Foundations – which type is best for me?

Do you find shopping for a new foundation daunting and confusing? You not alone! Most woman feel this way !

Foundation or Base is meant to even out your skin tone – not to conceal! (unless yours is a highly pigmented one that doubles up as a concealer) . It’s meant to be applied in thin layers. Concealer is what you conceal with – usually only used on small areas that you want to hide.

Lets discuss the different types of foundation on the market and which one is best suited to you (yes there are different types!)

Foundations (often also referred to as base) come in the following basic types:

  • liquid foundation
  • cream foundation
  • stick foundation
  • powder foundation

LIQUID FOUNDATIONS – can either be sheer or full coverage. These foundations are often packaged in bottles (sometimes tubes) and their consistency is like a runny liquid. Most of these foundations are sheer – meaning that they do not offer a full coverage (not being able to see skin through it) but rather you own skin is lightly covered but you own skin is still seen through it. These foundations are often “build-able” , meaning that once a layer is dry, you can add another layer or two to increase the coverage. This type of foundation is great for someone who wants to even out their skin tone without wanting to cover up alot of flaws such as freckles, pigmentation marks, acne scars etc. In other words you will see your natural skin peeping through. Full coverage in this type of liquid formula (eg. Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover) , will offer coverage to completely hide unwanted flaws such as pigmentation etc. Liquid foundation is often the perfect choice for a young skin with very little to hide (usually in our 20’s) or also great to use on a mature skin (over 60’s) where one does not want a heavier foundation settling into deep wrinkles and lines. Liquid foundations are easily applied using your fingers (often the best tools!) or a foundation/buffing brush or sponge (although I find sponges soak up alot of the product which is just a waste – if you do use a sponge wet it first, squeeze out all excess and use it damp). These foundations are the most commonly used by woman all over the world are can come in different finishes such as matt (great for those with oily skins), dewy finish, luminous etc. Eg. MAC Studio Fix Foundation, Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Doundation etc. These foundations often come in long lasting formulas for longer wear. Eg. MAC Prolong Wear, Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup etc.

STICK FOUNDATIONS– these are very similar to cream foundations but in a stick form which makes it easy to carry around in your bag to reapply if needed. The are usually full coverage and again are great to double up as a concealer too. These are also great to do easy highlighting and contouring. Eg, Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation, Kryolan TV Stick, Loreal Infallible Stick Foundation, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Stick

POWDER FOUNDATIONS – this type of foundation combines a powder with a foundation. It’s easily applied with with a sponge or brush. This foundation offers a sheer coverage and there is no need to set with any added powder. I find is it usually best used on young teenage skin or skin that is smooth very very little lines/wrinkles. If one has lines or wrinkles – this type of foundation tends to settle into those lines – accentuating them and can look cake-y after awhile. It’s great to carry as a touch up product. I wouldn’t recommend it for dry /very dry skins or dehydrated skin – would amplify the dryness or dehydration. Great to use if you have normal to oily skin. My favourite it this formula is MUD Dual Pressed Mineral Powder! Other recommedations are MAC Studio Fix Plus Powder, Loreal Infallible 24hr Powder Foundation

Hopefully you are now better educated on foundations types ! In my next article — how to know if a foundation is the right colour for you (this is where people go wrong!)

Skin Prep for a beautiful canvas for makeup…..

Lets talk skin prep ! Your skin is basically the canvas for your makeup. If your skin is not looking and feeling its best – its going to show under your makeup! No amount of the best foundation or concealer is going to hide a badly looked after skin.

How to prep your skin for great a looking makeup application :

  1. Exfoliate your skin regularly — depending on your skin type 1-3 times a week. Exfoliating gets rid of the dead skin cells lying on the top of your epidermis. Makeup that gets caught in dead skin cells can look cake-y, rough and generally unflattering at any age. What you want is for your skin to look as smooth and fresh as possible! You can use either a chemical peel (such as a gluconolactone or glycolic acid peel) to exfoliate (these are less harsh on the skin that the traditional “scrubs”) or a gentle scrub. Regular exfoliation will help you avoid that dull looking skin and add radiance to your skin.
  2. Moisturise your skin well with a product suited to your skin type. If you not sure what skin type you have , go to a good beauty therapist that specialises in skincare for some help. I can help you there as I also specialise in skincare in my salon! Ideally a moisturising product that contains Hylauronic Acid is ideal, as this feeds your skin with moisture – which is what you want to avoid those fine lines and helps give you that plump healthy skin! Hylauronic acid is found naturally in your skin but does decline as we age. Its main function is to retain water in your tissues. Basically Hylauronic Acid puts WATER back in your skin – not oil! So even a person with oily skin does well with adding Hylauronic Acid to their skin without causing breakouts. Ever seen a person with oily skin but yet it looks dry and flakey? — it needs moisture! I highly recommend a Hylauronic serum to use before your moisturiser – especially in the dry winter months. Just a single gram of Hylauronic Acid (HA) has the ability to hold up to six litres of water ! My favourite products are Filorga Hydra Hyal serum and Filorga HydraFiller moisturiser.
  3. Use a good eye cream to hydrate the skin around your eyes to prevent eye makeup from settling into the tiny dry lines – especially under the eyes.
  4. Lastly your lips! Lightly scrub your lips with your toothbrush to get rid of dry flakes and then apply a good lip balm. By the time you have done your makeup and ready to apply lipstick – the balm would have been absorbed.

Before a big event or important occasion, try using a face mask such as Filorga’s Time- Filler mask (great for easing fine lines and wrinkles before a big event) or Filorga Hydra-Filler Mask (a Hylauronic Acid mask) – these are sheet masks that you place over your face and leave on for 10 min — great results! I also recommend these for my brides the night before the big day or on the morning of their big day.

My Skincare range of choice – just love it!

In my next post, I will cover the use of Primers and Foundations …… hope the info above has been helpful to you!

Lets Talk Makeup!

Over the next few weeks I’ll be talking about makeup — everything you ever wanted to know about the different makeup items! How you use them, what tools are best to apply them with and how to make sure you know what the purpose of each is ………