Base Makeup Archives - The Beauty Look Book

Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte Concealer

March 29, 2023

Tom Ford Beauty launched a new concealer called the Traceless Soft Matte Concealer ($60) and I really like it! The formula is in a twist up stick format with a very soft texture. The word “traceless” in the name is perfect because once you blend this, it really is traceless in a natural looking kind of way. It’s long-wearing on me, didn’t crease, blended beautifully and looks natural.

I picked up the shade 3W1 Golden based on their Foundation + Concealer shade conversion chart. In the Traceless Soft Matte Foundation I wear 6.0 Natural and in the Traceless Foundation Stick I have both 6.0 Natural and 6.5 Sable. After testing this I think the shade choice for concealer is a good one that I will be able to use even throughout summer.

The Traceless Soft Matte formula is soft and glides on the skin. It feels weightless once blended. Coverage is on the sheer-medium side. I don’t need a lot of coverage under the eyes so this is perfect for me. If you need a minimum of medium coverage or even full I would say skip this and go for the Shade and Illuminate formula if you want to stick with Tom Ford. Other great medium-full coverage concealers I like also include the Tarte Shape Tape Ultra Creamy, Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Concealer, Dior Forever or the Urban Decay Quickie Concealer.

Below before and after concealer, applying it on top of the Traceless Soft Matte Foundation. Blending with one of my favorite brushes the Hourglass Vanish Concealer Brush.

The question everyone has been asking me is “how does this compare to the Cle de Peau Concealer?” The Traceless Soft Matte Concealer is quite a bit softer in texture and more natural in finish. The Cle de Peau Concealer is stiffer and dryer in the feel. It’s one of the best opaque concealers that I use for spot concealing. It seems to be popular for under eyes as well but can be a bit too opaque/thick for that area if you have dry skin or texture.

I think the Tom Ford option is great for the under eye for me and I will use it up entirely. I’m not sure that it’s one I will repurchase though because of the price and amount of product. Since the texture is soft a lot of product has already been used up with just a few uses and I feel like this is one that will be used up fairly quickly.

That being said it’s been a while since I’ve used my Tom Ford foundations and after using them recently, I have to say I don’t know why I stopped. I think I just fell in love with other formulas like Chanel, Westman Atelier and Charlotte Tilbury that I neglected some of my favorites from Tom Ford.

Here are a few swatch comparisons to the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Concealer, Cle de Peau Concealer and Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick. My concealer and foundation shades are mixed. Based on the Buff shade you can see how much lighter my skin is right now (Buff usually matches my arm exactly).

I also wanted to add a swatch of the Shade and Illuminate Highlighting Duo in Peachlight. This is one of several new highlighter duos they added last year. I love Moodlight and still think it’s the best classic highlighter duo. Peachlight is a really pretty mix of a pearly light pink and rose gold peach. The darker shade almost looks bronzey on my skin right now. I like that it has a nice glow without looking too sharp.

I shopped my stash and pulled out the Lip Color in Pink Dusk and topped it with the Gloss Luxe in Ravish. Eye colors are the Eyeshadow Quads in Honeymoon and Golden Mink mixed together. Top from Reformation (wearing a Medium).

Overall I’m really happy with the new concealer although I don’t think it’s for everyone. I bought mine from Nordstrom. Also available at Sephora and Saks Fifth Avenue.

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Have you tried this yet? What are your favorite concealers? Do you prefer sheer, medium or full coverage?

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Base Makeup

Guerlain Terracotta Le Teint Foundation + Luminizers

March 22, 2023

It’s been a while since I’ve tried any Guerlain makeup but they just launched a new natural glow foundation called Terracotta Le Teint ($62) and I ordered it the second it popped up online. I picked out Shade 3N and 3.5N to try based on what I’ve tested from the brand before. I also ordered the new Terracotta Luminizers ($59 each) to try. They added a new Kabuki Foundation Brush ($58) to go with the new foundation but since I already own a lot of brushes and sponges passed on the new brush. The foundation is available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Guerlain.

