Pale Girl Foundation

Being as pale as I am, I’ve always had difficulties getting foundation. I have ginger skin without the ginger hair, it’s quite the anomaly. I remember the first time I found a foundation that was the perfect colour for my skin, it was at Bobbi Brown in House of Fraser in Glasgow. I’d just recently started working at Benefit but at the time they only sold Play Sticks and their lightest colour was too dark for me. Until then, I only really used concealer and a bit of powder as I was pretty fortunate with my skin. One of the store managers told me that I wasn’t wearing enough makeup (I had on all of the usual products with the exception of foundation, so looking back on this now I get pretty angry that I didn’t stand up for myself), so I found myself on the hunt for a foundation. I tried on so many foundations but not one blended into my skin (despite what the girls working on the counters said - you’re better going outside to check yourself). I was getting pretty frustrated until I started speaking to one of the girls working at Bobbi Brown. The girl was great, she sat me down and started showing me a few colours. I went outside to look in natural light and it was love at first sight. I actually hugged the girl and I’m not hugger. The first foundation that actually matched my skin was Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation in 00 Alabaster. It was not long after this I started reading blogs and watching Youtube reviews of girls who had similar skin tones. I started trying their recommendations and through working in a beauty hall, I started playing more with the different foundations and found a few more gems that were actually the right colour for my skin. Since then, I’ve found quite a few foundations that work for my skin tone in a range of finishes and levels of coverage. 

The Tinted Moisturiser 

Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturiser in Alabaster Tint - this lightweight tinted moisturiser offers a sheer coverage to help even out skin tone. Perfect for in summer when you’re looking for something a bit more natural. I wear this every day to work and it’s still on when I come home. 

The Light Coverage Foundations

Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturising Foundation in 00 Alabaster - hydrating, light coverage foundation. This has a lovely finish but the staying power isn’t great. I believe they have reformulated this one, so that might be something they improved on. 

YSL Touche Eclat Foundation in BR10 - I LOVE this foundation. This foundation builds up really well so although I’ve put it in the light coverage category, it could just as easily fit in to the medium coverage section. The colour of this is perfect for me, it’s light enough but with cooler tones. The finish is gorgeous, it’s dewy but not shiny. As for the staying power, it’s not a foundation I would wear to work but with primer and a bit of powder, it’s not bad. I wear this mainly at weekends, going out for dinner etc.

The Medium Coverage Foundations

MAC Studio Sculpt in NC15 - I go through phases with this foundation. Sometimes I feel like it leaves my skin looking great, other times it seems make me look scaly by clinging to any little dry patches of skin. When it’s behaving, the gel formula blends in beautifully leaving a medium coverage with a slightly dewy finish. The colour is gorgeous too, another one that has just enough pink to it. 

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Soft Ivory - this foundation is beautiful, it blends seamlessly into the skin. It covers well and the staying power is great (I do find that I need a powder top up in the middle of the day if I’m wearing it to work though) yet it leaves a luminous finish. Normally you don’t seem to get a middle ground with foundation, you either get good staying power with a matte finish or a dewy finish with average staying power, this foundation is the exception.

The Full Coverage Foundations

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Even Finish Foundation in 0 Porcelain - this foundation is great if you need a bit more coverage but still want something that looks natural. Although this foundation promises to keep skin hydrated I do find that it sometimes clings to dry patches. I have the second lightest colour which is an ok match in the summer but I do feel like I need to blend it out slightly with bronzer. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear in Shell - when my skin isn’t looking it’s best, nothing beats Double Wear. The full coverage foundation leaves skin looking flawless and the staying power is amazing - most of the girls who work on cosmetics counters wear this. I do find it slightly heavy to wear on it’s own every day, so I usually mix it with a little Clarins Beauty Flash Balm for a more medium coverage. This is perfect for even the most oily skinned girls. Shell is quite pink but they also have Ivory Nude which is a little more neutral but still light enough for us super pale girls. 

I’d definitely say that Bobbi Brown and Mac are the best place to start if you have difficulties finding a foundation to match your skin. A lot of the other brands don’t offer the same selection of colours in all of their foundation ranges so sometimes it’s a bit of a hit or miss. Don’t be shy to ask for a sample. If they don’t have a pot you can always nip to Boots to get a pot and ask them to give you a little drop to try. I know how much money I’ve wasted buying foundation only to take it home and realise that the colour isn’t right, so I very rarely will buy a foundation without having tried it a few times first.

