I’m getting married. Soon. Very soon in fact. Since getting engaged one of my main priorities (ok, ‘main’ might be a bit of an exaggeration) is getting the makeup right for the big day. I have dallied in bridal makeup you see; some of my generous friends have willingly lent their faces to me allowing me to practise the dark art of creating the perfect bridal look.
So when it came to my own makeup for the day I decided very early on that I would do it myself. Now I’m not going to pretend that I haven’t had wobbles as W-day has crept nearer, googling potential makeup artists, fretting over whether or not I would be able to maintain a steady hand, but – unlike my decision that I was going to bake our wedding cake – I have stuck to my guns. My determination was tested when I went for a bridal trial at mac (insert link to post). I loved it, and the lovely makeup artist made it look so straight forward...was I really making the right decision to do it myself? Would my nerves on the day just be too much and I’d end up looking like the Corpse Bride?
Several deep breaths later and I remember why I want to do it myself – firstly I love makeup, so I find it relaxing to do it, and secondly I like my skin to look a certain way. Precious I know. But so far every makeup artist that has painted my face has made my skin look either orange, cakey, or both. And so it began. The quest for the perfect foundation.
I have oily/combination skin so wanted a matte, long lasting foundation with a medium to full coverage. As it is for my wedding day I went high-end in the price bracket.
Chanel Perfection Lumiere: this foundation was my biggest disappointment. I got a sample in a magazine and loved it – amazing coverage without looking caked on and stayed matte for the whole day which limited the powder touch ups needed. So what went wrong? When I went to actually buy a bottle the guy on the counter insisted I took another sample because Chanel had changed the formula. I am so glad he did! Whatever they changed made it a disaster for me. It was very hard to blend in, and dried patchy and frankly orange looking. I’m still pining after the original one.
Clarins, Everlasting foundation: the first thing I noticed about the foundation was the scent, a lovely fresh cucumber smell. Overall it was nice but not a winner, I’m not sure it lives up to its ever-lasting title and the coverage wasn’t enough for me.
Mac Studio Fix: good colour, easy to apply, but it didn’t hold on my face at all – despite a multitude of primers and powder being applied. Thirty minutes after applying it was already making a bid for freedom off my face!
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra: I had a brief fling with this foundation, thought it might be the one. It wasn’t. The foundation goes on easily, has reasonably good coverage (I would say more on the medium side), and a nice finish. But I don’t feel like it stayed that well on me, after about 4 hours of wear my naturally oily skin destroyed the matte finish and by the end of the day I wasn’t convinced I had any product left on.
Estee Lauder Double Wear: it claims to have long lasting (up to 15 hours) coverage and a flawless finish, and I actually think I might agree! I love the coverage and finish – matte but not too powdery or cakey looking at the end, I’m also not aware of it once it is applied – some of the foundations (sorry Studio Fix) made me feel like I had an extra layer of skin on. It also sits well on my skin and doesn’t make a bee line for my wrinkles – got to be a bonus. The one downside – I’m struggling to get the right colour for my skin, I was recommended the shade Ivory Beige which looks great sometimes and has a tinge of orange other times. Maybe I will go a shade lighter on the day?
So I’m going with the Double Wear for the wedding. I don’t feel like my quest has been entirely satisfactory, as I’m not 100% confident with my choice, maybe I am expecting too much from what is just makeup?
