Beauty Tip of the Week: Tricks for flawless foundation
I always get many questions about how I get my foundation to look so fresh and light. Foundation is the most stressful product because the slightest mistake cannot be hidden. According to a study lead by Make Up For Ever, 73% of women admit that finding the right foundation is difficult, 54% say that finding their color match is a challenge, and 62% have a hard time applying foundation correctly. Unlike other makeup products, there is no way of masking wrongdoings. Over the years, I have learned many techniques and lots of amazing tricks. Well, it’s your lucky day because I am going to share 5 of my favorite tricks on how to apply foundation flawlessly!
#1 Apply a highlighter before foundation
Although I apply a highlighter before and after my foundation, applying a highlighter beforehand allows your foundation to have that extra natural-looking glow and prevents your coverage from looking dull throughout the day. My favorite highlighter to use before my foundation is MAC Cosmetics’ “Prep + Prime Highlighter” in Bright Forecast. The peachy coral tone gives a beautiful glow! After applying my foundation, I like to use a highlighter with more shimmer like NARS’ “Highlighting Blush” in Albatross, which gives your skin a light-reflecting luminous glow, or NARS’ “Illuminator” in Orgasm, which creates a shimmering radiance and enhances the complexion.
#2 Mix and Match
If you really want your foundation to be long-lasting but light, try mixing and matching different formulas to obtain the perfect recipe for your skin type and complexion. If you have oily skin and/or oily areas in the T-zone, use foundations that are mattifying, such as the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet +, instead of using powder, which can result in your skin looking chalky and cakey. For dry/combination skin, try using a moister formula like MAC Cosmetics’ “Studio Face and Body Foundation”, which creates a flawless satin-shine finish. Mixing two types of foundation will allow all areas of your face to be covered in the right way.
#3 Apply Foundation Everywhere
This might sound weird, but applying foundation everywhere prevents you from looking like you have different skin tones all over your body. A lot of women only apply foundation past their jaw line and neck, but forget to blend the color on their chest and ears! If you are wearing a revealing top, it is a major beauty faux-pas if your face and neck are not the same color as your décolletage. Also, make sure that your foundation is a general match for your overall skin complexion![spacer]
#4 Use a Brush
More than half of women do not use makeup tools to apply foundation. In order to get a smooth finish, I highly consider using a brush. Using your fingers to apply liquid foundation can create uneven layers and excess coverage or a lack of coverage in certain areas, and create oil buildup on your skin. By using a brush, it allows you to use less foundation and still get full coverage by blending it onto your skin in circular motions. My favorite brush to use is MAC Cosmetic’s “190 Foundation Brush”.
#5 Prevent Creasing
There is no way to completely prevent creasing in fine lines. However, there are techniques to minimize the creasing. Be aware of which areas on your face tend to crease and try to apply less foundation in those areas. For most women, the two regions that are likely to have fine lines are under the eyes and around the mouth. In those cases, try to not apply too much eye cream or moisturizers in those areas because the softer the skin, the more your foundation will be inclined to crease.
