I’m personally of the belief that you need wardrobes of the following: foundation, fragrance and fake tan.
Fragrance because hot summer days and balmy nights lend themselves to heady clouds of Tom Ford Neroli Portofino and Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess, while blustery, chilly months need Byredo Velvet Haze and then you need Bal D’Afrique for everything in between.
Fake tan, because sometimes you have the night free and can commit to sleeping in a slightly sticky coating and rinsing it off in the morning, and other times you need to just tactically tan exposed bits of skin. Sometimes you need something that will wash off and not leave any telltale marks (ask me about the incident with the white sofa in the Chanel press office in 2015 once I’ve had a glass of wine).
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And finally, foundation, because the different seasons bring different humidity levels and quantities of sunlight, and you need to respond accordingly. In summer, you’ll probably want something featherlight but utterly sweat-proof; winter makes you want something a little more cosseting.
Truthfully, finding the perfect foundation is down to personal preference and there is no 'right' option. I always go for serum-weight foundations and layer on extra concealer if I want more coverage, but I have friends who prefer to go heavyweight and just use it more sparsely. More than anything, I’d advise you to choose something with some moisture-retaining ingredients. There’s zero humidity right now, and central heating only exacerbates that, which can lead to the dreaded flaky patches and 'tight' feeling. Glycerin, sodium PCA and hyaluronic acid are all ones to hunt for – Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint has glycerin and bareMinerals Complexion Rescue has hyaluronic acid, and I love both of those.
If you prefer something a little heftier, I’d suggest Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation or Serum Foundation, while super oily skin types are going to love Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation – it’s unbeatable in terms of coverage and long-wear in such a wide shade range.
Aside from your makeup, the right skincare will make a world of difference this time of year. Just like with foundation, I’m a fan of light layers when it comes to skincare. Right now, I love Medik8 B5 Serum and La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum – both have healing panthenol and buckets of hyaluronic acid to help keep the skin springy and plump, and I’ve yet to find a better nighttime offering than SkinCeuticals Metacell Renewal B3. Different from B5, B3 is also known as niacinamide, and helps reinforce the skin’s moisture barrier. Moreover, make sure you’re giving your skin some sort of gentle daily exfoliation to remove any flakiness, and be sure to top up your hydration levels after.
Oh, and one more thing? There’s no such thing as too much blending when it comes to foundation. Seriously, buff your heart out, then buff some more.
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