Following on from my post on being Pale and Proud, a lot of you asked for advice about foundation for pale skin. Trust me, I feel your pain on this: I think for most of us palefaces, finding foundation that doesn’t look orange (or, in my case, just make me look like I haven’t washed for a week) can turn into a lifetime’s search with nothing ever being just right.
The list that follows, then, is a highly biased list of my own favourite foundations for pale skin. 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, my skin is pale and freckled, with pinkish undertones. In MAC terms, I’d be an NW15, but I actually find that shade too dark for me, so here are a few of the foundations I use, or have used, instead, in no particular order:
Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in RF105 and RF135 (£22(
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. This is what I use if I’m stuck for the right colour and I have to resort to a foundation that’s slightly too dark for me. RF135, meanwhile, is the next lightest colour Illamasqua do. I initially purchased RF120, which is very yellowish, and much too dark for me, but 135 is a much better match. This isn’t an easy foundation to work with, however: it’s very thick and very matt, and for that reason, definitely isn’t for everyone. (My review)
(Note: I don’t have a bottle of the 135 handy, but when I do, I’ll try to remember to add a swatch…)
Lancome Renergie Lift Makeup in Lifting Porcelain (10) ($42)
This is the foundation I’m using right now – I’ll be writing a fuller review of it soon, but suffice to say that it was the pale colour that attracted me to it. It offers medium coverage with a bit of a dewy look to it, and also claims to lift the skin and erase wrinkles. Sadly, I see no signs of that happening, but the colour is as close to perfect as it gets for me. It also has SPF 20, which is always good news.
Maybelline Pure Makeup in Porcelain Ivory (£3.95)
This is one of my favourite budget buys of all time, and I’m thrilled to have finally discovered it being sold here in the UK, having previously been forced to stock up on it on trips to the States. Porcelain Ivory is a pink-toned pale shade, and the water-based formula also makes this very easy and comfortable to wear. (My review)
Revlon ColorStay Makeup in 110 Ivory (£11.99)
I’m not 100% sold on the colour of this. It looks perfect in the bottle, but can look a little dark on me in some lights. I persevere with it, however, because it’s a fantastic foundation if you’re looking for thick coverage, and the fact that you can also choose the right formula for your skin is also a bonus. I use the Combination/Oily skin version, which is great at stopping shine on the t-zone. This is another one I’ll be reviewing soon.
Bare Escentuals BareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in Fair (£22)
I’m not a huge fan of powder-based foundations, but I do like BareMinerals, and found their foundation in ‘Fair’ to be a good match for my skin. I actually use this over liquid foundations sometimes on days when I need extra coverage. (My review)
This one didn’t photograph well at all, so here’s an extra one:
I should add here that these are all photographed on my arm, which is paler than my face, and in fairly low light levels (that’s Scotland in the summertime for you). I’ve made them as accurate as I can, but these are really just guidelines, and obviously there’s no substitute for visiting a counter and swatching them yourself if you can.
Anyway! Enough about me! I know there are plenty of pale skinned peeps out there, so tell me: which are your favourite pale foundations?
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?
Diane´s last [type] ..weekly wrap-up- florida- fake tan- and filled with glee
I haven’t buy I will definitely add it to my list!
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.
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?
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.
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.
Amy´s last [type] ..Midnight Snack
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.
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.
Oh, I wish it came in a squeezy tube here! Glass bottles are pretty, but too much usually comes out and they’re messy.
Diane´s last [type] ..weekly wrap-up- florida- fake tan- and filled with glee
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!
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.
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.
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.
Natasha´s last [type] ..Islands
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!
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.
Kaycee´s last [type] ..Always be a first-rate version of yourself- instead of a second-rate version of somebody else
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!
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!
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
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…
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
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.
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.
I also use Bare Minerals in Fair. I find it works best over a light tinted moisturizer.
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
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.
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in Ivory or Cameo is perfect
Illamasqua now offer more pale shades, have a look at their website.
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.
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).
Amy´s last [type] ..My Fault- I’m Female- or- Things Amy Thinks About
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. =(
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.)
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.
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
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?