Foundation is the...well, it's the foundation of good makeup.
All to often we see women who appear to be wearing a mask on their face because their foundation is either not right for their skin
OR
because they are putting it on waaaaaayyyyy to thick (aka not blending properly).
Now, I'd like to stop right here to say that this is a free country and we all are free to do as we please in regards to our makeup; I am simply offering advice based off of my personal experience and off of expert advice from professional make up artists....just sayin'...Moving on.
Ok, first, there are a couple of things that we should consider before purchasing our foundation.
1. What is our skin type? and
2. What are we expecting from our foundation?
To know your skin type, make a few observations.
Is your skin mainly dry all over? (sometimes you have flakey skin bc it's so dry) aka DRY SKIN
Is your skin mainly oily all over? aka OILY SKIN
Is your skin oily on your forehead, nose, above your lip, and chin; and then dry/normal everywhere else? aka COMBINATION SKIN
Is your skin neither too oily or too dry and just "normal"? aka NORMAL SKIN (in which case I am extremely jealous of you)
Once you figure out your skin type, you're one step closer to "flawless" looking skin...
Okay, well, maybe the above statement was a bit extreme, but, you know what I mean...You're one step closer to finding the "perfect" foundation for you.
Now, you know your skin type and there are a million (another exaggeration) foundations for you in regards to that, so how can you further narrow the selection down?
Know what you are expecting your foundation to do for you.
Do you want a matte finish, which means no shine?
Do you want a dewy finish? Which means you want to appear moisturized.
Do you want full, medium, or sheer coverage?
Typically, if you have oily or combination skin, you're going to want a matte finish...You don't want to ADD to the oiliness--You want to combat the oiliness. Here are a few foundations that fall into that category:
With dry skin, you'll want a more moisturizing makeup, which will give you a dewy finish. And here are a few foundations that fall into that category:
In regards to coverage, a full coverage makeup will typically be a thicker, heavier consistency foundation. Those who have fine lines and large pores or what we call "textured" skin, will want to be careful with these types of foundations.
DISCLAIMER: As a rule of thumb, to look younger, you want to wear a less heavy foundation. This doesn't necessarily mean less coverage, but you may have to sacrifice one for the other. I have discovered that to look younger, I have to go a bit more sheer...Not a problem for me...It's a no brainer. I don't use a sheer coverage foundation, I use a medium coverage and apply it in such a way that the finish is more sheer...In other words, it's how I apply my foundation and what I use to apply it with that helps it become more sheer. (whew! why did that seem exhausting and difficult)
I always recommend a foundation primer, as these help with multiple "problems" such as filling in fine lines and large pores so that the foundation will not "settle" into these areas and accentuate them; however, it has to be noted that there is no such thing as a foundation that will make you look completely flawless, unless of course, your skin is completely flawless.
*NOTE* Rant begins now....
When you see these pictures on Instagram of flawless faces, you have to understand that the majority of these women are using editing apps and filters...Very rarely are these women just flawless...VERY rarely.
Also, even the videos on YouTube don't show you all of the tiny imperfections that we see in our own skin up close. If you're watching a reputable, down to earth makeup guru on YouTube, she'll be honest about her own skin imperfections (if she has any) so as not to mislead you.
Rant over...
Ok, so where was I? Oh yes, full coverage foundations...
They are thicker and heavier and can settle in fine lines and pores after a while if not applied properly (we'll get to that in a minute).
Just to reiterate what I mentioned above, I always recommend a good primer for your face BEFORE foundation.
Next, medium to buildable coverage. This is what I prefer, as it's great for evening out skin tone, covering some imperfections, aka zits, etc; yet you can wear it heavier if you need to, or even make it a bit more sheer if necessary.
Aaaannnnnddddd, sheer coverage. This is really just so that you can, perhaps even out your skin tone but have a more natural finish. Like, basically, you want to have a more "no makeup" makeup look, if that makes sense.
In my opinion, sheer coverage foundations tend to be more "dewy" so with my combination skin, it just makes me look more oily in my oily areas.
There is the option of wearing a powder as a sheer "foundation" for those of us with the oily/combination skin type. I use MAC Mineralize Skinfinish powder.
Ok, let's talk about application, because, honestly, that's going to make or break you in regards to how the finished product will look.
There are foundation brushes, beauty sponges, and of course, your fingers.
Now, I do NOT recommend the paint brush type foundation brushes, simply because you don't get good blending with it. It just sort of lays the foundation on the top of the skin and can leave streaks...Nope...not good.
Then there are the Kabuki type foundation brushes such as the holy grail kabuki brush used by SO many of the YouTube makeup artists, the Sigma F80.
I personally own this brush and it's awesome. It provides pretty full coverage so you really have to buff, buff, buff, blend, blend, blend with it. If used correctly, it's awesome.
My FAVORITE foundation applicator, however, is the Beauty Blender!
This thing is FREAKING AWESOME!!!
You can find them in Sephora or Ulta or order it online.
It's $20, which some may think is a lot for a "sponge", but....you don't understand...
It has changed the way my foundation looks on my face!
It is meant to be used damp, and that freaked me out a bit, but I'm telling you...It's just the perfect thing to put on your foundation....
Okay...Okay...More on WHY I love it.
You use it in a blot, dab, roll type motion and it just blends the foundation perfectly...Gives sort of an "air brushed" look.
If you have large pores or fine lines, it's awesome for helping the foundation to cover and get into these areas to fill them in so as not to accentuate these things. And God knows we don't want to accentuate fine lines and large pores!
I have even used my Beauty Blender to put on my finishing powder. It works wonders.
I also have a mini one for under my eyes.
It is my FAVORITE makeup item (mark that down).
Ok, so let's wrap it up with some facts about foundation application:
Foundation is not meant to make you look "fake", it is to give you a blank canvas to work with in regards to makeup. Think about an artist trying to paint on a canvas that is discolored. His final outcome may not look as good as it could have, had he a blank white canvas to start off with.
Never, and I mean NEVER, stop your foundation at your jaw line. No, no, no...Blend just past it.
YOUR FOUNDATION SHOULD MATCH YOUR NECK SKIN COLOR, NOT YOUR FACE. Match your neck color to the color of foundation you'll buy...You'll thank me later.
A yellow-based foundation is best for evening your skin tone,
and
a pink or peachy-based foundation is great for covering redness.
Concealer convo is a whole other blogpost, but try putting your concealer on AFTER your foundation. (But it's too light; it shows too much) Then get a shade darker concealer, for your face imperfections, and save that lighter one for under your eyes and your eyelids...Just a thought.
I fully intend on seeing some foundation improvements after this post, lol!
Don't worry, I KNOW I'm not miss perfect when it comes to my foundation...I know...
Just this past Sunday, I got home and realized I had a HUGE section of my foundation wiped clean off on the side of my face...Awesome...Oh well...No one died.
I WOULD like to add as I'm wrapping this up, that if you prefer drugstore brands, but are scared to buy and not like, check the stores return policy when it comes to makeup. Some store will allow you to return if you don't like it.
AND, if you prefer high-end makeup products, you can get samples either in Sephora or at the brand's makeup counter. That way, you can use it for like, a week, to see if you like it before making the investment.
And when I say investment, I mean it. Good foundation is a MUST HAVE investment...if you care, anyway ;)
Now go out there and storm the gates and figure out what foundation is YOUR foundation!
Peace,
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