Terracotta Le Teint

The Terracotta Le Teint is a natural finish foundation with medium coverage. It has a glowy look but sets to a budge-proof finish so even though it’s glowy, it doesn’t feel super emollient once it sets. On me I find it long-wearing right now in our mild warm spring temperature. Once the heat and humidity arrives, I don’t know how it will hold up, but right now I’m impressed.

Ingredient listing includes alcohol high up on the list and this foundation also contains fragrance, both which can be hit or miss for my skin. After testing this for a couple weeks now I haven’t experienced any irritation from the fragrance or alcohol. I pulled the ingredients from online:

Aqua (Water), C9-12 Alkane, Alcohol, Undecane, Silica, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Glycerin, Tridecane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Barium Sulfate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Lauryl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Propylene Carbonate, Parfum (Fragrance), Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Aluminum Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Isostearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Mica, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Palmitic Acid, Tocopherol, Magnesium Hydroxide, [+/- CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride)].

Shade wise I’m in between 3N and 3.5N, but I’m wearing 3N in this post. Below with bare skin:

With foundation + eyeshadow + lipstick (no powder or concealer worn):

In one of my orders I got a couple sample packets of 2N and 4N which I’ve swatched below. There seems to be a huge gap between 3.5N and 4N. There is a 3W and 3.5W which might fill the gap but I don’t have the foundation at any counters near me to try in person.

Quick skintone note: I’m currently lighter than my usual Chanel Les Beiges in the B40 shade and wear a mix of the B30 and dab of B40. I also swatched the Tom Ford Foundation Sticks in 6 Natural and 6.5 Sable.

I like this Guerlain Le Teint formula a lot better than the Guerlain L’Essentiel which I found thick and heavy on the skin. I wouldn’t call the new formula completely weightless as I can definitely feel it on my skin, but it is lightweight and feels nice.

Compared to other glowy foundations I still prefer Chanel (especially the Les Beiges Water Fresh Complexion Tint) but this one from Guerlain is very good.

Terracotta Luminizer

Guerlain also launched two new highlighters called the Terracotta Luminizer ($59 each). There is a light pink shimmer called Cool Ivory and a warm golden shimmer called Warm Gold. The formula and finish is exquisite for a really beautiful glow. Out of the two I like Cool Ivory the best for a natural pretty highlight. Warm Gold pulls very yellow on my skin and I prefer other golds or peach tones like the Charlotte Tilbury Gilded Glow or Bobbi Brown Peach.

Below wearing:

Foundation – Guerlain Terracotta Le Teint in 3N
Powder – Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Honey
Bronzer – Guerlain Terracotta Light Bronzer in 02 Medium Cool
Blush – Saie Blush in Poppy and Rosy
Highlighter – Guerlain Terracotta Luminizer
Eyeshadow – Chanel Les 4 Ombres Tweed Cuivre (discontinued)
Lips – Pat McGrath Satin Allure in Venusian Peach
Nail Color – Static Nails Milky Pink

Cool Ivory

____

Warm Gold

Overall I really love the new foundation. I think the highlighters have a really beautiful formula and even though I have a million highlighters, I really love the finish and look of Cool Ivory.

Will you be checking out any of these?

Available at at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Guerlain.

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Base Makeup Patrick TA

Patrick Ta Major Skin Creme Foundation and Finishing Powder Duo

September 27, 2022

I’ve been playing with the new Patrick Ta Major Skin Creme Foundation and Finishing Powder Duo ($52) along with his new Dual-Ended Complexion Brush ($45) and his new foundation has made it to my favorites list! It is definitely in my Top 5 of all time for makeup bases. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend venturing to your nearest Sephora to see it in person if you can.

Patrick Ta Major Skin Creme Foundation and Finishing Powder Duo

The new Patrick Ta Major Skin Creme Foundation is a skin-like base that looks like skin but better. It has a buildable finish that evens out the skin tone, covers imperfections and spots in a natural way, has good lasting power and still manages to let the skin breathe.

The compact also comes with a Finishing Powder which is a sheer tinted pressed powder. I was able to attend a zoom master class with Patrick Ta and he likes to use this only on the T-zone. It has minimal pigment in it to set the cream product and look natural. I am a full face powder kind of person because I like everything to be set evenly. It’s sheer but blurs the skin and I love that it doesn’t darken or oxidize on the cream.

