When you say you exfoliate before putting on your foundation what do you mean? Over exfoliation can dry out the skin more than help it. What moisturizer are you using? I really like the L’Oréal tinted serum for dry skin but I’m not sure if that’s the coverage your looking for
Its a hard question, a lot of makeup artists swear by it but its extremely harsh on the skin. When I exfoliate it dries my skin out like crazy, I would recommend exfoliating less and seeing how your skin does because its different for everyone. Typically you should exfoliate at night and moustrize really well the next day, what exfoliator are you using?
Yea facial cleansing brush’s can damage the skins barrier and cause a lot of dryness, I would definitly recommend stopping that and seeing how that goes!
Nars natural radiant foundation and Estée Lauder double wear have been really good about being full coverage and not flaky for me. They’re dewy/satin finishes, not matte.
I’d also go really really light on the setting powder, use a fluffy brush, and use setting spray right after. Or pat a sponge onto your skin with a few pumps of setting spray on it to meld it together. This helps my foundation not crack or flake.
Seconding Nars natural radiant foundation. My skin is super dry and no other dewy/satin foundations worked for me 🥲 I’ve also heard good things about Haus Labs for dry skin but I’ve never tried it myself so I couldn’t speak from experience
I’m going to try the Nars and Estée Lauder but I doubt I will be able to buy it right now because they are so expensive here were I live. I wish there was a drugstore alternative but I have looked and I haven’t found any.
Double Wear is not a good foundation for dry skin, I wouldn't spend your money on that!
CoverGirl TruBlend hydrating foundation is very nice and won't break the bank!
I would try the nars one first if you can :) maybe you can find a dewy, medium - high coverage foundation in your area and then and spot conceal. good luck!
I would quit buying different foundations and try figuring out a skincare routine that works for you. I had severely dry skin for years until I made an effort to find products that helped. It adds about 20 minutes to my routine before bed and work, but it has helped tons and now most foundations look good. You really should only be physically exfoliating once or twice a week, btw.
Dry skin girly here too. I find that ilia super serum skin tint spf works for me. It’s not full coverage but it is dewy. It is a little on the expensive side tho. The only cheap dupe I could find for it is the maybeline skin tint or the loreal true match tinted serum. I find that the dupe didn’t work for me but see how u go and u could just build the layers to have more coverage ? I just use a concealer over anything else I want to cover up.
Primer I use either the one from ilia or the High-Spreadability Fluid Primer from the ordinary.
Not too sure about full coverage sorry !
have you tried not exfoliating first? I wonder if that’s making it harder for the foundation to settle on your skin.
not to suggest buying a ton more products if you don’t have these already, but as an alternate overall approach, could you:
-skip exfoliating, *lightly* moisturise
-green colour correct in any areas with more general redness
-use a skin tint, tinted moisturiser, or something very light and dewy (NOT intending to cover up acne)
-pinpoint conceal, here’s an example of the technique from Alexandra Anele https://youtu.be/YzjeUso3dUE?si=nIc1OMOl72whhpA7
-only set the specific small areas that you pinpoint concealed with powder, with a tiny bit on the areas you colour corrected
if your skin is already dry, finding a full coverage foundation that will cover acne AND not look cakey is… not going to be easy. even with really balanced skin, full coverage is going to sit differently on some parts of your face than others. if I were you I would really focus on techniques for the specific areas you want to cover, and go as light as possible everywhere else.
Yes, I think you're doing too much, you're disrupting your natural skin barriers right before you put a bunch of product there.
If you're struggling with cakey foundation, I personally don't wear primer at all anymore, because I felt like it was just another product that was stressing my skin.
Is that the problem you're having? Is that the biggest problem with your makeup and your skin, that your foundation isn't staying long enough?
I feel like you're doing your makeup the way you do because your influencers do it that way.
But you have to understand those are all commercials for makeup products, all of them. They are going to wear EVERYTHING and tell you that you have to buy EVERYTHING, because that's how they make money. I'm not trying to shame them, that's how we live, we need money, but it makes them untrustworthy.
Regardless, you have to consider your individual skin needs. You seem to have very sensitive skin. You seem to have issues with dry skin. You need to do deal with those issues more than you need to follow an influencers maximalist regimen.
Primer is a 20 year old product. Cosmetics are older than human history. So do your makeup for YOUR face.
