Foundation Basics 101!

image: flickr

Growing up, every girl looks forward to when she will be able to buy and apply makeup to get that flawless skin, and features that require second looks. Same was the case with me too, but in the beginning there were days I would end up looking like a cracked muffin on my face, reason being, I never quite understood the concepts of foundation and always did something wrong. They do say wise is the person who learns from other’s mistakes, so here it is, the results of my trial and error methods with different types of foundation and the technique with which to apply it. Learn from this article, and you’ll never end up with a cracked base, or a base that’s melting away.

So first things first, you need to decide which type of foundation you require, this depends on various factors, but mainly on the type of skin you have and the kind of look you want. Liquid foundations work best with dry skin, whereas loose and pressed powder and cream foundation suit oily to combination skins.  And of course, there are exceptions to this too, like everything else. Work around what works best for you. The next step is to choose the right shade and tone of foundation. And to get the tone right, follow the veins test: raise your sleeve whilst in sunlight, if the veins on the arm shows up as blue, you are cool toned and if the veins show up as green, you are warm toned. Cool toned skins require warm toned foundation and vice versa for warm toned skin. Finally, when shopping for the correct foundation, always apply the tester foundation of your choice on you face (not on the wrist or back of hand) and if it looks the same shade without blending, grab it!

Now, with the formalities of the correct foundation shade and tone out of the way, lets start with the actual application!

With any type of skin, applying an SPF-containing moisturizer suitable for your skin type is a must, followed a couple minutes later by a primer to prep the skin for the foundation. And like I said before, there are always exceptions to any and every rule, so use the information from this article as a guide.

Liquid foundation:

Best applied with a stippling foundation brush all over the face, using dotting motions combined with circular motions to get an airbrushed uniform look. And also with a smaller foundation brush to cover hard-to-reach smaller or curved areas like around the nose.

For those with problem areas to cover like redness, pimple or dark under eye circles, apply concealer before the foundation.

And set the foundation and concealer with a light sweep of loose setting powder, this will not only mattify the face, but also prevent the foundation and concealer from budging from its place.

Cream foundation:

Best applied with fingers, but be sure to have washed your hands prior to applying foundation, to prevent contamination leading to acne. Blending cream foundation with fingers gives the face a good massage while encouraging absorption of the excess foundation, resulting in a matte base having covered all areas evenly with out much problem.

With a cream foundation, it is best to apply concealer after the foundation using dotting movements so as to not wear off the foundation. And this time, set the whole look after the entire makeup is done, with a setting spray (or make your own at home by adding 3 drops glycerin in a cup of rose water and storing it in a spray bottle), this will ensure the cream and concealer sets together and doesn’t separate.

Powder foundation:

Best applied with a damp sponge, in sweeping movements. And just as was the case with liquid foundation, apply the concealer before the foundation, but then be very careful when sweeping the foundation over it, rather, tap the sponge over the concealed areas, that way the concealer will stay put. To help it set, just spray on some setting spray once you are done with the whole makeup look.

So this was all there was to know about foundation basics! I hope you manage to achieve that perfect airbrushed skin with these techniques, and be the topic of envy all around! Ciao!