Back in the mid 1500’s Queen Elizabeth I was known to have painted her face with a mixture of white lead (poisonous mind you), egg, powdered eggshells, poppy seed, and vinegar a couple inches thick to cover up a case of small pox scars. Yikes.
{Just a few bases I rely on + this foundation brush by MAC.}
Luckily, we don’t have to subject our faces to that type of cruelty or smell today to get a flawless looking complexion! Foundation, or base, is one of the #1 makeup products that I rely on for more even looking skin. And let’s face it, figuring out which base is right for you, can be intimidating and confusing. Here are the basics for getting it right for your pretty face:
1. Choose your best formula. We all have different needs depending on whether you are a naturalist by heart and want a barely there base, or if you’re not afraid of full on pageant girl type coverage! There is lightweight, luminizing, acne/oil prone, mattifying, medium to full coverage, anti-aging, the list goes on. Remember to think about your bare skin and what it could tolerate – a super oily face doesn’t need a hydrating creamy foundation that could turn slick in an instant. And a super dry flaky skin won’t benefit from a mattifying formula.
2. Find the perfect shade. Please don’t test a foundation on your wrist, pllleeasse!! Test that product along the side of your face, taking a line of the product from mid cheek all the way down your neck to make sure it blends in seamlessly without looking like an obvious stripe. It should disappear without blending. And yes I know this is impossible to do at a drugstore when there are no true testers, but there is hope. My best advice if you can only afford drugstore, is go to a department store first. Get color matched by a professional, ask for a sample of their best foundation for your skin type (who knows, you might fall in love and want to save your $ for it!), then take that sample to the aisles of your fave drugstore and match it up to a cheaper version.
*Remember – there are 3 basic categories of shades that range from lightest to darkest : cool (blue based) tones, neutral tones, and warm (yellow based) tones. If you’ve got a lot of redness to your skin – you’ll benefit from those yellow-ish foundations because they will neutralize the red.
3. Apply it right. If you want it turn out more naturally looking, use the good ole fingertips so that the warmth of them makes it melt into your skin. For more coverage and preciseness (and less mess), use a sponge or foundation brush and layer it. Wait around 30 seconds to a minute between layers. Always apply in a downward motion so that you don’t lift up the little peach hairs on your face to make them more noticeable. I always apply foundation first then add my concealer on top to spot treat any extra stubborn spots that still need covering. I find the concealer stays better when layered on top rather than rubbing it off if applied before the major swiping on of foundation.
Here is a short video tutorial from Birchbox.com on foundation blending blunders. It’s got some great tips plus being a little funny!
**Don’t Forget!! You have 3 more days to enter to win my GIVEAWAY for an awesome limited edition ghd Pink Diamond Styler Duo! I’ve made it about as easy as you can get to enter.**
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