Top 5 Drugstore Foundations
I have been a makeup fiend for the better part of 30 years. Yes, at 36, that means I was dipping and dabbling in my mothers makeup bag at a VERY young age, smattering the various products I found all over my face...in no particular order LOL As I got older and started getting a little extra allowance money in my pocket, I ventured to my neighborhood drug store to load up on eyeliner and glosses (the only makeup my parents allowed me to wear at the tender age of 12). By the time I was 16, my bathroom counter was STACKED with powders, foundation, blushes, nail polish...I was full on glam. Luckily, my parents didn't fight my gift and actually enrolled me in beauty school to start making some money with all these talents ;-) I eventually chose the route of nails, but my heart has always been in makeup. From the drugstore to the high end mall anchors, I've tried it all. So I've decided to share with you a list of the top 5 drugstore foundations that I have in my makeup kit. Here we go:
1. Maybelline 'Fit-Me'- This is probably my fave drugstore foundation of all time. I first started using 'Fit Me' about 3 years ago after running out of my beloved Bobbi Brown and not having the time to go to the mall. To my surprise, coupled with the matching pressed powder, this product outlasted my Bobbi Brown, as well as some of the other brands I have in my makeup kit. As a brown-skinned girl with combination skin, it can be hard finding a product with the right shade that won't make me oily by sundown, but 'Fit-Me' is the truth honey and is now a staple on my bathroom counter.
2. Sephora Collection '10-hr Wear Perfection'- Now, this isn't a drugstore brand per se; it's a store brand which we technically could call a generic. But lemme tell you that there is NOTHING generic about the Sephora foundation. Owned by LVMH, anything that the Sephora team creates is given the same rigorous testing that their other beauty brands go through...yeah, those brands like Make Up Forever, Givenchy and Benefit...you've heard of those right? ;-) To me, the formula is comparable to my Chanel foundations with better coverage. They have a range of colors and has really great coverage for those of you that like blemish-free skin.
3. Rimmel 'Stay-Matte'- Now, lemme first say that I haven't found the right color for me in the Stay-Matte foundation BUT I've seen the product on some of my friends and it really is 'Stay Matte'. Being South Florida, I am not a fan of the dewy skin look because honestly, in Miami humidity, Imma be dewy anyway (let's be real). So, I'm always looking for products that give me a matte finish. I believe that once they come out with a few more tones, I will be stocking up. In the meantime, I'll just purchase a few of their fab lippies ;-)
4. L'oreal 'True Match' -For those of you that don't know, Loreal is MAC and MAC is Loreal. Hence why their eye shadows are comparable to most of the MAC eye shadow line. I'm saying that to say that the quality and range that you find with MAC products, you'll also find in L'oreal. With the 'True Match' collection, they have gone to great lengths to incorporate all colors of the rainbow and have succeeded. You can find almost any shade with this brand and will have coverage that lasts you all day long.
5. IMAN Foundation Stick-As a woman of color, my one face has about 3 different shades due to hyper-pigmentation. So it's really important that I find a brand that covers all, if not most, of the colors on the brown side of the rainbow. Iman does just that. From the foundations down to the lipstick, IMAN cosmetics caters to woman of color is such an amazing way. The brand has both warm and cool tones and in some stores, you can actually test them out.
Okay, so I hope this list has convinced you to go play around at your local drugstore's cosmetic section after work today. I have a range of foundations in my makeup kit just by virtue of being Dionne Dean and I've find both good and bad at all price ranges. Don't knock your local drugstore. They may have just the foundation you've been looking for...on a budget!
