Let’s talk about about what I like to call my ‘Face Base’ today!  This encompasses everything after applying skincare and prior to applying color products – ya know, like bronzer, blush, shadows, etc – that’s a whole other blog post (coming soon)!  Basically, this post will cover the best primers, foundations, concealers and setting powders.  Now, many of you know that I worked in beauty/cosmetic industry many years ago and this is where my love/addiction to beauty products began.  Through the years and much trial and error, I have found my ultimate go-to, tried and true products that I love and that work.  I will always continue to look for something that could be even better, though (true sign of a beauty junkie).  News flash, I have to find anything better than these products!  Bottom line is that I have researched and tried a ton of products (drugstore and high-end) and I am sharing the best of the best with you and my tips and tricks along the way.

But, before I begin, it’s so important for me to share my skin type with you!  One thing you never, ever, ever what to do is fall in love with someones look and run out an buy everything that they recommend without knowing their skin type!  What works for one person will not necessarily work for you!  Always keep this in mind when it comes to skin care and foundations!  My skin type is normal-to-oily (very oily t-zone) and I have mature skin with fine lines.  If this matches your skin type, then you are the perfect fit for all of these!  If you have normal-to-dry skin, then some these products will work for you, but you might not need a few.

Let’s get started!

Primer

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

I have to use a primer to help tone down my shine (okay, lets be honest, without this my forehead shines so bright I can blind you) and the best one that I have found is Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer.  It’s a little pricey, but a tiny bit goes a long way.  Even if you are not oily, you will love this primer.  It’s so lightweight, smooths out your skin, and it has SPF15!  It comes in 3 sizes, so you can try it out and see if you love it with the small size or just to the medium or large size.

What it is:
An oil-free primer with a silky, airy texture that leaves a smooth canvas for makeup, while reducing the look of redness, pores, and wrinkles. 

What it does:With a texture unlike any other, this silky primer extends the wear of makeup.

• conceals redness, minimizing the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles.
• broad spectrum SPF 15 sun protection with mineral-derived sunscreens.
• It’s ideal for all skin types, even sensitive, blemish-prone skin.
• Repels water so makeup stays looks freshly applied all day long.
• What it is formulated WITHOUT:
  – Parabens
  – Sulfates
  – Phthalates

Application tip:  Apply a small amount to your T-zone or your entire face if needed. 

You can also purchase the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer at Nordstrom here. 

Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer

If you have larger pores, which I use to have, but now I don’t thanks to getting Hydra Facials, but more on that in another post, I always used Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer.  This stuff fills in your pores like no other and it stays put!  Its ahhh-mazing if you have large pores!!  Trust me on this!

Which skin type is it good for?
✔ Normal
✔ Oily
✔ Combination
✔ Dry

What it is:
A primer featuring innovative blurring and filling technology that gives a more youthful appearance, while prepping the skin for makeup.

• Formulated to fade out your biggest beauty boundaries such as large pores, fine lines, and wrinkles.
• Antioxidant-rich formula gently melts into the skin, delivering a surge of moisture, peptides, and other naturally-derived elixirs for a firmer, smoother appearance.
•  
• What it is formulated WITHOUT:
  – Parabens
  – Phthalates

Application tip:  Apply a small amount onto your finger and gently press into the area you want to cover.  

You can also purchase the Tarte Timeless Pore Smoothing Primer here.

Before we move onto foundation, there is one more key component in the ‘Face Base’ routine!  It’s the Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector.  If you have dark circles minor or major, this is a must!   This makes the world of difference!

I wear the shade light to medium. 

Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector

• What it is:
  A full-coverage corrector that brightens the appearance of under-eye darkness and lifts with light—it’s like eight hours of sleep in a jar.What it does:
  Infused with ultra-fine, light-reflecting illuminators, this rich, luminescent cream instantly brightens the look of under-eye darkness.
• Smooths the look of fine lines around the eyes, without settling into them.
• Backlight technology reflects light to draw attention away from lines and wrinkles, creating a lifting effect.
• Formulation perfectly preps and evens skin tone for concealer application.What it is formulated WITHOUT:
  – Parabens
  – Sulfates
  – Phthalates

Application tip: Open the pot and place your ring finger on the product like you would a stamp pad.  Then, gently rub your two ring fingers to get equal product on both fingers.  Apply the tiniest bit under each eye in patting motions with your ring fingers.  

You can also purchase the Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector at Nordstrom here and Ulta here. 

