How to Find the Perfect Foundation

So you're in a shop and you're faced with tens of different counters offering you everything to satisfy your foundation needs, but where do you even start when it comes to choosing the right one for you? Believe me, I have been through my fair share of different foundations; some I have loved and some I have hated with a passion (hated the fact that I wasted hard earned cash even more!!).

 

  Work out your skin type:- this plays a massive part in the kind of foundation you need to be trying; what works for someone with dry skin probably isn't going to work for someone with oily skin. If your skin is oily all over then you probably want to go for a powder based foundation whereas if you've got combination skin a liquid foundation may be better. If you have dry skin you want to stay away from powders and go for something which moisturises as you wear it.   Do your research:- The obvious place to start for me would be beauty blogs, a quick Google search of something like 'best foundation for oily skin blog' would bring up lots of different blog posts telling you all about different foundations. Obviously everyone is different but looking at the opinions of others should narrow it down a little bit for you so you can walk into store with a 'shortlist'.   If possible see someone on counter:- If you're going for a high end product then you have the luxury of seeing someone on a counter, although they may not be professionally trained in all aspects of makeup, chances are they will be very knowledgeable about their brand and the products they offer. Don't try and do it on your own; the lovely ladies are there for a reason and it doesn't cost anymore to ask for their help. You do not have to buy, don't feel pressured and make sure you don't let anyone make you feel guilty - you are not wasting their time if you don't buy!   Make sure you tell them what you want:- As much as the ladies are all very lovely, if they are trying to push something onto you that you don't think you want you need to politely tell them that you would rather try something else. Far too many times I have been pushed onto a product that I didn't really want and hated it when I got home. Do you want to mattify or do you like a dewy look, do you want a full coverage or just a light base?   Ask for samples:- Don't just go in for the kill immediately, if you are genuinely unsure of which shade to go for then you could always ask for a couple of pots of two or three shades to take home and try. Some places might not offer this but it's worth a try and you can apply the foundation as you usually would and you can get a real feel of what it's like.   Don't buy immediately:- If you think you've found the perfect foundation, don't be hasty. You'll never know whether it's for you until you've worn it for a couple of hours. If you're in a shopping centre, go and have a browse around and see how the foundation wears on your skin. After a couple of hours go into natural light (preferably outside) and have a look in the mirror - does it look orange or too pale? Is it still covering your skin evely? Can you see any excessive oiliness or dry patches? - Bottom line, if it's a new foundation do not buy it as soon as it's applied, you might be disappointed later!

Jean Paul Gaultier Signature Scent

I don't know about anyone else but I feel quite bare if I leave the house without any perfume on; I just feel like I'm not myself if I don't smell of something nice. I have gone through lots of different perfumes in my time but there's one that I have always gone back to and I've generally always got a bottle stored somewhere because I love it so much. 

Jean Paul Gaultier Classique £48.50 Jean Paul Gaultier Classique is a bold, seductive scent which can be identified so easily because it's such a classic women's fragrance. I'm rubbish at describing scents but this is the Jean Paul Gaultier description:
'Top notes of  rose with the freshness of star anise, middle notes include the spicy sweetness of orange blossom and aphrodisiac notes of ginger and finally base notes of sensual vanilla and amber wood' It's not a cheap fragrance by any means, with an EDT coming in at around £50 but I think it's more than worth it... everyone needs a signature scent and this one is mine!

Doggy Play Date

Jasper hasn't been on my blog for a good year or so, so I thought it was time he made another appearance. My friend Emily brought her dog so Jasp had a doggy play date with his Labrador friend Vinnie. They spent a good hour and half messing around with his ball and then chasing each other giving each other kisses kisses. They're both big softies but Vinnie loves to give kisses, they took it in turns to chase each other and just generally have an ace time!

The last photo is just Vinnie being his usual submissive self, he just laid down and let Jasper kiss him which sums them both up perfectly! I love having such a friendly little dog and meeting other similar dogs and letting them socialise together is really cute to watch. Jasper is completely conked out now and I bet he can't wait for the next play date!!

Best High Street Foundation for Oily Skin - No7 Beautifully Matte

I'm now on my 3rd bottle of this so I thought it was time I featured it on here, considering it's been my go-to high street foundation for many months now! No.7 seems to be quite ignored in the world of beauty, especially among younger consumers but I can tell you that this foundation has definitely been a 'hidden gem' for me. It's so difficult to find a foundation that suits oily skin without it being too heavy and cakey or too light and dewy but this foundation seems to have got it spot on.

No.7 Beautifully Matte Foundation (£13.50)
As always I'm open to being proved wrong but I do not think that I will ever find a foundation which removes the need for me to use a powder on top without it being really cakey. I don't actually like to look like I've got piles of makeup on so I'll always try and get a shade which is as close to my skin tone as possible and I will only use what I need to cover up imperfections and even out my colour.  My Thoughts: The shade 'Warm Ivory' is perfect for me, it's probably as close to my skin tone as any high street foundation is ever going to get. The formula is thick and creamy and it glides onto my skin, blending effortlessly, offering a full coverage. It evens out my skin tone and covers any imperfections without becoming cakey/patchy and with minimal oxidisation throughout the day. It has pretty good staying power when paired with a powder, although I do find that reapplying through the day can make it feel heavy; I actually prefer to take it all off with a cleansing water and start a fresh.
I've always gone back to MAC Studio Fix if I've run out of everything else but that oxidises so bad and the shade range is quite limited I think; NW15 is too light but NW18 is a tiny bit too dark - I can only wear NW18 when I have a tan. No.7 Beautifully Matte actually comes in 14 different shades which I think is quite a good selection for a high street foundation.
At £13.50 it is a little more expensive than foundation offerings from other high street brands like Rimmel & Maybelline but I do think it blows other mattifying high street foundations out of the water. If you are on a budget and you need a good base to even out your skin and help cover imperfections then I highly recommend trying this. The beauty about No.7 is that in some larger Boots stores they have staff on hand to help you try out the products so that'd be the perfect opportunity to see how this works for you.