What is a foundation for?
It is important to remember that foundation most often is not able to camouflage absolutely all imperfections of the skin. It will not necessarily cover up bruises under the eyes and will not “erase” all the pimples.
The main task of the foundation is to even out the complexion, creating a monochrome “canvas” for the subsequent makeup. A light foundation will probably cover only 30 percent of irregularities and imperfections, while a thick one will cover 70 to 90 percent. Therefore, after applying the foundation, refine the problem areas, if necessary, with the help of concealer or corrector. If there are no special problems with the skin, it is possible that one foundation will be enough.
How to apply foundation
There are a number of indicators by which you can determine that the foundation is applied correctly.
- The skin looks monochromatic.
- The color of the face and neck do not differ, that is, there is no mask effect. To achieve this, test the foundation on the skin at the lower edge of the lower jaw – so you will see a match with the color of the neck and the tone of your face. If there is an obvious difference, choose a foundation that better matches your neck tone. In summer, if you wear open clothing, check the tone on your collarbones as well.
- The foundation does not emphasize skin texture, flakiness, dryness, pores and does not give an oily sheen. It’s important to choose the right shade for your skin and to prepare your skin well – we’ll tell you about that in detail below.
Skin preparation before applying foundation
Before applying foundation to the face, professional makeup artists advise to carefully prepare the skin. Thanks to the simple beauty steps, the foundation will be better (for example, will not clog pores and wrinkles), and the best part is that it will last longer. By the way, it’s the skin preparation stage for applying foundation that distinguishes professional makeup from amateur makeup. Have you ever noticed that the stars on the red carpet have faces that look photoshopped? There is no magic, just properly applied foundation and makeup artists’ good looks.
Cleansing
Cleanse your skin thoroughly before applying foundation. It is better to cleanse your skin with a tonic or micellar water before applying makeup. Do not use products with oils: they leave a film on the skin, which can change the effect of the foundation.
Moisturize
Moisturised skin = beautiful skin, everyone knows that! It’s important to moisturise your skin before applying foundation so that it stays hydrated and doesn’t become too dry. Apply moisturizer thoroughly and massage it onto your face. Before applying your foundation, let it soak in. If necessary, you can blot your face with a tissue. Done! Now confidently apply your main foundation. And rest easy, your skin is protected.
Primers are additional beauty aids that help enhance the effect of foundation and achieve the perfect makeup look. For example, you have dry skin that needs maximum hydration. Maybelline New York’s Face Studio Prime, 50 and Baby Skin moisturizing primers will do the trick. Love today’s trendy glowing makeup with smooth skin? Face Studio Prime, 20, is a smoothing primer with a radiant effect. And you can trust Face Studio Prime, 10, to solve the problem of dilated lines.
How to apply foundation to your face
In fact, there is no single correct answer to this question. Professional makeup artists around the world are divided into several camps: some apply the cream with a special brush, some with a sponge, and some simply with the fingers. All methods have the right to life: just choose the most convenient and practical for yourself. Or combine them to achieve different effects. But before we start experimenting, let’s figure out how to apply each method correctly in action.
How to apply foundation to the face with your fingers
Apply a little foundation to your skin and spread it thoroughly with massaging motions. The main secret when using this method is not to go overboard with the amount of foundation, otherwise you risk making too “heavy” makeup and leaving streaks.
How to apply foundation to the face with a sponge
With a sponge, you can create a very natural looking makeup as well as a dense evening makeup. Dampen the sponge, apply a little foundation to your face, and then gently pat the face. If you want thicker coverage, apply another layer. On the plus side, the foundation spreads well and evenly. On the downside, a sponge absorbs more product than a brush, so the cream is used up faster.
If you decide to use a sponge, remember the most important thing: it is important to wash it thoroughly after each (!) use. Otherwise pimples and redness can appear.
Even application of foundation with a brush
Applying foundation with a brush is very simple: the main thing is to choose the right beauty tool. Again, there is no one correct form of foundation brush. Choose the one that is comfortable for you.
- Option 1 is a flat brush. It is convenient for applying product and carefully distributing it on the face.
Flat brush - Option 2 is a flat round brush with a flat cut. It is a great option for applying liquid foundations.
How to apply foundation to flaky, dry skin
How to properly apply foundation and concealer if your skin is dry and flaky? In this case it is important not to miss any of the two main stages of skin preparation. Cleansing and scrubbing will help get rid of flaky particles and moisturizing will not let them appear again.
How to apply foundation to oily skin
Concealer and foundation – how to apply them if your skin is oily? Here it is also important to cleanse the skin well to remove grease. At the same time, you should not skip the primer step, it will not allow the skin to shine too quickly. If your skin is oily, you should use powder to finish off your foundation.
How to apply foundation to combination skin
Foundation and powder – how to apply them if your cheeks are dry and your forehead, nose and chin are greasy and shiny? You’ll need to combine both approaches. Dry areas will need plenty of moisture, and over the T-zone after applying foundation, go through the powder.
If you’re doing makeup and using foundation, how tightly should you apply it? You don’t want to apply the cream voluminously, otherwise it will roll off and look like a mask. And in order to work on particularly problematic areas, additionally use a corrective stick. Your concealer shade should match the shade of your foundation.
If your skin is normal, there is no need to worry about how to properly apply your foundation – the photos with you in the title role will still look great. Just use the basic application instructions below. But if your skin is problematic, there are nuances.
How to apply foundation to flaky, dry skin
How to properly apply foundation and concealer if your skin is dry and flaky? In this case it is important not to miss any of the two main stages of skin preparation. Cleansing and scrubbing will help get rid of flaky particles and moisturizing will not let them appear again.
How to apply foundation to oily skin
Concealer and foundation – how to apply them if your skin is oily? Here it is also important to cleanse the skin well in order to remove grease. At the same time, you should not skip the primer step, it will not allow the skin to shine too quickly. If your skin is oily, you should use powder to finish off your foundation.
How to apply foundation to combination skin
Foundation and powder – how to apply them if your cheeks are dry and your forehead, nose and chin are greasy and shiny? You’ll need to combine both approaches. Dry areas will need plenty of moisturizing, and over the T-zone after applying foundation, go through the powder.
How to apply foundation with a brush
How to apply foundation with a brush correctly? Professional makeup artists often use brushes for blurring the foundation, with the purchase of a special brush and you should start. With their help it is fairly easy to distribute the cream on the skin so that the coverage was perfectly even. For example, look for Perfect Foundation brushes by Shiseido or DuoFibra by M.A.C., which are highly recommended by many professional makeup artists.
Here’s how to apply foundation to the face with a brush: spot apply the foundation to all areas, and then with stroking linear movements distribute it from the T-zone to the hairline.
How to apply foundation with a sponge
A relatively new product that all the beauty bloggers have already fallen in love with. The BeautyBlender sponge is easier to use than brushes. It allows you to apply foundation evenly and quickly, even if you are quite new to this business. The instructions on how to apply foundation with the egg sponge are very simple.
Here is how to apply your foundation with a sponge step by step: moisten the sponge a little so that it becomes soft, then dot the cream on your skin and with light strokes spread it.
How to apply foundation with your fingers
The good old fashioned method that’s most often used at home, so you probably know how to apply foundation with your hands. It’s an economical method that’s especially good for working with mousse.
Here’s how to apply foundation properly with your hands. Put a small amount of product on your fingers and pat it down, trying to move from the center to the periphery. Make sure that the borders of the product are as fluffy as possible, so as not to have a mask effect.