Clockwise from left: me at Derby Day, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation and brush, Shu Uemura Face Architect Foundation

Question from Amanda Shea: Hi Bec, I absolutely love your makeup! You always look so nice. Can I please ask what foundation and or powder you use? I have seen that you listed Mac studio sculpt under your eye tutorial. Thank you for that lesson, very easy and looks AMAZING! Look forward to your response.

Answer: Thanks for your question Amanda and to those who asked similar. I am actually a very disloyal foundation user. I mix and match, swap and change all the time. I am such a cheater.

For me, the right foundation is all about not being too thick or feeling heavy and sticky when it’s on. I love a dewy, natural look that glides on fast and smooth.

I think the reason I change  foundations so often is because I get bored but also because there are so many great products on the market that I like to give them all a go.

There are also different products I use depending on the occasion. For example, if I’m filming for television I use a different product than when I’m going out with the girls.

I’m not a huge fan of powder, I’ll usually use it sparingly under my eyes to set my concealer but prefer bronzer for the rest of my face. The powder I prefer is MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium.

Here is a list of the current foundations I use with the pros and cons:

1. Shu Uemura face architect, smooth fit fluid foundation: I have recently started using this as recommended by one of my fave make up artists, Paddy Puttock. It gives great coverage, is nice and dry on the skin (I hate sticky foundation, ewww) and feels light. It wears really well and stays put. I wore this foundation throughout the entire Spring Racing Carnival this year and it took me from 6am in the morning until midnight. The only con with this one is that it is on the pricier side (between $50-65 depending on where you buy it). My top tip with using this foundation is to make sure you have a well moisturised base as this product dries quickly so you need to be able to work fast.

2. MAC Studio Sculpt: This product gives medium to full coverage with a satin finish. I use this for television and it looks great on camera. It is also easy to work with which is huge for me because I need to do everything quick, quick, quick. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this product for everyday use as it is quite full on and I like my skin to be able to breathe on my down days. However, if you want a shit-hot foundation that makes your skin glow for special occasions (when you’re going out, for a party, wedding, event etc) then this product certainly gives you a wow factor. To me this product epitomises that perfect illuminated MAC skin look that all of MAC’s gorgeous staff members appear to rock on the counter- you know that skin where you go “wow, that MAC skin sparkles!” This product is also a bit cheaper than the other 2 on this post.

3. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk: In my opinion this has been THE FOUNDATION of the last few years. You can use a tiny bit for perfect skin or build it up for a fuller coverage look. This product has won so many awards and I can definitely see why. It is light, easy to use, stays put and makes you feel like you’re not wearing foundation at all. I have gone through bottles and bottles of this stuff- it’s awesome. I wore it to my wedding and if you look at most of my press pics for MYER over the last few years, I am usually wearing this foundation. It rocks! Again, it is on the pricier side but a little goes a long way with this product and I find the bottles last a long time.