I’m excited to introduce the first installment of my year-long series on makeup! Last year, I broke down my “essentials” in each category for style through the Build Your Basics series, so we’re onto a new category for 2023!

For this year, I’ll be taking you through my top product recommendations in each category for makeup. We’re going to start with bases & foundations, as that’s the first step in my makeup routine. Let’s get into it.

Bases

My Base Makeup Picks

Setting a base for your skin is an important part of how your makeup will look & last throughout the day. While I don’t typically use a traditional primer because my skin doesn’t need it, these are the products that I use under my foundation that I would recommend.

Face “Illuminator”

My Favorite: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter in Shade “2 Light” (Price: $46)
Similar Options: e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter (Price: $14) You can read my full review below! L’Oreal Paris Lumi Glow (Price: $11)

SPF/Sunscreen

My Favorite: Dime Wonderscreen (Price: $44)
Similar Options: Hero Cosmetics Force Shield (Price: $19.99) Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face (Price: $9.99)

Eyeshadow Base

My Favorite: Mac Paint Pot in Shade “Painterly” (Price: $25)
Similar Option: Burts Bee’s Eye Shadow Primer (Price: $9.99)

Under Eye Base

My Favorite: Smashbox X Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector in Shade “Fair/Light” (Price: $33)
Similar Options: Makeup Revolution Eye Bright Under Eye Corrector (Price: $8) e.l.f. C-Bright Putty Primer (Price: $12) Pixi Correction Concentrate (Price: $12)

Lip Base

My Favorite: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (Price: $24)
Similar Options: CARE:NEL Sleeping Lip Mask (Price: $14.50) Lottie London Sweet Lips (Price: $10.96)

Foundations

My Foundation Picks

Foundation is a very personal preference. It depends on your skin type, what type of coverage you need, how you like your makeup to feel, etc. I like to have an option for each level of coverage depending on the overall look I’m going for. These are my go-to’s for every type of coverage.

Minimal/Natural Coverage

My Favorite: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter in Shade “2 Light” (Price: $46)
Similar Options: e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter (Price: $14) You can read my full review below! L’Oreal Paris Lumi Glow (Price: $11)

Light Coverage

My Favorite: Tarte BB Tinted Treatment Primer in Shade “Light” (Price: $40) For 15% Off Use Code: LAURENBOWN15
Similar Options: Australian Gold Tinted (Price: $26.99) Missha BB Boomer Illuminating Primer (Price: $12.62)

Medium Coverage

My Favorite: It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow in Shade “Fair/Light” (Price: $44)
Similar Options: Revlon Photo Ready Candid Glow (Price: $6.50) Milani Glow Hydrating Skin Tint (Price: $10.97) Wet N Wild Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator (Price: $4.73) You can see my thoughts on this one in this blog post!

Full Coverage

My Favorite: It Cosmetics CC+ Illumination in Shade “Fair/Light” (Price: $44)
Similar Options: e.l.f. Camo CC Cream (Price: $14) L’Oreal Paris Age Perfect Radiant Serum Foundation (Price: $12.97) Maybelline Dream Urban Cover (Price: $4.79)

Along with sharing the products that I’ve been using and loving for years, I thought it would be fun to test out a new one each month in the category. Here’s my thoughts on this month’s “test item”:

This Month’s Test Item

e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter

Product Info

“Dupe” For: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter ($46)
Price Point: $14 for 1.06 oz
Shade I Tried: 2 Fair/Light
Key Product Info:
- Can be worn alone, under foundation, over foundation, mixed with foundation, or as a highlighter
- 8 shades
- Suitable for all skin types
- Includes squalane (moisturizes skin) and hyaluronic acid (hydrates skin)

My Thoughts

I really like this! It’s a good dupe for the CT flawless filter with just a bit less of the glow factor. I like that it feels a tiny bit lighter on my skin than the CT one, too. It’s very lightweight and wears well throughout the day. Overall, I’d give it a 9.5/10!

So there you have it! My top recommendations and products that I go back to time and again. What’s your go-to?

Build Your Basics: Base Makeup & Foundations

Bases