Foundation for ABSOLUTE beginners.

Hey M’lovlies!

Well, it turns out that my ass isn’t lazy after all and is just in need of another good dose of iron tablets. I’ve started taking them as of Thursday last week and am on them for three months but I should be on the way to full health again very shortly.

All misery aside, I wanted to talk to all you makeup newbies about the beauty of foundation. When starting out with foundation it is very easy to get it wrong because there are so many things that have to work in harmony for it to look right. You have to get the colour right, the finish that’s best for your skin and the coverage you desire.

So, foundation will have one of three coverage levels; light, medium or full. Light would be for those who just wanted to cover a little bit or just even out their skin tone. Medium would be for those who have a little bit more to cover but don’t want to totally wipe out their face. Full coverage would be for those who want to make their face a totally blank canvass and cover EVERYTHING but I only recommend full for special events as it can look heavy for every day.

My first piece of advice would be to start with something light coverage and work your way up because lighter coverage is a lot more forgiving if you get it wrong. Besides, If you wanted more coverage you can always use concealer to go over the areas you want to hide a little bit more. My personal favourite light coverage foundation is the Rimmel Match Perfection as it has a gorgeous finish and an even better price tag.

My second piece of advice would be to always use a primer! They can honestly transform how a foundation sits on the skin and often help to keep it on all day. If you have dry skin then you’re going to want something very hydrating like the NYX hydro touch primer and If you have oily skin then look for something a little bit more matte like the L’Oréal infallible mattifying primer. It is okay to double prime! There may be multiple things you want to sort out about your skin before you move on to foundation like hydrating your skin and maybe filling in some pores. It’s okay to use two primers to do this as it will mean your skin will be totally ready for foundation.

When it comes to matching your foundation shade, the most important thing is to get the correct undertone as you can’t hide that if you get it wrong but you can always blend the foundation down your neck if the shade is slightly light or dark. Getting the right undertone is probably the most difficult part which is why I have a little tip for you because the one about looking at the colour of your veins or what jewellery suits you don’t work!. Think about what happens to your skin in the sun because if you are:

Pink toned – you’ll go red all over.

Neutral toned – you’ll go red in certain areas (like the cheeks and chin)

Yellow toned – you lucky buggers will tan so easily.

Once you’ve worked out your undertone then finding the shade shouldn’t be too difficult because all you have to do is test 3 shades you think it could be on your jawline and remember that it is the one that disappears into your skin. If none of them do, then keep testing.

I can’t tell you what finish is best for your skin as everyone is going to prefer something different, but what I can do is tell you a few different finishes that foundations tend to offer; that is dewy, matte, natural and satin. Natural and satin tend to work for most (not all) skin types while dewy works better on dry skin and matte works better with oily skin … generally. Dewy foundations tend to make oily people look like they’ve dunked their face in a bucket of olive oil, and matte foundations tend to cling to dry patches or look cakey on dryer skin.

When it comes to the application of foundation, I recommend using a beauty sponge, like the Real Techniques one, because they’re a lot easier to work with than brushes. I personally way prefer the finish of a sponge anyway! Start in the centre of your face, working out to the jaw and use gentle bouncing motions to really work the foundation in. Always bring in down your neck.

Finally, I always suggest setting your makeup with a light layer of powder and the one I recommend for this is the RMCA No Colour Powder. I have found that it works for everyone and because there is no colour, it’s foolproof. Just dust a light layer over the skin with a setting brush and you’re good to go. You can spray some setting spray over the top if you find you went a bit overboard but I always use a spray anyway as it melts everything together.

I hope you guys found this helpful. I am hoping to get back into regular posting now that I know what is wrong with me and will have lots more coming soon. Let me know what you guys thought in the comments below.

See you soon 🙂