My Top 5 Foundations in 2012

I am pretty fussed when it comes to Foundations and give them the hit or miss status in 5 minutes however this year I was pretty lucky to find some of the best Foundations I have come across ever. Now how I describe my skin is haywire. Combination, mostly with an oily t-zone, dry chin and upper lip area and sensitive cheeks prone to whiteheads and breakouts.

I am an NC30 in MAC, the typical olive-yellow skinned Indian who's always looking for golden toned foundations. If you can relate to the above, you might just like these picks :)

1. Burberry Luminous Fluid Foundation - I did not get off to a very good start with this but only started loving it mid-year when I noticed how beautiful it was. This particular shade is a great dupe for MAC's NC30 colouring and quite yellow so stay clear if you have any other undertones to your skin. Besides that, the coverage is medium and buildable, it's nice and thick like Studio Sculpt by MAC and makes skin look moderately radiant. It requires setting with powder but stays up to 7 plus hours otherwise as well. Perfect for dehydrated skin and for the colder months.

2. Clinique Stay Matte Oil-free Makeup - As you can probably tell at a glance, this particular shade is beige-pink than yellow but it somehow adapts to my colouring quite well. I reserve this for when my skin's breaking out or I have blemishes. It's great for sensitive-oily skin and if you want light to medium coverage. Albeit for troubled skin, it does not look cakey or mask like and sets to a demi-matte finish, providing glow only in the right areas. Its was my best bet this year to wear in humid climates on a holiday as it's foolproof for that purpose.

3. Cover FX Water Based Foundation - This according to me is a love child of MAC's Face & Body (minus the separation) and MUFE's Face & Body Foundation, albeit with more coverage. It's a dream to apply and blend even without a mirror to be honest. The coverage is medium on its own but can be built up to full covering all blemishes and scars as the brand is known for that purpose. If I am correct, this feels the lightest on the skin from all of these and although is satin-dewy in finish, has never broken me out. This particular shade leans more towards a NC35 and has a tendency to very slightly oxidise during the day.

4. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H - Aah the controversies child. I cannot wear it regularly as the presence of Alcohol quite high in the ingredients list breaks me out within hours of wearing the Foundation. Regardless, my sister's all fine with it with her explanation being, the longer you wear it, the more your skin becomes immune to it eventually resulting in no breakouts. The finish and texture of this for me is to die for. You really cannot get something better under £30 than this baby. It gives a soft focus, demi matte, almost airbrushed finish that needs no powder to set. It's photo friendly, super long lasting and full coverage without feeling heavy or looking cakey. This particular shade is more of an NW30-35 but does not look odd.

5. Cover FX Total Coverage Cream Foundation - Another Foundation warrior that battles through almost any climate in the world without budging an inch. Does not contain any oils or fragrances and is rather stuffed with SPF of 30 making it a skin lovers dream. It's medium to full coverage and if applied with a flat top foundation/buffer brush, can make skin look flawless. Apparently, Miss Jolie used it to cover her tattoos for a movie. The finish is demi-matte to slightly luminous depending, depending on how your skin type is at the time of application but none the less, a keeper for those with sensitive, oily or combination skin who want a full coverage Foundation for every day wear.

I am a Foundation hoarder. Tell me your favourite Foundations this year and I'll use it as a reason to collect some more!