BEAUTY BATTLES: MY FOUNDATION COLLECTION

For this edition of the BEAUTY COMPARISONS, I will compare all of my foundation products.

Here are my standards for a good foundation:

- DOESN'T LOOK CAKEY

- BLENDS LIKE SECOND SKIN OR IMPROVES MY SKIN TEXTURE AND TONE

- STAYS PUT THE WHOLE DAY

- DOESN'T STING

- HAS NO FUNKY SMELL

- HAS GOOD YET NATURAL COVERAGE

- DRIES QUICKLY

GRAFTOBIAN HI-DEF CREME FOUNDATION (DESERT SAND)

This is an HD foundation. It is actually a good product. It is unscented, and cheap. 800php for a pan. It is a lightweight cream that blends evenly and easily. It is also buildable. However, you can look a bit too made up if you put too much of it. But when it settles on your skin, it looks natural. My only qualm is, it dries slowly. A little goes a long way and coverage is really good. It evens out my skin tone and has the ability to tame down redness (e.g ripe pimples, minor skin redness).

RATING: 8/10

MAKE- UP FOREVER HD FOUNDATION (160)

Honestly, I bought this just to see what the hype is all about. It does give amazing results because when you put the right amount, it makes your skin look flawless and almost perfect. It also has the ability to control facial oil the whole day. However, some shades available are pink toned so it literally changes the color of my skin if I put too much of it. It is quite costly. Price is 2150php (?). Pump is not convenient because it is not controllable. If you have heavy hands, chances are, you can squeeze too much of the product out of the tube. I actually had the mistake and was forced to put all the excess gunk on my skin. Hubby told me that I was wearing a too obvious foundation. I looked at myself in natural lighting and my face looked pinkish and darker! I was slowly losing my interest in the product so I sold it.

RATING: 6/10

PAUL AND JOE LIQUID FOUNDATION N (50)

A lot have been raving about the Paul and Joe foundation line. So you might infer that I bought this just because of the hype. The packaging is exquisite and lovely. It costs 1950php. The bottle can be used as a display or as a container for another liquid. But, it doesn't have a pump, spatula or anything so it can be quite messy when using. This line promises a glowing effect for the skin. The coverage is medium- heavy. The coverage is impressive, but the foundation feels kinda' hot on the face. It dries ever so slowly and can run off within the day if you're in a very hot place, or if you sweat profusely. The glowing effect seemed oily to me. So after two trials, I sold this foundation. I actually managed to solve the oily- look, but the staying power is not good.

RATING: 5/10

L-R: ULTRA AND SUPRA

KRYOLAN ULTRAFOUNDATION (FAIR OLIVE, CONCEALER SHADE)

Another great foundation for professional use. Almost similar to Supracolor but Ultrafoundation dries faster than Supracolor. While Supracolor has a glowing, moist finish, Ultrafoundation dries to a matte finish. It just blends into skin, making it look 100 times better. Ultrafoundation is buildable. So you can go from light to dramatic. However, this is more costly than Supracolor. A refill costs 650php and a palette of 6 can cost around 2- 2500php.

RATING: 10/10

KRYOLAN SUPRACOLOR (W SHADES (PINK TONED SHADES), 8W)

A foundation for professional use. Coverage is very thick. It literally changes the color and texture of the skin. It is sweat- resistant and works very well with any setting powder. A palette of 6 costs 1700php. Has a lovely and light perfume smell that is not over- powering. Contains no mineral oil, which makes some foundation run off of the skin. Glycerin- rich, so it moisturizes as well. Can be a bit hard to remove but it's very efficient for performers who sweat a lot during performances. A palette can contain 6 colors, from the concealer to special shades. It's in a stainless palette. A little goes a long way so the palette will really last the user long. Supracolor foundation is available in refills so you don't have to buy another palette again. However, this can dry slowly, as compared to Ultrafoundation.

RATING: 10/10

BOBBI BROWN SKIN FOUNDATION (WARM ALMOND 4.5)

The best foundation for everyday use. It is very costly. A bottle costs 2450php. It's in a glass bottle and the pump is better than MUFE. It's much easier to control the amount that you pump out with Bobbi Brown's pump. It literally blends like skin! I love it because its the only sheer foundation that gives good coverage! It stays put the whole day, but can run off just a teeny bit in very hot places. It balances the color of my skin tone and it kinda' covers my redness. It's water- based so it's spreadable. It's absorbed easily by the skin and dries quickly. It is unscented, so you don't have to worry about perfume clogging your pores.

RATING: 10/10

LAURA MERCIER OIL- FREE TINTED MOISTURIZER (ALMOND)

A lot have been claiming that this is the best alternative for foundation. I decided to get this one because I'm using up my Bobbi Brown too quickly. It is a tinted moisturizer. It costs 1450php. Laura Mercier's line is kinda' cheap as compared to other make- up brands in Rustans. It comes in the TM and Oil- Free TM variant. I have oily skin so I opted to get the Oil- Free one, since I have oily skin. Honestly, it really acts like foundation, even if it's a tinted moisturizer. It improves skin's texture while looking oh-so-natural.It stays put the whole day, is unscented and it is literally absorbed easily by the skin. At last, a perfect alternative for my Bobbi Brown SKin Foundation!

RATING: 10/10

KRYOLAN TV PAINT STICK

A cream foundation in stick form. Specially made for the television and film. Blends and settles into a like- skin finish, which makes it a favorite tool among t.v. and film artists. It also proves to be functional for theatre performers too! Layer it so it coverage will thicken, and apply a sheer amount for television and film. It can also be used for everyday. Just apply a sheer amount. Lasts long, sweat- resistant, and has a mild, perfume- y scent. The stick will last you for decades! But unfortunately, I got a very dark shade, because I badly needed one for a play. So it's rotting in my stash, waiting for another play where I'll star either as a black woman, 'taong grasa', or something. :p

RATING: 9/10

TOP 5 PICKS (IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE)

1. BOBBI BROWN SKIN FOUNDATION

2. LAURA MERCIER OIL- FREE TINTED MOISTURIZER

3. KRYOLAN SUPRACOLOR

4. KRYOLAN ULTRAFOUNDATION

5. GRAFTOBIAN HI- DEF CREME FOUNDATION

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE FOUNDATION BRANDS? WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A FOUNDATION? :)