Foundation Swatches

Quick - you're pale, your favorite foundation has just been discontinued (again,) and you haven't even looked for a replacement in years. What do you do? If you're me? You panic and go and get, I'm not exaggerating here, 24 different foundations color matched to you by a variety of counter sales folks, make up artists, and other pros to swatch and find the next foundation for the CPTB (Cosmetic Powers That Be) to discontinue. (This seems to be a thing with pale foundation - in fact, Torq (my spousal compatriot) jokes every time I find one - "So, how long until they discontinue this one?" or most recently, "Are you going to send the company a condolence letter on their impending discontinuation?")

(Super long post and swatches after the cut)



I've been wearing Kat Von D's Light 42 since it was released. It's my holy grail foundation - buildable coverage, skin match is flawless, and the price point was very, very reasonable. Some months ago, as I was picking up another bottle in Sephora, a sales associate alerted me that she heard they were discontinuing the color. I panicked. I started asking everyone I could find at Sephora if this was true every time I visited - finally a district manager confirmed for me they were pulling the color from retail stores in late summer and it would go online only. Oh, well, that's not so bad - I do rather an embarrassing amount of online trade with Sephora. Then came the email. "One of the items in your loves list is no longer available because it has been discontinued." Cue Darth and Luke in a no-off.

So, I panicked. As a result of that panic, you get the following swatches. Get a glass of water and make sure you've walked around recently, this is a butt-numbing number of foundation swatches.

Let's start with The Arm. The arm you will be tired of seeing. I want you to see what these foundations are being swatched on because the winners circle covers some of that vein action I've got going on and gives you a decent idea of coverage.

The Arm

ALL swatches listed in order top to bottom, notes on look and application after the photo, swatched on bare, moisturized skin (no primer,) and let sit for an hour to oxidize as it will before photo was taken.

What Was Already In My Bag

I'm ashamed to admit the top one was in my rotation - swatched here it's clearly too dark and I must have looked a mess. Scary!

Urban Decay Naked Skin in .5

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light 42

NARS Sheer Matte in Siberia

 As you can see, the Urban Decay is clearly too dark. I have no idea what I was thinking other than panic about losing my standard wear shade and probably not checking it after leaving the house wearing it - I've only used it on rush-out days because it applies evenly, quickly, and has a nice finish without powder or primer.
The Kat Von D here is applied a little heavier than I usually apply it, giving is a bit of a yellow as it oxidizes.
The NARS Siberia is already a little too yellow for me but works in a pinch. It's my back up - it's sheer, as advertised and applies evenly with little fuss.

Round 1:
These are high-end favorites that are repeatedly suggested to me. I got a sample of Estee Lauder Double Wear, far and away the most commonly recommended foundation to those looking for a KVD replacement, in 1C1 (Cool Bone) but it's even darker than these (and laughable) so I didn't bother setting it up for a photo - I will have a list at the end of the post of other foundations like this.
Givenchy Photo'Perfexion Fluid Foundation - 1 Perfect Ivory
LANCÔME - Teint Idole Ultra 24H - 100 Ivoire N
YVES SAINT LAURENT LE TEINT TOUCHE ÉCLAT Illuminating Foundation SPF 19 - Beige 10

Actual representatives, at actual counters "matched" me to these shades - on more than one visit. (I knew they'd be too dark, so I wanted to see if it was a standard counter practice. Yes, it is.)

Givenchy has a light perfume smell and was streaky to apply.
Lancome applied well, has a mid-level perfume smell, and oxidized like crazy.
YSL - in later photos you'll see that I have a rash developing on my arm. It was from this foundation. I tested it later and it did it again. Heavily perfumed, gave me a rash. Bad all around.

Round 2:

Laura Mercier - Oil Free Supreme - Porcelain Ivory

HOURGLASS - Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil Free - Porcelain

MAKE UP FOR EVER - HD Invisible Cover Foundation - 110 

Laura Mercier applied well but is clearly too yellow.
Hourglass - I was shocked that this one was too orange. Streaky, as well.
MUFE HD - they'll try and match you to 107 but don't do it - it's very pink! This is 110 and is only slightly too dark. It applies well and has decent coverage. Alas, not the right color.

Round 3:
MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation - 10 Ivory Light
Chantecaille - Future Skin in Porcelain
MUFE - Mat Velvet - No 15 Alabaster

I grouped round three together because I had the most hope for these.
Marc Jacobs is very close and might even be a summer match for me if it didn't stink like a perfume counter. The smell was so awful that my spouse asked me what the smell was from down the hall. If you don't mind heavily perfumed foundation, this may be your ticket - it applies well, has buildable coverage but the smell is just unforgivable for me.
Chantecaille - you'll see this one again in the winners circle. Creamy. A dream to apply. Applied here rather heavily, even closer when applied with a moderate hand. A very little bit goes a very long way.
MUFE Mat Velvet - this one continues to oxidize as you wear it. It just gets more and more orange as the day goes on. Not kind to the dry part of my combination skin, hard to blend. Overall, not as much of a fan as it seems everyone else is.

