We’ve gone over the skincare basics & what gadgets are Authentic Beauty approved. Now I want to educate you about foundation. Painting over your smooth canvas (your skin), in artist’s terms, should be quick & easy. You just need to know how to do it most efficiently. I’m sure you’ve heard about lots of ways to apply foundation, but please people, consider the source. I’m sure if you are reading a magazine, a writer, not a knowledgeable make-up artist is giving you instructions. Boo. Also note that you should choose a foundation based on what effect it will produce. For example, tinted moisturizer doesn’t give you enough coverage like regular liquid foundation. There are more than 155 types of foundation on the Sephora website, and that doesn’t even include the multiple drugstore brands. And do NOT listen to what salespeople say because remember as I have emphasized, they want to SELL you something first and foremost, making you look good is secondary. Just read the bottles for the effect & listen to your make-up artist friends. I like obviously, our Authentic Beauty 3 in 1 foundation (non-toxic, eco-friendly, easy to use and GEL-based), as well as Laura Mercier & Bobbi Brown foundation; I used to like Aveda’s foundation, but Estee Lauder bought the label & ruined the texture of the product. You may remember my rant on Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer & primer in a previous blog, but I like her foundation. Anyway Authentic Beauty’s 3 in 1 is available on line www.myimagejourney.com/store at the studio for $30 & we are looking forward to the Home Shopping Network liking our product and giving it air time WE HOPE. YAY!
Choosing foundation is complex thing, so again don’t listen to sales people & buy with a mission. If you’re oily, you want a mattifying or oil-free foundation, if you’re dry, you want moisturizing & so on & so forth. Additionally, women of different ages should realize they need varying levels of coverage. See which applies to you:
Teenagers: Do not have full coverage on the entire face. Teens’ skin still has a flawless natural glow, so they only need to spot cover problem areas. REMEMBER TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN. You will exacerbate the breakouts by using too much makeup and not cleaning your skin. 70%/30% rule (70% skin 30% makeup)
Newly graduated college students/20’s: Apply a full face of foundation that will look natural but even out your skintone. These women are still youthful looking, but have some problem areas. They are going out & applying for jobs, so they need to look refined & polished in the workplace. If you have not began a regular skincare routine. DO IT NOW.
30’s: Lighten up your coverage. Women in their 30’s are starting to develop some fine lines & wrinkles & still need ample coverage, but not an entire face. This is where you really need develop a keen sense of being appropriate to your environment. If you are still doing what you did in your 20’s you better do a reality check.
40’s & older: Women of this age need full coverage to even out their skin, so it appears smooth, balanced & healthy looking. FYI some women tell me that the actual foundation is super noticeable on their face & settles into their lines. This is because their skin is not moist enough. If this is you, moisturize more! The skin sucks out all the moisture in the foundation leaving the color sitting on top of the skin which looks unnatural, rather than melding into the skin creating a natural look.
Furthermore, I want to specifically spell out the fact that I.HATE.MINERAL.MAKE-UP. Hate it. It’s is awful & people saying it is good for your skin is a bunch of well, you know. (Sorry Leslie Blodgett, I didn’t drink the Kool-Aid). Mineral make-up is terrible. Terrible. Please, I beg you, don’t buy it. Don’t.
So here is my way to apply foundation & make it look flawless:
- Always begin with a clean, exfoliated, moisturized face. If you don’t, just do NOT apply foundation. It will end up looking bad.
- Know that your foundation of choice will determine your application process, but is no one way of applying foundation that is the one right way. People use a variety of tools-fingers, oval sponge, egg shaped sponge, pointed brushes, flat brushes, triangle sponges, etc- to apply their foundation. Do what works for you & keep the end result in mind. You want a fresh, glowy natural effect.
- Keep in mind, apply foundation in natural light to ensure you have chosen the correct color & make sure it is appropriate to the environment you’ll be in. Full coverage for work & nighttime, but lighter coverage for daytime, outside events.
- As you apply your foundation, make sure you blend, blend & blend again to ensure a perfect, natural look with no noticeable lines of demarcation. SMILE and have a natural expression on your face. It will keep the makeup from settling into lines.
Powder is another topic altogether, but you generally need to set foundation with a light dusting of it. Sometimes too much powder will make it look cakey, but a minimal amount will set the foundation & control shine. I do like the Bare Essentials Mineral Veil powder which is exactly like our oil-free translucent because it makes your skin glow that much more & makes it look a touch more flawless. It has tiny flecks of shimmer which balances out the actual powder, making it look more natural. Also I will note that while I HATE MINERAL MAKE-UP, I do like this product. I think women use WAY too much powder so lighten up everyone! And use a kabuki brush to buff off the excess. I prefer the flat top ADesign Kabuki.
Look for my Blush, Bronzer & Highlighter blog next!
Happy Foundation Application! Please post your comments, your personal likes and dislikes about foundation and Share it with others!!!!
