After my first base edit, I thought I was done buying foundations for awhile, but there have been some really incredible foundation releases over the past year or so. So here we are, with another edition of the base edit with some all new formulations.
For reference, I have combination/oily skin – oily in the summer, and combination the rest of the year, with an oily t-zone and cheek area, and normal around the jaw and chin. I have medium skin that I’d describe as neutral-olive that has a slight warmth. In the winter, my skin is much more neutral toned, and with a tan, my skin turns more golden.
My best foundation matches are MAC Face and Body Foundation in C3 in the winter and C4 in the summer, or MAC NC30. Several of the foundations I feature today are also great matches, such as the Nars Soft Matte Foundation in Stromboli and the Shiseido Synchro Skin Self Refreshing Foundation in Oak.
Armani Beauty Neo Nude Foundation ($40 for 1.1 oz/35 ml)
Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation is one of the most iconic foundations in the beauty industry, and they’ve done it again with the Neo Nude Foundation. This is the dewy lightweight skin tint that feels like a breath of fresh air compared to a traditional foundation. It has a gel-cream texture that feels cooling and lightweight, and offers light coverage. The formula is hydrating and dewy without being too dewy – I was surprised to find that even on summer days this looked fresh without being greasy – though I still stray toward more matte finishes on the hottest and most humid days (see the next 2 options for more matte skin tints).
This has a touch more coverage than a traditional tinted moisturizer, but is definitely not like a full foundation. This gives that kind of effortless healthy look while evening out your skin tone, which I love for minimal days.
I bought shade 6 in this formula, which is Armani’s iconic olive shade. It is truly olive, which I appreciate, though just slightly too deep for my skin tone. I probably could have gotten away with shade 3.5, which is their next lightest olive shade. However, because of its strong olive tones and light coverage, I like to mix this into any other of my foundations to make it slightly more olive.
Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Fluid Powder Foundation SPF 20 ($40 for 1.3 oz/40 ml)
The name of this foundation was enough to have me interested, and also slightly nervous that “fluid powder” could turn into something really dry and cakey. However, the formula and finish of this foundation are unlike anything I’ve tried. It is a light coverage foundation that feels more like a watery liquid foundation, and blends out to a satiny-matte powder finish. Now, I know that sounds like a finicky finish for anyone who doesn’t have oily skin, but the powder isn’t the powdery finish of the 90s. It looks remarkably natural, and it looks powdery in the HD-just-lightly-airbrushed way – meaning the powderiness is nearly undetectable, but there’s a soft flawless finish to it.
I bought this last year when it first came out and have been wearing it on and off since I bought it. I’m really impressed with this, and it became an unexpected hit for me. I prefer a lightweight finish for every day, and the long-wear claims are true. I can wear this all day up to 12 hours, problem, and the finish lasts without fading, like a regular lightweight tinted moisturizer can sometimes do.
I wear the shade Natural Tan, which is described as a medium beige with yellow undertones for olive skin, and the shade is spot on for me. This is one of my go-to every day foundations, in the likes of MAC Face and Body, but for when I want something a little more matte.
Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint ($29.50 for 1.02 oz/32ml)
I bought this during the spring Sephora sale, and have loved wearing it since. It’s another skin tint that has light-medium coverage and a soft matte finish, and is yet another option that is fantastic for oily skin. It has a slightly more velvety feel than something like MAC Face and Body – which almost feels kind of juicy if you know what I mean. It does have a very blurring and smoothing formula, as advertised, and lasts really well throughout the day for me without fading or patchiness.
I have seen reviews where it seemed to not work for people with dry skin, so I suspect this might catch onto dry spots, but this works for me like a charm. I find this ever so slightly easier to just slap on and go compared to the Bobbi Brown, making this slightly more user-friendly for me.
I wear shade 10, which is described as a medium with warm yellow undertones, and find that it works pretty well on me. It’s not a 100% match, maybe like a 95% match, but with this formula, it’s really hard to tell.
When I first bought this in the spring, I made an Instagram reel where I applied this foundation:
Nars Soft Matte Complete Foundation – ($40 for 1.5oz)
I talked about this foundation in last year’s Sephora sale recommendations, and my love for it is just as strong as when I first got it last year. It’s my go to long-wear medium-full coverage foundation. This is pretty much just perfect in terms of a matte foundation for me. It blends really well onto my combo-oily skin (though it might be tricky for dry skin), and the shade Stromboli matches me perfectly. I can reliably wear this all day and it’ll look flawless and just slightly lived in with my natural oils – but not greasy in the slightest – by the end of the day.
When I don’t want to wear something so full coverage, but still want the longevity of this foundation, I’ll mix in any of the above skin tints to sheer out the coverage a little bit, and it mixes well with everything I’ve tried.
I recently used this foundation in this reel:
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self Refreshing Foundation SPF 30 ($47 for 1 oz/30 ml)
This is the newest foundation out of the few mentioned here, and it is another fuller coverage foundation, though this one leans more towards a traditional medium rather than full coverage. I also find this foundation very longwearing, with the benefit that it is much easier to apply than the Nars if my skin is feeling slightly more dry. I usually wear a light coverage foundation during the day, but when I do find myself wanting more coverage, this is my go-to. It doesn’t look overdone or super flawless like the Nars one, and it still maintains a very natural finish.
I wear the shade 340 Oak, which is a medium shade with a slight olive-golden undertone, which is pretty much a perfect match for me. I don’t need to add any other shades to adjust the tones of this, which I frequently do with other foundations.
I applied this foundation in this reel:
Thrive Causemetics Blendable Blur CC Cream ($38 for 1oz/30ml)
This is the only foundation that was gifted to me in PR, and I really do love the texture and finish of this. I find this somewhere between light and medium coverage, though it is buildable, as the name suggests. I like that this gives a very natural and radiant finish while still setting down in my skin. For its radiant finish, it has impressive lasting power and oil control for me. While my natural oils do break through, I’ve worn this in the summer without actually getting greasy, which makes it truly a winner in my routine.
I wear the shade light-medium, which has warm undertones, and it matches me quite well most of the year. When I get a tan, I like to mix in a deeper foundation, but it’s actually a great shade match for me.
Here are all the shades of foundation swatched:
Top to Bottom: Armani Neo Nude 6, Bobbi Brown Golden Tan, Fenty Eaze Drop 10, Nars Soft Matte Foundation in Stromboli, Shiseido Synchro Skin Oak, Thrive Causemetics Light Medium 
Have you tried any of these foundations? Are there other foundations you think I should try? Let me know!
As always, thanks for reading.
Beauty Unhyped 
2 thoughts on “Fall 2021 Foundation Edit”