My Top High-End Foundations!

Today's post is all about expensive bases and the ones that I think are worth the price. As all make-up addicts know, you can pay between €30 - €50 for a high-end foundation, so you want to make sure you pick the best one for you.
When you're considering these reviews bear in mind that my skin is oily - combination skin and it's quite acne prone, although it isn't sensitive - so what works for me may not work for you.
The best thing about high-end foundations is that you're able to get a sample before you buy, so make sure to do this before splashing your cash!

• NARS Sheer Matte Foundation, €40

NARS Sheer Glow foundation is one of the most raved about foundations amongst Youtubers and bloggers, so of course I was interested in trying out. So I went to the NARS counter in Brown Thomas to get a sample while I was buying other items there. The make-up artist didn't have any samples as in NARS they don't pump it out there and then, you get a little NARS jar with a tiny spatula to scoop out the product (it's quite cute actually!). Instead she gave me a sample of the Sheer Matte and I am so glad she did! 

It's quite a trial and error type product with regards to application, it took me about a week of use to find the proper tool to use with it as every brush I tried just didn't make it look right. Now I apply it with the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. 

Although it's called Sheer Matte, I think the coverage is perfect - it's not as sheer as a BB cream or tinted moisturiser, but it gives enough coverage that you can leave concealer out of your make-up routine. I normally apply a base layer and then add a little more to my problem areas if needs be.

The most impressive part of this foundation for me is it's staying power - I wore this to a ball a few months ago and applied it at 4pm and it was still flawless at 2am - with no touch ups! I've never had a foundation stay that long on me, with or without extra powder!

I wear the shade Light 04 - Deauville and it's a perfect match. The NARS foundations have a great range of shades too, which is always a bonus!

• MAC Face and Body Foundation, €31.50

I would say that this is my all-time favourite foundation! This may seem odd coming from someone with bad skin, but I just love how light it is. I love this foundation for natural days - I just pop a bit of MAC Pro Longwear concealer (absolute holy-grail product) onto my blemishes, blend this over it with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush and I'm ready to go! 

MAC Face and Body is known as a firm favourite amongst make-up artists as it's so versatile - as well being designed for use on the body, you can wear it as sheer or as heavy as you want. I only apply one layer but it is so buildable you could wear it as a full coverage foundation! 

The packaging is also a great bonus as no product is wasted through the squeezy bottle, it doesn't have a pump, just a little nozzle to squeeze the product out through.

It's very runny but you don't have to work quickly with it. I apply it onto the back of my hand then just dip my brush into the product and work it all over the face.

This video by AnchalMUA on Youtube made me copy her contouring technique with the Face and Body and it looks beautiful! I wear this in the shade C3.

• Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation, €44

I discussed this foundation in my Best Of The Brand post a few weeks ago, as it's a firm favourite of mine. It's a medium to full coverage foundation which sets like a second skin. You have to work quickly with it as it sets very fast! It sets to a powder-like finish but it still looks natural enough to wear on a day to day basis. One thing to bear in mind with this foundation is that it has quite a strong scent - it's one of my favourite things about it but my skin isn't sensitive! So I'd definitely recommend getting a sample of this before buying it if your skin is sensitive to perfumed products. 

Application wise, it's a bit like the NARS one in the sense that it can be hit and miss until you find the brush that works for you and how you want the foundation to look. For me, I love the Real Techniques Stippling Brush to apply it. It works wonders and the brush is only about €16 (I have a post coming up on my top brushes so it'll be mentioned there!)

I have the shade 10 - Beige, which I find a tad too light now, so when I repurchase it I'll probably go up a shade or two. The main promise of this foundation is to keep your skin looking flawless all day. I would go along with that promise, as I rarely find myself having to touch this foundation up during the day.

Although it's a steep price, you certainly get your money's worth both in terms of wear and longevity. My bottle lasted me about five and a half months, with some weeks where I wore it every day. 

I would definitely recommend saving up your pennies to treat yourself to this little guy!

• MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation, €36.50

This foundation is a bit of a love/hate one for many people. A lot of people associate it with cakey make-up and breakouts, others can't live without it. 

Before I tried it, I was under the first bracket - I had seen so many people with heavy looking make-up who'd told me they use MAC Studio Fix Fluid, but one day in MAC one of the girls put it on me and I fell in love! She said a very true thing about it - application is everything. You can make this foundation as light or as heavy as you want, depending on how you apply it.

I love to use a regular foundation brush, like a MAC 190 and just apply it in strokes across the face.

This way it gives a light to medium coverage and looks so pretty without looking heavy or like you're wearing a lot of make-up. I wouldn't call it a natural look foundation, but it doesn't bother me as it gives me the coverage I want from a foundation. 

The staying power is good, but it's not exceptional on my oily skin. It stays flawless for about five hours, which is fine by me as I usually don't wear a foundation from morning to night, but this may be a factor you want to consider if you're choosing this foundation for an all-day wear.

The MAC staff are super helpful so don't be afraid to go to your local counter and ask for a demo or a sample of this foundation - I was lucky enough to get both before I bought it! I wear this in the shade NC15.

So they are my ultimate high-end foundations! Let me know what your favourites are and what you think I should try next!
Zara :-) x