Does Price Matter?
The $14.99 foundation that lives alongside my $270 favorite.
First of all, I want to acknowledge how heavy my heart is reading all the news from around the world. Talking about beauty products right now might feel pretty frivolous but I hope that this can be a much-needed distraction for some of you, if you need it.
Sending you love, Michelle
Last week, I shared some foundation favorites with a friend and noticed how I often soften the blow of my actual favorite with a lot of qualifiers: “I know it’s a splurge, but…” “You can also try this one which is more affordable…” But I’m not ashamed to say: the best foundation in the world is glorious and priced accordingly.
Clé de Peau The Foundation has been my number-one for years. When it first came out in 2017, I reluctantly tried it (I was scared I’d like it!). I opened the Lucite jewel of a jar, coated the end of the metal spatula in the cream and smoothed it on my cheek. Oh. My. God.
It melted into my skin, weightlessly, leaving it looking dewy and smooth and radiant. Like my skin but better. Dammit. I was sold.
I was sometimes hesitant to recommend it since it is admittedly a splurge at $270 a jar (it’s actually not the world’s most expensive foundation, which I believe is La Prairie at $280. Valmont goes up to $300 per bottle but I did find it for cheaper online.)
Adding to my feelings of guilt….as an editor, I got everything gifted for testing so it wasn’t like I was shelling out $270 of my own hard-earned dollars. But I would. Here’s why:
It lasts a long time. A little goes a long way. Seriously. One candy-button-sized dot covers my whole face.
I don’t need to buy-and-try a bunch of other foundations only to have them sit in my drawer, partially used and ultimately unloved.
It speeds up my routine. It’s a dewy skin care-makeup hybrid that melts into skin like a moisturizer. I don’t need to spend time blending and perfecting it since it’s so light and not cakey. I just set it in any overly shiny spots with powder and I’m good to go.
Listen, I’m not trying to push this foundation on you. Really. I get that it’s a product that you don’t necessarily need.
But I do want to make the point that it’s okay to like what you like. And while pricing is sometimes just an elaborate marketing device, in some cases, you do get what you pay for. We all have a threshold we’re willing to spend on different things. I personally would splurge on foundation since I’ve struggled for years to find one I love and it really sets the base for everything and makes your skin look lovely. I’m less likely to splurge, however, on items like mascara and blush since there are so many wonderful drugstore options.
Funnily enough, earlier this year I started using Clé de Peau’s Radiant Cream Foundation (a relative bargain at $130 but, yes, admittedly still luxe) and, I can’t believe it happened but it toppled The Foundation from my number-one spot. It comes in a travel-friendly tube and, similar to The Foundation, a little goes a long way (the 0.88 oz tube does run out slightly faster than the 1 oz jar but I still find that it lasts a very long time).
It’s a slightly thicker texture so it provides a tad more coverage. I get so many compliments on my skin when I wear it. In both formulas, I’m between the shades 030 and 040 depending on the season (the 030 being the lighter of the two). I remember chatting with makeup artist and dewy dumpling queen Nam Vo years ago and she named this one as her favorite too, so I know I’m in good company.
READ: My Favorite Sunscreens and a Word on Dark Spots, My Old Enemy
That being said, you can certainly find good foundations at every price point that will work for your needs. Most of the time, I like to offer up three price tiers when I make recommendations: luxury, mid-level, and drugstore. I always mention the CdP ones for luxury, then on the drugstore level, it’s Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint Foundation (my shade is Buff). First of all, I’m a fan of Neutrogena in general. I think they make solid skin care products at an attractive price point. And it’s available pretty much everywhere. So it didn’t totally surprise me that I liked this foundation, which they call medium coverage but I’d put closer to light-medium, but buildable to medium.
Similar to CdP, it includes skin care ingredients like hyaluronic acid, but the finish is more matte (my skin is very dry so I find that it works best when I have face oil or a thick moisturizer on first to set the base). The texture is light, particularly great for people who don’t like that cakey feeling. If I have one complaint: I don’t love the doe-foot applicator which can get a little messy over time (just my personal preference). A pump would also be more sanitary, but it’s a minor criticism.
At $14.99 for 1 fl oz, it’s a good value—easy for no-makeup-makeup days when you want a bit more coverage than tinted moisturizer. Does it come close to my Clé de Peau favorites? Absolutely not. But that’s also not my expectation. To me, they’re pieces in my small foundation “wardrobe.” The Neutrogena is good for running errands, driving the kids around, everyday use, when I just want to cover up a little dark spots and redness; whereas the CdP is reserved for those days when I want some extra dazzle.
Now on to my mid-priced recos:
Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation, $69
For those of you who love a more fluid texture, this is it. It’s medium coverage and extremely liquid, so it sinks into skin beautifully even without a Beautyblender.
Makeup by Mario Surreal Skin Liquid Foundation, $42
Mario excels at complexion products so it’s no surprise that his foundation is gorgeous. And although Mario the makeup artist has done some more red-carpet, contoured looks, Mario the brand’s foundation doesn’t feel overly heavy. It’s in a nice-sized pump bottle with a creamy formula that blends well. I’ve read some reviews that say it hasn’t been the best for folks with oily skin but for me (very dry), it leaves a nice finish. It’s higher coverage than I typically wear every day. So I reserve this one for special meetings and days out when I want to look more pulled together.
Huda Beauty’s GloWish Multidew Vegan Skin Tint Foundation, $37
This is such an underrated gem for me! I’m all-dewy all the time. If you’re a matte person, you can skip this one. When I first used this light-coverage skin tint, my initial reaction was: oh my god, am I too dewy right now? Like dolphin levels of slippery? But I came to absolutely love it and leaned in to the wet look.
You’re about to hear about Allergan’s new Skinvive treatment everywhere (The Glossy): I’m keeping an eye on Skinvive, Profhilo and other injectable “boosters” that are on the rise. This type of “microdroplet” method for using injectable hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump skin (versus to fill and shape the face) has been used in Asia for a while so it’ll be interesting to see how it evolves. Are you intrigued? Let me know in the comments and I’ll investigate if enough people are interested.
Scarlett Johansson praises Pamela Anderson's no-makeup look: 'It's powerful for women' (USA Today): Hell, yeah! Alicia Keys paved the way when she quit makeup in 2016 but Pam Anderson, iconic sex symbol, doing it at age 56 was a statement. I love makeup but what I love even more is a powerful woman challenging societal beauty standards and what she can and can’t do.
Morpheus 8: Not a singular story but I’m thinking about doing it. I know a few people who’ve done it and have loved the results. If you don’t know: it’s radio frequency plus microneedling. It apparently hurts like hell but is very effective at tightening and smoothing skin. Have you tried it? Are you intrigued? Share your experiences if you’ve done it. I want to know!
Please share more about the Skinvive treatment! I am going to Korea and contemplating getting this exact treatment: I believe it’s called the juvelook skin booster in Korea. Also interested in Morpheus 8 experiences please.