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Best Foundation
Setting your foundation with a loose powder or setting spray seems to be the norm for people who put on makeup everyday. After all, no one wants their complexion to look shiny even before you reach the office – and that’s a very real concern in Singapore’s hot and humid weather. But some who use loose powder find that it can cake up your foundation by mid-day, so they want to do away with that step altogether. With these seven foundations, you can skip that loose powder or setting spray step and shave time off your makeup routine.
1. Hera Black Cushion SPF34/PA++, $75, in six shades, from Hera
This cushion uses a technology that lets the foundation set into two hydrating layers after application, and an Ultra Fine Powder Dispersion technology which gives full coverage with minimal product used. It also has a semi-matte finish and minerals coated with amino acid to blend better into skin without oxidising.
2. Armani Beauty Fabric Foundation Balm, $120, in 10 shades, from Armani Beauty at Tangs Plaza and #B2-45 Ion Orchard
This balm foundation sets into a cream powder semi-matte finish that lasts the entire day. A little also goes a long way with its high coverage formula.
3. Benefit Cosmetics Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation, $51, in 12 shades, from Sephora
This sets to a second-skin finish with its light-to-medium coverage formula and blurs out imperfections with something called soft-focus optical blurring spheres that never cakes up the entire day.
4. Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10, $70, in 23 shades, from Estee Lauder counters and Sephora
This oil-free foundation gives a natural matte finish that stays for an entire day without touch-ups. Its waterproof, oil-controlling and transfer-resistant formula also helps your complexion stay shine-free and fresh, whether you’re indoors or out.
5. Guerlain L’Essentiel Natural Glow Foundation – 16h Wear, $94, in 30 shades, from Guerlain counters islandwide and Sephora
This liquid foundation is formulated with 97 per cent natural ingredients such as mineral pigments and marine and plant extracts. These help protect skin from pollution and blue light, and strengthen skin barrier functions to prevent skin from getting dehydrated and developing signs of premature ageing such as hyperpigmentation and dull skin. It gives a dewy finish, so those with oilier skin types may feel that they need to put on the loose powder to set it, but we don’t find that we need it.
6. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, $52, in 50 shades, from Sephora
This liquid foundation also has an oil-free formula that gives medium-to-full coverage. It’s resistant to sweat and humidity, but gives a second-skin finish.
7. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation SPF 15, $68, in 16 shades, from Lancome counters and stores and Sephora
This is another long-lasting foundation that doesn’t require a setting powder or spray. It’s oil-free and gives medium-to-full coverage, and has silica that absorbs sebum for a shine-free complexion.