s/o - recommend your lightweight makeup foundation / powder

[Fairy]

Bare Minerals. Love it. Don't wear it every day cuz I just don't want to. But when I do I really like it. No creams for me ever again, they just cake onto my skin and look ridiculous, like HELLO I HAVE ON FOUDNATION! That's what my skin screams, I can't seem to make it scream like normal people wearing foundation. I would, however try a tinted moisturizer. But right now, I'm doing well with the bare minerals.

[hellokitty]

I love tarte bb cream too! However, I've also discovered a cheaper alternative that works really well too. It's Alba bontanica cc cream. Target carries it.

[cuca_]

I like hourglass illusion tinted moisturizer. I'm a former tarts user, but felt I wasn't getting enough coverage. Love Hourglass!

[twowhat?]

I buy a shade specifically for summer because I tan really easily.

I put sunscreen on before makeup (I have been really liking the Yes to Carrots daily moisturizer with sunblock) and I think a lot of derms would tell you to do that to be sure you get good coverage all over your face/neck. Then I just wear my regular makeup (MUFE-HD) over it. I only apply the foundation where I need it (cheeks to cover spider veins, nose to cover redness) and I skip putting it on anywhere else (forehead, chin, where I don't really need it) which helps with the "I have on makeup" feel. Obviously this requires that you find your exact match It's also SUPER buildable so I will put on a sheer layer if it's a more casual event and it does a good job of evening out my skintone just enough. For work I use a little more for fuller coverage. I dot it on (several dots with my pinky finger), stipple it in with a foundation brush (Sephora) and then buff and blend with the foundation brush. Takes me 5 minutes. MUFE has been my holy grail since I first tried it!!! I have TONS (and I mean tons) of facial spider veins and I had a friend's mom tell me once that my skin was so beautiful. Haha, NOT, but I loved the fact that she couldn't tell I had makeup on!!!

Prior to MUFE I used BM which I though was working well until I tried the MUFE The BM really settled into my fine lines and the shades were just a bit too orange for my skin tone.

[wifecat]

I have tried a ton of foundations - my favorite of the spendies was Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, but it is soooooo expensive! I tried Laura Mercier, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Tarte...and ultimately, my go to is now Revlon Nearly Naked liquid foundation. I actually blend it with my spf moisturizer. It offers coverage but is still light, and it's super cheap! I got the recommendation to try it from Paula Begoun's Cosmetic Cop website, and I tried several recommended drugstore foundations to find something I like.

[kwc]

For summer/ spring, I am liking theBalm BalmShelter tinted moisturizer (SPF18). I get a bit more coverage and a nicer finish than I did with Laura Mercier, and it is less than half the price (and Amazon has a great deal $15!, like drugstore makeup). When I need a bit more coverage, I lightly brush on a mineral makeup (Everyday Minerals) over it. I do think the colors are fairly dark... I am a light medium neutral beige and I use "light" in BalmShelter.
http://www.amazon.com/theBalm-BalmSh.../dp/B0012XI72M

[jam224]

I'm really loving the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream with SPF 50+. I tried it on the recommendation of MakeupByTiffanyD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZQYPekP2G0. I have super sensitive skin (I've had a bad reaction to BM in the past) and have happily had no reaction to this CC cream. Definitely feels lightweight and I'm saying that as someone who has worn powder foundation for YEARS because I can't stand the "heavy" feeling of traditional liquid foundation. I like that there are no parabens and that it has a physical sunscreen in it. It's perfect for my mornings at the pool!

[mom2khj]

Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation. I also like MUFE HD, but the UD is a little lighter-weight. For just a tinted moisturizer, the Laura Mercier is very nice.

[lizzywednesday]

I've been using Peter Thomas Roth CC Cream (pricey, I know) - it's very lightweight and not greasy, with build-able coverage - with a cream blush by Makeup Forever.

When I need more staying power, I brush some of Bare Minerals' Mineral Veil to set it.

[stinkyfeet]

Like I mentioned in a previous thread, I use the new reformulated Bobbi Brown stick foundation. It has a transparent base and is not as thick or heavy as the previous BB stick foundation that could be also be used as a concealer. I use a damp Beauty Blender to sheer out the foundation by "bouncing" it on my face. By using a Beauty Blender, I am able to get the coverage of a tinted moisturizer with a great color match. It really looks like skin and now like foundation!

Bobbi Brown Stick:
http://www.sephora.com/foundation-st...?skuId=1587435

If you love the color match of your current foundation, I would try to use a Beauty Blender. It is about $20 and would cost less than buying a new foundation that you are unsure about. You can also try the knock off Beauty Blenders for less, but I have heard that they are not as soft of a sponge if that is a concern for you.

Beauty Blender:
http://www.sephora.com/beautyblender...?skuId=1151869

I used to use Tarte's tinted moisturizer, but I find this method to feel much lighter on my face with a better color match. I prefer the added step of using Elta MD UV Clear sunscreen for the lighter feel (compared to the thicker formulation of Tarte's TM).

I use Nars light reflecting loose setting powder to set my foundation, but you can also find much cheaper silica setting powders by NYX and ELF that are highly-rated and very popular. (The NYX and ELF versions just don't have the light reflecting property). The silica powders are nice and light-weight...you just don't want to use them in flash photography because the flash will reflect off the powder and make your face appear white in pictures.

NARS:
http://www.sephora.com/light-reflect...?skuId=1478239

NYX:
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/prod...questid=166055

ELF:
http://www.target.com/p/e-l-f-high-d...=elf+hd+powder

Alternatively, I use the Hourglass Ambient Lighting pallete on the days I want a glow. They glow is very nice, appropriate for our mommy status, and very appropriate for daytime. I LOVE this palette.

Hourglass:
http://www.sephora.com/ambient-light...?skuId=1606086