The Best Foundation for Pale Skin: a roundup plus colour swatches
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What’s the best foundation for pale skin?
As a pale-skinned redhead who doesn’t tan ever, I find myself on a constant search for the best foundation for pale skin. This can be a harder search than you might expect: with many beauty brands catering mostly to mid-tones, those of us at either end of the scale can find it tough to track down a foundation that won’t just make us look like we haven’t washed for a week.
I’ve tried many different brands in a bid to find the best foundation for pale skin, and the list that follows features just a few of the ones I’ve tried. Needless to say, these are just the products I’ve used myself, so the list is far from exhaustive, and I’m hoping some of you will help add to it by leaving your own suggestions in the comments. Before I start, I’m also just going to go ahead and state the obvious: that not all pale skin is pale is pale in exactly the same way, so what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa.
For reference, I have combination skin which is pale and freckled, with pinkish undertones. In MAC terms, I’ wear NW10, which isn’t quite perfect, but close. Here are a few of the foundations I use, or have used, instead, starting off with my current favourites:
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Light Porcelain
Hands down my favourite drugstore foundation for pale skin: I use this daily, and always re-purchase as soon as it runs out. [BUY IT] [Read my review]
Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation – 01 Light Porcelain
Also in the shade ‘Light Porcelain’, this is a full-coverage foundation suitable for pale skin with pink undertones. [BUY IT ] [Read my review]
Bare Escentuals BareMinerals Foundation in Fair
This powder-based foundation is so pale it’s almost TOO pale. Almost, I said. It’s also a pretty great foundation, whether used on its on, or over liquid foundation for a full-coverage, flawless kind of look – BUY IT HERE or read my full review of it here.
Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation – o2
My review of this wasn’t very positive, unfortunately: personally I think it’s a horrible foundation, but it IS possibly the palest one I’ve found, so it may be suitable for skin types other than my own. [BUY IT] [Read my review]
NARS Sheer Matte Foundation – Siberia
A yellow-based foundation, which is one of the palest I’ve found. This offers medium coverage, but unfortunately didn’t really work out for my skin, despite getting very positive reviews elsewhere. [BUY IT] [Read my review]
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation – Siberia
Undaunted by my previous experience with NARS, I went on to buy their ‘Sheer Glow’ foundation instead, to see if the lighter formula would be better on my skin. And was it? Read my review to find out or BUY IT HERE.
Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturising Foundation – Alabaster
I had really high hopes of this, having loved my previous Bobbi Brown foundation in this shade. Unfortunately, however, this “Alabaster” is much darker than the previous version, and I found it very yellow. It also has a dewy finish which didn’t work well with my skin: I looked like an oil slick every time I wore it! [Read my review]
MAC Studio Fix Foundation – NW10
I was really excited when MAC announced they’d be releasing their popular Studio Fix Foundation in NW10 (and NC10), which is a shade lighter than their previous palest shade. NW15. NW15 was too dark for me, and while NW10 isn’t a perfect match, still being a little darker than I’d like, it’s definitely an improvement, and it makes a good day-to-day foundation. [BUY IT HERE] [Read my review]
Estee Lauder Doublewear Foundation in Shell
It took me a long time to get around to reviewing Estee Lauder’s most famous foundation, but when I did, I was pretty impressed. Doublewear is a heavy coverage foundation, which doesn’t look caked-on, and ‘Shell’ is pale enough for even my fair skin. Here’s my review , or you can BUY IT HERE.
More of the best foundation for pale skin…
Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation – RF105
Super-heavy coverage, which will disguise just about any flaw. RF105 is the pale faced girl’s secret weapon: it’s pure white, so it’s not something you’ll want to use on its own (unless you actually do work as a clown), but it’s ideal for mixing with other foundations to dial down the colour.
But enough about me.
I know there are plenty of pale skinned people out there, and I’ve had a lot of suggestions on the best foundation for pale skin from my readers over the year: seriously, the comments on this post (and each of the reviews links above) are WAY more helpful than anything I have to say, so don’t forget to take a look at them, especially if you’re pale in a slightly different way from me. Because, yes, contrary to what so many makeup brands seem to think, not all pale skin is exactly the same: mine, for instance, has pink undertones, and quite a few freckles, but yours may be completely different, although equally pale.
