbing some of that excess oil. Girls with sensitive skin might prefer taking this approach as well as it is not as pore-clogging or harsh on the skin as the foundation is.
- BB Cream: If your chief concern with foundation is its heavy feel, think about a BB cream instead. It will cover up any blemishes and even out your skin tone, as well as foundation, does, albeit with a much lighter formula. This is a fabulous product to own as it can be combined with moisturizer or powder, or simply worn alone for moderate coverage. These often only come in one or two shades so finding your exact match might be a stretch – since the coverage is so light, though, this isn’t as much of an issue.
- CC Cream: While BB creams really work to correct and cover blemishes, CC cream is great to correct color. If you tend to have red, blotchy skin, CC cream is a better fit for you than BB cream.
- Tinted Moisturizer: If you want a seriously thin, comfortable formula, tinted moisturizer is your friend. As for the coverage you’ll get from this product, it is quite sheer. You won’t get a ton of payoff, but this will add the little hint of color to your skin. Think of this more as a moisturizer that does a little bit more, not as something that will totally perfect your skin tone.
- Concealer: If you’re satisfied with the clarity of your skin but have dark spots, the occasional blemish or dark under eye circles, why cover up your entire face? Instead you can just use a concealer where you need it – but of course, you can also combine this with foundation.
