Thanks to a shed load of air brushing, from magazines and tv, most girls now crave that perfect base. The quest for flawless skin continues and it’s super easy to get caught up in a cakey mess.
Here are my tips for getting a flawless base!
Know your skin type
This is a must when choosing the right foundation for you, and will help when picking your foundation. Pick a foundation to compliment your skin type. To state the obvious, if you tend to be oily you don’t want a super dewy foundation. Some foundation textures last longer on an oily skin but can sit poorly and emphasis dry skin.
Use the right foundation for your skin type
Dry skins, use a moisturising foundation, you do not want anything thats going to sit in your dry skin. Foundations with luminosity also works well, giving your skin a healthy glow. Oily skins, go for an oil free formula, you can also get matte foundations to stop you looking shiny.
Prep your skin
Always prep and moisturise your skin no matter what your skin type is. Having a freshly prepped skin means your foundation will go on easier and sit better.
Use tools
Get a foundation brush that works for you. I find a buffing brush works best for me. Buffing your foundation into your skin gives it that airbrushed finish. A stippling brush will give you a lighter amount of coverage but still that airbrushed finish. A flat foundation brush, the ones that look a little bit like a paint brush will pretty much paint the foundation on giving you a fuller coverage, it doesn’t give you that buffed airbrushed look. For break outs, product wants to be pressed into the spot rather than buffing it over the spot, buffing the product can wipe it off. I find a beauty blender works best for this. I find a beauty blender also works well around the eyes to pat concealer in.
Concealer
Use different concealers for different areas. Under your eyes you may be going for something colour correcting or alternatively something to brighten your under eye area. You don’t want to stick something brightening on top of your spot, shiny bright spots isn’t a good look.
Under eyes you tend to go a shade lighter to brighten. keep the consistency creamy and light feeling to avoid it looking heavy, cakey and noticeable. If you have lines under your eyes try to avoid the lines to prevent creasing or product sitting in your wrinkles.
For breakouts you’ll need a concealer thats a good match to your skin, the consistency still wants to be creamy to really blend it into the skin but something that provides a little bit more coverage.
Setting
Finally finish off with a dusting of powder and a spitz of setting spray to keep everything in place. Powder can be matte or provide luminosity for a radiant glow. Pick to suit the finish you want. A spritz of setting spray will give you a little extra help in the long wearing department. If you struggle to keep a hold on your make up, you can layer up with the setting spray. For extra oomph press your setting powder into the skin to work the products together for increased longevity.
Remember less is more. Build up your product starting with a little and adding more if needed.
A final note. You are probably wondering why I haven’t mentioned a primer. I am yet to find one that I love and that actually makes a difference to my make up. Generally I find they make my skin feel greasy and my make up doesn’t last as well. Do however let me know if you have found one that actually makes a difference, especially for an oily skinned girl.
for more on foundations heres foundation tips for dry skin and foundation tips for oily skin.
Rach xx