So tell me, then: which are your favourite pale foundations? What’s the best foundation for pale skin?
Related: Why am I so white?
Diane
I used to use the Bare Minerals one, but it’s expensive and hard to track down (in my city), plus it takes a lot of messing around to apply and get a good finish, although the end result is usually good. I did some internet research into heavier coverage foundations as I don’t have good skin, and Revlon Colorstay was frequently mentioned, so that’s what I’m using now (with their pressed powder) and the lightest colour is a pretty good match for me, plus I LOVE that there’s a version for oily skin (which doesn’t feel too drying).
I’m interested to see how their Photo Finish measures up in comparison — have you tried that, Amber?
Dollface
I haven’t buy I will definitely add it to my list!
Pamela
Have you tried KohGenDo foundation? I use the Maifanshi Moisture Foundation in 001 and it is a super pale pink toned wonder! If you like BB Alabaster you would probably like this, although maybe a different formula not for dry skin, because my other favorite and closest match is the BB Alabaster Skin Foundation. Seriously, 001 is a touch more pale than Alabaster and the formula is fantastic.
Sandra
It is so hard to find light colours! I use Gosh in porcelain which is great in summer and I have a bottle of Stargazer white foundation to mix it with for winter!
I have tried several mineral powders, but I prefer liquid foundation, since it gives a better coverage.
cookie
I used to mix Stargazer’s pure white with a lot of my foundations, or applying it as a base before I put on the foundation, but I found the texture to be a bit… grainy. Any tips/advice on that one?
Brittany
It took me years to figure this combination out, but I’ve found that Clinique Stay True liquid foundation in 001 Ivory (the palest color they make) with a dusting of the Invisible Blend powder on top is the perfect shade for my super pale face. It’s the right amount of coverage without looking too cakey, and doesn’t made my face a scary color either. Clinique is definitely my go-to brand for any kind of face makeup.
Amy
Oh, this is such a good idea – I’ll be writing all of these down and going on a foundation hunt when I run out of the custom blend Prescriptives that I’m hoarding (they last a few years unopened in the fridge). The only other foundation that has matched my pale winter face is powder foundation from Alima Pure in 00 Neutral, and if you like powder foundations I highly recommend their range – finely milled and a lovely range of colors – and even better they sell samples! Bare Escentuals fair is a good summer color for me (I prefer powder in summer and liquid in winter). Part of my problem with matching foundation is how fair I am, but most of the problem has to do with my undertones – which are very strange and not purely cool, but also not as yellow or pink to be truly warm, so even if a shade is in my shade range, often the undertones are all wrong. In the summer I pick up more yellow/golden tones so it’s easier to find a match.
Tara
I still vividly remember falling in love with Lancome’s formulas, and being rather bothered by the fact that their lightest shade was still way too dark for me.
I like Clinique’s Superpowder, in matte bisque. My daily wear however, is usually Maybelline PureStay powder foundation in 10- Ivory.
When I was younger, and even paler, I often mixed a bit of gothy pure white liquid foundation with the lightest shades I could find.
Karen
I’m hooked on Revlon ColorStay in 01 Ivory (USA). I buy the “Active” one that has SPF 25 in it, plus it claims to hold up better on hot, humid days (translation: sweat-proof), and it comes in a squeeze tube instead of a glass bottle, which I prefer for easier application and easier travelling. 🙂
Diane
Oh, I wish it came in a squeezy tube here! Glass bottles are pretty, but too much usually comes out and they’re messy.
wendy
I can’t live without Bare Escentuals “Fairly light”. I wear it every day and it gives really good coverage for my drink & age induced broken veins. I regularly get comments from friends and co-workers about how fresh my skin looks & nobody ever believes I’m wearing foundation. Considering I turned 50 this year I consider that a major success!