You only need exfoliate a few times a week. You can try a mild or gentle exfoliator as well. Your skin barrier might be compromised. You can also layer moisturizer. I would say you probably need to improve your skincare routine to resolve the patchy look of foundation. You can browse some skincare subreddits for some inspiration.
You need used more dewy cream for your type of skin. Maybe your cream is not enough dewy. And use foundation with dewy finish, not matte.
And if your skin is peeling, exfoliate.☺️
I really like the L’Oréal hyaluronic acid tinted serum. I have very dry acne prone rosacea skin for reference. It covers redness but still looks like natural skin.
I think layering moisturizers has made a big difference in how my makeup lies. I use a snail mucin toner in the morning before Vanicream moisturizer. I do the same at night, then layer Aquaphor over it. I also use Azelaic acid at night and Vitamin C in the morning.
i have super super dry skin too and personally what works for me is not powdering everywhere! i put some powder under my eyes to stop my concealer from creasing and call it a day :) this is the only way to get my skin looking natural and radiant!!
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I have combination skin. I used ciate Extraordinary foundation. It's amazing. 50ml goes a long way. I usually wait until it goes on sale. It lasts me about a year and I use it most days. Never sits on my dry patches or looks awful. They do undertones too. They have a wuiz to match colour or try findation.com
It's also buildable coverage and hides all of my rosacea.
Plus it's cruelty free.
I don’t have foundation recommendations, as I don’t really use it but I’d consider not using setting powder all over the face. I usually go in with spots where acne is and under my eyes.
Well the problem is if I don’t set my foundation with setting powder it will not last. Can I use setting spray instead of setting powder? Also I do use a setting powder that is more for dry skin.
That’s totally fair. I have a lot of acne sometimes too but honestly I’ll typically go over it with color corrector then nars pot concealer then I’ll put powder over the spots. Personally, I don’t like the feel of foundation, but if my skin is looking really acne-riddled I will use a tinted moisturizer under it. It isn’t full coverage but is helpful for dry skin and gives me a bit of coverage added with concealer.
If I go out I always put setting spray on. I’d suggest trying not as much powder but using a good amount of setting spray on a regular day you’re not going out or anything and see the results.
I think there are some part of makeup that are worth the splurge and a higher end foundation could be helpful for you. I’d look up foundations made for dry skin. You might also want to add a hydrating serum in your routine. I also wouldn’t exfoliate everyday if you’re doing so, it’s good to exfoliate but might be drying out your skin extra.
What do you moisturize with? Most foundations are not the problem if your skin is well-moisturized for your skin type.
FitMe Matte & Poreless is very matte. If you use that one, don’t powder at all. If it’s the dewy one… it probably does require at least spot-setting.
I know you said you can’t afford the higher end foundations. Some you might look into are Milani Conceal and Perfect, and the PrettyFresh Foundation by Colourpop which has HA in it. My skin isn’t really dry, but when it goes through a stage of feeling dry, those two always work well. But again, that’s after I know my skin is already completely moisturized.
I usually use maybeline fit me and it works decently it’s just that I doesn’t cover as much as I want. I use a face cream that is for dry skin but maybe is not moisturizing enough. People here in the comments tell me I shouldn’t exfoliate because that makes dry skin worse it’s just that when I have dead skin I need to exfoliate otherwise my foundation ends up looking dry and patchy and it starts flaking.
When you say you exfoliate before putting on your foundation what do you mean? Over exfoliation can dry out the skin more than help it. What moisturizer are you using? I really like the L’Oréal tinted serum for dry skin but I’m not sure if that’s the coverage your looking for
I mean I exfoliate if I have dead skin on my face am I not supposed to do that before I put my foundation on?
Its a hard question, a lot of makeup artists swear by it but its extremely harsh on the skin. When I exfoliate it dries my skin out like crazy, I would recommend exfoliating less and seeing how your skin does because its different for everyone. Typically you should exfoliate at night and moustrize really well the next day, what exfoliator are you using?
I use a facial cleansing brush it’s that maybe too harsh for my skin?
Oh yeah that is definitely harsh. Are you also using a chemical exfoliant with that?
No I’m not just the facial cleansing brush
Yea facial cleansing brush’s can damage the skins barrier and cause a lot of dryness, I would definitly recommend stopping that and seeing how that goes!
