Highly Rated Foundations | High-End vs. Drug Store
Today we’re talking about the two most hyped up foundations; both from the high end and the drug store side. I thought it would be interesting to know what the holy-grail of foundations from both ends are.
We will talk about durability, ease of use, coverage, packaging and price point.
The two that I mention are quite similar in their formula and is a good comparison if you are money conscious to be able to decide what makes most sense for your budget.
We’ll start with High-End:
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup
This foundation has been a holy-grail to beauty gurus for many, many years. This was the ride-or-die foundation for a lot of people for many years, until the makeup industry blew up and now a new product seems to come out each week.
Packaging:
It’s packaging is old school, in that it doesn’t have a pump, and in my opinion, they seem to keep that to remind people that it’s been around for a long time. The brand itself has been around forever and it only makes sense that they perfected their foundation. I don’t love that it doesn’t have a pump, but at the same time, it doesn’t bother me too much. I know a lot of people are bothered by it since it can be hard to get the right amount out for use, but I tend to just gently get it out. I do know that if you want a pump for it, I believe MAC sells some that fits perfectly.
Durability:
It promises to have a 15-hour durability and is supposed to be lightweight. As far as the 15-hours, I do think it is long-wear without it looking cakey and gross at the end of the day. I tend to wear it from 7AM to 7PM, and by the end of the 12-hour day, it still looks as beautiful as when I first applied it. It certainly is lightweight and doesn’t feel like you are wearing too much makeup on your skin; it’s super comfortable. It wins a 10 out of 10 for me as far as durability.
Formula:
It’s more on the matte side of things, but my dry-skin people need not to worry, because that’s my skin type and I love this! I don’t think it’s drying at all and allows you to look like you have no makeup with it being lightweight. As far as what it feels like, it’s more liquid compared to other foundations, which seems like it wouldn’t be full coverage, but it sure is (whew, thank goodness!).
Price Point:
This is retailed at $37, which isn’t terrible for a high-end product. These days, foundations tend to be priced higher. I think you get a good use out of it and lasts a very long time, especially if you don’t wear foundation every day.
Overall, I love this foundation and it has been hyped up for many years for many good reasons. Honestly, I truly think this could be worn every day without any discomfort. It doesn’t leave my skin feeling gross after and I don’t break out either. Whenever I have an important event, I can trust to wear this with no problem and have my skin look flawless. It also looks absolutely gorgeous in pictures – double win!
Drug-Store Highly Rated Foundation:
Maybelline Superstay 24-hour Wear
This foundation is not even one year old yet. It came out last year and quickly became a favorite to many beauty YouTubers (gurus). When it first came out, you couldn’t even order it on Ulta’s website because it was sold out for so long. It didn’t come in the stores until much later. I ended up getting mine on Amazon and it took two months to come to me!! That’s how much it was hyped up. Everyone was trying to get their hands on this foundation.
Packaging:
The packaging is one of the easiest and sleek one’s I’ve encountered for foundations. This one does have a pump, which allows for a better ease of use. It’s light weight and you can bring it with you anywhere. I bring this one to the gym with me as it is the easiest to carry and can do my makeup with the least amount of time. For those of us who love cute packaging, this one is the most eye-catching in the drug-store.
Durability:
This promises to be a 24-hour wear, full-coverage, seamless matte finish breathless and comfortable to wear. I don’t understand why brands promise 24-hours, I get that it’s a marketing technique, but really who wears foundation for that long? Well… I guess maybe if you sleep with it… but you should never, ever do that to your beautiful skin! As much as foundation these days tend to be better for our skin, the best way to prevent breaking out is to let your skin be free.
I do notice that it does last a long time and is durable for my 12-hour wear. It looks as good as it did when I first apply it. As far as durability it wins a 9/10 for me.
Formula:
This one is also targeted towards a matte finish and it sure is what it promises to be! The first few times I wore it, I thought it was the most perfect matte, but recently I’ve found that it can be too drying, especially for someone who has dry/combination skin. I make sure to put on my Smashbox primer before applying this, and I would highly suggest you do the same or put any other moisturizing primer before you apply this. Also, another important suggestion is that you work this on your skin in sections. Since it is quite drying, it can end up looking patchy if you try to do your whole face at once. This foundation is a bit tricky to use at first, but once you follow all those steps, it’s bulletproof. The finish is amazing. I think many beauty gurus love it due to the finish which looks flawless.
Price Point:
Since this is from the drug store, as expected, this one is more on the affordable side. This one is retailed at $11. For the price point, I think it’s worth it. It’s currently my favorite foundation from the drug store.
Comparison:
Comparing the two, I would choose the Estee Lauder one as its one that I don’t have to think too much about and know that it will have an amazing finish each time. If you have to budget and need something less expensive, the Maybelline Superstay is a great dupe for it, although having its differences. I think both are highly hyped up for good reasons and I will be using them for many months to come.
Comparting the two pictures, you can see that the drug-store one is a little more patchy and not as seamless as the first picture. But of course, that’s a bit expected with the price point.
Last important fact, both foundations do not offer SPF so make sure to apply some beforehand.
Until next time,
“You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” – Alice In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. If you would like to support my blog, then you can by purchasing something from any of the links I’ve provided, which I may receive a small commission for. For full disclosure, please read this.
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