Base Products I'm Currently Loving

After writing a post on Vichy's Dermablend Corrective Foundation a couple of days ago, I thought I'd have a go at a post on the rest of the base products I'm using at the moment. I have oily/combination, acne prone skin and I've worn full coverage foundations for years to cover up blemishes and scarring. Thankfully, blemishes are less of a problem for me at the moment, but I still have quite a bit of redness and a few scars that require camouflaging. To be honest, I could probably get away with a lighter coverage foundation at the moment and have been testing out a few different tinted moisturisers and foundations that offer slightly less coverage, but I'm finding it hard to give up full coverage bases. I suppose after wearing heavier foundations for so long, I feel a bit naked without it.

Anyway, on to what I'm using at the moment....

Primer - I've always had a bit of a love hate relationship with primers, and until fairly recently, I skipped the whole priming step completely. I purchased quite a few different types last year from various different brands and while I liked some of them, none of them really wowed me. I received a deluxe sample size of Laura Mercier's original primer in a kit a few months ago, though, and I have to say, I'm really liking the stuff. I think what I've disliked about most of the other products I've tried, is the texture and feel of the product. Laura Mercier's actually feels lovely though - very light-weight and easily absorbed, and it doesn't leave that velvety/silicone-y feel on skin.

I must say, I haven't noticed any huge improvements in how long my make-up lasts since I started using the product, but I really like the lovely, smooth canvas this creates for foundation and concealer. Base products seem to glide on much easier with the primer underneath, and it seems to hydrate any slightly drier areas nicely and stops foundation clinging to them. 

Foundation - As I said, I'm still favouring fuller coverage foundations at the moment and two of my current favoruites are Clarin's Everlasting and Vichy's Corrective. I originally bought the Vichy to use as a concealer but have been using it occasionally as a base, too. It covers well, looks and feels surprisingly natural, and seems to hold up well throughout the day. On days when I feel like I need slightly less coverage, I use it to camouflage and cover up any blemishes that I have going on, and on bad skin days I use a teeny tiny amount of it with the Everlasting to completely conceal any nasties that have popped up.

I've been using the Everlasting for years now and have repurchased lots of times. It doesn't provide quite as much cover as the Vichy, but it still covers blemishes and redness brilliantly. It also applies and blends well, and unlike other full coverage foundations I've tried, it doesn't feel heavy or look cakey. While it doesn't quite hold up as long as Clarins promise, it does also wear really well on my combination skin when set with a loose powder.

Undereye Concealer - I was quite a big fan of Dior's Skinflash Radiance Booster pen for quite a long time, but decided to switch to their Sculpt concealer last year when I needed something with a little more coverage. The lightest shade seems to match my NC15ish skintone well at the moment and it does a fantastic job at concealing dark circles and reducing the appearance of any puffiness I have going on. I find the concealer applies and blends really well, holds up well throughout the day, and it doesn't settle into fine lines either, which is an added bonus.

Powder - Without a setting powder, my face tends to turn into a horrible shiny mess within a few hours of applying make up. I used NARS Loose powder to set for years, but last year when my skin changed and certain areas became slightly drier, I found the NARS wasn't really doing me any favours. It started to emphasize dry patches and began to generally look a bit heavy and cakey, so I decided to switch and gave La Mer a go, and I'm so glad I did. It's without a doubt the most natural looking powder I've tried and it feels amazingly soft, smooth and light weight. Unlike other loose and pressed powders I've used before, La Mer doesn't look flat or powdery at all, instead it leaves a beautiful glowy finish. 

I must admit, it doesn't do quite as well as the NARS at keeping the oilies at bay, but I do still find it does a pretty decent job at controlling shine, and the finish and feel more than make up for what it lacks in the oil controlling department. It's pretty expensive stuff at £55.00 a tub, but after 6 months of quite heavy use my tub is still going strong.  

So, those are the base products I'm currently using and liking a lot. As I said, I think I'm going to try and give a lighter coverage foundation a go as the weather warms up, but the rest are definitely keepers.

Are you a full coverage foundation fan? Do you change your base products throughout the year or stick with the same ones?