Stop letting Beauty Influencers waste your money

It happens to all of us. We are casually scrolling through Facebook and we come across an ad for something we have been talking about or looking at. We click it and fall down the rabbit hole. Advertising is obviously nothing new, but the way people are advertising these days cannot be escaped. Social media influencers have taken over everything to get us to buy whatever product people are pitching. These ads are directly targeted towards you through your Google searches and even your conversations.

The beauty community has no shortage of influencers when it comes to pitching makeup products. These influencers target a group of people and boast about how great a product is. They usually give you a fifteen percent off code for that product accompanied by a video or pictures of them using that product. Fifteen percent off is great, who doesn't like a bargain? Especially if you're into makeup like me. I'm a makeup artist. It's what I do. I'm all about sales and discounts.

Now, I'm gonna say this before I dive into anything here. This is just an opinion piece based off of my own experience. I am not here to bash any companies or influencers. I'm here to talk about my own experience with these brands in hopes that it may help someone else. We live in a world where people are still trying to pay off their $1,000.00 Iphones when the new one drops. Where people are paying $8.00 for a cup of coffee or a frap from Starbucks just to take a picture of it for their social media. Where people are buying $80.00 foundation just because someone like James Charles used it in one of his looks.

They do all of this for likes on social media. You know the feeling you get when you're addicted to social media is the same feeling you get when your high on drugs? Dopamine, or "the happy hormone" is released every time someone hits that like button or comments on your post. It's really easy to fall into an addiction. The addiction to the reactions causes you to go out and buy more and more so you can post about it, in hopes of getting more likes. The more extravagant the purchase, the happier you feel. This is where the influencers come in. They are there to tell you what to buy to create their looks. They boost up their palettes or products and offer you that fifteen percent off code in hopes of getting you to buy that product and then hashtag them in hopes of creating more customers.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with an influencer wanting to make money or save you some, and by all means, if you enjoy a product, I'm not here to tell you to stop buying it. I'm only here to tell you that from my experience as a makeup artist over the years, I've discovered that almost all foundations look the same. I said look not perform. The technique is not in the formula, it's in YOU. If you learn to apply your foundation correctly, you won't need to waste money buying $57.00 foundations, and yes, if you don't know how to apply your foundation and are purchasing the $57.00 foundation, you are in fact wasting your money.

The first thing you should know about the beauty community is that they all use special lighting to make their pictures look better. A lot of them even use filters while filming and almost always in pictures. They use photoshop, whether it's to dramatically change the shape of their face or just to tweak the colors in a photo to make them richer. Richer color in pictures makes the makeup look more flawless. It can make the eyeliner look darker, the lashes look thicker, and the highlighter look brighter. So the first rule of makeup in todays world is to not beat yourself up if it doesn't look exactly like whoever is in the tutorial you're following, assuming that's what you're doing. It will NEVER look like that in person. That is an unrealistic expectation.

Foundation is the base of most makeup routines. Mess up this step, and you will hate your makeup all day long. So many people make the mistake of layering this on so thick that while it may look good in a picture with a massive amount of flash and filters, it's just a mess in person. It's patchy or it breaks. Bad foundation application is the root of every makeup faux pas. The first rule of applying foundation is less is more. That's such a cliche, but it's true. If you watch a lot of makeup tutorials on Instagram, stop doing what most of them do. They all use way too much product. You know how they layer on moisturizers and serums and liquid highlight and just keep layering and layering and everything is still wet and sticky? Stop doing that. Don't ever do that. Not only are you wasting product and money, you are setting yourself up for a cake face nightmare.

The truth is, you only need about five drops of serum for your entire face and neck area. You will want to use more because it feels so good on the skin, but don't. Five drops is plenty. Follow that up with a pea sized amount of moisturizer that works with your skin and then it's time for primer and foundation. The general rule of skin care and makeup is to go from thinnest layers to thicker layers. So cleanser, toner, serum, eye creams, moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, foundation.

When applying your foundation, you're gonna want to start in the middle of your face and work outwards. Don't put it in a huge glob and start smacking it on your face or painting it on with a brush. I like to put a little bit on the top of my hand and pat my beauty blender into it and then dab it onto my face while blending. If you're following up with powder, loose is best. Pat it on the spots you need it, not all over your face. I like to take my damp beauty blender and apply the powder to the places that will usually get shiny through out the day, paying specific attention to the T-zone. Then I take a big fluffy brush and go over it to smooth it all out. Flawless coverage every time.

Ok, so you have a diagram that gives you a pretty good outline of how to apply the foundation, but what about the powder? Powder can be tricky. Applying this wrong will cause creasing and wrinkles. You don't want to apply too much of this either. I found this video by Stephanie Marie that is almost the exact way I do mine and it works every time. She uses Laura Mercier powder, you can buy that for $39.00 at Ulta. I prefer to use Coty Airspun, which is a pretty good dupe of Laura Mercier and can be bought for $5.97 at Wal-Mart or Amazon. Also, it will last you forever. One of these bad boys can last at least a year for me.

