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Quick Verdict
The Laura Geller powder foundation is very marly, dabs on as a light-to-medium layer, and looks natural enough for groceries or golf. It’s my whole everyday face when I don’t want people to see I’m wearing a lot of makeup.
Buy if you:
Skip if you:
- Keep a heavy hand, this concealer and blush go on strong and you’ll overdo it
- Want full, cover-everything coverage where you can see the makeup
- Need a matching mascara from the same line, I don’t use one for Laura Geller
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Golf Shirt On, Face Half Done, and I’m Already Sold
I moisturized, grabbed my Laura Geller basics, and was halfway through my face before I remembered I was supposed to be on a golf course right now, it got cold, plans collapsed, doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter. This is a good day for anything, groceries, running around, whatever, and the Laura Geller powder foundation is exactly what I want for that. It’s the medium shade, the illuminating one, and it’s very marly, which is kind of cool.
This isn’t a fancy full-glam tutorial. I don’t like a really heavy makeup look. So what you’re getting here is my real everyday face, the whole Laura Geller line I’ve collected so far, and my thoughts on how each piece actually wears.
What the Baked Powder Foundation Actually Is
Baked, marbleized powder with multi-toned pigment that self-adjusts as you blend, built for mature skin so it won’t settle into fine lines. The pan looks swirled and pretty, that’s the marly finish I keep mentioning, and it’s meant to color-correct redness and uneven tone in a swipe. Mine is a light shade, and the formula’s built for mature and sensitive skin, so it won’t settle into fine lines the way a lot of powders do.
Here are the details straight from the listing for the one I use.
Dab It, Don’t Rub It
Dabbing is the trick, not swiping. When I first started using this foundation I was rubbing it across my skin, then I saw you’re supposed to dab it on and build layers from there. So now I swirl my foundation brush around the pan and dab it into my face, adding a little more where I want it. That gives me a good basic first layer that reads light-to-medium.
One dabbed layer and I’m done, no second pass, no setting spray, no mirror check before I leave. That’s the whole point. If I wanted more I could build it, but I never do for a grocery run or a round of golf.
The Concealer Is Richer Than You Think
Use less than you think, because this concealer is thick and rich. I’ve been quite happy with it, but I have to start lightly. I do maybe three teeny dabs under each eye, and even then I sometimes put too much because I forget how thick it is. It’s not a bad thing at all. You just need way less of it than a drugstore concealer.
I caught myself overdoing it right on camera, took a little off, and blended the rest with my brush to smooth it out. It spreads so nicely once it’s on. It covered up the little spots I wanted gone and blended down to something smooth without any effort.
The Best Of The Best Palette Has Everything I Need
This palette holds contour, blush, and eyes in one place, and it’s the piece I love most from the whole line. I’ve been using it for a while. It’s great for vacation because you pretty much have everything right there. Today I used the contour to set my cheeks a little and the eyeshadows for a soft everyday look.
For the eyes I put the light shade all over my lid, then took the brown into the crease and out toward the end of my brow. It pulls the eye out, which helps because I’ve got a bit of deep-set eyes. If you love a lot of highlighter on your cheeks, the palette’s great for that too, though I don’t typically go that route.
I also reached for a separate blush stick just to show how it works. It twists up, you turn it a couple of times and it comes right up, then you dab it lightly and rub it in with your fingers. It gives a lot of pigment, which is really nice, but I’d say use a little less than you think. I overdid one cheek, so I toned it down by going over it with my foundation brush. Pretty color, though. I really like it.
Where I Went Too Heavy
The pigment payoff is the exact thing that trips me up. Both the concealer and that blush stick give so much color so fast that I keep forgetting and reaching for too much. With the concealer I had to scrape a little back off. With the blush I loaded one cheek, toned it down, then took a teeny bit too much off that same side. That’s not the product failing, it’s me learning the light hand these formulas want. But it’s worth knowing going in: this is a less-is-more line, and if you use these like drugstore products you’ll be correcting on the fly the way I did.
Get it now
Laura Geller Baked Powder Foundation
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Who This Line Is Really For
If you have mature skin and every chalky powder you’ve tried has settled into your lines by noon, this is the one to test. The baked formula genuinely doesn’t do that, I have the fine lines and the gray roots to prove it, and this reads smooth all day. It’s the light-to-medium, still-looks-like-me coverage that works for groceries, golf, or a normal errand day.
If I’m heading out for the evening I’ll just throw some eyeliner on and I’m good. That’s how versatile this everyday base is for me. It leans natural, it builds if you want more, and the palette makes it a tidy grab for travel.