Ciara
I’ve never understood why it’s so hard to find pale foundations that aren’t a dark yellow/orange….’ivory’ my ass. having said that, I like Bourjois foundations (I use the Healthy Mix one at the moment, it’s great for me though if you have any dry patches of skin it makes them all flaky and weird, so a no-no for dry skin). L’oreal Infallible is nice as well, but it’s a VERY annoying product because the pump on it doesn’t reach all the way down! So you end up with about a quarter of the product at the bottom of the bottle you can’t even use…gahhhh. Not as long-lasting as the Bourjois Healthy Mix either, which is odd considering that Infallible is supposed to be specifically a long-lasting formula and Healthy Mix isn’t.
Juliet
Really minimal mineral makeup is a godsend, and thumbs up for their full-skin-spectrum colour ranges on offer: BE, Cover FX, JI, LM, Pür Minerals, and assorted others–and works on oilier skin or in hotter sweatier weather. 2nd some of the suggestions above…
But I heartily recommend Silk Naturals Perfect Harmony Foundation:
1) this is about the most minimal mineral makeup I’ve found, cos besides being pale, my skin reacts to 101 things, including some of the stuff in the aforementioned otherwise lovely mineral makeups. Pale is interesting, but red reactions are a bit too exciting really.
2) colour range: You mix this stuff yourself from a kit, so you can get the exact shade; actually easier for us sub-NW15s, as that’s mainly white with a dash of colour. Easy to mix, too, as it’s just powder rather than using a liquid or gel base. Once you’ve got the right proportions of pigment:white base, mix up a larger batch, and that’ll keep you going for months. If your skin tone changes, just remix or mix up another lot as needs be. SN have another whole bunch of pigments you can add in for the whole range of pinkish, yellowish, etc. tones and undertones.
3) range of uses: I’m mainly using the SN stuff on small areas as concealer, I very rarely actually use foundation all over my face. Works best over a primer; I’ve mainly been using powder ones, either plain silica or some variation on a silica/silk powder/mica/rice powder mix; from various brands (including SN but lots of other too, and plain rice powder from local grocer’s). They have heavier versions/finishes too, but this basic one is pretty adaptable for different weights of coverage.
Runners-up that haven’t irritated me and come in glorious range of shades, including all the pale ones:
—Alima also have, ready-made, a stupendous range of powder foundations.
—Some of the Fyrrinae pigments can be mixed in with a pale base, even with white foundation (like your Illamasqua one, or Chanel Blanc). But it’s fiddly and I’m lazy.
Natasha
I have incredibly pale skin and this has been an issue for me for years as a lot of pale foundations seem to have peachy tones whilst my skin is on the “cool” colour spectrum. However my worries are over!
I absoulutely LOVE http://www.lilylolo.co.uk/ mineral cosmetics. They cruelty-free and nasty gubbins-free and gentle on my eczema-prone skin. For a small fee they’ll send you samples so you can match them exactly to your skin tone. The concealor is so good it even hides really bad eczema break-outs.
It’s really easy to apply and lasts all day. I can’t recommend it enough.
They’re also extremely efficient. I can order stuff mid-afternoon and it arrives the next day, though they are only a few miles down the road from me which may help as far as The Royal Mail is concerned. Despite this I have no links to them and this isn’t a sales pitch (though if anyone at Lily LoLo wants to offer me a summer job…), I just love their stuff.
Dollface
For some reason WordPress neglected to email me any comment notifications from this post, so I’ve only just seen these! Thanks for all of the suggestions, guys, and please keep them coming – I’m goint to try and work my way through all of these at some point!
Kaycee
My holy grail foundation is a mixture (such a chemist, I am lol) of Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer in Shade 01 (too sheer and orange-y on its own) with Make Up Forever Mat Velvet + in 015 Alabaster (the lightest shade). The opaque mattifying coverage of MUFE sheered with a tinted moisturizer with shimmer makes for a light foundation where a little goes a long way, and the result is a dewy natural glow that still doesn’t look oily! Favorite for the summer especially.
