Foundation is a key part of your make-up since it is necessary to even out your complexion, hide blemishes if any. Applying foundation is often equated to creating a canvas that is evenly distributed for you to work on your makeup further. If you are a novice in make-up, picking a foundation would be a little tricky, with the plethora of options available in the market in terms of brand, price and variety. If you are confused about how to pick a product that works for you, look no further since we got you covered.
Foundation according to your skin type
Oily Skin
One of the common concerns of folks with oily skin is using a foundation which is cream or oil based that does not usually suit their skin type and might even effect the skin by making it look more oily, or even having the makeup run off. We recommend powdered foundation which we saw work wonders for oily skin. If you prefer a liquid foundation, there are enough oil-free liquid foundations in market that you could choose from.
We pick CoverGirl’s Clean Oil Control Liquid Makeup which is marketed as the product most suited for oily skin, which we found to be effective in keeping the makeup at place without making it runny.
Dry Skin
For those of you with a dry skin, we recommend to pick foundations that are oil based. There are a bevy of choice in mousse based, liquid and cream foundations that are perfect for dry skin. The key is to have your skin look hydrated and fresh and these products would be a good match for that.
While picking a dry skin, in addition to wanting to keep your skin hydrated, it is necessary to look for products that will provide a higher coverage so as to cover up the dry patches often caused by irritation. If makeup is applied on dried skin without using a proper foundation that could conceal it, there is a chance of your makeup breaking and the dryness showing, ruining the look. Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation by No7 is our pick for dry skin, since it comes up with anti-ageing formula that covers lines. In addition, the serum covers your pores and gives the skin a healthy glow.
Combination Skin
While choosing a product that suits a combination skin which would cater to both the oily and dry patches of your skin sounds difficult, almost impossible in theory, it is not so. Having combination skin sometimes is a blessing in disguise as the oil levels in your skin keeps it naturally hydrated and would not cause fine lines even in cold weather. Pick products that are not heavily oil based which would clog your pores. Try and also opt for products which do not have any artificial fragrance added in them that could cause irritation on dry patches of your skin.
Charlotte Tilbury’s beautiful foundation would be our pick for combination skin since it is light and non-cakey and glides across the skin. It consists of hyaluronic acid which hydrates skin that is necessary for a combination skin type.
How to apply a foundation
Firstly, prep your skin with a moisturizer and hydrate it, irrespective of the skin type. We would recommend a hydrating mask which would give your skin a natural glow. Hydrating masks could be picked based on your skin type. Pick aloe based products if your skin is dry, rose based for oily skin and green tea if your skin needs treatment from inflammation. After masking, you can gently massage to enhance circulation and to reduce puffiness in the face, which would eventually give a fresh look to your face, making it come alive.
While a lot of people do like to skip primer and move on to foundation, having a primer base would often increase the life of the makeup, making it stay on for a longer wear. For those of you who would want to cover specific areas of the face, or even highlight them, we recommend using a primer before moving on to the next step.
For a makeup novice, often the first thought of a foundation could bring flashes of a cakey product. It is not necessarily true. We recommend you to apply foundation only on the areas where it is required. You can start in the center of the face, for instance, on the apple of your cheeks and slowly move outward, blending it. Since the area around your mouth is prone to shadows and yellow undertones, it makes sense to focus on this area next.
In order to make your foundation blend into the skin and highlight your best features, skip where it is not required. If you want to flaunt your freckles, you need not apply foundation on the bridge of your nose. Also, you can skip the side of your nostrils since there is a chance of the foundation clinging to dry patches. Play around and remember, the best way to apply any makeup product is to try and bring the beautiful parts of you that are true and unique to yourself.
While it is tempting, do not spread or paint your face with foundation. Use either a brush, sponge or fingers to bounce it across your skin – called bouncing. We recommend you use a sponge to do this if you are new to applying foundation so that application is smoother.
If you want to add more dimensions to the look, add highlighter to the parts of the face that catch light naturally. T-zone, cheekbones, Cupid ’s bow are the places you could focus on. If you want it to be natural, you can skip this part entirely.
Of course, it is always recommended to remove the excess of make-up to perfect your look and foundation is not an exception to this. You can use a blotting paper to slowly blot and remove excess foundation. Finish this with a translucent powder to set it in place. Voila! You now have achieved the perfection of applying a foundation and bringing in a perfect look of even-toned complexion.
[…] has a reputation of being over done sometimes, since it could turn up cakey if you do not pick the right product that suits your skin. For those of you, who would want to prep their skin and still want to have a full coverage, but […]