Finishing the Face: Brows and Lashes
Laura Geller doesn’t cover my brows or mascara, so I fill in with other pieces. For brows I use the Infallible brow gel, and it’s a light hand, definitely a light hand, I learned that the hard way. Go too heavy and it makes your brows really dark. But I like it because the gel adds a bit of thickness and pushes the brows up for a more lifted look. I used to use powder to fill in, and I don’t anymore.
For lashes I recently tried the Extensionnaire mascara. Look at that brush, it’s the most interesting wand, and it’s meant to add serum to help lashes grow. I’m all about that. I don’t really need more, but I love anything good for my lashes. I’m still learning the wand, giving it a little twisty as I go because I figure that’s why it’s shaped that way. There’s no scent to it, it feels really nice, and I was done fast. It looks great.
The lipstick rounds it out. It’s got that marly look too, and it’s a very neutral shade, which I like. Not completely finished when I showed it, but you could already see it gave a nice general look to my whole face.
My Advice Before You Buy Into the Line
Start with the foundation and the palette if you want the best of it. Those two are the pieces I’d hand to anyone curious about Laura Geller. The palette is the piece I’d hand to anyone curious about Laura Geller: contour, blush, and eyes all live in one pan, which is why it travels beautifully.
Go light on everything. The concealer is rich, the blush stick is pigmented, and the brow gel darkens fast. A teeny dab, a light hand, and you can always build. That’s the whole approach with this line. And dab the foundation on, don’t rub, that one tip changed how it wore on me.
Pros
- Light-to-medium coverage that looks natural, not like a lot of makeup
- Baked, marly powder foundation built for mature and sensitive skin
- Concealer is rich and spreads so nicely, a little goes far
- The Best Of The Best palette packs contour, blush and eyes for travel
- Brow gel lifts and adds thickness; Extensionnaire mascara has no scent and feels nice
Cons
- Concealer and blush are so pigmented it’s easy to overapply and have to correct
- Not the pick if you want heavy, full coverage where the makeup shows
- No mascara or brow product within the Laura Geller line, so you’ll mix in other brands
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this powder foundation settle into fine lines?
No, it’s formulated for mature skin and the baked texture melts in rather than sitting on top. I have fine lines and gray hairs coming in, and it reads smooth and natural on me rather than cakey.
Should I patch-test it if I have sensitive skin?
A patch test is always smart, but this line is built for sensitive and mature skin and is listed as dermatologist-approved for rosacea and psoriasis-prone skin. If you react to new products easily, dab a bit on your jaw first before doing a full face.
How much product do I need per application?
Less than you’re used to. For the concealer I do about three teeny dabs under each eye, and even that can be too much. The foundation goes on in dabbed layers, and the blush stick needs just a couple of turns up.
Is a powder foundation good for dry or older skin?
This one is, because it’s baked and infused with jojoba oil and Vitamin E rather than being a dry, chalky powder. I moisturize first, then dab it on, and it stays looking natural instead of flaky.
Can I build this up for evening coverage?
Yes, it’s buildable, so you can add more layers for a fuller look. For evenings I keep the same base and just add eyeliner rather than piling on more foundation, but the option is there if you want heavier coverage.
Do I need the palette if I buy the foundation?
Not required, but the Best Of The Best palette is the piece I’d add first. It gives you contour, blush and eyeshadow in one compact, so it’s the easiest way to build a full face from this line without buying everything separately.
What shade should I choose?
The self-adjusting marbleized pigment blends toward your tone, so the shade range is forgiving. Mine is a light shade and it evens out as I blend. Match to your natural depth and let the color-correcting pigment do the fine-tuning.
Does the Extensionnaire mascara have a scent?
No scent at all, I checked. It has a serum meant to help lashes grow, the wand is unusually shaped, and I give it a little twist as I apply. It feels really nice and goes on quickly.
How long does a full everyday face take with this?
About 10 minutes if you’re a quick, out-the-door person like me. Foundation, concealer, the palette for cheeks and eyes, brows and mascara, done. It’s not a heavy glam routine, it’s a natural everyday face.
Get it now
Laura Geller Baked Powder Foundation
Get the best price on Amazon →This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
🛍️ Shop everything in this video
Every product mentioned, in one place — these are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
🛍️ Laura Geller Illuminating Foundation Medium — check price on Amazon →
🛍️ Laura Geller Concealer — check price on Amazon →
🛍️ Laura Geller Best of the Best Palette — check price on Amazon →
🛍️ Laura Geller Blush — check price on Amazon →
🛍️ Laura Geller Lipstick — check price on Amazon →
🛍️ L’Oréal Infallible Brow Mascara — check price on Amazon →
🛍️ L’Oréal Lash Extension Air Mascara — check price on Amazon →
