Liquid or Powder?

In the world of foundations there are two types:  liquid and powder.  And with that, you are either a liquid foundation sorta girl or a powder foundation kinda person.

I shudder when I think back to the makeup I wore as a teen.  Trying so hard to look older and to hide any imperfections, I enlisted a cocktail of full-coverage liquid foundation as well as a nice healthy dusting of loose powder…and I’m not talking about the sheer, translucent kind…I’m talking about the heavy kind, that color- matched my foundation.  Yikes.

Once in college I discovered MAC Studio Fix powder foundation and fell deeply in love.  I wore this easy to use, flawless face producing powder for many years and didn’t think twice about it containing talc until mineral makeup shot into popularity.  I had a brief stint with Bare Escentuals and quickly found a cheaper and more easy to use mineral powder foundation called Pur Minerals, that I still use today.  But, at 27, funny enough, I have started to embrace my skin and I have less of a desire to cover it up.  I’ve actually worn mostly tinted moisturizers for the past few months and it has got me rethinking my makeup routine.

The first thing I think of, when I think of liquid foundations, is the word ‘heavy’.  But, truth be told, this isn’t necessarily so.  Log onto Sephora and start scanning through the plethora of liquid foundations and you’ll see that there are many different formulations ranging from matte, sheer, medium-coverage, and foundations that offer luminosity, among other things.  I’ve also have read several makeup application tips from celebrity makeup artists using liquid foundation only on areas that need correction and leaving the rest of the skin fresh, setting with a dusting of powder.  Hmmmm…sounds easy.

So, while it’s hard to change, I think I’ll be switching things up once my beloved Pur Minerals is out.  It’s hard to get a dewy glow, a lá Jennifer Lopez when you’re applying heavy powder all over your face.  Here’s a list of some of the foundations I’m thinking of trying:

• Makeup Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation (Sienna Miller’s makeup artist uses this on her)
• Stila Natural Finish Oil-Free Makeup
• Korres Wild Rose Foundation
• Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation

My friend Beth over at Beauty Junkie in SF has left her powder foundation comfort zone and just tried out Nars Sheer Matte Foundation, click here to read her review!

Now, I want to hear what you think.  Take my poll below to declare whether you’re a liquid or powder foundation kind or girl…and feel free to leave your two cents in the comment section if there is a particular brand we all must try!

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