We all love a bargain. I think it’s the Irish in us! But are they all worth it? Spend €10 on a foundation that turns out to be beyond useless … it may be a ‘bargain’ at the time, but becomes a waste if you only use it once.
So, with all that said, we’ve tried five. Please excuse the grubby makeup bottles, at least its proof that they are well tested! Here’s how we got on…
Flormar Perfect Coverage foundation
I have a complete love/hate relationship with this foundation. It COMPLETELY depends on the condition of my skin. First off, its coverage is amazing, it covers every blemish and even takes down the redness from those pesky hormonal spots. You couldn’t fault it on that score. I’ve heard it being referred to ‘airbrush in a bottle’ which is true initially, but the airbrush doesn’t last, at least on me.
I have oily skin, and when my skin is being very temperamental this foundation just melts off my skin, especially in warm weather. It doesn’t last as long as others and starts to break down after about four hours.
A good powdering definitely keeps it set for longer, but I don’t powder on weekdays because I give myself about 10 minutes to get ready in the morning, I need something that works on its own, low maintenance is key.
Unfortunately, I also find it sits into my wrinkles (ugh) on my forehead and makes them more noticeable, this only happens when the oil breaks through the foundation though. Over Christmas I went through a stage of dry skin, and this was my holy grail foundation (hence the love/hate relationship). My sister uses this everyday, she has dry skin. It works perfectly for her.
To summarise: if you have oily skin steer clear, it won’t last and you’ll become shiny quite quickly. If you’ve dry skin, it’s definitely worth a go. It covers scarring and redness with ease. It comes in 6 shades and is roughly €11.
L’Oréal True Match Foundation
I know some people swear by this foundation, I’ve heard so many good reviews about it, but it’s just not for me. I’ll start with the positives, it comes in so many colours you are guaranteed to find your perfect shade, it’s divided into warm and cool tones, so it makes the who process of colour selection a lot easier.
It’s spreads easy, blends well with a foundation brush and is workable on the face.
What I didn’t like about it is that it was too sheer for my face. It didn’t have enough coverage. I’m prone to a break out or two, and I’ve redness around my nose. I like my foundation to cover these pretty quickly without much effort.
Yes, I could wear a conceler and a primer beneath but at 7:30am on a Monday before work, that’s the LAST thing you’re going to find me doing. My foundation alone needs to be enough, no faffing around in the morning piling 10 products on my face! This foundation is available for approx €14.
If you have perfect skin and like sheer coverage, this is the one for you. If you like a fuller coverage, I wouldn’t invest.
Note Luminous Moisturising Foundation
This is a relatively new brand to Ireland, I think it’s German. I’ve seen Note products on loads of bloggers pages, so I had to give it a try. This one was €9.99 from Sam Macauley.
I found it really hard to get my correct shade, in the end I got shade 3, perfect with tan but too dark on my natural skin. I find the formulation to be quite thick, but it is surprisingly workable on the skin. It has very good coverage.
As mentioned before, I have oily skin, so I was concerned about the ‘moisturising’ effect it might have on my skin. I was pleasantly surprised! It’s more of a glow than a bright illuminating effect. It lasts about 7/8 hours without breaking down.
By the end of the evening I’m am quite shiny but it definitely holds up well for a €10 euro foundation. I did feel like I had makeup on though, if that makes sense, it was a little heavy on my skin. If you have normal/dry/slightly oily skin I’d recommend this. It’s definitely worth the small price tag.
Catrice HD Foundation
The cheapest foundation everyone is going mad for! 7.99 in Penneys and various pharmacies. Ok, so….. I’ve a few positives and a few negative on this one!
It applies lovely, blends so well, is so workable on the skin. It has a matte finish and good coverage, perfect for my skin. Great first impressions. But unfortunately it just didn’t last on my skin, it broke down in a few hours, I was all patchy around my brows, nose and it set into my wrinkles on my forehead.
It’s pretty good for €7.99, it’a perfect for going about the place at weekend but I wouldn’t be wearing it out or to work.
Note detox and protect foundation
I love this one. It is most similar to MAC studio fix. It’s cost about €14. The formulation, like the other Note foundation, is quite thick but spreads surprisingly well, coverage is excellent and it’s good on my oily skin.
It doesn’t break down and lasts all day. It does oxidise slightly, it gets slightly darker after a few hours, so be careful with your shade, I got a 3 but next time I’ll definitely get a 2. I really feel like I’ve hit the budget foundation jackpot with this one!
I don’t know how dry skin would fair but if you’ve normal skin, invest, you won’t regret it. Again, the coverage is full, so if you like a more sheer natural look, L’Oréal infallible might be a better option.
I’m a big fan of L’Oréal infallible but I haven’t used it since they changed the bottle from glass to plastic, this usually means a change in formulation too, so no review here until I try the new one!
Here is some pictures of the foundation, these are on the inside of my arm so my natural pigmentation wouldn’t effect the shades: left to right is 1. Flormar, 2. L’Oréal True Match 3. Note Luminous Foundation 4. Note Detox and Protect
So that’s it, our run down on budget foundations from someone who has oily skin and likes a full coverage, low maintenance foundation that lasts until home time!
Until next time,
Aoife and Louise
*these opinions are completely our own, made after using foundations for a sustained period of time. These opinions are based on our personal preferences. Please ensure you use your own judgement based on your own preferences and skin type.
