Spring Foundation Refresh

It seems that spring is finally just around the corner now! And just like clockwork, the matte look that is so in demand during fall / winter is slipping off to reveal that coveted springtime dew that screams of youth and beauty. While having a great skincare regime to maintain a well hydrated and smooth base is the first step, the next is figuring out which base to choose and what type of finish you're going for. Since the entire BB & CC cream revolution, we've seen a true mesh of skincare meets makeup. However depending on the occasion, a proper foundation sometimes is better than one do-it-all product.

I love / hate testing out new foundations. On the one hand, it's so exciting to break open a new bottle and with technology getting so advanced every year, these foundations just keep on getting better and better. On the other hand, I hate it because it means I risk a potential breakout. My skin is especially sensitive to silicone and dimethicone which is pretty much in everything these days. Dimethicone and silicones form a barrier on the skin, which keeps your skin hydrated and a temporary "plump" look. It spreads well, and has that smooth silky feeling that we love. They fill in fine lines and wrinkles, which is what we all want but in doing so, that barrier smothers the skin and seals off the pores which causes breakouts and irritations. So while I am obligated to use these silky airbrush foundations on shoots with makeup artists (which I still love wearing 5-hours at a time), the foundations I curate for myself that I wear daily are going to have little-to-none silicone content. I will still expect them to be long-wearing and perform as well as my silicone-sisters, but these will be a more-natural, good-for-your-skin substitutes.

Before I get into the actual products, some general principles for spring:

I love my BB & CC creams for an everyday light coverage when I'm just running errands, but for nights out or photoshoots, I'm always going to reach for a proper base. Now for the new spring lineup - shade is going to be super important. Your skin is most likely going to be a tad lighter after hibernating for months indoors so be sure to get properly shade matched again. 

The finish is quite important for spring especially. We can sometimes get away with over powdering in the winter, but for spring, we want a fresh, light, dewy look. This doesn't mean going to town with a highlighter. Highlighters accentuate certain features with a shimmer or glittery fine mica, but this is very different than glow that is only attainable by hydrating... maybe even over-hydrating skin to make it look plump and juicy. This way the foundation sits properly on the skin, and the light will reflect smoothly across the surface giving you that glow. 

Skin texture is going to be your enemy here as any texture at all will be accentuated. So be sure to exfoliate regularly. I prefer using a chemical exfoliator such as Drunk Elephant's Sukari Babyfacial. This bad boy contains a huge 25% AHA and 2% BHA which will essentially "eat up" your dead skin cells by breaking down the substances and oils that holds them to the surface. It dramatically smooths any textures, unclogs pores, and literally gives you a "baby face." The high concentration of acids makes it super effective, but for any acne-prone people, it will sting a bit upon first applications as it works its magic.

I've been using Gressa's Minimalist Corrective Serum Foundation a lot recently during these transitional months from winter to spring. It really smooths and evens out complexions without masking. The finish is not too dewy, and the ingredients are phenomenal. If you tend to be more oily or combination, you will need blotting sheets or powder, as what gives this such a beautiful finish is the oil extracts that are used. The first listed ingredients feature cold pressed Broccoli Seed Oil and Coconut Alkanes. The oils give the skin this beautiful sheen, and the high amounts of mineral pigments make the foundation dry down to a velvety finish that gives good coverage where needed. It's a great option for sensitive skin as the minimal ingredients really do limit the amount of irritation. This is probably one of my most-used foundations for off-days and definitely will warrant it's own post later on. Shade range is not the best as they only carry 11 shades, and the undertone is slightly on the yellowish side, so while it might not match your complexion exactly, it does give the most natural looking sun-kissed tanned look.

Milk Makeup is another line that is close to my heart as it was created and designed by the fashion industry to be able to stand up to a constantly on-the-go-lifestyle. It's products are designed to perform and not melt off halfway through the day, and perform under professional stage settings under the scrutiny of cameras and lights. The ingredients they use are for the most part pretty good, swapping out silicone for coconut alkanes and alcohols with castor oil. They use minimal to no preservatives, keeping their ingredient list short to minimize irritations. I was a huge fan or their original Blur Stick, but this spring, I had to try their new Luminous Blur Stick. This blends amazingly with their Blur Liquid Matte Foundation which I used in the winter. The matte foundation is well.. matte. But with the Luminous Blur Stick paired beneath and on top of it, it seamlessly melds into each other to create a beautiful glossy flawless look. I love how the Blur Liquid Matte is so versatile that I can use it year-round, and even more so for its high performance and wearability all day during Fashion Week on the runway. Its very high coverage and flawless, but with a light application and paired with the Luminous Blur Stick, looks extremely light and delicate for spring.  

And finally, while I'm not really a fan of powder foundations, but Alima Pure's Pressed Foundation with Rosehip Antioxidant Complex is one of my favorites when I'm feeling on the oily side. It offers medium-full but natural looking coverage and is packed with antioxidants. Despite being a powder, the texture is actually quite creamy so it won't look dry, cakey, or powdery and wears really comfortably throughout the day. It doesn't accentuate dry patches, and this is because it is packed with essential oils: rosehip oil, evening primrose extract, grape leaf extract, etc. Despite it being a powder, its actually quite moisturizing so it makes for a great setting powder for anyone who has dry skin and is afraid of powders, and will wear throughout the day giving you a subtle natural spring glow.

Three of what I call "performance-foundations" that are not bad for your skin. All of them hold up in professional settings and can be built up to a flawless full coverage. For daily wear, please note that none of these contain any SPF at all, so you will have to apply a separate sunscreen. I appreciate that these don't because it reduces the chance of a flashback, but I know some people love having their SPF in products. This is important as although we crave that sunlight now that it's finally springtime, we must have our SPF!