Neasa
Hi! Like you, I tried the NW15 but found it a bit too orangey. The woman in MAC suggested the NC15 which I always though would be completely wrong but its perfect. I’m so delighted, because the studio fix is my holy grail foundation. The MAC people also said loads of people beg for a NW10, which they’re thinking about!
Love your blogs!
Minnie Burton
Clinique superbalanced foundation for dry combination oily skin in shade Alabaster is AMAZING on my pale skin.
A lot of people don’t realise it’s the palest shade clinique do as it’s number is 27! (That’s what the lady on the counter told me anyway!) I’d been using the Ivory and couldn’t understand why it was making me look orange……
I have found my pale foundation and won’t be switching I’ve tried alot of cheaper brands palest shade and they are nothing compared to the clinique one!
Ruth
I definitely think more brands need to make paler foundation and concealer shades – this isn’t the only blog I’ve been to where its been said that palest shades of many brands are too dark/orange
Rock Hyrax
I second that – I’ve got one tub of foundation that’s supposed to be a brand’s lightest shade, which I use as bronzer…
cookie
I usually take Revlon’s colorstay 110 Ivory (which is still too dark for me) or Max Factor’s Miracle touch creamy ivory 40 and apply either Manhattan’s soft compact powder in 0 transparent in the winter or Essence’s moonlight collection 01 sparkling dawn in the summer so my face isn’t all matte and weird looking in this Mediterranean heat.
It is, however, a real darn shame that it’s almost impossible to find a shade that isn’t too orange/yellow or too pink (yea, i get that too).
Well, serves us strange pasty-faces right for not using tanning booths or spray-on tans like the rest of the normal world does ;P
Julia
I spent about 2 hours in a Sephora back in February looking for a foundation match for my wedding. On a daily basis I wear the Clinque superpowder in Matte Bisque over moisturizer. I think I found my holy grail though with Fresh Cosmetics foundation. They have one in the color Fair Isle that worked fabulously for me and photographed really well.
Kezia
Oh gosh, just found your blog. As an ultra pale redhead, with pink toned skin, it is nice to see someone has done some foundation legwork for me! I find I always get the same answer at makeup counters “do you have a very pale pink toned foundation?” “we have this one” “but that’s yellow” “yes, but it’s pale”. Argh!
I have found By Terry Lumiere Veloutee in Ultra Fair, is brilliant. Perfect shade, but expensive at £54. It has lasted me a very long time, but you need to watch out for the foiling on the cap which will rub off on your fingers and make your face sparkly.
AuroraShock
I also use Bare Minerals in Fair. I find it works best over a light tinted moisturizer.
AnnB
I am impressed with Lancome as that must be the first to have an SPF of 20! As a pale skinned freckled-face person SPF15 is not enough for me so I tend to add a SPF 50 on my face. I use Simple as I have very sensitive skin and wish they did a foundation! I also like the fact that they are supporting real people in their latest campaign to find someone to work for them and promote their products, rather than go down the celebrity route – they have taken it one step further than Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign. http://www.simple.co.uk/star
Nools
Clinique is also my choice I have just changed to their Even Better range with SPF15 which is a little thicker than the superfit foundation that I was using. I also like Simple as it is so reasonably priced and they do so many cleanser products – interesting idea of running a recruitment drive as a competition – it looks like it would be ideal as a part time flexible job from home – with loads of prizes and a real job.
Hannah
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in Ivory or Cameo is perfect 🙂
Andrea
Illamasqua now offer more pale shades, have a look at their website.
Ellie
Another thumbs up for Lily Lolo from a very ghostly pale brunette. Their “Porcelain” is the first shade I ever found that actually matched me perfectly.
Other foundations I quite like are the Barbara Daly for Tesco moisture foundation in Porcelain, and Prescriptives Anywear cream stick in Camellia.
There definitely need to be more very pale, pink toned foundations out there as the high street brands seem to completely ignore anybody who doesn’t want to coat themselves a fetching shade of dark tangerine.