Do you have problems finding the right colour of foundation?

The Oils

Oily skinned ladies, do not fear the oil! Yes, I know this is old news and I’m no doubt preaching to the converted but I thought that I’d give a little summary of the oils that have helped me go from grease face to… not to grease face. I still have pretty combination skin but it’s no where near as bad as it used to be and I think a lot of it has to do with not being afraid to use products which promise to hydrate and moisturise. 

Trilogy Rose Hip Oil was my first step into the world of oils and as I’m sure you’ll soon tell, I never looked back. I first picked up this oil because I was looking for something that would help reduce the scars left on my skin from previous blemishes, which it did to an extent, but I was more impressed with how soft and hydrated my skin felt the following morning. I wasn’t left congested and my skin didn’t look oilier than usual. After a breakout, I press a few drops of the oil on to my skin under my moisturiser. 

The Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil is the best all rounder. This oil is slightly heavier than the Trilogy version but still doesn’t leave my skin congested, I’ve actually found it helps calm angry, under the skin blemishes down. The oil helps your skin repair itself and again, is great for scarring. Also, when my psoriasis is looking a bit out of hand, I rub this in at night and in the morning it’s a lot calmer and the flakes are gone. I find it’s a little bit too heavy for my skin for every day use in the summer but it’s lovely mixed in with my moisturiser. 

At the moment, the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil is getting the most use. The naturally astringent properties mean this is perfect for when I have a few blemishes and although it is still hydrating, it feels light on my skin. In my last post I wrote about the products I love for when my skin starts breaking out, this is another great addition that helps calm everything down while still hydrating your face. It day say that this can be used alone, but even with slightly oily skin, I feel I still need a moisturiser on top. 

What are your favourite oils?

Bringing out the Big Guns - Breakout Edition

My skin is really temperamental. One day I can look in the mirror and think things are looking ok and the next day I’m break out central. My skin is on the oily side of combination but my skin can be pretty reactive. Over the last few months I’ve found a selection of products which have been working to calm breakouts down without leaving my skin a dry, scaly mess. 

First up is Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser, this foaming cleanser contains salicylic acid which is well known for helping clear skin up. It was designed with oily/blemish prone skin in mind so it works to control oil production and gently exfoliate to keep skin clear. I’m not a fan of foaming cleansers as a whole and this one can definitely be a bit drying, but it’s a great option to thoroughly cleanse the skin when things get out of hand. My skin doesn’t really like change so I only use this in the morning until my skin starts to calm down.

Aveda Outer Peace Blemish Spot Relief is without a doubt the best all round spot treatment I’ve tried. It calms redness, reduces spots over night but is gentle enough that it doesn’t leave my skin looking scaly. And it doesn’t nip like some of the other blemish treatments I’ve tried (Clinique Blemish Gel, I’m looking at you). It goes on clear and doesn’t leave a film so it’s also safe to use at work if you need a bit of extra help during the day.

For a more intense treatment, Origins Out of Trouble Mask has been a saviour of mine on more than one occasion. This mask works to absorb oil, gently exfoliate (so it’s great for when you’re skin is a bit congested) and clear out pores. It can be a little intense so I tend to only use this when I have a cystic breakout and I only use this where I need to. If I have a beast of a blemish I’ve also found myself putting this directly on the spot and leaving it to do it’s thing over night. My first instinct when my skin is acting up is USE ALL THE MASKS but in reality this just doing more harm than good with the amount of active ingredients in products for oily/blemish prone skin. Using this once a week then a lighter clarifying mask mid week will help clear your skin but without drying everything out. 

Keeping the moisture balance up is a big factor in reducing the chances of scarring, this is where Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair comes into play. ANR works to repair your skin at a cellular level and the Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex II works to clear out cellular debris while you sleep all the while holding on to the moisture levels in your skin. I just pop a moisturiser on top (even over the blemish) and things tend to have calmed down considerably come morning.

What do you use when your skin is acting up?