Firstly, I know white foundation is not something the typical makeup lover will have in their collection. But then again, I’m not your typical makeup lover~ Either way I hope you guys find this comparison useful, I’m sure a lot of the cosplayers out there will~
Today’s comparison will be between MAC Full Coverage Foundation in White vs Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in RF 100. I’ve done a number of looks that require white foundation, and the needs of white foundation are very different to normal “skin toned” foundation. A couple of things to look out for:
- Solid opacity, the few coats to achieve this the better.
- Smooth even blending
- Formula dispensing, if you’re sharing this, hygiene is most important.
I know most people look for this in traditional foundation, but it’s even more important for white foundation since you are literally applying a new layer to your skin, not blending it into your existing skin. This makes it harder to get an “even” coverage.
A general comment on both foundations, they both have this plastic like smell to it. I have no idea why, I suspect it might be related to their pigmentation?
Comments on MAC’s Full Coverage Foundation in White:
- Comes in a compact, which makes it hard to share with other people. I usually chip off some into a plate each time I need it to avoid contaminating the compact.
- Whist very pigmented, it takes about 3-4 coats to get full coverage.
- Can be very difficult to blend, go slow with a sponge and avoid making any extreme facial expression, especially since it will crease.
- Not surprisingly feels heavy, recommend exfoliating skin after use.
Comments on Illamasqua’s Rich Liquid Foundation in RF 100.
- Comes in a tube, making it very easy to share with others.
- Very pigmented, needs about 2 good coats to achieve full coverage.
- Formula is rich, smooth and liquid, which makes application more gentle to the skin.
- Blending will still require some level of work with a sponge, but the job will go faster.
- Slightly more forgiving to creasing
Important note: Always always set your foundation with a white or translucent powder, or within no time you will experience some serious creasing 🙁
And the winner if you couldn’t tell would be Illamasqua, you can see in the photos how much easier the formula is to work with. It takes about 75% less time to cover my entire face and neck with Illamasqua’s foundation than it does with MAC’s.
It feels a little more light weight and less oily on the skin. I would still recommend using an exfoliator after use just because you are applying very heavy makeup at the end of the day.
Formula aside, packaging is so important. Not many people can finish white foundation all on their own, chances are (especially for me) I’ll need to end up using it on other people, which makes the Illamasqua foundation a great choice!
So if you need a white foundation, I’d pick one up online.
When you wrote this comparison, I was in the midst of craving to experiment with white foundation. Now half a month later, I’ve finally gotten around to actually getting some. Thanks to your helpful comparison, I went with Illamasqua naturally 🙂 I literally just bought it tonight so haven’t had the chance to play with it yet. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with it beyond the standard geisha inspired looks, but I’m also eager to try blending it with my usual foundation so I can get lighter tones. Yes, I’m one of those stereotype Asians that crave skin whitening :p.
Anyway, just dropping by to say a half-a-month-late thanks for this comparison! Saved me a whole lot of googling and searching through different makeup counters. 🙂
Woo! Hehe, I’m really glad my comparison was helpful 😀 Let me know what you think, and even post photos of FB too~! Really keen to see what you get up to 😀
Thanks! This post was helpful! I do not need white foundation for make-up experimentation….I’m just extremely pale skinned. So much so that I can NEVER find foundation pale enough to look natural, forcing me to mix normal foundation with white foundation. I will try this brand. Thanks again!
I’m so glad I was able to help you out 😀 I think pale skin is beautiful! Well… any type of skin really! 🙂 Good luck!
