Drugstore Foundation Guide | My Favorites

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I’m Makena, the creator and editor of Makeup By Makena — a beauty blog dedicated to empowering others through the art of makeup.

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Welcome back to my blog, everyone! Today, I will be sharing my Drugstore Foundation Guide, in which I will be reviewing and comparing my personal favorite affordable foundations! Each of these foundations are ideal for everyday use, especially if you have dry skin like me and prefer a natural-looking and glowy complexion. Depending on what type of finish or coverage I desire, I either apply these foundations with a BeautyBlender for a more glowy and sheer look or with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for a more matte and full coverage look. Now, let’s get started!

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L’Oreal True Match Super Blendable Makeup

Price: $10
Coverage: light-medium
Finish: demi-matte
Ideal Skin Type: normal, combination, or oily
SPF: 17
Shade Range: 33 shades
My Shade: ‘W5-Sand Beige’
Why It Is my Favorite: This is the first foundation I ever used and it is great for beginners because, as the name suggests, it blends out so easily. This formula is best for normal to oily or acne-prone skin since it has a natural-looking yet matte finish; I like using this in the summer when I want something for my more oily T-zone. I like using a damp BeautyBlender to apply this foundation because it gives it a more sheer and natural finish. You can apply a sheer layer of this or build it up to a solid medium coverage, so this is great for everyday use. In case you do not already know, this line has the most incredible shade range and is organizd by undertone, so you will not have a problem finding the best color for your skintone. The only thing I do not like about this foundation is that it transfers very easily if it is not set with a powder.

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L’Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup

Price: $13
Coverage: light-medium
Finish: dewy
Ideal Skin Type: dry, normal, or combination
SPF: 20
Shade Range: 15 shades
My Shade: ‘W5-Sand Beige’
Why It Is My Favorite: This is my all-time favorite foundation because of the gorgeous buildable coverage, lightweight texture, and luminous finish! It is extremely versatile because I can acheive a sheer and glowy look for everyday or build it up for a solid medium coverage with added hydration for more formal events. I love using a damp BeautyBlender for a light, dewy look, but if you prefer a brush, I find that the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush works well too for a more full and less dewy look. This product is glowy, but not overly dewy, so it it will work nicely, not only for dry skin, but also for normal and combination skin, as well. My only complaint with this product is that I wished it lasted perfectly for 8 or more hours, but other than that, it is the best and most universal product I have ever tried. This foundation never looks cakey, and is just my ideal base product, one that I always recommend to friends and think everyone should at least try!

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Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup

Price: $14
Coverage: medium
Finish: satin
Ideal Skin Type: dry, normal, combination, oily, or acne-prone
SPF: 20
Shade Range: 14 shades
My Shade: ’60-Natural Beige’
Why It Is My Favorite: This foundation is challenging to describe because it is very universal in terms in coverage and finish. One layer of this provides a medium coverage that conceals redness, discoleration, and blemishes, but I love that it looks skin-like and natural. This has a natural satin finish, so because it is a mixture of dewy and matte, any skin type from dry to oily can wear it; this works really well with my dry skin as long as I properly moisturize and it also looks better the longer I wear it. I really like that this foundation sets once applied and lasts over 8 hours, too. I have not yet tried NARS Sheer Glow, but I have heard this is a dupe for it!

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Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation

Price: $8
Coverage: light-medium
Finish: very dewy
Ideal Skin Type: dry or dehydrated
SPF: 18
Shade Range: 16 shades
My Shade: ‘220-Natural Beige’
Why It Is My Favorite: If you have very dry skin and just have not found a foundation that is dewy enough for whay you are looking for, look no further than this one! This is by far the most glowy foundation I have ever tried, which I really like for mornings when my skin is dehydrated and flat. However, I do have to use a mattifying primer and touch up with powder to my T-zone after a few hours, because it does emphasize my oily areas and can break up throughout the day as a result. If you are worried about it being too glowy, I like using my Real Techniques brush. There is also a Matte and Poreless version, too, which I have heard is great for more oily skin, too. You can blend out a small amount for a ‘no-makeup’ makeup look or build it up with more thin layers for a lovely and fresh medium coverage. If you are looking for your color match, I believe that the shades ending in ‘0’ are warm-toned and the ones ending in ‘5’ are cool-toned. Overall, this foundation is so pretty if you are looking for an extra glow, and I love it for winter!

In case you are wondering, I always use the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer to conceal and hgihlight as well as the Rimmel Stay Matte Transparent Pressed Powder. For special occassions, I rely on the Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray to make my foundation last until I take it off. I worked really hard on this foundation guide and hope it was helpful for you! What is your favorite drugstore foundation and do you want more makeup guides?

XOXO,
Makena

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Read the Comments +

  1. great post! need to try these x

  2. sofiacollins says:

    This is such an awesome in-depth post, you always describe products so specifically it makes it so easy to pick which products would work for me! I love L’Oreal Lumi but Rimmel Match Perfection is my all-time favorite drugstore foundation!

  3. Hey girly, I tagged you in my latest blog post! Check it out here- https://styledbymckenz.wordpress.com/2017/01/18/blog-awards-catch-up/ xoxo 🙂

  4. I love the Maybelline Fit Me foundations. I have dry skin so I switch between the matte and poreless and the dewy one.

  5. CleiaBeauty says:

    I want to try the Maybelline foundation now! My skin is really dry during the winter so it sounds perfect! Lovely post ☺

  6. itsdianarus says:

    I always really wanted to try the Maybelline Fit Me Dewy and Smooth foundation and I think I would really like it as I have dry skin. Great post! So helpful ❤

  7. Loved this post , such great in depth reviews ! I really want to try the L’Oreal True Match Lumi foundation – it sounds so good! xx

  8. […] Posts: The Best Foundations for Acne-Prone Skin + 20 Ingredients to Avoid, Drugstore Foundation Guide, NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation Review, L’Oreal Infallible Pro Glow VS. Pro Matte […]

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Hey, I'm Makena.

I’m Makena, the creator and editor of Makeup By Makena — a beauty blog dedicated to empowering others through the art of makeup.

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