Luxury Brand Foundation Review (Acne Prone Skin)
Luxury Brand Foundation Review (Acne Prone Skin)
As you may have seen from a recent post on my Instagram, I suffer from acne and have done throughout my teens and now into my 20s. I've struggled to find makeup that I feel confident in and that covers my acne blemishes and scarring well. It was only recently that I thought to go to luxury brands to purchase my foundation, thinking I would receive a much better product than high street brands like Maybelline and Rimmel.
I did some research into the best makeup to use on acne prone/oily skin and here are some of my findings:
- Seek out products that are non-greasy and oil free (This applies to skin care as well, not just makeup products)
- Try and avoid highly fragranced products. Fragrance-free or natural products are the way to go to avoid irritation and increased skin sensitivity
- Avoid parabens and phalates. Parabens are used in products to increase the shelf life and phalates are used to homogenise the product. Phalates also carry fragrances so this added ingredient is a double no-go for acne prone skin!! Both are said to 'mess with your hormones' and that is the last thing acne sufferers need in their lives!
- Avoid using lots of pressed powder products. Some of the ingredients in powder products can be incredibly dehydrating- the whole aim of powder products is to absorb excess oils and moisture from the skin to reduce shine. Dehydrated skin can become sensitive, dry, cracked and irritated therefore provide a perfect breeding ground for those pesky breakouts.
Over the last couple of months I have been putting 3 luxury brand foundations to the test to see whether paying a little bit more money can give you a better product that will cover current acne blemishes and not directly cause more breakouts.
3
Brand: Clinique
Shade: Breeze
Price: £28.50
My Rating: ★
This product was the one I was most excited to try. It ticked all the boxes when the lady in Clinique told me about it- full coverage, 2-in-1 foundation and concealer, oil-free.
Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. yes, the coverage was good, but after less than an hour on each application, the product seemed to sit funny on blemished and scarred areas of my skin. It dried out my skin and also didn't blend well over pores.
The product had so much going for it but sadly it fell short of my expectations!
Will I be repurchasing? No.
2
Brand: Too Faced
Product: Born This Way Foundation
Shade: Snow
Price: £29
My Rating: ★★★
The first application of this was beautiful. It went on so easily and blended out like a dream. Everything was covered and the product lasted for a pretty long time, with the help of my Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. Infact, it lasted through this photoshoot!
The product almost felt powdery on my skin. Soft and delicate but with great coverage.
Products such as powder bronzer, blush and highlight blended really well with this foundation. I didn't test it with any cream products and I don't know whether it would work well or not. As I said previously, the product is so soft upon application that it felt powdery, in which case, cream products might not blend out too well.
My only little niggle about it is that on my really bad acne days, it had a tendency to sit funny on the blemished areas, much like the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation. It was very obvious that I was wearing a thick full coverage foundation when my skin was bad and that is exactly what you don't want when your skin is at its worst! However, it was a beautiful foundation on days that my acne was clearer. So, if you have mild breakouts, or just acne scarring, this foundation could be perfect... I would just avoid it if you have active acne with large blemishes.
Would I therefore repurchase this particular product? Probably not, simply because my acne is so unpredictable and I wouldn't want a foundation that can't handle my bad days!
1
Brand: Clinique
Product: Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Makeup
Shade: Fresh Alabaster
Price: £28.50
My Rating: ★★★★★
At first, I didn't like it. It wasn't very full coverage and you could still see all the blemishes through it. Or that's what I thought because I was so used to wearing a thick layer of foundation over the top of my skin.
After a couple of uses, I realised that this product was a lot more clever than I had originally thought.
Quoting Clinique:
"Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Makeup is lightweight for oily or blemish-prone skin that needs smooth coverage and skin-clearing treatment benefits. The oil-free foundation, conceals, controls breakout, neutralises the appearance of redness and helps prevent future blemishes while providing moderate coverage and a natural finish that never looks chalky and is soothing to the skin."
I could not agree more with Clinique's description of this product.
The moderate coverage was the thing I disliked to begin with but looking at my skin closer when it was on, I found that although the blemishes weren't CAKED in full coverage foundation, they were less visible because of the redness neutralisation. It also looked so much better than a thick, full coverage foundation because it wasn't immediately obvious that I had a layer of foundation on.
Because it was only a subtle, natural finish, I found that my skin didn't ever feel dry or uncomfortable and the makeup never lifted from my skin. It stayed put (with setting spray, of course).
Will I be repurchasing this product? There's a high possibility that I will in the coming weeks!
HOWEVER.
I am currently sampling another luxury brand foundation at the moment so we shall see if that one puts a spanner in the works! I will let you know how I get on with this new foundation sample on my Instagram!
I hope this post was of use to anyone going through the same skin troubles as I am. I know from first hand experience how much of a struggle finding the right makeup can be when your skin is so problematic and just won't play ball!
If you'd like to see me test out any other acne-friendly makeup or skincare then let me know in the comments below!
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