It’s been a minute since I last did a Save, Spend, Splurge, Skip post for here. But over on TikTok, I did get asked for some of my foundation recommendations. Lord knows I’ve tried a ton of them over the last 7 years. And with the cost of foundation specifically going up and up, we can’t be wasting our money on just anything. So, I figured this would make an ideal SSSS post. I can talk about the foundation’s that I rate, and even a couple that I hate. Let’s get into it.
SAVE (Budget up to $25.00)
A good quality, affordable even when it’s not on sale foundation is hard to come by these days. Fortunately, I have two total bangers in this category to talk about. Firstly, the ELF SOFT GLAM SATIN FOUNDATION – $18.00 (review here). Provides the most gorgeous long wear, soft luminous finish. And the shade range is phenomenal at this price point.
The AUSTRALIS FRESH & FLAWLESS FOUNDATION – $21.95 is a long, long time love of mine. And I would consider it quite underrated these days. The finish is bordering on full coverage. But it still leaves your skin looking like skin. It’s not heavy at all. And it wears all day to boot!
SPEND ($25.00-$50.00)
Isn’t it a real sign of the times when my two picks for the spend category are still from the drugstore? Thems the breaks, I guess. On the bright side, both of these are not only fantastic, but can be picked up for as low as half off on sale. My first pick is the REVLON ILLUMINANCE SKIN CARING FOUNDATION – $42.99 (review here). This did take me a few goes to find a way that worked for me personally. But as soon as I did, it was off to the races! A gorgeous medium coverage foundation that would be ideal for those with more mature skin.
My other pick is the legendary L’OREAL TRUE MATCH FOUNDATION – $33.99. What hasn’t been said about True Match? It really is a foundation that has stood the test of time. It literally looks like skin once applied and the shade range is unmatched at the drugstore.
SPLURGE (Budget over $50.00)
Now we are getting into the tough choices. As you can imagine, a lot of foundations that I know and love sit at this price point. And culling the list down to two was very difficult. But if I were given the choice to repurchase any two foundations at this price point, these were the first two to spring to mind. First up, the GLOSSIER STRETCH FOUNDATION – $59.00 (review here). This formula and finish is my ideal for any foundation. Light to medium coverage with a true natural finish. And it wears exceptionally well.
However, for those occasions where I want my skin to look it’s absolute best, it has to be the HAUS LABS TRI CLONE SKIN TECH FOUNDATION – $85.00 (review here). Thank god this is now available in Australian Sephora stores. I can finally find my shade. And there are so many shades to choose from! But it’s the wear and finish that truly separates this from the rest. If I could get married today, this would be the foundation I wear.
Skip (No Budget)
OK, full disclosure, I tend to not hold onto the foundations that piss me off for too long. I only have space in my collection for my favourites these days. Having said that, I cannot bring myself to part with these two. Even though both of them have done me so dirty. The HUDA BEAUTY FAUX FILTER LUMINOUS MATTE FOUNDATION – $75.00 is one I’ve tried to review so many times. But every time I wear it, I wind up taking it off again within the hour. It feels awful on my skin. So heavy and drying. I cannot handle it. Sorry for those who are still waiting for the full review. This should answer that question.
The MAKEUP BY MARIO SURREALSKIN FOUNDATION – $82.00 (review here) was famously divisive upon it’s release back at the tail end of 2022. And I definitely landed on the bust side of that opinion. Even on my combo dry skin, this was just too much. It looked borderline metallic on me. And more often than not, broke down after a few hours of wear. I do know some people who this worked out for. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they are all, at a minimum, 8 years younger than me. Do with that info what you will.
And those are my foundation picks! This could even become a series in it’s own right. Again, I have tried a lot of coverage style products. And would you like to see a skin tint version? Let me know your faves in the comments.
Cheers and love
Emily xo