I tried a few different shades and the colors I tested are sheer enough that I can make them all work on my skin. I used the shade finder tool at Sephora and my match was Light Medium 2 which turned out to be a spot on match.

I have Light Medium 1, Light Medium 2 and Light Medium 3 for the creme foundation swatched. Since the powder is really sheer it doesn’t really show up well in a swatch but each one has a slightly different undertone to match the cream.

On me you can see Light Medium 1 is more olive, Light Medium 2 is more golden and Light Medium 3 is more cool/rose toned.

Compared to other bases I really can’t think of anything quite like it. I’ve used and loved the MAC Studio Tech Cream-To-Powder Foundation but it’s more full coverage and has a matte finish. It has a natural finish like the Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick, but the Patrick Ta feels a little more creamy, a little lighter weight and slightly more balmy. To me the new Patrick Ta Creme Foundation is almost like what you would get if you put the Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Tint in a solid cream compact form.

Here’s a BEFORE (bare skin) and AFTER with (creme + powder)

Side by side with just the Creme applied vs bare skin

Creme foundation blended all over

Full look wearing:

Foundation and Powder: Patrick Ta Major Skin Creme Foundation and Finishing Powder Duo Light Medium 2
Major Sculpt Creme and Contour Duo in She’s Sculpted
Major Dimension Eyeshadow Palette
Monochrome Moment – Silky Lip Crème in She’s Confident

Dual-Ended Complexion Brush

Patrick Ta also launched a new Dual-Ended Complexion Brush designed just for the the duo compact. It works really well and I love how it blends everything seamlessly. Since it is double ended I do wish it has some kind of cap or cover for it. The brush is very soft and smooth. It has the perfect density for both the cream side and powder side for flawless application. As much as I love it, I think you can use what you have.

Bottom line love. It’s everything I want in a foundation and powder! Natural, fragrance free, buildable, slightly radiant, blurring and great color range. Highly recommend. Since I have 3 shades I can make work for me I’m pretty well stocked at the moment, but I will 100% be repurchasing once it’s used up.

Available at Sephora and Patrick Ta Beauty.

Patrick Ta foundation and brush provided for review.

P.S. Thank you to all of you who have sent me messages about the hurricane. We are safe and staying put based on our zone and my in-laws are with us. Kitty and puppy send you all lots of kisses. We will most likely be experiencing power outages so I may not be able to respond over the next few days. Thank you for your heartfelt notes!

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Base Makeup Sephora

Must-Have Complexion Products For a Flawless Base

April 1, 2022

Today I have an updated round up of my everyday must-have complexion staples just in time for the Sephora Spring Savings Event! The event runs 4/1 through 4/11 for Beauty Insiders! If you’re not signed up yet you can join for free here.

Use code SAVESPRING at checkout to save. You can use the code multiple times throughout the event. Exclusions apply. The access dates and details for each tier:

Rouge Members save 20% off 4/1 – 4/11
VIB Members can save 15% off 4/5 – 4/11
Insiders save 10% off 4/7 – 4/11

Also all Sephora Collection items are going to me marked down to 30% off (no promo code needed for these items) throughout the event.

In today’s post I’ve included the best primers, foundations, concealers and setting products. These are the staples I always go back to for my everyday makeup look.

Primers

I like to keep my base as lightweight as possible so my skin can breathe and often look for multi-taskers. The Bobbi Brown Enriched Face Base Priming Moisturizer is my go-to for a primer + moisturizer in one. It works well with a wide range of foundation formulas. Can’t rave enough about it!

Also love the Tatcha Liquid Silk Canvas which a lighter version of their classic Silk Canvas. The Liquid Silk Canvas is the one I prefer, it makes the skin look smooth and minimizes my pores. Foundation adheres well to the skin with this one!

Foundation

My most-used foundation is the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. It’s the best one for natural medium coverage with the perfect glow. It has enough pigment to even out the skin and just the right amount of luminosity!

