The Great No-Foundation Experiment

Foundation is appropriately named: It's the starting point of many a makeup routine. Plenty of us put it on with the same mindlessness as we do our moisturizer. And, with the contouring and highlighting techniques that have been #trending, it's no wonder. In order to build a house, you need a good structural support system.

But, what would happen if you ditched your foundation for something else — or (gasp!) nothing at all? Would the roof cave in? Would your makeup routine crumble to the ground? For every #NoMakeupSelfie out there, there are a handful of women whose skin crawls at the thought of a base-less face.

Being the sadists pseudo-scientists we are, we posed this hypothesis to four of our staffers, all of whom are regular foundation-wearers. Three of 'em got different base products, while one (yours truly) went completely bare for seven days. The results — like the women involved — were diverse. Some flourished, while others (ahem) floundered. Our experiences did, however, point to one idea: Your base truly is the crux of your beauty look.

Click through to see how we fared, and then let us know: Would you give up your foundation?