foundation and makeup question??

dafodil · May 31, 2011, 8:58am

Re: foundation and makeup question??

If you have dry skin, I would suggest look for a foundation that mentions having moisturising properties. I don’t know if it’s available in Pakistan but I use the Body Shop moisturising foundation, shade no 5 and it’s PERFECT. Literally blends into my skin to give a natural, light cover and unless I apply heavily, no one believes that I’m wearing foundation - it just looks like I have good skin!

Ok so here are my tips from personal experience:

Wash your face thoroughly. A face wash or cleanser is good, otherwise even soap and water is better than nothing. Your face needs to be clean to get the best makeup results.

Moisturise. ESPECIALLY if you have dry skin. Don’t use something too heavy and oily like the original Nivea cream. Use something a little lighter but still moisturing, which can act as a smooth base to apply your foundation on. At the moment I’m using Nivea Soft cream for face, body and hands. When I run out of facial moisturiser I just use Baby Lotion Even though it’s not as good as a facial cream, it still does the job.

If you have one, apply a primer . It’s just a gel that comes in a tube, which you can dot a tiny amount over your face and lightly spread in. If you have dry skin and did step no 2 then a primer isn’t essential. If you have oily skin there are specific primers which I think are silicone based that will help mattify your face and prevent oily shine. If you have oily skin around the T zone i.e. your nose, chin and forehead (which is v common), you can apply primer to those areas only. Also, I think a primer would be useful in a hot country such as Pakistan, where your makeup could just melt off.

Apply the foundation. For dry skin, liquid is best. There are other forms such as stick, powder etc. It depends on the type of skin that you have. Powder foundation is helpful for oily skin. Stick is good for heavier coverage.

You can apply with your bare fingers (works FINE as long as your hands are clean hehe). Just squirt some foundation on the back of your hand then using your fingers dot lightly over your face and blend in gently. Always apply a little then build up slowly. Many times I’ve used less foundation than I initially thought I would need, so when you think you’re done just stop and don’t overapply!

You can also use a foundation brush. There are many brands available. I use the Body Shop one currently but used a cheaper QVC one before that which was fine. But please remember brushes MUST be washed regularly as they are a breeding ground for bacteria. Just use some gentle shampoo like baby shampoo to rinse it out. Be wary that some brushes have a tendency of soaking up the makeup so you lose out on product. There are regular foundation brushes and there are others like a stippling brush which is really good for a flawless look, but you can move onto that after some practice. Some people also like to apply using foundation sponges.

Apply concealer of your choice onto blemishes and pat very gently onto the under eye area. Try not to the pull on the undereye area too much (which I do sometimes:sid:) because it can lead to wrinkles etc later on in life. A stick concealer generally speaking tends to stay on for longer and give heavier coverage. An orange based corrector can be used for particularly dark circles. A liquid ‘illuminating’ concealer such as Touche Eclat (which is overpriced IMO - there are cheaper alternatives) will brighten up the undereye area by reflecting light, but will not cover dark circles so well.

Apply powder. Applying lightly with a fluffly brush will do a job. Try not to use sponges or puffs as then it can get a little OTT and cakey. In my experience, the best powder to use when starting off is a translucent one, meaning that it doesn’t have its own particular colour and can be used for any shade. If you do come across a powder that matches your skin colour perfectly that good for you Otherwise translucent is fine as it’s purpose here is to ‘set’ the foundation and make it stay on for longer. I’ve used Max Factor Creme Puff powder, which is very good but has medium to heavy coverage, so if you want a natural look either apply less foundation or use a powder with less coverage. Also, there are powders that can be used particularly for the undereye area. I’ve heard Benefit does a good one, but I haven’t used it myself.

Ok woah that was a really really long post! Congrats for reaching the end! It sounds like a lot, but all of the above takes me 5 to 10 minutes maximum. I’m sorry for ranting on, but makeup is one of my favourite topics! I hope it helped! xox

thnks yarr