Foundation shade for pale skin that still looks nice & healthy?

[Pamele]

So summer's ending in a month, but I already stopped fake tan craze, as
I'm getting bored of the same super dark look...
And here's the question to those who love being pale all year round,
what shade would you go for (would be awesome if you were neutral in
l'oreal's true match, but it doesn't actually matter, please list any brands/shades )
to still look polished, healthy (not corpse like, I mean) and maybe a tiny, tiny little bit
sun-kissed, this pic of Adriana Lima shows perfectly what's on my mind so take a look...



and actually this one of Miranda Kerr is also perfect




So if you have any ideas/recs for this kind of 'pale' look, please share,
'cause I'm just moving into the pale sphere & I'm pretty clueless for now,
cheers X

 

[shellygrrl]

I'm pretty ridiculously fair. A lot of foundations out there don't match me right out of the bottle. The foundations I have at the moment that match me fairly well are: * NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia (probably my best match; medium coverage, not really glowy, more of a semi/demi-matte finish?) - runs a bit yellow * Maybelline Fit Me! in #110 (medium to full coverage, satin finish) - pretty neutral, probably closest to L'Oreal True Match in N1?, slightly too dark for me * Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation in Shell (medium buildable coverage, satin finish, good balance between glowy and matte) - leans slightly yellow * It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream in Fair (medium to full coverage, more of a semi/demi-matte finish) - runs a little peachy, slightly too dark for me If I wore MAC I'd likely be in the NW10 (Studio Fix Fluid) to NC15 (Mineralize Moisture) range. And I can wear NW15 in the discontinued-in-most-places Studio Sculpt Concealer. If you want something more dewy straight out of the bottle, try Neutrogena Healthy Skin (I don't have a match in that), MAC Face and Body (if you do a sheerish layer of coverage, you'll have a glow), Make Up For Ever Face and Body, most tinted moisturizers (Laura Mercier's or Bobbi Brown's are good if you want a tinted moisturizer with a little more coverage than most TMs; or you can make your own with a mix of your favourite foundation and moisturizer), Chanel Vitalumiere (I think the only formula I can wear is Lift Lumiere; doesn't seem like I have a match in any of their ranges). I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I can think of straight off the bat. If it was still around I'd recommend Becca Luminous Skin Colour (I think the most neutral light shade was Sand? I tried it a while back, in Porcelain, and while it felt amazing on it was a bit too dark (and pink!) on me.) -- very sheer coverage but very luminous. You can also use a luminizing primer underneath your foundation (e.g., Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer). Personally, though, if I want more glowy/lit-from-within skin, I prefer to add highlighter. You can use an eyeshadow (e.g., Urban Decay Virgin; MAC Mylar, Nylon, or possibly even Retrospeck), a cream product (e.g., MAC's Cream Colour Bases in Luna or Pearl), a loose powder product (e.g., MAC Vanilla pigment), a dedicated powder highlighter (e.g., Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light, the Highlight shade of Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow, theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer), or a liquid (e.g., Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector -- these you can even mix in with a foundation if you want an all-over glow; Pearl or Moonstone would be the better ones for fair skins).

 

[martiangurll]

I'm pretty ridiculously fair. A lot of foundations out there don't match me right out of the bottle. The foundations I have at the moment that match me fairly well are: * NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia (probably my best match; medium coverage, not really glowy, more of a semi/demi-matte finish?) - runs a bit yellow * Maybelline Fit Me! in #110 (medium to full coverage, satin finish) - pretty neutral, probably closest to L'Oreal True Match in N1?, slightly too dark for me * Becca Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation in Shell (medium buildable coverage, satin finish, good balance between glowy and matte) - leans slightly yellow * It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream in Fair (medium to full coverage, more of a semi/demi-matte finish) - runs a little peachy, slightly too dark for me If I wore MAC I'd likely be in the NW10 (Studio Fix Fluid) to NC15 (Mineralize Moisture) range. And I can wear NW15 in the discontinued-in-most-places Studio Sculpt Concealer. If you want something more dewy straight out of the bottle, try Neutrogena Healthy Skin (I don't have a match in that), MAC Face and Body (if you do a sheerish layer of coverage, you'll have a glow), Make Up For Ever Face and Body, most tinted moisturizers (Laura Mercier's or Bobbi Brown's are good if you want a tinted moisturizer with a little more coverage than most TMs; or you can make your own with a mix of your favourite foundation and moisturizer), Chanel Vitalumiere (I think the only formula I can wear is Lift Lumiere; doesn't seem like I have a match in any of their ranges). I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I can think of straight off the bat. If it was still around I'd recommend Becca Luminous Skin Colour (I think the most neutral light shade was Sand? I tried it a while back, in Porcelain, and while it felt amazing on it was a bit too dark (and pink!) on me.) -- very sheer coverage but very luminous. You can also use a luminizing primer underneath your foundation (e.g., Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer). Personally, though, if I want more glowy/lit-from-within skin, I prefer to add highlighter. You can use an eyeshadow (e.g., Urban Decay Virgin; MAC Mylar, Nylon, or possibly even Retrospeck), a cream product (e.g., MAC's Cream Colour Bases in Luna or Pearl), a loose powder product (e.g., MAC Vanilla pigment), a dedicated powder highlighter (e.g., Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light, the Highlight shade of Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow, theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer), or a liquid (e.g., Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector -- these you can even mix in with a foundation if you want an all-over glow; Pearl or Moonstone would be the better ones for fair skins).

Which F&B do you recommend for pale? I think I'm a smidge darker than your description now but I want to try F&B. Is it long wearing? Sheer or medium coverage?

 

[Pamele]

Shelly, You seriously have the best answers ever!
Thanks you so so so much for helping me out (again )
I'm actually just as pale as you are, so yeah it's such a pain
to find anything that actually matches, I even had a thought just
now before coming back home, to get myself another bottle
of fake tan and just load it on top of what I have left, but
thanks to you, I decided to wait a couple of days just scrubbing
like crazy to go back fully to my super pale skin, haha,
just needing some change before fall comes,
and same thing goes with highlighters for pale skin,
it's ridicoulous how they're not thinking about this
skin range, there's lots of pale girls out there (probs just as many
as tanned ones), so it just makes me pissed off how everything
looks way too dark, too orange, too pink...
I'll definately try MAC's Pearl CCB, I only have Shell
so far, but it looks different than on fake tan,
there's way more pink showing through, and I'd like something
from more golden-champagne range, so I just need to get it asap

I always was into buying Nars Sheer Glow & somehow kept on
getting distracted by other foundies, I'll defo take a look, but
it's a shame that it runs yellow, I'm totally neutral, so I don't know
how it's gonna come up, but for now I'll take your rec for MUFE Face & Body,
'cause everyone knows they have great shades (at least in HD one) and
I love the fact that it's more dewy, I thought I'll never fall into it's trap
and gonna be sticking to matte/satin, but suprise suprise,
I'm actually amazed by dewy looking makeup,
so thanks again Shelly, you're just a life saviour

 

[martiangurll]

I am planning to get the Face & Body white to mix with some foundations I have that are just a smidge too deep.

 

[Sexy Sadie]

I am using this foundation. Loves it. http://www.specktra.net/t/188216/yves-rocher-youthful-glow-foundation