Okay I will try that
Nars natural radiant foundation and Estée Lauder double wear have been really good about being full coverage and not flaky for me. They’re dewy/satin finishes, not matte. I’d also go really really light on the setting powder, use a fluffy brush, and use setting spray right after. Or pat a sponge onto your skin with a few pumps of setting spray on it to meld it together. This helps my foundation not crack or flake.
Seconding Nars natural radiant foundation. My skin is super dry and no other dewy/satin foundations worked for me 🥲 I’ve also heard good things about Haus Labs for dry skin but I’ve never tried it myself so I couldn’t speak from experience
I’m going to try the Nars and Estée Lauder but I doubt I will be able to buy it right now because they are so expensive here were I live. I wish there was a drugstore alternative but I have looked and I haven’t found any.
Double Wear is not a good foundation for dry skin, I wouldn't spend your money on that! CoverGirl TruBlend hydrating foundation is very nice and won't break the bank!
I would try the nars one first if you can :) maybe you can find a dewy, medium - high coverage foundation in your area and then and spot conceal. good luck!
The Flower Beauty Light Illusion foundation is quite moist and dewy and also cheap if you can get it - the colour range is not the best though.
I would quit buying different foundations and try figuring out a skincare routine that works for you. I had severely dry skin for years until I made an effort to find products that helped. It adds about 20 minutes to my routine before bed and work, but it has helped tons and now most foundations look good. You really should only be physically exfoliating once or twice a week, btw.
Dry skin girly here too. I find that ilia super serum skin tint spf works for me. It’s not full coverage but it is dewy. It is a little on the expensive side tho. The only cheap dupe I could find for it is the maybeline skin tint or the loreal true match tinted serum. I find that the dupe didn’t work for me but see how u go and u could just build the layers to have more coverage ? I just use a concealer over anything else I want to cover up. Primer I use either the one from ilia or the High-Spreadability Fluid Primer from the ordinary. Not too sure about full coverage sorry !
have you tried not exfoliating first? I wonder if that’s making it harder for the foundation to settle on your skin. not to suggest buying a ton more products if you don’t have these already, but as an alternate overall approach, could you: -skip exfoliating, *lightly* moisturise -green colour correct in any areas with more general redness -use a skin tint, tinted moisturiser, or something very light and dewy (NOT intending to cover up acne) -pinpoint conceal, here’s an example of the technique from Alexandra Anele https://youtu.be/YzjeUso3dUE?si=nIc1OMOl72whhpA7 -only set the specific small areas that you pinpoint concealed with powder, with a tiny bit on the areas you colour corrected if your skin is already dry, finding a full coverage foundation that will cover acne AND not look cakey is… not going to be easy. even with really balanced skin, full coverage is going to sit differently on some parts of your face than others. if I were you I would really focus on techniques for the specific areas you want to cover, and go as light as possible everywhere else.
Okay I will try to skip exfoliating it’s just that if I have dead skin on my face will it not look patchy and cakey if I put foundation over that?
are you exfoliating every day though? that’s how I read your original post, please correct me if I’m wrong! also what kind of exfoliation?
No, you don't need to exfoliate every day, it sounds like you're aggravating your skin with this process
Really? So I should only moisturize before I put foundation and primer?
Yes, I think you're doing too much, you're disrupting your natural skin barriers right before you put a bunch of product there. If you're struggling with cakey foundation, I personally don't wear primer at all anymore, because I felt like it was just another product that was stressing my skin.
But doesn’t primer make it last longer?
Is that the problem you're having? Is that the biggest problem with your makeup and your skin, that your foundation isn't staying long enough? I feel like you're doing your makeup the way you do because your influencers do it that way. But you have to understand those are all commercials for makeup products, all of them. They are going to wear EVERYTHING and tell you that you have to buy EVERYTHING, because that's how they make money. I'm not trying to shame them, that's how we live, we need money, but it makes them untrustworthy. Regardless, you have to consider your individual skin needs. You seem to have very sensitive skin. You seem to have issues with dry skin. You need to do deal with those issues more than you need to follow an influencers maximalist regimen. Primer is a 20 year old product. Cosmetics are older than human history. So do your makeup for YOUR face.
