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Makeup Blog

Which Foundation is Right for You?

  • 4 min read

BY CHELSEA SIMMONS

Let's talk about foundation. As the name implies, it is the base that your makeup sits upon. Aside from your moisturizer and/or serum, it is the closest product to your skin. That's why we have worked diligently to perfect our range of mineral foundations. We always use the purest minerals to ensure they give you a flawless finish when applied. We aren't called "The Skincare Makeup" for nothing! Our foundations (and all of our products) also include ingredients that work "behind the scenes" to improve the health of your skin. One of our favorite things to hear is that after using our products regularly, our friends have radiant skin with and without makeup.

Choosing the Right Mineral Foundation

Now that I've waxed poetic about our foundations, let's get to the good stuff. Out of our five different mineral foundations, which is the best foundation for your skin type and coverage/finish preferences? The short answer is, all of them could work for you depending on your look. If you have to choose only one, here are some tips to help you narrow it down.

Amazing Base Loose Mineral Powder

Finish: Luminous

Coverage: Sheer to full

Use it if...You have normal to dry skin and are looking for a powder foundation with broad spectrum SPF sun protection. Amazing Base can be applied using a Chisel Brush for sheer coverage or a Flocked Sponge for full coverage.

Pro Tip: Bring this foundation with you when you travel by putting it in the Refill-Me Refillable Loose Powder Brush.

Amazing Base Loose Mineral Powder

PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation

Finish: Semi-matte

Coverage:Sheer to full

Use it if...You have normal to oily skin and are looking for a simple, everyday foundation. Our PurePressed Base comes in 24 shades for women of all skin tones and contains broad spectrum SPF protection that's water resistant for 40 minutes! Need more of a reason to love this powder? It's light as air and can be used as a foundation, finishing powder and concealer.

Pro Tip: PurePressed Base can also be used for highlighting and contouring. Choose colors that are a shade or two darker than your skin tone as a contour powder and a shade or two lighter as a highlighter.

PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation

Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream

Finish: Velvety

Coverage: Full

Use it if...You need a full coverage foundation to disguise blemishes or dark spots. With Glow Time BB Cream, a little goes a long way. Four small dots of this product will easily smooth and brighten your skin. It's also finger-friendly, as in, you can apply it with your hands! Similar to Amazing Base and PurePressed Base, Glow Time BB Cream has broad spectrum SPF protection to keep your skin safe in the sun.

Pro Tip: Mix Glow Time BB Cream with a little bit of Smooth Affair to help it glide on your skin without diluting the foundation color.

Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream

Liquid Minerals

Finish: Dewy

Coverage: Sheer to medium

Use it if... You have normal to dry skin and want an anti-aging foundation. Liquid Minerals is a pigmented treatment serum that plumps and hydrates, calms and soothes, diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, minimizes pores, evens out skin tone and adheres so well, there is minimal transference.

Pro Tip: If you have extra dry skin during the winter, add Liquid Minerals to your makeup routine because it contains Hyaluronic Acid, which attracts moisture and holds up 1,000 times its weight in water. This foundation doesn't contain a broad spectrum SPF, so be sure to dust a little Amazing Base or PurePressed Base on top for protection.

Liquid Minerals

Dream Tint Tinted Moisturizer

Finish: Light

Coverage: Sheer to medium

Use it if... You want a light foundation that is easy to apply and will protect your skin from the sun. Dream Tint can be applied with your fingers, just like any other moisturizer. While the coverage is sheer, the results are impactful. The formula contains Boron Nitride to give you the perfect, soft-focus finish.

Pro Tip: Dream Tint is oil free, so it is great if you have oily skin but want a liquid foundation.

Dream Tint Tinted Moisturizer

Beyond Matte Liquid Foundation

Finish: Semi-matte

Coverage: Sheer to Full

Use it if... If you have oily skin, Beyond Matte Liquid Foundation is for you. It is a clean, weightless, semi-matte foundation. The formula is multi-tasking: it primes, conceals and smooths skin all at once. It's also color-true, meaning the shades are self-adjusting and evolve to complement your skin tone perfectly!

Pro Tip: Add SPF protection and an additional matte finish by layering PurePressed Base on top.

Beyond Matte Liquid Foundation

How to Choose the Right Foundation Shade

We've all heard that most women are wearing the wrong foundation shade, but that doesn't have to be true for you. When testing foundation shades on yourself, follow these three steps:

  1. Apply a stripe of foundation on your jawline (we usually do this with two or three shades for comparison).
  2. Spray it with one of our Hydration Sprays to set the minerals.
  3. If it looks like it's disappeared on your skin, that's your shade.

Finding the right foundation shade often comes down to determining your undertone. Use our guide to find out if you're cool, warm, or neutral.

How To Look Airbrushed With Mineral Foundation

A question came in on our Facebook page asking whether our Liquid Minerals A Foundation could be used in an airbrush system. Well the answer to that question is no, but in the process of getting the answer, I got a fantastic insider secret that is going around jane iredale. This comes from our National Makeup Artist Educator, Cheryl Shorter. To get an airbrushed look in no time flat, squirt one to two pumps of your Liquid Minerals onto a Flocked Sponge. Spritz right on top of that with 3-5 sprays of your Hydration Spray. Work it right into the skin, really well until it looks dry. That's it! No mess, no fuss, and super-quick. Apply your PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation or Amazing Base Loose Mineral Powder on top for some SPF protection.

We Want to Know!

Which of our five mineral foundations is your favorite? What are your favorite foundation tips? Tell us in the comments below.

Chelsea Simmons

Chelsea Simmons

Chelsea began her beauty journey in 2010 as a fashion and beauty freelancer at Ladies’ Home Journal magazine. There she had the chance to test and review hundreds of products while quickly falling for the benefits the clean makeup she tried. After leaving the magazine industry, she worked as a publicist for international fragrance and beauty brands until 2016 when she landed at jane iredale. Here, she has discovered liquid eyeliner doesn’t have to burn her eyes, foundation doesn’t have to feel heavy, and that the jane iredale Global Educators truly have the best beauty hacks. Since then, she’s shared her 10+ years of experience with you on The Good Glow Blog.