For a lightweight base the Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint is another favorite. It’s what I would want in a tinted moisturizer but with a little more pigment and not as dewy (which is perfect for me). If you’re looking for a nice everyday base for spring to summer with light coverage but enough to smooth out the skin, check this one out. Wearing Shade 10 below.

Two new foundations I’ve been loving this year are the NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation and the Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation. Both have a skincare component to the formula. The NARS offers a bit more coverage on my skin, but both are really beautiful formulas I’ve used a lot this year.

Highlighters / Bronzer

To enhance the complexion the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter is hands down the best product I’ve tried. I own this in multiple shades but use Shade 3 and 4.5 the most (also available in travel-sized minis). It’s a versatile multi-tasker you can use under foundation to add a glow or as a subtle highlighter on the cheekbones or anywhere you want a highlight.

The Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops are essential in my routine for a truly natural bronzed look. I mix it in with my foundation to add a little warmth and glow.

Concealer

For concealing, if I had to use one the rest of my life it would be the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. I’ve used this for years (my match is Ginger) and it’s the best creamy under eye brightener that blends well, looks natural and lasts all day.

The second runner up would be the YSL Touche Eclat Brightening Concealer (I use Shade 3 and 4.5). For more coverage the Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer (I use 2.5N) is a staple.

To set you can use your regular loose or pressed powder, but I also really love the Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Blurring Under-Eye Setting Powder to lock concealer and other cream products under the eye into place.

Powder / Setting

Last I have a roundup of my top setting products. I always set my cream base with a powder to help extend the wear and set everything. The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder is the best blurring setting pressed powder I’ve tried! I’ve gone through so many of these.

I also love the NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder. It’s like magic on the skin for me! Blurs pores, smooths skin while being completely transparent. They have it in a translucent shade but it’s also available in tinted options as well.

For loose powder it doesn’t get more classic than the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. I alternate between the Translucent shade or Honey.

To set makeup or refresh my look the two best setting sprays I’ve used are the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray and Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. Both help give the skin a refreshed set look – so it’s not too powdery looking.

You can find all of my favorites and staples at Sephora during the Spring Savings Event. It’s a great time to restock your staples or try something new! If you’re looking for a good base to try I hope you found this roundup helpful!

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Many thanks to Sephora for partnering to sponsor this post!

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Base Makeup NARS

NARS Light Reflecting Foundation Review

January 21, 2022

The latest from NARS is their Light Reflecting Foundation ($49, available in 36 shades) and new shades of the Light Reflecting Setting Loose Powder ($39, now in 4 shades). I posted a video on my Instagram Reels showing the application of the foundation in Sahel and so many of you had more questions about the formula I thought I’d do a full review!

The new NARS Light Reflecting Foundation is a foundation with skincare benefits described as a formula that will blur, smooth, conceal and maintain moisture. According to NARS the formula is 70% skincare. The NARS team sent a few shades and I found my best match to be either Santa Fe M2 or Sahel M2.5. I’m at my lightest right now, most of the year I’m usually a match to Vanuatu M3.5 or Barcelona M4.

In case you missed the tutorial you can watch it below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sabrina | The Beauty Look Book (@beautylookbook)

The foundation finish has a natural glow and an easy to blend formula with medium coverage. I found it covered most of my sun spots and freckles without looking too heavy. I really don’t need concealer with this foundation! It has a lightweight feel I don’t feel it on my skin.

I would say texture is the biggest difference between this one and other NARS foundations. It has a more natural look and lighter texture compared to the Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation (reviewed a few years ago here).

A lot of you also asked how it compared to the Sheer Glow Foundation formula and I wish I could compare but can’t. I used it for a while when it launched, loved it, and then suddenly developed an allergic reaction to it so I stopped using it. I have no issues with the new Light Reflecting Foundation though.

I haven’t used this new formula enough to notice skincare benefits but I like the way it looks, blends out and feels on the skin. It does have a natural light reflecting quality to look like my skin but better. It is a long wear foundation that adheres to the skin so I find it essential to double cleanse at the end of the day. It’s not challenging to remove like a waterproof mascara but with all newer longer wearing foundations and powders these days you will need to take a little extra care at the end of the day to remove all of it at night.