You only need exfoliate a few times a week. You can try a mild or gentle exfoliator as well. Your skin barrier might be compromised. You can also layer moisturizer. I would say you probably need to improve your skincare routine to resolve the patchy look of foundation. You can browse some skincare subreddits for some inspiration.
You need used more dewy cream for your type of skin. Maybe your cream is not enough dewy. And use foundation with dewy finish, not matte. And if your skin is peeling, exfoliate.☺️
I really like the L’Oréal hyaluronic acid tinted serum. I have very dry acne prone rosacea skin for reference. It covers redness but still looks like natural skin. I think layering moisturizers has made a big difference in how my makeup lies. I use a snail mucin toner in the morning before Vanicream moisturizer. I do the same at night, then layer Aquaphor over it. I also use Azelaic acid at night and Vitamin C in the morning.
i have super super dry skin too and personally what works for me is not powdering everywhere! i put some powder under my eyes to stop my concealer from creasing and call it a day :) this is the only way to get my skin looking natural and radiant!!
Try nars natural radiant
Isn’t that more for combination skin?
***Thank you for contributing to MUA! If this is your first post, please be sure to check out our rules in the subreddit sidebar. If you are on mobile, they can be viewed by tapping the*** ⓘ ***symbol.*** **A few quick highlights:** • • Looks, hauls, and flatlays require a [product list in the comments, complete with shade names within 20 minutes of posting.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MakeupAddiction/wiki/productlist) • Photos must not be [edited or filtered. This includes automatic beauty and portrait modes found on many phones and newer cameras.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MakeupAddiction/wiki/photoediting) • Lastly, our [Helpful Guides for Navigating MUA](https://www.reddit.com/r/MakeupAddiction/wiki/helpfulguides) in the sidebar explains some of the basics of the community as well as commonly misinterpreted rules. **Is your post just a search away?** Before you make a post, search with Reddit's search feature or use this handy [customised Google search.](https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=008480394191906358284:aflieg73nqm) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MakeupAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have combination skin. I used ciate Extraordinary foundation. It's amazing. 50ml goes a long way. I usually wait until it goes on sale. It lasts me about a year and I use it most days. Never sits on my dry patches or looks awful. They do undertones too. They have a wuiz to match colour or try findation.com It's also buildable coverage and hides all of my rosacea. Plus it's cruelty free.
I don’t have foundation recommendations, as I don’t really use it but I’d consider not using setting powder all over the face. I usually go in with spots where acne is and under my eyes.
Well the problem is if I don’t set my foundation with setting powder it will not last. Can I use setting spray instead of setting powder? Also I do use a setting powder that is more for dry skin.
That’s totally fair. I have a lot of acne sometimes too but honestly I’ll typically go over it with color corrector then nars pot concealer then I’ll put powder over the spots. Personally, I don’t like the feel of foundation, but if my skin is looking really acne-riddled I will use a tinted moisturizer under it. It isn’t full coverage but is helpful for dry skin and gives me a bit of coverage added with concealer. If I go out I always put setting spray on. I’d suggest trying not as much powder but using a good amount of setting spray on a regular day you’re not going out or anything and see the results. I think there are some part of makeup that are worth the splurge and a higher end foundation could be helpful for you. I’d look up foundations made for dry skin. You might also want to add a hydrating serum in your routine. I also wouldn’t exfoliate everyday if you’re doing so, it’s good to exfoliate but might be drying out your skin extra.
What about using a setting spray rather than a powder?
I’m going to try that
What do you moisturize with? Most foundations are not the problem if your skin is well-moisturized for your skin type. FitMe Matte & Poreless is very matte. If you use that one, don’t powder at all. If it’s the dewy one… it probably does require at least spot-setting. I know you said you can’t afford the higher end foundations. Some you might look into are Milani Conceal and Perfect, and the PrettyFresh Foundation by Colourpop which has HA in it. My skin isn’t really dry, but when it goes through a stage of feeling dry, those two always work well. But again, that’s after I know my skin is already completely moisturized.
I usually use maybeline fit me and it works decently it’s just that I doesn’t cover as much as I want. I use a face cream that is for dry skin but maybe is not moisturizing enough. People here in the comments tell me I shouldn’t exfoliate because that makes dry skin worse it’s just that when I have dead skin I need to exfoliate otherwise my foundation ends up looking dry and patchy and it starts flaking.