Foundation

Okay, I have a lot to say about foundation, so please take a second to read this!  First, let me start with my all-time, never-fail, foundations and I always go back to after trying numerous drugstore and high-end foundations.   There are two of them and I use both on the daily and I will tell you why, so please keep reading.  I use and swear by Estee Lauder Double Wear and Estee Lauder Double Wear Light.

Coming from many years of experience, even though Estee Lauder Double Wear offers a gazillion color choices (55 colors – which is another reason this line is so great), you should always invest in two colors – your winter color & your summer color!  Here’s why – custom blending – this way you can customize your perfect shade as the seasons change.  Now, to go one step further in customization, I also buy the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light.  Here’s why – Estee Lauder is a full coverage foundation that is perfect on it’s own and I love to wear it on it’s own!  But, sometimes, I just don’t want that full of coverage but the Light formula is not enough, so I add tiny bit of the Double Wear Light for lighter coverage. In the summer, there are days when I only wear the light formula or I wear it 50/50 with the regular formula.  Bottom line is that both are incredible and a must have for foundation.  If you just but one color that’s great, but if you love to custom blend then grab both.  It might cost you more up front, but they will last you longer in the end and you will achieve the exact look you want.

In both Estee Lauder Double Wear and Double Wear Light, I wear the shades Desert Beige 2N1 & Ivory Beige 3N1. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear – Double Wear

It is oil-free and oil-controlling. Waterproof and transfer-resistant, it lasts in hot and humid weather.

BENEFITS

SUPER LONG 24-HOUR WEAR. FLAWLESS. NATURAL. MATTE.

Concealers

There are so many concealers on the market and the one I use on the daily is the Tarte Aquacealer Concealer Rainforest of Sea Collection.  I used to use Tarte Shape tape as my main concealer for everything, but it is pretty thick and started to accentuate the fine lines around my eyes, which is not a good look for anyone!  Tarte Aquacealer is concealer perfection!  It’s a little thinner, so blends smoothly and works so well with fine lines.  If you don’t have fine lines, but you need to cover dark circles then stick with Tarte Shape Tape!

In both the Tarte Aquacealer & Shape Tape, I wear the shade light medium.  

Tarte Aquacealer Concealer Rainforest of the Sea Collection

What it is:

A lightweight, 12-hour concealing serum with skin-soothing benefits that provides targeted, medium, buildable coverage. 

What it does:

• Vegan concealer and tinted moisturizer hybrid
• Hydrates skin while covering imperfections for up to 12 hours
• Concentrated pigments hide redness, blemishes, and dark circles with medium, buildable coverage

Formulated with antioxidant-rich algae to help smooth and illuminate

What it is formulated WITHOUT:

• Parabens
• Phthalates

Application tip:  Apply onto orbital bone with five small dots with applicator tip and use the tip of your dampened Beautyblender in upward and downward motions. 

Tarte Double Duty Beauty Shape Tape Contour Concealer

Tarte’s iconic, ”can’t live without” concealer & discover why one is sold every 12 seconds*!

Double Duty Beauty Shape Tape Contour Concealer is a vegan, super-blendable formula that instantly helps brighten, smooth & give the skin a firmer, more lifted look.

Benefits:

• Full coverage with flawless matte finish
• Conceals all imperfections & doubles as a contour/highlight product
• Creamy, easy-to-blend formula won’t flake or crease
• Nourishes with mango seed & shea butters
• Helps illuminate skin for a lifted effect

Always formulated without:

• Parabens
• Mineral Oil
• Phthalates
• Triclosan
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
• Gluten

Application tip:  Apply onto orbital bone with five small dots with applicator tip and use the tip of your dampened Beautyblender in upward and downward motions. 

Setting Powders

Setting powders are so important!  Having a good setting powder will complete your look by blurring fine lines and pores.  Do not skip this step!

An under eye setting powder is extremely important to help prevent your concealer from cracking and to help brighten under your eye area.  It’s important to have a setting powder specific for the under eye area, because it needs to be more finely milled to prevent it from creasing and caking.  My favorite and one I can’t live without is the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder for Under eyes.  This is a must have!  Apply just a tiny amount immediately after applying your concealer to set and brighten.

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Poweder for Under eyes

What it is:

A transparent, weightless powder to set under-eye concealer, brighten dark circles, and diminish the look of fine lines.

What it does:

Creates the appearance of naturally-perfected skin, while maximizing the wear and coverage of makeup.

• Transparent under-eye setting powder brightens, lightens, and creates a look of luminosity.
• Formulated with light-reflecting, micronized pigments
• Super-soft, weightless powder delivers a soft, radiant finish and resists settling into fine lines, accentuating shadows, or building up on skin.

Application tip:  Dip your a small fluffy brush like this one into the tiniest amount of powder and gently tap onto eye area where you put your concealer.   