Now let's talk about products themselves. A beauty influencers job is to push products. Again, nothing wrong with that, but it's not often you will see them push affordable products. Their job is to make you think you're saving money with their fifteen percent off codes. You are in fact saving money, but after shipping and handling, waiting for your product to arrive and not even having perfect results, is it really worth it? Not in my opinion. I did a lot of the ground work for you. Over the last few years, I have tried multiple foundations in different climates to see what can work for where. Of course, this is just for what worked on my skin. Your skin is different and to get the best results for you, you need to identify what kind of skin you have and buy the foundation and products that will best compliment that.

I have combination skin. It's mostly dry but my T-zone can get some oil throughout the day. I'm not prone to break outs. I am prone to dry patches, especially in cold weather. I tried these products in humidity, cold weather, coastal weather, and dry heat.

Covergirl TruBlend Matte

This is always my go to. Covergirl is maybe the most well known brand, but also the most under rated brand of makeup. I feel like most of us started with Covergirl and ventured elsewhere over the years. I have tried so many foundations and I always come back to Covergirl. I used to use the Matte foundation all the time and never had an issue with how my makeup looked. In fact, I'm currently using Covergirl. Not this one because I've opted for a more dewy look now that I am back in Texas, matte isn't the best look for humid weather. (At least not for me) However, if you're in dry or coastal weather, this is an amazing choice for you. It's specified for combination/oily skin and has SPF 15. It comes in 21 shades. You can buy this for $11.00 at Wal-Mart.

Milani Conceal and Perfect

This was another one that I instantly loved. My face looked airbrushed and just as good as any high end foundation could have made it. The only problem was this too is a matte foundation, which does not fare well in Texas heat and humidity for my skin. Great in the winter though. Also great in coastal weather. It has concealer and foundation inside one bottle which gives you a bright, full coverage, matte finish. It comes in 18 shades. It's vegan and contains vitamin e to replenish your skin. It doesn't feel heavy on your skin, but you can feel it. Also, it oxidizes. I couldn't find anything that confirms it having SPF in it. You can buy it for $9.99 at Wal-Mart.

E.L.F Flawless Finish Foundation

I was skeptical about this. I have never been big on E.L.F products. It had been awhile since I tried them and was noticing all the new products they were coming out with so when I saw a sale on Ulta for E.L.F, I read the reviews and decided to give it another try, Everything in the picture was bought for $17.00 because of the sale and my Ulta rewards along with free shipping and a free gift which was the eyeshadow palette (which I clearly had already swatched by the time I took this picture). I loved this foundation. It felt so light on my face and looked flawless, just like it advertised. However, I had to stop using it because it broke my skin out. It took me completely finishing off one bottle and starting another before I broke out, but nonetheless, I wasn't a fan of that. I am not prone to break-outs at all but my skin didn't seem to like this formula. It looked great and has amazing reviews, so I wouldn't say to count it out. It comes in 40 different shades! (Way to go E.L.F) You can buy it for $6.00 at Wal-Mart.

So many foundation samples from Sephora

This is the best way to find out what works for your skin. If you're a card holder at Sephora, you get birthday gifts. The gifts usually are just one small thing but this is the year they sent me a ton of foundation samples along with a Kat Von D beauty set and a few perfume samples. Weird birthday gift, a box of samples.. but I enjoyed it. Now here is a breakdown of my thoughts on these

Nudestix- This is $36.00 at Ulta. It comes in 15 shades that are said to be lightweight and blend perfectly into your natural skin tone. They claim you can't feel it on your face and that it is more of a tinted moisturizer than an actual foundation. I personally wouldn't purchase it. It left my skin feeling greasy and didn't offer much at all for coverage. My face felt like it was melting off by the afternoon because it was so oily. I personally wasn't impressed.

Sephora- This wasn't a bad foundation AND it comes in with a whopping 58 shades! It offers medium coverage with a natural finish and no parabens. It's fragrance free and has hyaluronic acid. A little heavy for my liking but good coverage and a nice flawless finish. I had the same issue as far as it being too matte for my personal liking in Texas, but I would have absolutely loved this in coastal weather. This is $20.00 at Sephora.

Smashbox Studio Skin 24 Hour- For whatever reason, people want to praise Smashbox like it is holy water. It does have SPF and is oil free so those are some perks. It comes in 40 shades. I tried it. Not impressed. It was drying on my skin and none of the shades matched my skin tone. Just as drying as it was, it also caused parts of my face to be very greasy which caused the foundation to break. Would most definitely not purchase. You can buy it for $38.00 at Ulta and try it for yourself.

Milk- I LOVED this one. My face felt so clean and fresh. It was dewy, not oily. Glowy. It was beautiful. Also, it is cruelty free which wins it some major bonus points. There were only two things about it that I didn't like, one was the hefty price tag. Two, it came in the form of a stick, I'm not a fan of that. It didn't do anything for me that Covergirl couldn't, so the price was too much for me. It comes in 36 shades and if you like foundation in stick form, this is the best version I have personally tried. You can buy it for $32.70 on Amazon.

