Foundation Oxidation Problem?

I am so glad I could help when Birchbox was stumped when one of their subscribers had this makeup question:

Dearest Birchbox Makeup Mavens,

I am having the most endless makeup battle lately, my greatest enemy being foundation oxidation. I have very pale skin and any foundation I have used (and trust me, there have been many, many different ones) turns orange the second I put it on. It looks great in the makeup mirror and in my bathroom, but in natural light my face looks like Snooki. I have tried drugstore brands like Covergirl trumatch, Neutrogena healthy skin, Maybelline Dream Smooth, and Revlon Colorstay. I have also tried the nice brands like Jemma Kidd Light As Air, Chanel VitaLumiere, MAC Pro Lumiere, MAC Face&Body, and NARS. I have used makeup primers from Smashbox & Bare Minerals, and I always use the lightest shade any brand offers. I just don't know what else to do! I am flabbergasted! Do you know any brands I haven't tried that make foundation for very pale, pink-toned skin, that won't turn orange in ten minutes? Thank you if you can offer any help. I am just stumped!

Asked by
 textravert

We were a bit stumped by this one so we have to apologize that it has taken us so long to respond! Normally we’d suggest a great primer but sounds like you’ve tried that already so we decided to go straight to an expert: makeup artist, Lindsey Jones (@ljonesmakeup).

She has super light skin just like you and had a few tips, which will hopefully solve your foundation conundrum. First, avoid oil-free foundations, which Lindsey says are the most likely to oxidize. She recommends trying Bobbi Brown, which has some of the lightest colored foundations on the market and great formulas. If possible, try them out in the store and wait to see how it looks in natural light before purchasing! If you’re using a powder, make sure it’s translucent as powders can also change color depending on your skin type. Hope this helps and let us know how it goes! xx, Birchbox

Hello again lovelies, it's Genevieve popping in to say THANK YOU! I asked a while ago about help with my foundation oxidation problem and you guys were so right! It was my powder that was causing my oxidation problem, not my foundation! Taking that out of the equation plus using an oil-free foundation cleared up my problem almost immediately. You guys are seriously genius. Thank you so much!

Asked by
 textravert

Wow, thank YOU! So happy we could help and your note just made our day! :) xo, the whole Birchbox team.

p.s. Huge thanks to makeup artist Lindsey Jones for her awesome advice!