Round 4 - So tired of foundation:
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted - Finland
Sephora 10 HR Wear - 05 Light Porcelain
LORAC Natural Performance Foundation - NP1 porcelain

I called this the Sephora Special. Given that Kat Von D is a Sephora line, I visited four different Sephora stores in my area and asked for three replacement suggestions. Of the four stores, each of these was recommended to me three times (the MUFE Mat Velvet often made an appearance, as well.)
The NARS Tinted Moisturizer also comes in a shade that's not exactly lighter but is more neutral called Terre Neuve, which honestly isn't any better of a match than the Finland you see here.
Sephora Collection's 10 Hour Wear is clearly too pink. It's very, very peach in person and looks like I'm having a very embarrassing moment. With foundation matched like that, I must be!
The LORAC shade is also clearly too dark and was streaky to boot. This line was just discontinued out of Sephora but Kohl's and Ulta still carry it. This is their lightest shade.

Round 5 - Are we done yet?
Koh Gen Doh - 001 Maifaishi Moisture Foundation

Koh Gen Doh  - 012 Aqua Foundation

Jane Iredale - BB3

Jane Iredale - BB1

These are shades that I had to write to Koh Gen Do and Jane Iredale to get recomendations for. Honestly, I didn't have a lot of hope but their customer service is excellent for both companies and these were the recommendations I got.

Koh Gen Doh - 001 Maifaishi Moisture Foundation - very similar to the Chantecaille and you'll see it again in a moment. Applies well, buildable coverage. The Aqua Foundation's lightest shade (012) didn't fare as well. It's too dark, applies a little streakily and is runny. Not a fan.
Jane Iredale - These folks have a lot of options for the pale end of the spectrum. If you're having trouble, drop their customer service a line and they'll send you some recommendations. The BB3 is too dark for me but BB1 is just slightly too yellow but very, very close. Bonus: SPF!

Round 6 - No really, stop.
Stragglers. Plus a failed primer photo. 
CLARINS - Everlasting Foundation SPF 15 104 (Cream)

Sheseido - Sheer and Perfect Foundation - I00  

That bottom split? Since I was having an allergic reaction, I figured what better time to test a supposedly perfecting primer? I don't think you can see the results but if you can, the top one is 

Benefit's Stay Flawless - after the line, with Kat Von D Light 42 on top
Benefit's Pore Professional - after the line, with Kat Von D Light 42 on top

Clarins clearly too dark. Also perfumed. Also streaky. Pass.
Sheseido - This oxidizes like whoa. It goes on like a match but within 15 minutes it's toast (the color, not the food.) Bad news.
Of the primers, Stay Flawless is definitely better for covering bumps (like an allergic rash.) Pore Professional made the Kat Von D nearly impossible to wash off, though. I'm always scared of "universal" shade primers but both of these didn't add any unwanted tint to my skin.

Foundations that were laughably too dark to even bother taking a photo of - don't bother trying unless you're deeper toned than the darkest swatches you see here:
Colorescience - cream in Light as a Feather
GIVENCHY Fluid Foundation Airy-Light Mat Radiance - 1 Mat Ivory
DIOR Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Wear Makeup or Nude  - Ivory 010
CLINIQUE Superbalanced Makeup - Alabaster
BOBBI BROWN - foundations in Alabaster (tried three in-store, all very dark)
TARTE BB cream in Light/Fair
BOSCIA BB Cream in Light
NARS - Sheer Glow in Siberia (more yellow than the Sheer Matte)
MAKE UP FOR EVER - HD Invisible Cover Foundation - 107 (too pink, not too dark)
BENEFIT COSMETICS 'Hello Flawless!' Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation - I'm Pure 4 Sure Ivory
KORRES Quercetin & Oak Antiageing Foundation - 00 Porcelain
MAC Face and Body, MAC NC15 shades (darker than the YSL swatch, sorry to say)

So, who won?

Winners Circle:
Jane Iredale BB1
Koh Gen Do - Maifaishi Moisture Foundation 001
Chantecaille Future Skin in Porcelain
and because it always wins, Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo in Light 42 (someone play Taps, please.)

If you can scroll allllll the way up and see the Arm photo, you'll see that each of these is covering some serious vein action without being obvious about it. All of these are buildable and apply evenly without an fuss - using my hands or a basic wedge. For my purposes? I'm probably going to Future Skin for the foreseeable future. Until they discontinue it.


Coming Up: MAC Punk Couture Lipsticks; Full Face with the Winners Circle of Foundation.
Since my blog is finally seeing some use for something other than black lipstick comparisons once a year, if you've got questions, comments, suggestions, or want something swatched please tell me in the comments!