Amy
I just tested the Chanel Vitalumiere in 05 Diaphane and it was a pretty good shade for me – not too yellow, not too pink. The texture was lovely, as well, and it has a nice light scent – PLUS SPF 15. I don’t need foundation at the moment so I’ll try this again on my whole face and in natural light (I only tested by my jawline).
Haley
Hi there. Was wondering if you know what shade you are in MAC, or MUFE? I am trying to figure out what shade I would be in Chanel Vitalumiere, but I don’t have a counter near me anywhere. =(
Leigh
Oddly enough, I’ve usually had the opposite problem for you. Most of the foundations I’ve found that were pale enough for me were too pink. I second the love for the Maybelline Pure Makeup, though. It’s what I wear for about two-thirds of the year. For the wintertime, I haven’t found anything to beat L’Oreal’s True Match foundation. I used to wear it year round when I lived in Washington state, where the sun never, ever shines. Their lightest shade is so pale, and it’s available in warm, neutral, and cool tones. (Porcelain, Soft Ivory, and Alabaster, respectively.)
Leigh
Oh, and the L’Oreal has an SPF 17. I have no idea why it’s 17, instead of 15 or 20, but I guess it’s better than nothing.
RachelSophie
Just found this blog and you have literally made my week! I have very similar colouring to you, redheaded, pale etc. but a pink pale not a warmer pale. I literally despair at finding foundation and just gave up and wear concealer and translucent powder but I am wanting a bit more coverage… So I am definitely going to try a few of these out! Where can you get the Maybeline Pure Make-up, as that looks a really good colour?
And… thank you, you porcelain angel! I am not alone!
x
Nic
I am very very very pale too and I’ve tried pretty much all of the ones you have listed. I used to use revlon but it was little dark on me too. I just started using Make up forever in 15 and it’s awesome! Almost the perfect color white for me light enough but not so white that it looks clownish. I also have pink undertones so sometimes its hard to find light foundation without a yellow tint to them. I would absolutely recommend it. It’s also got pretty good coverage, I would say its probably medium?
clare
missha m bb perfect cover bb bream in number 13. Unbelievably pale. The Holy Grail!!!!
clare
Also, for a powder, MAC Prep and Prime loose powder. It is translucent powder, so very fine, but is totally white in the pot. Really lovely.
Keisha
These are all still to dark for me 🙁 The lightest foundation I’ve found is Maybelline Fit Me in 110, and that is still a bit off.
Kayli
Try the hard candy glamaflouge foundation. Its by far the palest ive ever seen :).
Emanuela
I use MAC Matchmaster in shade 1 (which is equivalent to about a NW10, I believe – it’s a lot lighter than NW15) and Urban Decay Naked Skin in 0.5 (which is pretty much the same shade as the MAC one). I’m loving them both at the moment. Definitely worth checking out if you, just like me, have a lot of trouble finding foundations light enough for your skin.
emma
I stumbled upon this post while searching for pale foundations and just wanted to comment re this post. I absolutely adore the texture, finish and ease of application of Matchmaster but I find Shade 1 way too dark and nowhere near NW15, let alone NW10. I think it’s more of a NC20, which is really disappointing, because it would have been my holy grail otherwise. The (relatively) new studio fix NW10 is pale enough for me and fairly called a NW10 in my opinion but it’s nowhere as good a foundation as Matchmaster.
Amy
I’m also somewhere between a MAC NW5 (if it existed) and NW10, and my current favorite is MUFE Face & Body Liquid Makeup in Pink Porcelain 38. I finally managed to get my hands on a bottle when Sephora got it back in stock for approximately five minutes. The coverage is light to medium, so maybe a little less than you’re looking for, but I love the fact that it’s waterproof so I can wear it while I sweat in the summer heat. In the winter, I wear YSL Touche Éclat Illuminating Foundation in Beige 10 because it’s a little more moisturizing. The name makes it sound too brown/yellow, but it’s not.
Mana
I’m shade b10 in Chanel’s vita limiter aqua, which is yellow toned but I believe they do a br10 which is pink toned. And I also love Nars sheer glow in Siberia and the lightest shade of nars pure radiant tinted moisturizer. And lancome’s Tient visionaire in 100n which is a great match for my super pale skin.
steph
Seventeen staytime foundation in ivory is one of the Palest drugstore foundations I’ve ever come across, although it is very heavy.
