So yesterdays post was how to select a great foundation. Today I want to move on to how to do a flawless face with foundation. The first and foremost important thing for foundation is skin care. The basic routine for skin care should include, OIL FREE eye makeup remover, a gentle cleanser, once a week exfoliation of your choice, and MOISTURIZER. The most important thing to remember is consistency (twice a day!!) and let the products that you use do their job.
The #1 most awesome-est cleaner that I recommend to everyone is Cetaphil. It is SO gentle and calming to skin. It does a great job and you can find it anywhere and for a really reasonable price. If you find yourself having issues with large infected blemishes another product that is awesome is Hibaclense. It's an anticeptic and antimicrobial soap. Leave it on your skin for a couple of minutes to let it do its job before you rinse. The most important thing with any product for acne is that it is designed to be drying- so make sure you replace the moisture. If you are really super invested in your skin care regiment- you NEED a Clarisonic Beauty Brush. It's made by the same people who make Sonicare toothbrushes. Think of how clean your teeth feel after using a Sonicare toothbrush and imagine how awesome your skin would feel. It also eliminates your need for exfoliation as it removes the loosened skin cells from your top layer. I would suggest you start out with only using it once a day though- especially if you have sensitive skin. I sound like an infomercial- but I tell you- its a product that I really stand behind and love.
I am not crazy about toners. I know a lot of people who swear by them but I have never had awesome luck with them. If you are doing a great job cleansing, you don't need an alcohol pad on your face to kill bacteria. Most toners are super drying too and can sometimes do more harm than good. If you are in love with your favorite toner- than by all means stick with what works for you. If you aren't using one now- I wouldn't go out of my way to find one. I would invest the money elsewhere.
MOISTURIZER!!!!! This is a subject that I cant stress enough. If you aren't moisturizing- you should be. I don't care if you have oily skin, dry skin, combo or normal skin- you should be moisturizing. It is the single most important part of having healthy skin. Your makeup will only look as good as the canvas its going on. Makeup is made to accentuate and there is only so much that cover up can do. If your skin is wrecked and you are caking on the cover up- it will look exactly that way. A wrecked canvas with a layer of spackle. Not a pretty picture- huh? You should have a light daytime moisturizer with SPF, a nighttime moisturizer that is more emollient and don't forget an eye cream. A good eye cream can really plump up those crows feet and fine lines. Not that ANY of us have those....
I have had the opportunity to try a lot of skin care over my years and the one that I have been the most impressed with is- AVON! Its not just for your grandma anymore! I LOVE the ANEW line. Experiment with the different formulas though. I actually use the gold line which is made for women over the age of 50- and I am only 31. I like it because I have deathly dry skin and this line is ULTRA hydrating. (If you need the name of an awesome rep- let me know.)
Once you have your gorgeous canvas prepped- you can go for a foundation primer. What a primer does is function as a silicon layer between your makeup and your skin. It makes your foundation go on smoother and generally it will make your foundation last longer. You have many choices for foundation primer. E.L.F. (eyes, lips, face- sold at Target) makes a pretty ok one- FOR $3! If you are strapped but want to try one out- give that one a try. Covergirl makes a really good one in the $10-$15 range. My FAVE FAVE FAVE that I RAVE RAVE RAVE about is Smashbox Photo Finish. It's ridiculously amazing- and it comes in color correcting versions that are out of this world. Be warned- it's a pro product with a pro price tag at around $35. Keep in mind you use a teeny tiny dot- so it will last a year or so. You don't HAVE to use one- but I love it- ESPECIALLY if you are using a mineral foundation. You will look flawless.
What type of foundation you choose is totally a preference thing. Once you have found the type you heart and that works for you, you have to apply it correctly. Mineral foundation or powder foundation is a no brainer. I'm sure we have all seen the infomercial on swirl, tap, buff. Its a pretty universal method when it comes to mineral or powder foundation. If you think its not going on evenly enough, make sure your skin is nice and moisturized and make sure your are buffing really well.
If you are using liquid or cream foundation- you can use your fingers, but I prefer a stipple or duo fiber brush. e.l.f. makes a great one for- $3 that you can buy at Target. I put a couple of drops or a tiny pea size drop on the little pad on the back of my hand/ bottom of my thumb area, lightly dab my brush in it and buff on starting under your eyes and working out to your hairline, then your jawline. Make sure to buff in small circles and blend, blend, blend. That is the secret to looking like you are naturally flawless. You want to look like you have great skin, not like you have a great foundation on. You can see it done all over youtube if you need to SEE it done. I don't really care for the flat synthetic foundation brush that you see sold. I find it harder to blend evenly and you REALLY have to wash it after every use.
If you are using a cream or cream to powder foundation like Mac Studio Tech or Covergirl Ultimate Finish- I would suggest a makeup sponge. Again, start under the eye and work your way out. Cream and cream to powders can be a little difficult to use in my experience because they dry out somewhat quickly and you really need to buff and blend. Thicker formulas tend to sink into pores and can accentuate lines and wrinkles- be aware of that or use a formula like Covergirl Simply Ageless Anti- Aging Foundation that has a primer built in.
Concealer. This is the single most incorrectly used and incorrectly purchased product I know of. Concealer is meant to help cover blemishes- whether they be acne, dark spots, under eye circles or scars. What you are trying to achieve with concealer determines the type of concealer. The wrong formula can cause that little blemish to become cakey or even accentuate it more! There are only two concealers that I ever recommend. They are Dermablend or Cover FX. The reason that I ONLY recommend these is because they are the ONLY concealers I have every tried that actually do what they are meant to do without looking obvious. They are in the $20- $25 range but I would pay double for them. They are THAT awesome.
When applying concealer- you want to put your foundation on FIRST and then put on your concealer. This is because #1- you want to see if you even need concealer after your foundation did it's job. If it doesn't look the way you want it to- then you turn to concealer. You don't want to rub off your concealer with your foundation. Start with the teeniest tiniest mini droplet and pat, pat, pat it on using your ring finger. You can use a brush too but I think fingers work better.
After all your foundation and concealers are on and you look like a primed and perfect canvas- you want to make sure it stays that way. You NEED to set it with powder to keep it in place. You can choose a loose or compacted powder- either work. You can choose translucent or slightly pigmented powder. The only things I would stay away from are highly pigmented or colored powder and super expensive HD powder. Pigmented powders will instantly make you look cakey and unless you are on television- you dont need HD powder. If you are flat flat broke and need something to get you by for a bit, you can even use a dash of corn starch on a fluffy brush. Oh yeah- make sure you are dusting your face with a fluffy rounded edge brush. Again, if you don't have a fluffy face brush and your on a budget, try e.l.f. for $3.
Phew, that was a bit longer than I anticipated. Whats your favorite product? Any specific questions I can answer for you?
Happy Makeup-ing!
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