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1.03.2017

Foundations; Application, Colour Matching and Other Tips


Recently, I've realised that over the course of the few years I've really delved into beauty and makeup, my foundation routine has been constantly changing and developing. Thankfully, all this change has led to me being able to confidently make a post to tell you all you need to know about how to get a great skin base. It's definitely taken me a while to get to this point and I've gone through all the awkward stages; patchy, dry, too sheer, oily, but I've finally come out on the other side, confident and looking pretty good, and if you too struggle with foundation, hopefully this post will help you end up feeling the same.

I can't stress how important it is to start with a good base so moisturise with your favourite moisturiser and then pick a good primer. Some of my favourites are the smash box photo finish primer and the mac radiance primer and if these two are a little out of your price range that's totally fine, LA girl does some nice primers too for a much more affordable price. After you've moisturised and primed your face, it's time to pick your tools. I always use a beauty blender and I really think it's worth investing in a really high quality, soft blender. I see heaps of companies these days making rock hard beauty blenders that are extremely difficult to use and dirt cheap. I really wouldn't recommend buying these, even though the prices are amazing, because you just won't get the same finish. It also helps to dampen your sponge before applying foundation by just squeezing it under a running tap and then squeezing out all the excess water.

When it comes to the actual application, it helps to start in the middle of the face and work your way outward with dabbing rather than swooping movements. Personally, I pick the foundation up straight onto my beauty blender and slowly work it in to my skin but you could also dot foundation on your face and then go in with the blender if you wanted to be a little more considerate regarding how much product you're actually using. This is the part I really encourage you to take your time and work in the foundation because you don't want to have a thick layer just sitting on the top of your skin. Then when you're happy with your base, go in with a light concealer, drawing triangle shaped under your eyes reaching down to your cheeks.  Then draw a similar shape on your forehead and a line down the bridge of your nose. Make sure to blend this in super well to ensure your foundation doesn't end up looking like a whole bunch of different colours. Then, finally, set your foundation with a powder (preferably loose and translucent) to protect you from having your foundation come off or setting into any lines during the day.

Finally, I'm going to have a quick chat to you guys about colour matching. This is the part where so many people fall short so I'm going to quickly go over a few basic points on the topic. First, you have to identify your undertones. This means analysing whether your skin has a yellow (cool), pink (warm) or neutral base to it. If you don't feel confident doing this yourself, it's always good to ask a beauty consultant for help (we don't mind, trust me it's like 90% of our job). Then when choosing your foundation shade with matching undertones to your skin, swatch the colour on your neck just under your jawline for the most accurate match. I think it's also helpful to remember that if you're unsure and you don't want to ask for help, to just go with the lighter shade as you can always bronze yourself up.

Those are my basic tips when it comes to foundation and I hoped they helped you a little! Let me know in the comments if you want me to turn this into a fortnightly or monthly segment where i can do a general overview of how to use various products. I hope you all had a merry christmas and happy new year and thanks for reading!