Hello all. So, you all may have read my Horror Story: Foundation (if you didn't then I'd highly recommend it ;)) and know about my struggle with foundations. I do have quite the collection right now though, having bought and tried multiple foundations over the past few months to find one that could do the same job for me as that MAC one did.

In this post I'm writing short reviews on the foundations I have right now. Just as a help for everyone who's struggling or wanting to buy a new foundation. I think it's always good to read or watch some reviews on products like foundations before you buy it, so you know what to expect. That being said, this is my opinion and experience of the product, it could be totally different for you. So keep that in mind and take it with a grain of salt. Well then, let's start with 'the good ones'. 

THE GOOD ONES
These are the foundations that I often use. They're good, though obviously not yet reaching that MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Foundation level.



1. L'Oréal Nude Magique Cushion
I saw this on tv, in magazines and on youtube and I just needed to try it. So I bought and I tried and, I have to say, I'm not at all that disapointed by this product. It matches my skin tone perfectly, so they definitely have some light colors in their range. The packaging is pretty, nice and small which is why, to me, it seems like a perfect on-the-go foundation. What I don't like about the packaging is the applicator that comes with it. I mean, it does the job, but it's just not all that fast and easy or hygienic and doesn't give you a flawless, nicely covered finish. I'd rather apply this with my Real Technique Miracle Complexion Sponge. Now, enough about the packaging and sponges. The product itself is something I like a lot. I'd say it's a lot more dewy and glowy than my Lumi Magique foundation(2), and it gives off quite a wet look. It definitely needs a couple of minutes to dry. It also needs a couple of layers if you want a full coverage, but it's definitely possible to get. One layer is good if you want a natural look, for those days that you don't want to apply too much make up. The biggest min about this product for me is that it really needs some time to set and it moves a lot on the face. This all being said, I think this is definitely a good foundation for on-the-go and for days you want to wear less make up. But that's not really what I'm looking for in my daily foundation.
2. L'Oréal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation
This foundations is the best in my stash, I think. It matches my skin tone the best, it covers up most of the redness in my face and it doesn't show my dry patches that much. It gives a nice glow to my face but it's not too dewy or shiny. The formula is nice a bit thin, not sticky and it blends out nice and easy. I use a Real Technique Miracle Complexion Sponge to apply this to my face. What I don't like about this foundation is that I need at least two layers to get a nice full coverage face. Most times even after two layers my redness still peeks through a little, on my cheeks. It also doesn't stay on as long as I'd like it to.

3. Make Up Forever Ultra HD Foundation Stick
Boy, was I curious about this foundation. Having seen so many beautybloggers talk about this, I couldn't help but want, need, this foundation as well. So I had to buy one. At the store they didn't have my color anymore so they gave me shade darker, which isn't all too much darker so I can still work with this. To me, the whole stick thing feels a bit strange but it makes applying foundation a bit more fun. The foundation blends really well and gives a nice, medium coverage with only one layer. I apply this with my Real Technique Miracle Complexion Sponge and have found that this is probably the only and best way to apply it. I do feel like it takes a bit more time to apply. Which is weird because it probably comes in a stick to make it faster and easier but when I apply it, it just seems to take a bit more time. Maybe it's the many stripes I have to apply to my face to get a medium coverage. I can get a medium coverage with one layer tho, and just apply some extra on my cheeks, nose and chin to really cover up the redness. What does bother me about this product that it looks a bit cakey on me, you can definitely tell that I'm wearing (a lot) make up. It doesn't set as nicely and prettily on the dry patches on my skin, but it definitely gives a full coverage and stays on for a whole day.

4. Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation
This foundation was definitely my go-to foundation for work. I've used this a lot and the tube is nearly empty. It's a matte finish and it stays on for at least 8 hours. The formula is mousse-y and thick, and it blends out really easy. It feels really nice on the skin and is actually really nice to apply. I apply this with my Real Technique Expert Face Brush which applies it just right. What could be wrong with this product, you may ask? Well, my work started at 7 in the morning, which left me to apply my make up in the dark since my lightening isn't that well. So it seemed to be the right color for me but as I apply it in day light, it really doesn't seem so. This foundation has an incredible pink undertone and ends up being just a tad too dark for my skin tone, even having picked up the lightest color. It just accentuates all the wrong things in my face, leaving my face looking a bit orange-red. It's still a good matte foundation tho, not drying the skin out too much. Just, the color isn't right for me. And I have yet to find a Rimmel foundation where the lightest color isn't too dark or orange on my face.

THE ALRIGHT ONES
These ones are nice, I use them, but not as much as the 'good ones'. These are still really nice and good foundations, but won't always work for me.