Bare Skin vs a swipe of Sahel below

Side by side with Foundation vs No Foundation (applied with a beautyblender)

The Light Reflecting Loose and Pressed Powders used to be in heavy rotation when they first launched in the translucent Crystal shade. Both are stark white in the compact but smooth and set foundation without adding any white tint. I’m thrilled they decided to add more shades which I think will be better for tan to deeper skin tones.

Both the pressed and loose powders have NARS’ light reflecting complex. It diffused light, blurs out fine lines and has a soft look without any flashback in flash photos.

You can see the Light Reflecting Pressed Powder in Crystal in action in my Reel (linked above). I highly recommend giving it a try! It has a very stiff texture in the pan. If you swipe a brush you will almost think no product is being picked up on the brush but once you apply to the face you will see the transformation!

Here’s a closer look at the Light Reflecting Loose Powder in Shore for medium to medium-deep skin tones. It looked a little dark in the jar but I am pleased to report it doesn’t darken my foundation. This one has a mesh sifter cover and a lid to prevent spilling/leakage. It has a superfine light feel, almost like air.

One more quick look at one of my favorite concealers in the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger. Right now I find Macadamia a better match for spot concealing/brightening. I could probably use Custard too, but most of the year I’m either Macadamia or Ginger. In the summer I go as deep as Praline.

Full makeup look wearing:

Foundation – NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in Sahel*
Concealer – NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Macadamia*
Powder – NARS Light Reflecting Loose Powder in Shore*
Bronzer – Huda Beauty GloWish Soft Radiance Bronzing Powder in 03 Tan Light (swatches here)
Cheeks – NARS Orgasm + Savage* Blushes mixed
Eyeshadow – Too Faced Natural Nudes Born This Way Eyeshadow Palette (swatches here)
Mascara – NARS Climax Extreme Mascara
Eyeliner – Tom Ford Liquid Eyeliner
Brows – Benefit Precisely My Brow in Shade 3
Lip Liner – Chanel Le Crayon Levres in 156 Beige Naturel* (swatches of all shades here)
Lip Gloss – NARS Afterglow Lip Shine in Orgasm* (all new shades swatched here)
Top – Abercrombie Cardigan (older style)

Overall I really like the new NARS foundation! I like how it blends, wears and feels. You can find it now at Sephora and NARS Cosmetics. Have you tried this one yet? What did you think?

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NARS Foundation + Powder provided for review. Press samples also have a * next to them.

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Base Makeup Chanel

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Foundation + Le Correcteur de Chanel Review

October 18, 2021

Chanel recently reformulated two of their base products including the Ultra Le Teint Foundation ($60, available in 35 shades), Le Correcteur de Chanel ($43, available in 16 shades), and Le Correcteur de Chanel in a Color Corrector ($43, 4 shades).

I hauled the new foundation and concealer to put them to the test and have a closer look with swatches today.

Chanel Ultra Le Teint

The Chanel Ultra Le Teint Ultrawear All-Day Comfort Foundation is a soft matte finish foundation with a lightweight texture and medium buildable coverage. It’s been a while since I tried the original Ultra Le Teint so I can’t exactly recall what the old one was like, but I think I remember it being on the thicker heavy side. The new reformulation has a more fluid lightweight feel compared to the original. Compared to current Chanel matte/velvet bases it’s not thin and doesn’t have quite as much slip as the Ultra Le Teint Velvet (reviewed here).

Formula blends well for a soft demi-matte finish. I swatched a few at the counter and the sales associate agreed that I looked like I was in between shades B40/B50 possibly a BD41. The undertone of BD41 matched better for my yellow/olive/golden skintone but is just a tad too light. The next shade up BD51 was too deep and olive for me. If I were to get my exact match I’d probably be a mix of BD41 with B50.

Once on the skin it doesn’t really oxidize but I was surprised that it adjusts and blends out perfectly. Most matte foundations tend to darken once they dry on my skin and I was really pleased that this one does not.

Lasting power is pretty impressive. Finish can be a little streaky if you have dry skin, but this can be fixed with a good moisturizer underneath and some good blending. Overall I like it but I still prefer the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation for formula and how it looks on the skin.

