Drugstore Dupes for Luxury Foundations with a Natural finish
These days my makeup routine is pretty minimal. Usually, I’m excited for vampy fall looks, but I don’t see the no-makeup makeup trend going away any time soon. A natural base, some eyebrows, and a good lipstick is all you need to look put together for a Zoom call (without anybody knowing you woke up 15 minutes before). To achieve a natural-looking complexion, I reach for tinted moisturizers and sheer-coverage foundations. Here are some luxury foundations I love and drugstore foundations dupes for them, so you can get the look at any price point.
Splurge: dior face and body foundation ($40)
This stuff is the crème de la crème of the makeup world and I dare you to find someone who disagrees. It has a beautiful satin finish and is virtually undetectable on the skin. The coverage is light and builds really well without looking cakey. I find this is best applied with a buffing brush, and a little goes a long way. I have pretty oily skin — wearing a mask doesn’t help — and this lasts all day. If you aren’t a makeup junkie, the price is a bit steep, but worth every penny in my opinion.
SAVE: MAYBELLINE DREAM URBAN FOUNDATION ($9)
I was shocked by how much I liked this drugstore foundation. You won’t even need concealer with this drugstore all-star. It covers imperfections, zaps shine, and is perfect for when you want extra sun protection. To apply, I put small dots all over my face and blend with my fingers. It held up during a long day of errands in humid Toronto weather with minimal touch-ups and for that reason alone, it has a permanent place in my makeup bag.
SPLURGE: BOBBI BROWN SKIN FLUID POWDER SPF 20 ($40)
This liquid-to-powder foundation is fresh on the market and the first of its kind. It’s a very interesting texture when you first apply it, but then sets into a beautiful, glowy-matte finish. I’ve experimented with different methods of applying it and found that a damp beautyblender ($20) works best with this formula. This makeup-skincare hybrid has SPF 30 and a power protein complex that leaves skin looking and feeling healthy. The sweat-resistant formula keeps oil at bay while providing sheer, natural-looking coverage. It’s $40 for 1.4 fluid ounces and I give every drop 5 stars.
SAVE: NYX BARE WITH ME TINTED SKIN VEIL ($12)
I’m a big fan of NYX products because they’re affordable and effective, so I wasn’t surprised I liked this. I really love how this drugstore tinted moisturizer looks on the skin, it’s a satin finish that looks and feels like a second skin. The formula is lightweight, breathable, and very sheer. I like to top it off with some powder and concealer for extra support. The only downside is there are only 12 shades to choose from, so getting the right color match can be tricky.
Do you prefer sheer or full coverage complexion products? Comment below!
