Back to Bases

 

I believe that the key to great makeup is a stellar base, which is why I am always willing to spend more on a foundation or BB/CC/whathaveyou Cream then most other makeup essentials. That being said, while I love to try out new products, I have a handful of base products that I go back to time and time again. Right now my daily routine has been featuring one of these four bases pictured above.

I'll start with the oldest of the four, which is my Tarte BB Tinted Moisturizer. Tarte is hands down one of my favorite makeup lines, not only for it's high-quality products but also because it's completely Cruelty Free. I plan on having a post about this some time in the future, but I really do appreciate lines that are Cruelty Free, even though I am well aware many of the brands I use are unfortunately not. Anyways, back to the product! This guy is touted as a "lightweight, water-based formula" which includes Vitamins A, C and E. So basically, this makeup is also good for your skin (which is a benefit of many BB creams). The coverage on this is very sheer, adding just a nice bit of glow and color to your face. One thing I will say with this is that for those with dry skin you cannot get away with just wearing this as a moisturizer. I personally prefer wearing this during the warmer months, because in colder weather this product is not nearly moisturizing enough for my very dry skin. That being said, this could actually be an amazing product for anyone with oily skin looking for just a hint of coverage.

Next up is my Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, the heaviest coverage of the four (and probably the most full coverage of all my bases). As the weather gets warmer I will probably be wearing this less and less, but as soon as the cooler weather comes back in the fall this will certainly be my go-to product. This foundation is the first I've ever come across that provides the fullest coverage without looking cake-y or heavy. While I would never say you can achieve a "no-makeup" look with this, it provides a beautiful, glowing skin finish that is unrivaled by any foundation I have ever tried (and I've used some really good ones). Something else worth noting, is that this foundation photographs beautifully, and never clings to any dry patches on my very dry skin. I cannot praise this foundation enough, and would recommend it for any and all skin types looking for a full coverage foundation with a radiant finish.

I've already spoken of my love for my NARS Tinted Moisturizer, so I won't give too detailed a review on this one for fear of being repetitive. I would describe this product as a light to medium coverage base that provides hydration, coverage and skincare benefits. It is easily the best tinted moisturizer I have ever come across, and one that I will certainly repurchase when I run out. I can already tell you that this will be my go-to during the summer months, as it provides great SPF and just a hint of natural coverage and glow that I love to have during warmer weather. An added bonus to this one is that NARS, like Tarte, is also Cruelty Free which as I've said is something I like to take into consideration when buying my products.

Lastly, the newest basic in my rotation is the Clinique CC Cream. While I've actually tested this out in the past, I finally decided to bite the bullet yesterday and buy it during Clinique's Gift With Purchase promotion. And boy am I glad I did. This beauty provides an incredibly natural looking medium coverage that hides any darkness and color corrects any redness or dark spots. On top of this, it also provides a wonderful amount of hydration to your skin, which is obviously something very important to me. This product can be worn alone or underneath another foundation, but it provides enough coverage and benefits for me that I prefer to just wear it alone. The CC Cream has a lovely radiant finish and also provides long-lasting coverage, even without being set with powder. The cream is a rather thick consistency which worried me at first, but it blends out to be quite lightweight. It also includes SPF 30, and while I cannot yet determine how this will look in photographs I'm happy that it includes a safe amount of SPF to wear during the warmer months out in the sun. This guy may be a new addition but I can already tell it will be one I will be using for a long time to come.