Laura Chandler
I’m not a red head, I have mousey brown hair, but I am very pale. Any pictures of me come out alabaster white or I look like the moon and if I try to “hide it” by using a darker shade of foundation, my very pale neck and décolletage gives me away (ahem…orange face)!
Anyway, I need FULL coverage due to having dermatillomania so a few scabs, scars and open wounds to cover! I normally use powder as my skin is very oily, but I needed something that was quick to apply on those days I didn’t want to go the whole hog and use a plethora of make up like I normally do, but it had to cover just as well.
After many, many years searching I happen across Dermacol on ebay. It boasts 14 shades, waterproof, SPF 30 and hypoallergenic and at around £5 per 30 ml tube, it’s a bargain. It’s lightest shades seems to come in either cool or warm tones and I picked the cool tone as my skin is almost blue and see through, not warm.
When the product arrived, naturally I was excited to use it! Put it on (you only need a teeny tiny bit), it’s very thick which fills me with hope and…OMG, it matched my skin perfectly! Almost too perfectly….it made me sad that I was actually THAT pale lol. But it matched my neck and all other skin. I went over with a powder to seal it, but my god I didn’t even need a concealer which is sacrilege for me.
So I beg you to try it, I may purchase the warmer light shade just to experiment because at £5 a go, I’m not breaking the bank if it’s not suitable. But I managed to achieve a porcelain, smooth look without caking or settling in wrinkles etc. Please try it 🙂
Andrew James (Beauty and The Boy)
Skinbase is my favourite foundation of all time its amazing! i love the coverage of it
http://www.beautyandtheboy.com
Jesica
Great roundup! I’ve found it really hard to get a good match with fair skin, because I also have a slightly warm undertone. I would add Armani luminous silk in #02 to that list… I use that & Nars Siberia depending on the time of year.
Stacy
Thanks for putting this list together and getting all of us pale complexioned ladies together too! I really hate when even the lightest shade in a range makes me look orange. My personal favourite (the rimmed lasting finish one is second) is by Lush, Colour Supplement in Jackie Oates. It can be worn alone for full coverage, or mixed with moisturiser to suit you. Both ways work really well, and no orange at all! It costs 9.95 for 20g.
Maria
Have you tried any of the body shop foundations? I wear the same shade in Rimmel foundation as you and I’ve found the body shop to be a good math! They also have a liquid you can add to your foundation to make it paler!
Arbonne also do a very pale foundation but can be a little drying
Christa
I like Clinique Alabaster too.
I would love if you could redo this pale skin foundation review with some additional suggestions as I am not a powder lover either.
Naomi
Oh my gosh, I share your pain! The only difference in our skin concerns is that my paleness has a yellow tint to it rather than pink. I only started wearing makeup in my late 20s when I had money to spend on experimentation – which sadly I had to do.
I found that NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia is a perrrrfect match for me. I also use Loreal’s True Match in W1, which looks strangely white-pinkish on me when first applied, but oxidises to a great match after 10 minutes.
Frankly, most days I will only cover darkness and redness with a good concealer topped off with Hourglass Ambient Light finishing powder and forgo a foundation. And I have a BAD skin. But I found that applying the right concealers on the right areas, will make my skin look flawless (thank you Lisa Eldridge!). I use different kinds for different areas, sometimes alone, sometimes together: MAC ProLongwear in NC15, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-1, Loreal Lumi Pen in 1, Becca ultimate coverage concealer creme in Praline and Banana shades, and NARS radiant creamy concealer in Chantilly. Hopefully this helps my pale sisters!
Nikki
All my life I avoided foundation for the fear of looking orange. I’m now a little obsessed and often challenge beauty consultants to find me a product that matches my skin tone. I personally find double wear very heavy, but for moments like weddings where camera flashes are going to go off a lot, it looks great. Lighter everyday wear I use the body shop’s all-in-one pressed powder in 03. Plus I’ve just discovered arbonne. They do a great foundation range, plus a non-greasy and quick drying face suntan lotion. It’s so good people won’t even know you are wearing protection, plus their foundation still glides on top and has an SPF content.