You can also purchase this at Nordstrom here. 

Since we are talking about setting powders, I might as well add my favorite face setting powders here.  I have two that I love.  Both are phenomenal!  You can wear them alone over the top of your make up.

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting PowderWhat it is: 

A lightweight, easy-to-apply, loose powder that blends effortlessly to set makeup for up to 12 hours.

What Else You Need to Know:

• Award-winning powder locks in makeup for long-lasting wear without adding weight or texture.
• Absorbs oil and reduces shine all day, creating a flawless, matte finish with no flashback in photos.
• Truly-translucent shades work on all skin tones, and create a soft-focus effect to subtly blur fine lines and imperfections.

Application tip:  Apply a tiny amount of powder using a big fluffy brush like this one.  

You can also purchase this at Nordstrom here.

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Poreless Finish Airbrush Powder

Which skin type is it good for?
✔ Normal
✔ Oily
✔ Combination
✔ Dry
✔ Sensitive

What it is:
A bestselling, award-winning, translucent loose powder that instantly erases the look of pores and imperfections for airbrushed perfection.
Solutions for:
Visible pores
Fine lines and wrinkles

If you want to know more…

• Infused with Bye Bye Pores Optical Blurring Technology™, this anti-aging, skin-perfecting powder utilizes real silk to make your pores disappear from view and hydrolyzed collagen to smooth away the look of wrinkles.
• Loads of antioxidants and skin-loving ingredients give you a shine-free, airbrushed finish.
• The universal translucent shade goes on completely clear and works on all skin tones.
• Developed with plastic surgeons, Bye Bye Pores™ is perfect for every skin type and formulated with anti-aging ingredients including real silk, hydrolyzed collagen, antioxidants and peptides.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
Parabens
Sulfates
Phthalates

Application tip:  Apply a tiny amount of powder using a big fluffy brush like this one. 

You can also purchase this at Ulta here. 

Application

Finally, lets talk about application tools.  Lately, I have been using and loving my damp Beautyblender to apply my foundation and concealer.  It’s so easy and you can use the fat bottom of the egg shape to apply your foundation and the tapered tip to apply your concealer.  I have tried the knock-offs of the Beautyblender, but they don’t quite measure up the the Beautyblender, so I just stick with what I know works.

BeautyBlender

What it is:
An edgeless, non-disposable, high-definition cosmetic sponge applicator. 

What it does:
The unique shape and exclusive material available only with beautyblender® ensures impeccable, streak-free application with minimum product waste.

Use it with foundations, powders, and any other complexion product.

What else you need to know:
Beautyblender’s unique material is aqua-activated™. When wet, it expands to about twice its size and becomes super soft to create an even, smooth blend and bounce, returning to its original size when it air dries.

Beautyblender has chosen to use non-toxic, water-soluble dyes. For this reason, your beautyblender may shed dye for the first couple of washes—similar to a pair of blue jeans. Once you squeeze the water out of the beautyblender, the excess dye is removed as well. The dye does not transfer to the skin. Beautyblenders are hand-finished in the USA.

Application tip:  Dampen your Beautyblender and then queeze out all excess water and then squeeze even more water out by wrapping in a towel and squeezing.  Now, it is ready to use.  Wash it after each use with cleaner I list below. 

You can also purchase the Beautyblender at Nordstrom here and Ulta here.

I also clean my Beautyblender after each use.  I have found that the Sephora Collection Solid Brush Cleaner works the best for cleaning the Beautyblender.  I just swipe it back and forth on the sold bar, lather and rinse.  So easy and must have if you use a Beautyblender!

Sephora Collection Solid Brush Cleaner

• What it is:
  A gentle, solid sponge and brush cleanser featuring argan oil and a warm Moroccan fragrance. What it does:
• This solid brush and sponge cleaner removes even the most stubborn makeup, dirt, and germs.
• Great for travelling, this compact cleaner is formulated with soothing argan oil to condition gently as it rapidly breaks down excess residue and germs.
• Lightly scented, free of dyes and other skin irritants, and can be used daily without harming your brushes.
• It is the ideal cleaner for makeup artists and travelers alike.
• What it is formulated WITHOUT:
  – Parabens
  – Sulfates
  – Phthalates

That about sums it up!  These products are all part of my everyday ‘Face Base’ and I can’t live without them!

I will be going tutorials of these on my Instagram stories, so make sure to tune in!

Please let me know what your favorite products are or if you have any questions in the comments below!  As you know, I always love trying new products and I might want to put yours to the test!

*** This is NOT a sponsored post.  All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.