A few swatch comparisons for reference. I’ll link my previous reviews to other formulas below:

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5 and 7 (review here)
Chanel CC Cream in 40 Beige (review here)
Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B40 (review + swatches here)
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation in BD41 and B40 (more swatches here)
Cle de Peau Radiant Fluid Matte in O40 (review here)
NARS Natural Radiant Foundation in Vanuatu (review + swatches here)
Comprehensive Foundation + Concealer Shade Guide for current formulas I’ve reviewed in my Foundation + Concealer Reference Guide for Medium Tan Skintones

Le Correcteur de Chanel Longwear Concealer

I’ve received a lot of questions over the years about the Chanel concealer and how it compares to other brands like Dior and NARS. To be frank, I’ve never been a super huge fan of the Chanel concealers. The formula isn’t bad, it’s just not what I prefer. Finish tends to be thin, not creamy enough and the colors have always been a little off for my skin. Either too pale, too dark or too pink in undertone. This round Chanel added more shades with their Le Correcteur de Chanel Longwear Concealer.

Formula is lightweight with a gel-based formula. It does the job at brightening and concealing the under eye. It won’t crease, it’s easy to blend, it has soft-focus pigments to diffuse light with a brightening effect (but has no shimmer/glow).

Overall it’s decent. It performs as described. I prefer formulas that are more creamy and emollient. I don’t think it has enough coverage for spot concealing although I did not try the color correctors to see if those work better. I just don’t think it’s the best out there. For a similar coverage I prefer the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer by far for the emollient texture and creamy feel. I like the color range in NARS better too.

For a color match, the first counter I went to was sold out of B40 so I went to another store nearby and didn’t realize until I got home that they sold me the old formula which is 40 Beige. So I have both the old and new 40 colors to swatch for you side by side. A few videos I watched on YouTube also showed that the old and new in the B20 color are also different. I suspect this might be the case across the board that the colors are slightly different.

I ordered the new B40 along with the B30 and BD31 to compare. I know a lot of you like one 1-2 shades lighter than your skintone for brightening. For me after testing all three, the best one for me is B40 but I think it’s still a bit too light and the next shade deeper is too dark.

Swatch comparisons to a few other brands:

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Macadamia, Ginger and Praline (formula is more creamy and easier to blend)
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion in 3N (more swatches here, formula is thicker and more emollient)
Tarte Shape Tape in 35N Medium (formula is full coverage, thicker, more creamy, better for spot concealing)

Full below look wearing:

Foundation Chanel Ultra Le Teint in BD41
Concealer Chanel Le Correcteur de Chanel in B40
Bronzer in Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Luminous in Deep (as a bronzer)
Blush Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Initiale
Eyeshadow Patrick Ta Major Dimension Eyeshadow Palette
Eyeliner Chanel Stylo Yeux in Ebene
Lipliner Chanel Le Crayon Levres in Rose Naturel (swatches of all liners here)
Lipstick Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom in Dream (swatches of all colors here)
Gloss Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Noce Moscata (review here)
Top Free People Ciara Layering Top

Overall I think the new foundation is a good basic semi-matte base that will offer medium natural coverage and last all day. The concealer is decent but compared to other brands I would say a pass.

Have you tried the new base products yet? What did you think?

Available at Chanel.com and all other Chanel counters.

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Base Makeup

Foundation + Concealer Reference Guide for Medium-Tan Skin

April 14, 2021

By popular request I’ve put together a foundation + concealer guide with a comprehensive list of my current foundation and concealer shades. You can always refer to my BASE MAKEUP Category to see what foundations, concealers and powders I’ve reviewed too! A number of you asked for a list of all the shades I use or have reviewed in one single list for reference. This isn’t a complete list since a number of formulas have been discontinued or reformulated, but it’s a relatively current one.

I would describe my skin tone as medium to tan with golden tones. When I lived in San Diego I was around a MAC NC30 and now in Florida I am more often around a MAC NC35 or 40. Living in Florida I find that I tan very easily. I often purchase more than one foundation shade to mix, or switch as I darken with the sun.