5. L'Orél Infallible 24H-Matte Foundation 
Overall, I'd say this is a good matte foundation. It does what it says, matte finish, not cakey and stays on for quite a bit. Wouldn't say that it could last for 24 hours but that could also be my type of skin, obviously. The product is nice, not too liquidy, easy to blend as I apply this with my Real Technique Miracle Complexion Sponge. It gives a nice matte finish, covers up most spots in my face. But, as the package tells me, this product should be high coverage. And that's absolutely not the case. I haven't tried to build it up, but one layer gives, for me, definitely not a high coverage. You may wonder, why hasn't she tried to build it up, then. Well, as most light drugstore foundations, the lightest or second to lightest color is again not that light at all. And I can still work this foundation with just adding one layer but I don't dare to apply another layer, scared to end up, you know, looking orange. Forgetting that for a second, I could really say that this is a good matte foundation. It has a nice finish, doesn't look like you're wearing a lot of make up, doesn't dry on the skin and it looks good.

6. Bobbi Brown Long-wear Finish Foundation SPF 15
My first high priced foundation I ever bought. I had to swallow a few times before I bought this, but I don't regret it. I really like the packaging on this product. A glass bottle with matte finish, I don't know, I just really like how it looks. The product is quite thin and liquidy, so I'm always quick to apply this. I use my Real Technique Expert Face Brush to apply the product and the Real Technique Miracle Complexion Sponge to give it a nice finish. Now, this foundation gives the most beautiful dewy, glowy look. It's not a full coverage but you could try to build it up a bit to at least medium coverage. It stays a bit wet and you need to set it with a powder, but even after that it's still quite glowy. The foundation stays on for a good couple of hours but you need to touch it up every once in a while. It moves around on the skin and after a bit, most of the product just kinda disappears at the oily places in my face. So that's a bit of a down side of the foundation, to me.

7. MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation 
My MAC foundation, oh had I high hopes for this one. I literally prayed that it'd be perfect for me. This is a nice foundation. It has a nice finish, matte but again, not too matte. It doesn't look cakey, doesn't look like you're wearing a ton of make up. One layer gives you a medium to high coverage, I just apply a second layer on the areas that contain a lot of redness. I apply this with my MAC 159 Duo Fibre Brush (which is actually a brush for blush and highlighter??? I had no idea) and my Real Technique Miracle Complexion Sponge to give it a nicer finish. I really like this foundation, it also has a nice smell to it, which I couldn't explain to you but still, it has some scent and I find it a pleasant one. What I don't like about this though, it doesn't stay for that long on the oily parts of my skin. Especially my chin, the last time I used it, it had disappeared within two hours off my chin. And that's what really disappoints me. Something I don't expect from a MAC foundation. (UPDATE: I wrote this post a few weeks ago, and have tried it some more times since. If I could change the pictures than I'd have put this in my good ones part because it's actually quite a good foundation.)

8. Revolution The Matte Effect Foundation
The cheapest foundation in my collection, that's for sure. I don't know what I paid for this, but I think it was between 5-10 euro's. So that's definitely a good point, to me. This foundation is easy to apply, it blends out really nice, isn't runny and has a nice finish. I wouldn't say it has a really matte finish but it isn't glowy or dewy either, a bit in between. It has a light to medium coverage but you can definitely build it up to a full coverage. Basically, there's nothing wrong with this foundation. The only point is, as you could expect from a lower priced foundation, it stays on for about 2-4 hours. You definitely need to touch this up when you go out and want to wear it for a whole day. But for this price, I'm definitely not disapointed at all.

THE BAD ONES
The bad ones, yeah. Am I really gonna be this dramatic? YES. Because they're that bad.



9. Max factor Lasting Performance Foundation 
This is a matte foundation. I think I have the lightest color and it's still a bit too dark for me. It applies really easily, feels nice on the skin. It stays on for at least 8 hours. But the finish is incredibly cakey, you can definitely see you're wearing a lot of make up, even with one thin layer. After setting it with powder it's becoming even worse. It really doesn't have a nice finish, in my opinion. Incredibly disappointed in this foundation.

10. L'Oréal Nude Magique BB Cream So I wanted a BB cream for the days I don't want to wear too much make up but still want to cover up a bit of my face. As I loved the Magique foundation and cushion foundation from L'Oréal, I thought I'd love this as well. I was wrong. I couldn't have been more wrong. I don't know what went through my mind in the store, maybe the lights were just incredibly bad. Maybe they filled the tube with the wrong product, because this BB cream is ORANGE. It is so orange, it is so dark. I bought the color light, but it's orange. O-r-a-n-g-e. I don't know why I haven't thrown it out yet.

Well that was it. I hoped you enjoyed this, I hope this will, in some way, help you. Please do tell me if you have one of these foundations and they do work (better) for you. And let me know what you're favorite foundation is below in the comments, so there's more to try for me ! :)

Love, Ilona