My perfect summer foundation mix

Should I wear foundation or should I let my skin breathe? I swear, I find myself contemplating this question every single morning before doing my make up. But I'm guessing that I'm not the only one to do this though, right?
Back a few years ago, I used to be one who would steer clear from foundation particularly during the summer and I'd just allow my skin to breathe and tan. However, I don't know why, but this year I've gotten so much more into make up that I can't seem to be able to go out not wearing anything at all!

I have a hard time because I'm somebody who loves to tan, so when I do, it then means I need to find something to perfect my complexion whilst allowing me to show off the tan! When this happened, I would usually opt for a tinted moisturiser and a bit of bronzer on my cheeks as I felt this allowed me to look more tanned. However, one thing I have really disliked about this throughout the years, was the shine on my face at the end of the day. As well as, the way in which the tinted moisturiser would oxidise on my skin leaving me with a slight tangoed complexion (Obvs not the look I'd be going for!).

As summer came around the corner, I found myself wondering whether I should go out and purchase a new tinted moisturiser which would not do this...
So, I decided to give the NARS Moisturiser a go but I was soon disappointed to find that if I wore this on its own, by the end of the day it would have gone patchy and of course...Orange. This is so annoying because whilst I'd want to have that extra glow on my skin and look a bit more bronzed, Orange is far from the colour I want to be rocking on my complexion. At the same time though, I don't really want to wear my foundation on it's own because not only is it too heavy for summer, but it's also a bit on the pale side, masking away the bit of tan that I've managed to get on those two hot British days!

So instead, what I have been doing is mixing my foundation in with the tinted moisturiser and I've been achieving the perfect colour that matches my skin! :) I know it's pretty basic, but honestly, I never thought to do this before in all of those years! It's great because as well as achieving the perfect shade, it has also allowed my skin to look glowy. I have managed to find the right balance between the mattifying Charlotte Tilbury foundation and the super dewy NARS moisturiser- perfect for summer!

Below is a swatch of the shades as well as the finish I would achieve with and without mixing in the colours:

(Top: Charlotte Tilbury #shade: 3. Middle: Nars Tinted Moisturiser #shade: St. Moritz. Bottom: Mixture of both)

As you can see from the pictures, the foundation on it's own is just a tad bit pale for the time being and it's also a bit too "cakey". On the other hand. the moisturiser on it's own is so greasy looking and well, Orange. So the combination of the two make a perfect finish which I have been LOVING all summer long. It's also great because, if I tan some more, all I have to do is just add a bit more of the moisturiser to the mix. Whilst as the tan will begin to fade, I will slowly reduce the amount of moisturiser that I add, ensuring that I will always have the perfect shade! :)

Have you guys tried this before? Let me know what your favourite summer foundation routines are!

❤️

   Love, ML x