For undertone, my natural undertone is more yellow/olive but the darker I get my skintone becomes more neutral/golden rather than warm. If there is more than one color undertone in a foundation brand, I’m usually the neutral option.

I’ve included links to all of the reviews and swatches I’ve done. You can see a lot more features in other makeup reviews and beauty breakdowns as well (but it might take a bit of searching).

FOUNDATIONS

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in Shades 6.5 or 7 (review here)

Armani Power Fabric Balm Foundation in Shade 6.5 (review and on the face here)

Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Foundation in 4.25 Natural Tan or 4.5 Warm Natural (swatches of all colors here)

By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Foundation in 400N or 400W (review here)

By Terry Nude-Expert Foundation Stick in 9 Honey Beige (review + swatches here)

Chanel CC Cream in B40 (review here)

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation B40 or BD41 (swatches here)

Chanel Les Beiges Les Beiges Water-Tresh Tint in Medium Plus (review here)

Chanel Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Moisturizing Tint in Medium Plus (review here)

Chanel Sublimage L’Essence de Teint in B40 (review here)

Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B40 or B50 (review here)

Chantecaille Future Skin Cushion Foundation in Nude or Wheat (review here)

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation in 7.5 Neutral (review here)

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in Shade 6.75 or 7 (on the face here and here)

Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Fluid Foundation Matte in O40 (review here)

Cle de Peau Radiant Cushion Foundation in 030 (but this one runs a bit light on me however it’s the darkest shade they currently make, on the face here)

Dior Dreamskin Cushion Foundation in 030

EM Cosmetics Daydream Cushion Foundation in between shades Sweet Secret and Summer Hue (review here)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 3W1 Tawny (review here)

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating and Soft Matte in 235 (review here)

Kosas Tinted Face Oil in Shade 6 (review here)

La Mer Luminous Lifting Cushion Foundation in Shade 33 Warm Bisque (review)

La Prairie Skin Caviar Foundation in Satin Nude (I think this shade may have been discontinued, review here)

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Foundation in Buff 3N1 (review here)

Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere in Latte 3N1.5 (review here)

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Sand 3N1 (review here)

MAC Studio Fix Tech Foundation in NC30 or NC35 (review here)

MILK Makeup Flex Foundation Stick in Golden Sand

NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in Vanuatu or Barcelona (review + swatches of all the colors here)

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz

Natasha Denona Foundation X+ in 42WY (on the skin here)

Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Foundation in LM14 or M15 (review here)

Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Soft Radiance Foundation in 6 Natural (review here)

Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte in 6 Natural (review here)

Urban Decay Hydromaniac Glowy Tinted Hydrator in Shade 50 (review here)

Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick in Shade 6 (review here)

YSL Touche Eclat All-In-One-Glow Foundation in B40

CONCEALERS

Armani Luminous Silk Concealer in 6.5 (review here)

By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Concealer in 300 (review here)

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Liquid Concealer in Shade 6 or 7 (review here)

Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer in Buff (for an exact match, swatches here)

Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Corrector for Eyes in Ocher (a bit lighter for brightening, swatches here)

Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer in Beech

Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer in Shade 6 (review here)

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer in 2N or 3N (swatches here)

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Correct and Brighten Concealer in 3N (swatches here)

MAC Studio Fix 24-Hour Smooth Concealer in NC40 (this one runs light in color, swatches here)

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger (swatches here)

Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Concealer in LM12 to M15 (review here)

YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch in Shade 3 or 4.5 (review here, applied in action here)

Linking my Top 10 below:

My top recommendations for each person depends on skin type and season, but if you want to know my personal favorites, my Top 3 most worn foundations are Armani Luminous Silk, Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion and Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection. I also wear a lot of Chanel. There are too many variables for concealer as everyone has different color preference for how light they want to go, how creamy they want it, opacity level, etc. Since I find most of my foundations do a good job at covering what I want, I don’t always wear concealer. The best brightening ones are from NARS and YSL in my opinion though.

Hope you found this helpful! You can find these at a variety of retailers but I mainly shop at Nordstrom and Sephora. Let me know if you have any questions or want additional details!

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Linking my Top 10 below:

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