Everyone that knows me and my freelance makeup business, knows that I go through a ton of foundation. So of course, in these terribly tough economic times, it’s a good thing that my favorite foundation can be purchased at the local drugstore and not at Needless Markup (or Neiman Marcus;-))
L’Oreal True Match foundation is my inexpensive (around $10) liquid foundation of choice. The glass bottle is a plus because it clearly shows the color of the foundation from th
e outside, it’s oil free, glides on smoothly and evenly into the skin. Overall it’s comparable to the expensive stuff. True Match gives good coverage without feeling or looking overdone and caked on. The color range is wonderful.
- warm
- cool
- neutral
Within each category are levels of the shade with #1 being the lightest, and on up (3, 4, etc.) I’ve also heard through the grapevine that Beyonce’s makeup artist uses this on her – and who wouldn’t want Beyonce’s beautiful skin?!
Recently I’ve been trying new ways to amp up my skin tone to where it doesn’t look so achingly pasty due to th
e lack of sun exposure this winter, and I found a solution. The addition of Benefit Cosmetics “Hollywood Glo“ complexion highlighter to my foundation, proved to be a winning combination!
Hollywood Glo is a liquid highlighter that comes in one color, a sheer rose bronze that has light reflecting pigments that give your skin a pretty luminous quality. I loved the combination of using this product along with my foundation and it created a glow to my skin I couldn’t get just from the use of foundation.
And Ladies – before we go onto the “how to” section, remember you should NOT be using the same color foundation all year round. Doesn’t make sense. You need to switch up your foundation color to complement your pretty paler version of your skin for the winter months, and a warmer darker version for your pretty tanned skin during the summer months. Because we all know, that you don’t get the same sun exposure year round. Okay, I’ll jump off my soapbox now.
- I take a Q-Tip and dip it in my foundation then swab product streaks down my nose, along my cheeks, across the forehead, and along my chin.
- Yes, you’ll end up looking like you have on Indian war paint, but it gives you a great guideline so you can see where you’ve been and what areas you’ve missed.
- Next I take a new Q-Tip and dip it in the Hollywood Glo and apply it ONLY along the top of your cheekbones and maybe down the bridge of your nose. (notice Beyonce’s pic above and how the bridge of her nose has a subtle sheen to it!)
- I then take a makeup sponge and combine the products together in a circular and downward motion until everything is evenly dispersed.
- Don’t use an upward motion to apply your foundation as it’ll brush up your tiny face hairs (yes – you have them) in turn making them AND your makeup more noticeable.
On a Side Note – The product description for the Hollywood Glo tells you to use it on top of your makeup rather than mixing it in with your foundation, as you might dilute the shimmer, but I think that’s a personal preference depending on how “shimmery” you want your skin to be. I like the subtly of going ahead and mixing it in. But if you mix it in and find that you want to be a little bit more luminous, by all means, dab a little more on top and layer until you get that perfect “Hollywood Glo!”
And Finally, A Historic Fact: Foundation has come a long way since 1562, when it was said that Queen Elizabeth I began to “paint” her face with a combination of white lead and vinegar into a paste that was inches thick in order to help cover her smallpox scars that covered her face. (Whoa, can you imagine??? I’m glad we have much better options these days, in the name of L’Oreal and Benefit Cosmetics:-)