Lancome Teint Idole- This comes in 30 buildable shades that are medium to full coverage. It has SPF 21. It can be used as foundation, concealer, or contour so it is multi dimensional. Another stick foundation. I didn't care for it at all. It was greasy and drying and oxidated badly. Would not recommend. You can buy it for $43.00 at Sephora but as I'm writing this, it is on sale for $30.10 on their website.

Fenty Beauty- This foundation looked beautiful on the skin. It has 40 shades. My shade was included and I liked it... until it caused a rash. Not sure what is in this formula that caused it but I had a pretty bad allergic reaction to this one, so that's something to keep in mind if you have sensitive skin like me. My face was red for about 2-3 days after and so so itchy. It does contain SPF 15 and claims to be a long wear foundation with a matte finish. You can try it for yourself for $47.00 on Amazon.

Dior Backstage Foundation- This foundation felt luxurious. It has SPF 20 and comes in 40 shades. I felt like a classy brat. It was lightweight, had a slight scent that felt high end, and went on smoothly. It looked great. Wasn't drying or oily. Didn't oxidate. It also didn't do anything that Covergirl or Milani couldn't do. So for me, the sample was nice, but wasn't worth an actual purchase. Plus Dior is a company who seems to have no regards towards animal cruelty. If that's something that bothers you, skip this purchase. If not, you can get it at Sephora for $40.00.

Loreal True Match

This foundation has 37 shades to choose from. It also has sunscreen in it. However, it is so watery and left my face feeling greasy and looking patchy. If you have really dry skin with absolutely no sign of oil or are heading to the beach and want some coverage, this could be good for you. It is definitely not suitable for long wear in humid weather or for going anywhere you might be doing a lot of sweating. You can buy it for $10.99 at Ulta.

Maybelline Dream Urban Cover

This foundation was an absolute dream. It offered amazing coverage and went on so beautifully. It has SPF in it, which is always good. It's available in 16 shades. I could have used this as my go-to.. but there was one common issue with it. Cystic acne. I am not prone to break outs or acne, but this caused me to get those huge bumps under the skin that are there for ever and hurt like you got stabbed in the face. A quick google search confirmed I wasn't the only one that this happened to. If you have sensitive skin, beware. Other than that, this foundation was beautiful in every climate I tried it in. You can buy it for $10.98 at Walmart.

Revlon Photoready Insta-Filter

Absolutely horrible. This foundation comes in only 12 shades (do better Revlon) and was too orange for me even in the lightest shade. It is streaky and messy and generally just awkward to work with. I don't think I have one positive thing to say about it. It has SPF 20. That's about it. You can buy it for $7.31 at Wal-Mart. Or used on Ebay for $3.00.. and if that doesn't tell you something about the quality of this foundation, I don't know what will.

Revlon Colorstay

While the last foundation by Revlon was a flop, I decided to give them one more shot with this one. My wedding was coming up and this was said to hold up in even the highest humidity. I'm in Texas. That was an intriguing thought. I needed something that would stand up against heat and humidity and sweat and tears. This did the trick and held up flawlessly. This one comes in 43 different shades and I really appreciated that. I am very pale. To the point where I have had to use actual white makeup mixed into foundation to make a match. That wasn't a problem here. The shade Porcelain was actually a perfect match for me. I was impressed. It has a matte finish and is oil free. Also has SPF 15. You can buy it for $13.99 at Ulta.

Kat Von D Lock It Foundation

This one comes in with 44 shades to choose from. An Ulta employee recommended I try this to stand up to heat and humidity. It failed miserably. My face was patchy and cakey and felt weighed down. This one was one of the absolute worst foundations I've ever used and I ended up giving over half of the bottle away. It does have SPF 25 so that is a plus but the finish is awful and not worth it. I tried applying this with a brush, a beauty blender, my hands.. all to no avail. Absolute trash. If you buy this, you are paying for a name. Nothing more. You can buy it for $37.00 at Sephora.

Givenchy Teint Couture Everwear Foundation

If you are really in the mood to splurge on a high end foundation, try this one. I got a free sample in a Sephora birthday box and my husband told me to splurge on a full bottle when I told him how much I loved it. He knows how picky I can be with foundation. This foundation is absolutely amazing. It has 24 hour wear and SPF 20. It comes in 30 shades. It is such a beautiful formula. Goes on smooth. Doesn't get cakey or crease up. My skin looked absolutely flawless and while I still stand by my tried and true Covergirl, this would be a splurge I would make if I wanted to spoil myself and feel luxurious. You can get it for $52.00 at Sephora.

My Final Thoughts-

I said in the beginning that I feel you can achieve the same look with just about any foundation, and I meant that. You just have to know how to apply your foundation and find the right products for your skin type. Don't allow the beauty influencers to make you think you can only be beautiful or have flawless coverage by going broke. If you can afford to spend it, by all means go for it! No judgement here. As for me, I will almost always gravitate towards Covergirl because it's the only brand that has been consistently good from my experience. Plus, it's affordable and it's "clean makeup" so it doesn't cause breakouts which should be a win in anyone's book.

These are photos I took on two different days. In one, I'm wearing the $11.00 Covergirl foundation. In the other, the $52.00 Givenchy. Can you tell which is which?