Shelby
I use Kat Von D’s Lock-it Foundation in L42 and it is the palest foundation that I’ve found so far. Everything else on this list is way too dark for me. I also have a yellow to neutral undertone so it’s even harder for me to find a matching foundation. The only way that I can make ANY foundation work other than the KVD one is to use a white foundation mixer.
Tamarind Digges
The Rimmel ones are still to dark for me 🙁 I find the only ones that match me that I’ve found are the NW10 in MAC’s studio fix and Estee Lauder’s lightest shade in double wear. But they are both so expensive.
Munkyfuzz
A late addition I know, but I am paler than mac nw10 and recently found Mehron celebre hd foundation in light 2. I’m not even the lightest shade! Eurasia Ivory is almost white and light 1 is a touch too light. They are oil free and also don’t oxidise which is great.
Niki
I have discovered Nars matte skin tint in terre neuve and I freely admit I am a little bit in love with it. Natural coverage, not too matte and spf 30!! It’s like they had redheads in mind when they made this. Really easy to put on, I could put it on in the dark it needs so little care to look good
TLC
I always start with sunscreen, then apply Revlon Photoready Translucent powder over that.
Danna
I’m excited to find this post! Until the powder and mineral foundations came along NOTHING matched my skin. I’m so pale, I rival ghosts! Even with powder foundation, my color is “translucent”. Ivory is super dark for me -in any brand- so those you’ve listed in Ivory, I’m not sure about. (Although, I must add that I don’t buy expensive makeup, because with my job I can’t wear makeup daily and can’t see spending a lot of money on something that may go bad long before I’ve had a chance to use half of it, so I can’t say from experience how any of those would be in Ivory.)
Maybelline’s Mineral Powder finishing veil in translucent is what works for me as foundation. And Covergirl illuminator 725 is what I use for a concealer.
Also, am I the only one whose skin doesn’t change shades in winter and summer. There is no difference for me. I’m deathly white all year. I don’t get any color whatsoever in the summer other than freckles and/or burn and blister.
Dianne K. Wilson
At sixteen years of age I accidentally stumbled upon a pale pink foundation, but not realizing how difficult it would be to find that shade once again, I failed to make a note of the company and shade of that particularly unique foundation. I have spent the remainder of my days searching for the perfect combination of good skincare, finished with the perfect pale pink foundation. I learned in my search that many foundations oxidize to orange on my skin. After many failed attempts, I have found the most perfect foundation that is not only pale pink, but does not oxidize to orange, and has skincare benefits for my acne prone skin. The shade is named Seashell, from 14e. The 14e collection is from Emma Fortini, and is available online at 14ecosmetics.com. My choice skincare line is Tatcha, available at tatcha.com. It is gentle but effective, and is as dear to my soul as it is to my skin. I follow my skincare routine with Algenist Sublime Defense Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50, which I love for its fluidity and skincare benefits, while protecting my pale skin from the sun. The 14e Seashell liquid foundation is available as a medium coverage formula and a sheer coverage formula. I use the sheer coverage daily, reserving the medium coverage for evening events. My facial skin health has improved with the aforementioned combination, and I feel I have found the perfect formula for my skin, from skincare health to a soft, pale pink finish. I dust my cheeks with Benefit Cosmetics, Dandilion Box O’ Powder in a radiant finish, for a flush of soft pink color, as I’m so pale that traditional blushes are too densely pigmented.
Lisa Hill
There is a huge collection of foundation in this blog. I have pale skin tone and these can be best for me. I will definitely try on of from them. Thanks for sharing.
Rachel
If you’re looking for a budget lightweight foundation, try Collection HydraSerum foundation. It’s less than £10 and has the best shade match for me with a satin finish. I’m nw10 in MAC and I’m shade 5 Fair in the Collection Hydraserum range. It’s worth a try. Also there’s no fragrance.