As a cosplayer myself this is really handy! I was wondering if you could tell me how long it lasts? I use kryolan aquacolour myself, and am looking at investing in a more easy to apply white for face hands and neck, and the price of such quality makeup is unforgiving on my wallet (how odd a poor cosplayer xD)
Hmmm, would normal kids face paint be a cheaper option? I haven’t tried it personally, but I can’t imagine it costing that much and if it’s safe for kids, it’s likely to be safe for adults too 🙂 In Australia I would check a place called Spotlight 🙂
No! Don’t ever bother with the junk they sell for kids! The cream tubes for kids NEVER blend, no matter how much you try. You can’t apply layers, either, or else the first layer comes off completely. You will look so swirled and smeared that it just isn’t worth it. Stay clear of any pre-assembled kits, too, like those waxy crayon makeups. The makeup cups that are lidless aren’t much better. The makeup is harder, but because it doesn’t have a lid, you can’t use it again and it sticks to everything else in your makeup kit. I’ve always used clown white. It lasts years even with weekly use, but it’s so thick that it takes sometimes 30 minutes of heavy smearing to get mostly even. Even with 16 years of regular use, I usually can’t get all of the smears out. Now that I’m 34, I’m seeing that it really is showing my fine lines, too, under my eyes. So, this is why I’m looking for a liquid foundation in white. If you use any cream, clown white, or lidless cups of thick makeup, you must use powder to set it. I have always used regular baby powder and it works wonderfully and is a lot cheaper. I plan to keep using it for my white liquid, too.
Wow! Thanks for the insight, I never knew! 🙂
Do you think the MAC foundation would be okay applied very sheerly over a darker foundation in order to lighten it? I have a great foundation but it’s a little too dark and unfortunately I can’t return it, so I’m looking for something to use to lighten it but Illamasqua is a little pricey.
Hmm, rather than applying it I would chip off a bit of the MAC Foundation, take some of your darker foundation and either mix it on the back of your hand or on a plate. Applying it directly on will likely still make you look a bit odd.
could i put the white foundation as a base to put a normal coloured foundation over it? i want to appear lighter in complexion and have been doing this already by using Mena Cream as the base, but its its too heavy hence i thinkkk causing wrinkles under my eyes.
I think you’d be better off mixing the two foundations and then applying, rather than layering them as you run the risk of applying too much and causing it to become very thick!
Been dying to try the MAC foundation in white but ,it was not available outside the pro stores until the end of last year, we don’t have a MAC where I live so I have to order online, my question is , is it oily . I am very oily and would like to use it to do a super pale look, but i don’t want it streaking or shifting on my skin. Thank you
Oooh, this is really quite an oily product to be honest, so if you already have oily skin I would avoid and try and find a lighter formula. The MAC foundation here is really aimed at dry skin.
Thank you I really appreciate the honesty, I will continue to search 🙂
My pleasure 🙂
Thanks for this comparison! I just ordered the Illamasqua one to mix with my current foundation that’s a bit too dark and I’m so excited! Fingers crossed it works well because international shipping was steep and I don’t want to have to return it!
My pleasure! I’m so glad you found it useful, I really hope it works out for you! 🙂
I have basically dry skin so will the illamasqua white rich liquid foundation work on my dry skin ?
Can you grab a sample and see how it will go? It -should- be okay, but I don’t know exactly how dry your skin is 🙁
Is this foundation good for someone a bit tanner than the skin tone in the pictures above? I have a brownish red skin tone and am wondering if it’ll still be pigmented enough. Also, what type of sponge would you say is ideal for applying this foundation? I’ve seen beauty blender sponges and disposable sponges as well, but am not sure which type is best for achieving the best opacity with this makeup. I’m doing my first cosplay, so I haven’t experimented with any light/white foundations at this point. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks! 🙂
It is pretty pigmented so I think it is worth a shot, if you could maybe try it out at the store first that would be ideal. I think it could take a few layers to get full coverage (apply a thin layer, wait to set, apply another etc).
I personally love beauty blenders, but the thing about white foundation is it can get pretty messy and requires quite a bit of… messing about to get it right. Beauty blenders to me are expensive and would take some time to remove all the excess white foundation when I try to clean it. So I tend to go for disposable sponges instead since they are cheap. But if you’re comfortable with a beauty blender and potentially damaging it, then that would give you the best result!
Good luck with your cosplay 😀